When we refer to a rabbit savvy veterinarian, we mean a vet who has the specialized knowledge it takes to care for rabbits. Most vets have little training with bunnies, and quite honestly ignorance is not bliss for us. I don't want to be melodramatic here, but a vet who doesn't know what they are doing can kill us - literally!
Rabbits are so different from dogs and cats in so many ways. In fact, several bunny vets have told me we are closer to horses! We're herbivores, prey animals, and...we're just built different! We have problems such as GI stasis that you hardly ever see in cats and dogs.
We also can't have many of the medications cats and dogs have. In fact some of their medications are deadly to us! Anesthesia, antibiotics and flea medications are especially problematic. And when it comes to spay and neuter - you really don't want to take a chance with a veterinarian who isn't well-versed in doing surgery on a bunny!
So how do you find a veterinarian who's rabbit-savvy? May I emphasize that you need to find one now, before you have an emergency!! The time to find a veterinarian is not when your bunny has stopped eating, or has eaten something she shouldn't have. You need to find a vet now and have a get-acquainted visit and general check up, so they have a record of your bunny if she gets sick.
Here's some tips for checking out vets:
1. Rabbit groups like The House Rabbit Society have lists of rabbit savvy vets recommended by members. You can find the HRS main list here.
2. Contact your local rabbit rescue group (you can find them by googling rabbit rescue and your location.) Ask who they take their foster bunnies to.
3. You could call the veterinarian that you take your dog or cat to and ask who they would recommend, but be extremely wary if they say something like "Oh, I can see your rabbit! They aren't that different!" Yes, yes - we are! Very different! You are looking for a referral to a specialist, and if you have a good cat/dog vet they'll know their limits and refer rabbits out.
4. Check Google for "exotics vets" in your area (yes, bunnies are classified as "exotic pets"), and read the reviews.
Think you've found a good rabbit vet? You still need to interview your candidate(s) to make sure they really do know bunnies. Don't take some one else's word for it - some one else may not care about their bunny as much as you care about yours! Don't just take the closest vet to you, or the cheapest one either. You really want to make sure you have someone who knows what they are doing with bunnies!
Also, please remember, a veterinarian's time is precious - these are really busy people! When you call their office to ask these things make sure it's not a busy time. If it is, ask when you can call back. And don't underestimate the vet techs and front desk people - often they can answer these questions, too.
So here are some things to ask:
1. Does this vet see bunnies as pets, or are they more of a livestock veterinarian? This is an important thing to know, because a vet who sees rabbits in the context of farms, 4H groups, or certain breeders may see them differently. The emphasis may not be on quality of care because many rabbits in these situations are just euthanized if a problem arises. In fact we recently spoke to a breeder who said her "farm vet" recommended euthanizing a bunny for ringworm, and sadly, not knowing any better she took his advice. Ringworm is a pain - but not something to euthanize a bunny for! So please find out your potential vet's perspective on their bunny patients.
2. Find out their track record on surgeries, especially spay and neuter. Do they often lose bunnies during surgery? What do they use for anesthesia - injectables (a big no no!) or gas (isoflorane or sevoflorane)? Do they give pain medication after surgery? Do they keep bunnies overnight to make sure they are recovering well?
3. Here is the biggest question - do they recommend withholding food the night before a surgery? If the answer is yes, you really need to say "thank you so much for your time" and keep looking! Rabbits cannot vomit, and need to keep their intestinal tracts moving, so withholding food before surgery is not necessary and can cause GI issues. Fasting overnight before surgery is truly the hallmark of a vet who doesn't know rabbits!
4. Other good questions:
*What antibiotics would they consider as safe for rabbits (penicillin, unless injected, is a no go. Amoxycillin, clindomycin and lincomycin are also deal breakers!)?
*What flea medications would they consider safe (Frontline is NOT safe!)?
*Do they routinely check for parasites like mites and coccidia?
*What would they consider a good diet for bunnies, and do they have a preferred pellet that they would recommend?
*What would they consider a good treatment for GI stasis? Heck, do they even know what GI stasis is?!
*How many bunnies do they see a week? Are bunnies a routine part of the practice?
*Do they routinely see bunnies with issues like pasteurella, abcesses and e. cuniculli?
5. And finally, do they stay up to date? Do they go to conferences and take classes about rabbit health issues? And do they belong to groups like the Association of Exotic Mammal Veterinarians and the American Veterinary Medical Association?
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| We love that our veterinarian has this bunny dental poster in her exam room! It makes it easy for her to explain our dental issues to her patient's people! |
Something to think about: Many times we hear people who don't have much money say they don't want to go to the vet because of the expense. We know vets can be expensive, but there is a reason for that, and that reason is that the training they have, and must continue to update, plus the cost of actually running a vet clinic are not cheap.
If your bunny is sick - please, go to a rabbit savvy vet! Don't ask the lady down the street who has bunnies what she would do, don't call a rescue and ask what they would recommend, don't try and cut costs by putting off treatment until it's too late! We can't emphasize this enough - if your bunny is sick, go to your vet!
If you think money may be an issue, start saving up now. We recommend to our adopters that they have $500 in a savings account for emergencies. If you put even a few dollars away each month it will add up, and you'll have peace of mind knowing you can take care of your friend if problems arise.
There is health insurance for bunnies but we've heard mixed reviews on how good it is and how much it covers. The general consensus seems to be that it is just as effective to have a savings account, but if you think it might be helpful it's worth investigating.
Ok, I'm going to end here - there's some tasty parsley next to my water dish and my litter box is calling! I hope this information helps - do you have any questions about finding a vet? You can leave a comment and I'll do my best to answer!
Love,
Señor Spaghetti
Minister of Health, Huntsville Friends of Rabbits
