Vet visit question - Update #2

Brynn is going to the vets on Monday for her pre-spay check up! I was wondering what you all usually do to make the car ride and visit the most comfortable. Do you bring a litter box, food, and water in the carry case? Any other tips about how to ease any stress... treats, toys, Tori?

Thanks!

I just usually put mine in their carrier with a bit of newspaper as if you use hay, it can be a bit messy when you take them out at the vets.

Don't worry about neutering. Both my girls have been done and they were both fine.

Hi,

My vets is a 3 minute car ride so just put them in a carrier with newspaper on the bottom !

Both my girls have been spayed and are fine, the best thing I did for them imo xxx

good luck

I just put newspaper in the bottom and some hay on top. If they need to go to the loo, they will in the carrier. I also put a couple of leaves in as well.

Hope it goes Ok. It'll give you a chance to see how Brynn copes with travel, some buns are better with it than others, it can be really stressful for some.

How did the vets go

The vet visit was good. The vet was very informative and helpful. She thought Brynn looked to be in excellent health. She suggested waiting another month or two before spaying her, because she is still so small.

I'm also happy that she seemed to be pretty stress-free. She was very well behaved, and although I'm sure she didn't enjoy it she also wasn't frozen in terror or spazzing all over.

Overall I am pleased with the vet and facilities. It is the same place I take my cat to and it is one of the only practices that specializes in exotic animals and birds. It's incredibly expensive (in comparison to other vets around here), but I'm not taking my chances on a different vet who doesn't know about rabbits.

One thing that royaly annoyed me was this:
With the info I got about the spay procedure the vet gave me a cost estimate. The basic spay costs about $300.00 (I think that's about 160 pounds ?!?), this is obviously mandatory. Then the vet pointed out 3 other procedures that are recommended but are "optional". The first is intravenous fluids, the second is the laser fee if I opt for laser surgery, and the final is pain relief medication. I couldn't believe it. It ends up being an extra $150... but it's not the cost that infuriates me. The vet went on and on about how much safer laser surgery is... how it significantly decreases the time, pain, and recovery. Likewise, she indicated how important pain medication was after the surgery and fluids during the surgery...... YET it's OPTIONAL? Obviously, Brynn will be getting whatever she needs in order to make this surgery as stress free and painless as possible. The thing I am outraged about is the fact that these supposedly important components are optional. It makes me sad to think about how many people opt out of them causing their little bun's to suffer more than need be. I think the facility should make these mandatory as well!

Is this standard?... am I just getting worked up for nothing?

It seems to me ethically wrong to offer anything but the best. If a doctor performed a surgery on a human and did not use the latest and greatest methods during surgery or cut corners along the way his/her career would be in jeopardy!

Okay, rant is done now. Sorry about that.


P.s.

The vet confirmed Brynn is a girl... Yayyy!

I can't speak for all UK vets but mine certainly do not have painrelief, fluid therapy or gut stimulants as 'optional', they are deemed necessary and for good reason. I havn't heard of laser surgery in the UK and AFAIK my bunnies have all gone under the scalpel and then been sutured internally (sometimes with glue as well) but if the option is open to you and is safer and reduces healing time then I would certainly consider using it.

However, perhaps the vets are wary of pushing the costs beyond the reach of what most people can afford or consider reasonable, in which case perhaps the laser should be optional....but certainly not pain relief or fluids if required.

Incidently, I pay around £75 for a spay, the most I have ever paid is £90.

$300 sounds very expensive to me! I called around to a few vets near me that specialize in rabbits and the most expensive was $150! Also happened to be the vets I went to, I heard from a few people that he was the best.

The pain meds were optional though but that was only an extra $30 or so. Do you mind me asking where you are located?

Rice wrote: Do you mind me asking where you are located?

I'm in Kingston, Ontario. In total the procedure (with all the "add ons") will come to about $450.00! It's a little over the top, but I'll pay if it means she's safe. I know the vet is typically overpriced. Tori's check up was about $60 more than I typically pay (I have recently moved to this city).

Forgive me if you've seen this already Vets, there is a disclaimer at the bottom of the page that these are vets practices that have listed with the site, they are not endoresed by them.

This page, however, is personal reccommendations from website users. Again, all posts may not be from users, but a spay is a fairly standard procedure, and I don't think you need to pay a specialist rate for it, unless you're fine with that.

It may be worth ringing around, even if you get the same price but with all the options included

Thanks Jay! On both of those sites Beardall Animal Hospital is the only vet near me listed. That's the one that I take my girls to. I guess it won't hurt to call some other vets - maybe even in the next town over.

I have a feeling the reason why they can charge so much is because they know they are the only ones around who will do it!

Thanks for all the suggestions. Since I have some time before she needs to get it done I might as well call some other places.

Well... I've been calling around and it's looking like a conspiracy to me (joking, kind of). Seven of the surrounding vets said they do not spay rabbits, and about 1/2 of them suggested Beardall (the vet I'm currently going to). Two other clinics said they do preform them. The first one is going to be about $300.00 so if that's the case I might as well just go to Beardall and pay the extra $100 for maximum safety. The second place I called put me on hold so the receptionist could go "find out" if they spay rabbits (not a good sign I'm thinking), and then when I asked additional questions she asked if she could call me back. It's been about 20 minutes so I'm thinking she's not going to call back!

I guess Beardall it is.... maybe the next question I could ask all of you is for information about the "additional costs". At this point I'm feeling pretty confident that I want to suck it up, pay it all, and get the works... but I'll just throw this stuff out there and you guys can tell me if I'm being totally taken advantage of.
I don't even care about the money... it's a lot, but it's worth it if it will help Brynn, but I would like to know your opinions!
So here is my estimate:

Ovariohysterectomy (Rabbit) - $260.00

Additional Charges (optional):
Intravenous Fluids - $62.00
Laser Fee (if I choose to have laser surgery) - $80.00
Nail Trim - complementery (oh how thoughtful of them )
Metacam - $21.80
and of course Tax $21.22
Total: $445.62

Also, of the two vets who preform the Spays one of them uses stitches and one uses staples, any preference/advice there?

Thanks in advance for everyones input! You're all great!

When both my girls were spayed, they were stitched. I have never heard of staples, but that doesn't mean they aren't used over here. I don't know about the IV fluids, but that might be done after the op and when they are in recovery. I just think that they should be doing an invasive operation like spaying with painkillers as standard, not as an optional extra. That is just cruel! Can't comment on the price as it looks like the vets in question know they have cornered the market.

NickieM wrote: I just think that they should be doing an invasive operation like spaying with painkillers as standard, not as an optional extra. That is just cruel!

Completely agree! I was outraged when they told me that. It makes me sad to think of all the people who have likely opted out of it poor buns!

It is madness because rabbits react to stress by going into stasis. So it seems crazy not to medicate them with painkillers when they have had such a stressful experience. My female Gloria doesn't deal with stress well. She had a bit of a blip when I was giving her Panacur for the 9 days. It upset her so much to be handled that she went into stasis for a day and worried the life out of me.

ElleyMay wrote:

NickieM wrote: I just think that they should be doing an invasive operation like spaying with painkillers as standard, not as an optional extra. That is just cruel!

Completely agree! I was outraged when they told me that. It makes me sad to think of all the people who have likely opted out of it poor buns!

I agree - I think that's quite shocking that painkillers are an "optional extra"

I think the price you have been quoted seems very expensive compared to what a spay would cost here, but it doesn't sound as if you've much option!

Well done on seeking the best treatment for Brynn, she is lucky to have such a caring bunny mum.

Agree completeley with all the above posts. Brynn is indeed lucky to have found you, you've gone to so much trouble to get her the best
I'm really shocked by the finnancial attatchment to care, but as Nickie says, they've cornered the market.
If you opted not to have pain relief, esp. for a girl , Brynn could well go into stasis with the possibility of that being terminal after the stress of the operation.
In a bizarre way, the charge for the pain relief is an insurance policy; By buying pain relief you avoid having to pay for further treatment for not buying pain relief...I'm sure there's some logic there

I realise you live in a different country, and it's easy for us to sit here and comment on it, but I don't think the reactions are unreasonable. If this was USA, I wouldn't be at all surprised, everything has a price there, but I am a bit surprised at this.

All that aside, best wishes for Brynn and the spey, keep us posted

I've never had a rabbit stapled myself but usually opt for a combination of internal sutures and wound glue instead. I would personally consider the laser option to be dispensable but the pain relief and aftercare certainly are not.