Confused over bunny care

I've been pondering for a while about bunny care and how I ensure I'm doing the best I can for my 4. As Ruby is on longterm meds at the moment I'm feeling really frustrated and concerned that bunny medicine is so confusing.

Just recenctly I've heard of a number of situations where one vet contradicts another in the treatment of our bunnies. For example, recently we have had a thread regarding Zantac and Metaclop for buns in stasis, and to support that I know of one bunny owner whose vet will not use Metaclop, favouring Zantac, yet my own is the exact opposite. Then there is the argument over panacur, how long do we dose for, do we need to disinfect on day 21 and 28, and if so why? In another situation, one vet will not use depocillin for rabbits but again another who does not see it as a problem. I'm sure there are many other situations that you are aware of as well, and these are all vets held in high regard by their owners, but who appear to be contradicting each other.

How on earth do we as owners know what is the best for our bunnies if the vets can't agree?

This is not a dig at any individuals or any vets, I'm just very confused.

I think the best we can do is find a genuine bunny savvy vet who keeps up with all the latest research and information and is prepared to take it on board.

Those vets who are less interested in bunny care I suspect will not keep up with latest developments.

I know how hard it is, when Herbie has syphilis the vet I was consulting at the time (before I wised up on vets for bunnies) wouldn't entertain the idea of treating him with penicillin.

I agree with you Lynne, it can be very confusing. The two eminent specialists, Virginia Garner-Richardson and Frances Harcourt Brown don't agree about a lot of things either, so you are left wondering what and who to believe.

John won't prescribe Zantac for anything digestive, and when I asked him about it, he said that he had never seen it be as effective as Metaclop, the data he had didn't support it, but that Frances did. Frances more eminent re: buns than John, so who do I believe? It's no wonder that well intentioned vets get it wrong sometimes really.

I have also learnt over the last year that there is a lot of info out there that is not based on supportive data, and is therefore more 'urban myth' than reality. Usually proported by people who need to feel important, and could actually be causing more harm than good