The time to find a veterinarian is
now, not when your rabbit is sick and you are forced to take what you can get. A good
place to start in finding your rabbit's veterinarian is to ask for recommendations from
pet shop personnel, other rabbit owners and rabbit special interest groups (such as the
House Rabbit Society).
Then move on to interviewing the
veterinarians. The secret here is not to ask "Do you see rabbits?" but, rather,
"Who in town should I take may rabbit to?" If the vet volunteers "We see
rabbits," jot down his or her name. Take the time to call around in a radius from
your home that you feel would be close enough to take your rabbit in case of a problem.
Select two or three and call for an appointment to meet them. Most hospitals charge for an
office visit, but some waive the fee for a quick non-medical consultation.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. You
need to have a way to discern his or her level of knowledge and experience with rabbits
and, just as important, your ability to communicate with each other.
A good rabbit veterinarian will have a
working knowledge of rabbit anatomy and physiology, nutrition and the common diseases and
syndromes of rabbits. Rabbits should make up a sizable part of the vet's practice. Unless
you find a specialty practice, it is unlikely that rabbits will make up a significant
portion of the patients, but 10 percent would be an acceptable minimum.
Ask what special equipment and
services the hospital offers for rabbits. The "standard of care" should include
the use of sevoflurane anesthesia, the ability to trim incisor teeth using a dental drill
(not toe-nail trimmers) and, preferably, the ability to house the rabbits away from
barking dogs and the odors of cats.
When seeking details, ask open-ended
questions. For example, don't ask, "Do you use sevoflurane?" Instead ask,
"What type of general anesthesia do you use for rabbits?" "How would you
fix overgrown incisor teeth?" "What housing arrangements do you have for rabbit
patients in your hospital, particularly in relation to other animals?"
A critical questions is "What
oral antibiotics do you commonly prescribe for rabbits?" If the answer ends in
"-cillin" (amoxycillin, ampicillin, etc. ), beware.
Oral (but not injected)
"-cillins" are deadly to rabbits and you need a vet who knows that.
Finally, ask about prices, but don't
let this be a deciding factor. Finding a knowledgeable veterinarian with whom you feel
confident and who can communicate well with you can be worth paying the extra price.
After finding a vet, your next goal is
to maintain a relationship with this doctor. Although rabbits don't require regular
vaccinations, they should have an annual physical exam. This exam can help detect problems
early and help you plan health management as your furry companion ages.
Unless you've adopted through the
House Rabbit Society, which provides companion animals who are already spayed or neutered,
you will need a vet to perform these non-emergency surgeries.
Male rabbits should be neutered (also
called orchectomy or castration) to alleviate urine marking and sexual mounting (mounting
may recur intermittently as a behavior to demonstrate dominance).
Female rabbits have a high incidence
of uterine cancer, hence they should be spayed (also called ovariohysterectomy or OVH).
This procedure is safer and easier on the rabbit if performed while she is young. We
recommend surgery between the ages of four months (when most rabbits become sexually
mature) and one year. Rabbits may be spayed at an earlier age; however, no studies have
been done to show the effects of spaying prior to sexual maturity.
Whomever you choose as your
veterinarian, for the sake of your companion rabbit, be sure that vet has a good knowledge
of rabbits. Visit our local,
recommended veterinarian list.
updated 8/19/2010 The National
HRS website has additional information on medical issues in rabbits.
Visit their site at
http://www.rabbit.org/health/index.html#veterinary |
