Planning a vet visit…

[manic_muncher]

I used a plastic carrier with the wire front to transport Bumpy when I brought him home.  He was put in the backseat, turned sideways with the wire front facing facing the middle, so he could see me.  He didn’t bother to look.

But… I’ve yet to actually get him to the vet as of today.   My husband, who DOES like the rabbit, still isn’t sold on taking him to one when nothing is wrong with him.  One of the main issues is our vet (3 miles away) doesn’t really treat rabbits.  The 3 closest hospitals that DO have rabbit savvy vets are all 2- 2 1/2 hrs away.  I do plan on having him neutered in the near future, irregardless of the hubby’s let’s-wait-and-see-if-he-sprays-where-he-isn’t-supposed-to attitude.    But to be perfectly honest, I’m terrified of having to take him on such long car rides.

Two of the three vets want me to either bring him in for initial visit and blood workup, and then bring him the next day for the neuter.  That’s 8-10hrs riding time!  It seems like it would be a very long time for him.  The 3rd vet said because of the distance, that bringing him in first thing in the morning and them doing a check and, provided everything is fine, do the neuter and letting me pick him up before they close would be an acceptable option.  The 3rd vet was also recommended to me by a vet who I worked with and trust 110%.  On top of that, the 3rd vet is also in my old hometown, so I could keep myself occupied for those hours he would be in the hospital.  Needless to say, this vet is seeming the most ideal option for me.

I am still concerned about the time in the carrier, though.  When we brought him home, he did eat some hay while riding, so he didn’t seem too stressed about it.  But it was only about a 30min ride.  For a two hour ride, wouldn’t I need to consider water as well?  His water bottle would likely drip, should I just put in a lot of bedding to absorb it?  What do you all do for extended car rides?

He also grooms himself a lot.  I’m not sure if it’s the average amount of grooming a rabbit does, or if it’s excessive amounts. lol  But I’m thinking with the distance to get to the vet, bringing home an e-collar would probably be a good idea, just in case.  With being drowsy from the anesthesia, do you think I could get away with NOT having him wear it in the crate?  Or should I go with the old adage: An ounce of prevention is worth more than a pound of cure?  I do tend to worry excessively… so I’m not sure if I’m being properly cautious or going overboard with paranoia.

[Rufus]

I completely understand where you’re coming from, when I had Rufus neutered I went crazy with nerves. The night he came home I set my alarm to go off five times during the night so that I could check he was eating!
The day I took him in to be neutered, the vet just had me bring him in at 8am and spent half an hour talking to me and checking him out. The surgery was later in the day. He’d never been to the vet before but they did check with me on the phone that I didn’t have any health concerns before they scheduled him. My vet is only a couple of minutes walk away so I could have easily taken him for a check up earlier but they told me it wasn’t necessary. If you’re reasonably sure that Bumpy is healthy I don’t think it should be a problem to take him to vet number three who can do everything in one day.
The one thing that would worry me about the long car ride on the way there and back is that you want to make sure they are eating both before and after the surgery and if he’s stressed from the ride he might not eat as much. It will also be harder for you to keep an eye on him while your driving. Could you maybe spread the ride out (even longer) by making a few stops where you can check on him and make sure he eats something?
I’m not sure about the e-collar, Rufus didn’t seem bothered by his stitches but he had the internal dissolvable ones. I’ve heard staples can be a bit itchier, could you check with the vet prior to find out what they use to stitch him? I wouldn’t definitely count on him being really drowsy afterwards, my bun was hopping all over the place when I picked him up from the vet and when I brought him home (only about 3 hours after surgery). He seemed to tire a bit easier than usual but he bounced back from the op at a terrifying rate!
I hope you can get something helpful out of that! Sorry, I’m waffling on a bit

[manic_muncher]

Yes, even with waffling I did actually get something from that! I think I’ll get my hubby to drive, that way I can watch him and possibly encourage him to eat. Since it’s a little bit of a drive and we live pretty much away from… well.. everything, the hubby will be wanting to stop for some fast food, since we hardly ever get the chance to get it. LOL That would be a good time to offer him water too. Thank you for the reminder on asking about the sutures. I had forgotten I wanted to ask about internal ones and glue. I appreciate it!

[CheriB603]

Not eating during the car rides (especially the ride home) won’t hurt him. I’m sure he’ll eat normally before you go and the vet will be sure he’s drinking and eating before you go home. He’ll probably just sleep or curl up on the way home and sit still so just put a fluffy towel in for him to snuggle on. 2.5 hrs without water won’t hurt him. I’m sure he snoozes for longer stretches than that during the day normally. Just be sure he drinks within a couple of hours of arriving home – or at least takes some wetted down greens.

[manic_muncher]

Thanks a bunch!

[Author]

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