Spaying- can’t decide

[Ana]

I’ve researched spaying and vets so much! It’s down to two.  Both are highly recommended by many people and many websites for bunny vets.  Both aren’t too close to me (sadly), and both specialize in bunnies.  Both do full hysterectomies.  But, one is almost 100$ cheaper…

Is there a rule of thumb that the more expensive vet is better?  I worked with vets that did low cost procedures for cats, and that wans’t the rule.  But I’m totally out of my element with bunnies and in a different state.  I’d hate to feel guilty for going with the cheaper, even though money is tight.

Help!

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

Do what you feel you can afford. I did low-cost neuter on my bunny… it was only $25 and they did a great job, so cost doesn’t always mean quality!

[osprey]

I agree, the best spay/neuter around here is a clinic that does nothing but S/N and they charge only $65 for a rabbit.  Their vet does so many of them, she is an expert.

 

[MooBunnay]

I think that if both vets are equally knowledgeable, there is no reason to go for more expensive. As long as you are comfortable with the vet you chose, that is the most important thing regardless of the price.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Save the moola-they both sound great so you can use cost as the decision maker

[MarkBun]

Maybe you could find out what each one includes with their spaying. I know some vets charge more because they take extra precautions – such as running a line into the bun just in case there’s an emergency during the procedure they won’t waste any precious time getting meds into the bun. This was an important thing for my girlfriend who wanted someone standing over her bun with the paddles during the last alteration (she lost two shortly after being altered before).

[Sarita]

Do find out if that includes pain meds, bloodwork, catheter, etc…sometimes the vet doesn’t have an “all inclusive” price either.

[Ana]

Are pain meds, catheter, IV, etc. necessary?

[Sarita]

Yes.

[osprey]

Some vets do not give pain meds after a spay, which I think is kind of barbaric, but there is some small risk of excess bleeding when pain meds are given too soon after a procedure.  For females in particular, pain meds for 2 days post op will greatly cut down on recovery time, get her eating faster, and just make the whole thing easier on her.  The vets here usually give a shot of a heavy duty pain killer like buprenex during the procedure, and then send you home with Metacam to give orally for a couple of days.  The low cost S/N clinic I mentioned earlier does not routinely prescribe pain meds, this may be a way of cutting down the cost.  I always have Metacam on hand, so I give it to the post op bunnies to get them started.  You should ask for it if the vet does not offer it routinely, and stick to the doses prescribed as the medication can be dangerous if overdosed.

[TARM]

Rescue dogs and cats don’t get pain meds after spay or neuter either. I always wonder how they get through such an ordeal without it, though I guess they don’t have a choice…I’m always on top of the pain management for my own pets and when I foster I will pay for pain meds because I know the rescues don’t.

[osprey]

At least at The Rabbit Haven, we always either pay for the pain meds, or use left over meds from other procedures to give bunnies a few days of pain relief.  One of our volunteers is an RN and she is very familiar with meds and their dosages.  She keeps up to date on the latest information from our vets, and helps the rest of us with administering meds.  We pay for the meds because the expense of a few doses of Metacam is far less than the expense of a bunny having to go to the vet for GI stasis issues related to insufficient pain management. Besides the obvious goal of limiting your bunny’s pain, pain causes GI issues, which can be life threatening.

 

 

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Yes, pain meds I’d say are definitely a must-Kahlua was a bit groggy with them, but you could see she felt much better after administering them

[kimberleyanddarren]

i never got pain relief after my guys got neutered? however they were back to their normal selves after they had been home for about 2hrs they didnt seem to be in pain at all, should i have got some? or is it just for spays? hmm.

[Sarita]

Spays definitely need pain medication. I would suggest the IV catheter as well since it is such an invasive surgery.

Neuters do bounce back quickly – I rarely use pain meds either for neuters – but it depends.

[kimberleyanddarren]

well they both recovered fine, i didnt notice signs of pain even once, but now i wonder should i have got some?

[Ana]

Hmm… so the vet I was talking to, highly recommended, said that an IV is not routine because it can stress the bunny out more.  Pain meds are extra…  Still failing to see why there’s a big price difference! :/

[skunklionshow]

Where’s Katnip Crazy from Michigan????   She’s a vet tech.  I believe that she said b/f that the price difference can be dependent on the type of anesthesia the vet uses (some bun sav vets use a blend of 2 different types of anesth).  Also it depends if bloodwork is done prior to the surgery.  My vet office makes this optional, usually about a $60 charge, but sometimes the vet recommends it.  I also believe that catheterization is not usually done w/ rabbits, so that may be an optional service.  My vet does the bupro during the procedure and follow up w/ metacam as Osprey said.  Some clinics may also charge a boarding fee, saline injection, etc.  As Markus said the pain meds are usually used so that bunny starts to eat and not go into Stasis. 

I might ask the clinic about the price differential?  I don’t think it’s a bad question, it’s more that you care and want to make sure that your bunny gets everything they need.

[Beka27]

can you go to each vet and get the *detailed* price estimate? when i got an estimate at my vet they gave me a printout that had (line by line) each item and the cost. the final cost matched the estimate.

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