bunny corneal ulcer (cant afford vet)

[poorbunby]

ive had this bunny for almost 4 years and was naive at the age of 15 when i adopted this bunny from the shelter. i very lately learned that his eye was not supposed to be milky as i was super excited to even get a rabbit i thought the eye was normal as he was neutered by a vet after i chose to adopt him. i never thought they would just give me a rabbit that had a medical condition, especially from the procedure itself is what i found from my research is the most likely cause. unfortunately i realized this very very late. a year ago i took him to the vet because he had poopy butt and i thought it was a stomach problem and the vet charged me over $1200 including a useless $600 x ray. i now know the poopy butt was from the stress from the pain of the eye ulcer which they barely addressed while examining him. i am crushed to know that my rabbit has been suffering for so long. i can no longer afford a vet since my parents are convinced that the vet bill will be as high as it was before and think hes ok just because he is extremely active (or thats what they think). he is active but i dont think he seems happy and i can definitely tell he likes to hide and is in pain. i cant get a job because i am currently working towards getting into a good school and i have no extra time. i am completely stumped on what to do and i dont want my rabbit to suffer any longer. thank you for the help in advance. 

[Q8bunny]

I don’t want to tell you “do this” or “don’t do that” because while your situation sounds difficult, I’m still not in your shoes.

But I can tell you what I would do if it were my rabbit who was afflicted and I knew that he will not see a vet: I would surrender him to a no-kill shelter where he could get medical attention.

It sounds harsh, and it’s definitely sad, but I’m trying to imagine having to live every day with the awful pain of a corneal ulcer without being able to see a doctor because my grandparents told my parents not to take me. I would want help. So I would want my rabbit to have help (competent medical treatment).

Your one experience with a vet was a bad one, agreed. It sounds like you were grossly overcharged, and I suspect that the vet was not rabbit savvy, because poopy but doesn’t usually require an automatic xray.

Could you maybe call around to any rabbit savvy vets in your area (the House Rabbit Society website has lists for the various states, provinces, etc) and see if any of them are willing to allow financing (payment in installments)? Some vets even take on pro bono (free) cases as part of their community outreach programs, where they treat the pets of low or no income people (like students).

You could also offer to do extra things around the house or help out your parents in some other way in exchange for a vet visit to a good bunny vet. Is there another family member who would be more willing to help you?

It’s also important if you do make it to a vet to not be shy – assert yourself up front. Explain your financial situation and request that any optional procedures be explained to you in advance. Ultimately, the bun should come first, but some vets like to be too thorough, forgetting that the costs could drain someone financially.

Let us know what you decide or if you have any other questions.

[Bunny House]

I agree, as bad as it sounds, he needs a lot of vet attention and not seeing one can be costing his life. Try and see if you can get a care credit card or ask for a payment plan, if you can’t, surrender him to a no kill(preferably bunny only shelter) and they can get him the help he needs

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