Call them and ask again. Speak with the vet and if he says to fast, don’t do it. If he says no, continue feeding, let him know his receptionist is telling you otherwise so he can correct the receptionist himself and it won’t happen to future clients.

Sometimes the receptionist just isn’t paying attention and says a line that has been burned into their brain because they have to repeat it so much. So just call the vet, ask the vet himself if you need to fast your rabbit. If he says yes, I’d find a new vet. Says no, let him know what the receptionist told you.

I agree. Speak with the vet. It may have been a new staff member you spoke with. My vet is very experienced with rabbits and the receptionist told me once to fast my bun and I corrected her on it. She then checked with the vet and apologized.

It sounds like the second vet would actually be $383 since they require the $95 vet consultation/well visit before hand. It does seem on the spendy side but they sound pretty knowledgeable and it includes a lot.

I agree with the others about checking with the 1st to see if the vet says to fast or not. Here are some more questions you could ask to gauge their bunny knowledge (from the HRS):
– How many spays/neuters OF RABBITS has the veterinarian has done in the past year?
– What was the success rate? You want 99% or higher. HRS says vets that spay/neuter for them lost less than 1/2 a percent of their rabbit patients. 
– Is entry to the testicles made through the scrotum or the abdomen? Entry via the abdomen unnecessarily increases the trauma for male rabbits.  
– What anesthetics are used? Generally you want the answer to be Isoflurane.

I just picked out a few, there’s more here:
http://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/

Best of luck! I hope you can find someone knowledgeable and affordable.

I agree with the others, better to double check with the original vet.

I’m looking at this from the “mom” point-of-view too… If you’re paying for the surgery yourself and you feel more comfortable with the second, more expensive clinic, then go ahead with that. But in this type of situation, if it’s your mom providing the neuter, and the first vet DOES have rabbit neuter experience, and charges a lot less… I wouldn’t want to “look a gift horse in the mouth”. You know not to fast him (KUDOS for you for knowing this and explaining this to your mom!), so regardless, he’s not going to be fasted.

Have you met with the first vet for a check-up for him yet? Did you get a good “vibe” from him?

Definitely talk to the vet. It’s not uncommon for receptionists to tell everybody to fast their pets before surgery, especially if the clinic sees lots of dogs and cats. It doesn’t mean the vet isn’t experienced with rabbits. Talk to him directly and see what he says.

If it’s your money, it’s ultimately your decision about which vet you feel more comfortable with.

My good rabbit vet had a receptionist that called and reminded us to fast Bella. I said “She’s a rabbit” and she said “Oh, then don’t fast her!” I think they were just calling a list of people to remind, an didn’t look at the species. So it’s definitely worth a call to the vet himself.

Glad you got that figured out.