Transporting Question

[Tami]

So I’m going to call the Veterinary Medical Center here in a little bit to see if they have any openings to do a spay & neuter ASAP & I’m thinking they will because they are hellish expensive & no one wants to pay those kind of prices, so they either take their animals elsewhere or just don’t have it done *sigh*

My question is, what did those of you who’ve had your babies altered use to carry them to and from the vets ?  And did you leave it there ? (I guess you’d have to…..DUH !  Reeeeeally stupid question )

I’m trying to plan everything out so there’s no last-minute panicking going on, ya know ?

The cages they are housed in are pretty portable but very bulky & contains their litter box, food, water, etc. so I didn’t know if we should just go ahead and transport them in that or not ??? 

I am so terribly nervous about this, just like I was when I got my two puppies done (well, they’re not ‘puppies’ anymore, but they always will be to me ).   I cried & cried when I dropped them off and then cried some more when I brought them home……..I’m sure not looking forward to this & tear up just thinking about it, but I know it’s best for their health & well-being, so I just have to grin & bear it, right ?

Love really does hurt so much sometimes

[Binkles]

I was driven when I had my baby spayed so I could hold her there and back -but I’m guessing that isn’t an option for you. I’d say for the journey there and back, use one of those small animal pet carriers and FILL it with towels -ESPECIALLY on the journey back. I say this because for one thing, of course, they’re going to be uncomfortable post-op. But mainly because they need to move around as little as possible. So I think a small pet carrier filled with towels would be very good -the ones I’m thinking of only have two mesh panels on the side, so filling it with towels would restrict the light from coming in and give them a nice dark sleepy place. Just be careful getting them out.

As for while they’re actually at the place, I brought my babys travel cage with me and had them set it up in a relatively quiet room for her. They do, after all, need access to food and water.

I know! I was terribly, terribly nervous when I had Binkles spayed. I cried as well -not during the operation, but the nights before mostly. But we have a very good bunny vet here, so I knew she was in the best hands possible.

[JK]

Oh you are doing the right thing!  I still have the cardboard box they gave me at the rescue.  I fill it with towels and it works just fine for a short trip.  Good luck!

[Beka27]

oh good!  Tami… you are going to be so relieved once this is done.

i use a small cat carrier that i got at Wal-mart for, i think 15 or 20 dollars.  it was the smallest size, but Meadow is only going to be about 4.5 pounds, the vet is only ten minutes away, and she’s my only bun.  some people recommend the larger carriers so you can take more than one bun in it or for longer trips. 

there are soft sided carriers, but these i think are actually more expensive than the plastic cat carriers, and it’s impossible to clean them.  if you fill the plastic bottom with a blanket or towels, these can be removed and washed and the whole carrier comes apart and can be disinfected.  the one i have has clips half-way up so the whole top can pop off to lift a rabbit out carefully.  very convenient if they don’t want to come out (which they don’t!)

if it’s cold where you are,  make sure to have plenty of blankets or towels inside and have an extra blanket to put over top when carrying from house to car and car to vet.  take it off when you’re in the car b/c rabbits can overheat easily.  if the car is comfortable in temp for you, it should be good for the rabbit.

this is similar to what i use

 

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[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Great pics Beka! And the cold weather advice is great too!

Yup, Cat carriers work and I would recommend one as you don’t really know how your bunny is going to react to being in a car-even if you aren’t driving you probably don’t want to hold them. Cat carriers aren’t too expensive and I think I picked mine up for about thirty bux-which isn’t bad at all considering all the use I got out of it.

You say you are going in a little bit… Do you mean a few days/weeks or a couple hours? If you are going asap, like today, and you can’t buy a carrier, try finding a cardboard box that is sturdy enough, poke holes of course and line it with a towel. If you are going in a few days/weeks, I would recommend getting the carrier asap and start training you bunny for it. Bunnies are silly, but the more familiar something is the more comforatable it is… If you put some treats or hay in the carrier and let her hop in and explore, she likely be less stressed when the big day comes

And congrats on deciding to spay/neuter! *hugs*

[Beka27]

good idea K&K getting the bun used to the carrier.  you may also want to put the blanket or towel in there so the scent is on it ahead of time.

[wendyzski]

you can also find carriers fairly cheaply on Craigslist – I got a spare for $25 when I still thought I was going to be able to get my bun a companion

[Tami]

I have an appt. for both Mopsey & Sid on the 31st of this month and told them if they had any openings sooner than that, to please give me a call *sigh*  Sometimes I really hate this town I live in !

Thanks for the suggestions about the cat carrier.  I have two dog carriers (basically the same thing) that I used for house-breaking my two dogs when I first got them.  My two little Holland Lop babies are in each one of those until we can get them set up with different accomodations, which will be directly…….so I can use those, after cleaning & sterilizing, of course :o)

When I asked them about fasting (we only have 3 vets to choose from around here & the 3rd one is approx. an hour & 15 mins. away, the others are 5 mins. & 10 mins………we’re taking them to the one that’s 10 mins. away because they have the first opening), they all told me not to let them eat anything after midnight !!!!!!!  I know after reading the posts from everyone else here about altering that you feed them before you take them in !  Not one of the 3 vets that I have to choose from gave the right answer !!!!!!!!!!!!  I even told the lady that I am a member of an EXCELLENT bunny forum and that you can feed your rabbit in the morning before going in for surgery because their digestive system is different from dogs & cats……she put me on hold and went to "ask", I guess, the vet.  When she got back on the phone she said that, "No.  No food after midnight, but they can have water."  WTH ??????

Like I said, sometimes I really hate this town I live in !  Nobody knows a friggin’ thing around here !  AND, they said they keep them overnight !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I have to drop them off between 8 & 9 am on Thursday morning & make sure I bring some food for them for afterwards…….greens, pellets, hay…….all three ????  omg……..     what a bunch of IDIOTS !!!!!!!

I’m really flippin’ out here because I have no other choices !!  Should I just go ahead and let them eat even though they told me not to ?  Do all vets use the same anesthesia/meds when doing this kind of op ?  I mean, I don’t want to go and feed them and have them choke or asperate to death on the operating table !!!  OMG,  I would literally DIE !!!  I would never, never, NEVER be able to forgive myself if something happens to them !!!

Ok, I need to go calm down and pet my bunns & let ’em know how much I love ’em 

Thanks so much for listening,

Tami

[Sarita]

Ugh…that sounds so frustrating. Has this vet done any rabbit spays and neuters before? I can understand the receptionist giving you the wrong answer but the vet – that is not good.

[Beka27]

can you talk to the vet tech directly?  or go in there and bring info from the HRS website saying that fasting is not necessary?  they cannot vomit, and it’s really important to keep things moving for them…

[Tami]

Yes, Sarita…….frustrating is definitely an understatement !

And yes……they’ve done rabbit spays/neuters before but I’m going to call them and ask how many !!!*giggle*. 

These people aren’t going to be too happy with me trying to tell them their business, but I don’t care !!!  These are my kids they’re going to be handling !!!!

[Tami]

Hi Beka !

I have plenty of time to do that, YES !  I will print some things off and take it right in there !!!

I just hope making them look & feel bad with their mega-bucks degrees & not knowing a damn thing about rabbits, that they won’t take it out on my babies or cancel my appt. for being such a beotch (in their eyes) !

I guess we’ll see………

[Beka27]

be respectful of course!  just tell them that it is not necessary and back it by facts.  do they have to keep them overnight?  i know a lot of people prefer having their babies home the first night.

[osprey]

If the vet’s office isn’t too up on rabbit care, might I suggest bringing along some pellets and hay to keep with the buns before and after the surgery?  They will most likely not eat after the surgery in the vet’s office, but having food and hay available might keep them nibbling before the surgery.

I am sure different vets do different things, but I can describe how the spays/neuters are handled at my vet.  They are an open hospital, so anyone can be escorted into the back where the O.R. is and the animals are housed (pretty amazing, actually).  I have taken dozens of rescues there to get spayed too, so most of the techs know me at this point.

There is a room near the O.R. where they house the pre and post operative animals.  It is a floor to ceiling kennel of 2x2x4 cages, similar ro what they have at shelters.  Each small animal goes into one of these cages.  They get a towel or blanket to cover the floor, and a water bottle from the vet’s office.  I always bring a hay basket, and food and water crock to go in with the bunny.  The bun is taken out and brough to the O.R. for the procedure, and then returned to the kennel for post operative care and recovery.  There is always at least one tech nearby monitoring the animals.  When I go to pick them up, they move them from the kennel into my carrier and bring them up front to me.

I also visited a bunny in the intensive care unit of the hospital once.  That was pretty amazing too.  I can describe it if anyone is curious.

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

When I took my bun to get neutered, I took him in a used pet carrier that I got from the local HRS. It only cost like $5! I dropped him off in the morning and he was picked up by family for me in the late afternoon (while I was at work).

[Gravehearted]

It sounds like you’ve gotten good transportation help.

Tami, I really would be very concerned that all the local vets want you to fast the rabbits prior to surgery. This is a huge no-no and brings up red flags as to how knowledgeable they are about rabbits and how many spay and neuters they do. I am glad you’re planning to call and find out.

Please let us know where you live, since we might be able to help you find a good bunny vet in your area.

I sometimes drive close to an hour to the vet and it’s well worth it to knowing my bunnies are getting the best care.

[Bunnies4ever]

I agree with gravehearted. Any vet who tells you to fast your bunny is not very knowledgeable when it comes to rabbits! Even though I had a dog at the time, and he had been his vet for years, I still interviewed him to see if he was rabbit savvy. He was so I was very lucky! My vet spays/neuters a lot of rabbits, so they know what they are doing. My vet is also an hour’s drive away. I dropped off my buns in the morning and picked them up the same afternoon when they went in for their spay/neuter.

As far as the carrier goes, I find that the ones, that open from the top are better for me to scoop them out. Also, the carrier I have has a panel on top where I can see and talk to them. There’s usually a lot of commotion going on at the vet when they go in for their yearly check-up. I also have the same carrier as Beka I use for fostering.

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