Have you tried calling the vets in your area and asked them? They might be good at it, although they are not on the list. I don’t know how often this list is updated and how the vets get on the list.

I think it depends on your bunny and how soon after the surgery you can bring it home. If it is straight after, it will probably sleep through, but other than that, I think it could be a really scary experience. But I do remember some people in here saying that their rabbits are fine with car drives, so I would say you should try out a short drive and see how she takes it. If you don’t have any vets in your area, who knows how to do it, then I guess you don’t really have a choice though.

remember that the HRS only know about the ones they KNOW about. It may be that your vet ( or another in your area) does do rabbit spay/neuters and no one has known about it. I would certainly call around and do a phone interview to screen potential vets. You may uncover a previously hidden treasure

My vet that spayed Cotton and neutered Griffin is not on the list.  So call around to find out if there is someone closer that spays bunnies and how often they spay bunnies.  To be honest our clinic probably only does 6-10 a year- and it is not a lack of experience of the vet but really more a lack of education about house bunnies in the area. 

but be careful. my vet who neutered mocha, after he had been neutered i found out he had a lot of previous cases of Gangrene. so be careful.

Are there any rescues in your area for bunnies? I would ask them who they use.
When I was looking for a Vet I had to get one out of my town (only 20 mins), i had called every Vet in my area asking them, a list of premade questions on the species I had, including asking them their prices. I pretty much just told them I was new in town and had some questions to see if they dealt regularly with the animals I had in my home.

I have driven almost 2 hours to get my foster bunnies sputered though, as thats where the rescues Vet.

I say, keep looking and then when you find someone who sounds promising – make an appt to speak to them in person – sure you are going to pay for an appointment but bring Tansy and see how the vet handles her and ask questions – it’s your job to interview any vet – referral or not. If you don’t feel comfortable, don’t go back. But do a prelim prior to paying for an appt.

I want to add that it’s not just altering a rabbit that you need a vet you trust for – you need a close vet for illness and stuff – that’s important too.

And on the other side of things… just b/c a vet is listed on the HRS list, this does not mean they are without a doubt a wonderful vet with plenty of rabbit savvy. The vet list for my state has been the exact same for years… and I know for a fact that some of the info is no longer valid. Vets have moved or retired. General clinics may no longer have the “rabbit-savvy person” working there, but the clinic is still listed. Some clinics do have several vets on staff and it’s just the “luck of the draw” with who you get. It’s still imperative to interview every prospective vet, regardless of whether or not they are listed by HRS. I also think that your best course of action would be to see who the local rabbit rescues deal with.

Why don’t you contact the vet that the Rescue uses and see if they can recommend someone closer to you? Also, with some spay/neuter programs, vets travel to cover wider areas – so check out if there are any programs like this with rabbit savvy vets on board. It might be a slim chance but an opportunity not to be missed if they have scheduled to be in your local area sometime.

  I understand your logic for wanting a rabbit savvy vet for the spay and using your vet for illness.  But it is opposite with me and my vet (I work there) my vet will spay and neuter bunnies and treat minor illness (wound, eye problem, etc)- but anything major like GI stasis, severe dental issues, yet undiagnosed rabbit that is obviously extremely ill- she refers to an exotics vet that is 45 minutes away.  She is confident spaying and neutering all the bunnies we see- bunnies are more difficult than cats since the tissue is more friable (delicate) but we are a great clinic with the proper anesthesia and doctors with the proper skills. 

  But when a bunny is ill- you need a vet that treats rabbits for illness and treats them often and knows what treatment works and works well.

^^^I agree with Katnip completely. Even rabbit savvy vets are sometimes faced with illnesses that are different than what they’ve dealt with before. So much can go wrong with rabbits, and it’s important they know exactly what they’re doing. Of course, you want a good vet for the surgery, but someone familiar with buns could perform the surgery, even if they are not a specialist.

Since you are calling around — once you find a vet that says they do rabbits, you should ask them some screening questions. http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html#good-questions (this is from the HRS site and gives the questions to ask, and the “correct” answers.

Good luck in your search!