Martin’s Vet visit!

[mattman0182]

I took him for his first check-up today and the results came out good. The guy seemed very knowledgable about buns and even showed me the bunny berito. He checked Martin’s ears, fur, feet, eyes, teeth and anaylized the poop. Turns out he is very healthy even though he is from the pet store. The vet commented on how well behaved he is and open to human contact.  

His weight is 653.00 at aprox14 weeks old. (dwarf)

OK now some bad things about the visit.

1. The price!! $97.50 for a checkup!!!!! 75.00 just because he is “Exotic”! Thats nearly 100 dollars for a 20 min exam!!

2. He had some crazy ideas like suggesting me to give him some yogurt for fiber. And a very small amount of pineapple juice for hairballs.

3. A friend of my dad said the vet is way overpriced and has had bad experiences with cats there. I wont go into the specifics of that.

she said she knows another vet thats much cheaper. Gave me his name and number with address. I should not need another vet for a while though.

One more thing: The vet said he should stay on alfalfa hay for 6 bmonths before going to timothy. What are your thoughts on this?

[JK]

Wow that is really expensive. I think my first check-up was $60. Fiber in yogurt? Never heard of buns eating yogurt. They sure don’t in the wild! I would think hay is the best source for fiber as well as vegetables. I know babies do get alfalfa but not sure when you switch. Did you check Diet under Bunny Info above? I would make sure this new vet has a good reputation. I’m sure someone here can recommend a good one where you live.

[welshs]

Yogurt is a natural probiotic and is very good for bunnies.  It also helps to break down hairballs on a very small amount.  It’s more to balance the good bacteria within a rabbits stomach.  this is especially important if the rabbit is on antibiotics or has changed food.  It is very common and you can buy bunny yogurt bites as treats in any pet store.  Pinneabple juice is a hairball preventative and is an inexpensive way to keep long haired rabbits safe especially during  a moult.  it contains enzymes which help to break down bloackages.  overall though – hay is a better preventative for hairballs.

[babybunsmum]

while yogurt is a probiotic and is not harmful to bunnies, it is not neccessary nor is it beneficial.  and it certainly will not provide fibre!   lactobacillus is not a signifigant normal part of rabbit intestinal flora plus it will be killed of before it even reaches the intestines.  rabbits have a ph in their stomachs of about 1 – 2.  any other nutritional value from yogurt can be derived from dark green leafy vegetables, so there is really no need to feed a rabbit dairy products containng animal proteins.

based on the advice he gave, i’d def look around for another vet.  i paid $88.30  for an exam & consult (1st visit) and this is not a high price in my area where exotics vets are few & far between. 

[Gravehearted]

I’m glad to hear that the your bunny is so healthy, that’s wonderful news.

Yogurt is not something I’ve heard a bunny savvy vet recommend before.  Truly the best thing for moving fur through the gi tract is lots of hay, fresh water and lots of brushing.  Many people do think that pineapple or papaya enzymes can also help break down the fur.  bunnies don’t actually get hairballs – but since the fur has to work through their gi tract to get out, so it can cause serious problems.

A vet that is fantastic with cats does not equate to a knowledgeable bunny vet.  If you don’t feel comfortable with the vet,  than I highly suggest consulting Maryland HRS vet recommendations to find another vet.  I have paid anywhere from $45 to $75 for a visit, and honestly to me, my biggest concern is that the bunny is getting the best care.

[KatnipCrzy]

Posted By welshs on 03/31/2008 8:10 PM

Yogurt is a natural probiotic and is very good for bunnies.  It also helps to break down hairballs on a very small amount.  It’s more to balance the good bacteria within a rabbits stomach.  this is especially important if the rabbit is on antibiotics or has changed food.  It is very common and you can buy bunny yogurt bites as treats in any pet store.  Pinneabple juice is a hairball preventative and is an inexpensive way to keep long haired rabbits safe especially during  a moult.  it contains enzymes which help to break down bloackages.  overall though – hay is a better preventative for hairballs.

I have to disagree with your opinion on yogurt- I have not found it to be beneficial for hairballs or to be particularily healthy for bunnies.  It is a probiotic that should be used with caution and expert advice if administered to a rabbit.  Pet Store bunny yogurt bites could not be any further from natural unsweetened yogurt- those treats have absolutely no nutritional benefits at all.  The very nature of those processed treats kills the beneficial gut bacteria of yogurt.  There are other priobiotics that are more natural for a bunnies system that do not contain any dairy.

The best preventative for hairballs is grooming/brushing.  Pineapple/papaya tablets and juice can help- but the studies seem to be inconclusive on how beneficial these really are. 

[BinkyBunny]

I pay around $40 – $60 for just a check-up or follow up.  $100 bucks is a bit expensive.  But from the sounds of it you may want to look around for another vet.  You may not need one now, but you could take the time now to put some vets through the screening process.  Better to have a rabbit savvy vet if an emergency pops up.   Did I already give you the link to the screening questions?  If not, let me know and I’ll post the link.

Regarding the yogurt drops – I have always been informed by house rabbit experts and rabbit savvy vets to stay away from yogurt drops.  They are high in sugar and can contribute to an overgrowth of bacteria which could lead to serious digestive issues.  Ironically, though it has been used to help with an imbalance of bacteria this is what the House Rabbit Society has to say about that particular aspect: 

“Yogurt with live cultures has been used as a source of acidophilus and has been used in baby formulas. Adult rabbits do not produce lactase, the enzyme which digests lactose sugars (milk) and I advise against using yogurt as a source of acidophilus, if one chooses to supply it. Because a weanling rabbit’s gut is changing so drastically, it would be realistically impossible to determine at what exact moment a weanling rabbit develops intolerance for dairy products. Freeze-dried, organic acidophilus cultures are available at better health food stores and would probably be a better, safer choice than yogurt, in my opinion.”  SOURCE: http://www.rabbit.org/care/babies.html

Even pineapple and papaya have been in debate regarding whether they REALLY help, but they don’t hurt in the recommended dose so many of us use them for digestive support.

Bottomline for fiber – stay away from sugar as a fiber supplement, and just stick with hay hay hay.   Alfalfa hay for babies and young bunnies up to a year is norm. 

Regarding feeding him alfalfa for a whole year. Usually somewhere between 7 months to a year is when you would begin weaning him off alfalfa hay and pellets, and introducing timothy hay  http://saveabunny.com/?q=diet

And gravehearted is right – bunnies don’t get hairballs in the sense that a clump or ball of hair causes GI stasis.  Usually a blockage is caused by a poor digestive system due to diet, illness or some other issue.  Those issues are what can cause a the tract to slow down or stop and many people then say it’s due to hairball because the digestive tract was not able to pass the hair through.   That’s why I double triple ditto Gravehearted’s advice lots of hay, fresh water, and brushing (especially during a molting!)   

And stay away from high fat, sugary treats. Even healthy treats such as fresh fruit should be given to adults in small amounts     (1 – 2 oz a day)

 

[Sage Cat]

I know you can get acidophilus tablets as a treat for bunny’s. i think this would be much better than yogurt. The treats come in blueberry, strawberry & banana flavors. The Colorado HRS sells 100 tablets for $6.50.

Acidophilus has a lot of the good bacteria and enzymes that a lot of animals have in their bodies. In fact Natural Doctors will recommend it for people after taking antibiotics.

I give my bunny’s the Pineapple/papaya tablets – it is their FAVORITE treat. While I realize that there is no “scientific proof” that they help with hair digestion – my Vet & the HRS shelter highly recommend them. I feel good about giving the Pineapple/papaya tablets.

My Vet charges $65 for a check up.

MattMan – It sounds like Martin is lucky to have you!

[Author]

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