Questions i don't want to ask the vet!

Hi all. I posted a thread a while ago about one of my new buns, Brucie, having stiff back legs. We took him to a vet who specialised in rabbits and she wants to do a blood test for EC (although she thinks it's unlikely he has this) and she wants to Xray his spine to see if he has any damage. I have a few worries regarding this and feel silly asking the vet so I wondered if any of you guys could help.
1) He will be sedated for the Xray and as he's not a young bunny(he's over 3 but that's as much as we know because he's from a rescue) I wonder if this will be dangerous?
2) He cannot go to the vets with his partner Dusty as he will be sedated. I asked if she could go along for moral support (!) as they go everywhere together but they said that after the Xray they need to check he's eating again so he must be alone. I worry that the journey there, the sedation and the recovery will be very stressful for both of them if they are seperated. I really don't want to trigger GI (as my last baby died from this) or cause any extra stress to either of them.

Please help because I want the best treatment for Brucie but I also want to do the best by them both. I worry so much that i'll cause them harm.

Leah x

If you worry about the sedation you can get blood tests done first to see whether or not he is healthy. I had a 7 year old anaesthetised with no problems, so it can definitely be ok, but obviously each rabbit and each situation is different. Why is it you didn't want to ask your vet that?

As for the friend, I always take their friend with them even after an anaesthetic, but that's just because my vets are fine with it. Not all bunny owners do. If you have concerns, voice them to your vet and explain why you are concerned. Do they want to see him each before he goes home?

3 yr. old is very young, the av. life of a bun is 8 yr., and there are some rare case that they live to 16 to 18 yr. old. 1 of our members here has a 16 yr. old bun.

You don't bring your other bun to the hospital for moral suport, this is not a tea party. Hospital could have bacteria airborne, whenever a bun do their traveling, it stress them. What's the logic of stressing 2 buns instead of 1?

When Inky has had X rays, he is just 'put under' lightly, so they can do the x rays properly. He was 3 when he had his last one, so he wasn't young either.

He always goes on his own, even though he and Smokey are very closely bonded. When he comes home, I put him in the dog crate in the hall (they need to come inside for at least 24 hours after a GA) and bring Smokey in, she is so good with him, she licks him and snuggles up to him.

I'm quite lucky that my vets know that Inky will never eat while he is there, so as soon as they know he is OK to come home, they let him because they know I will ring if he hasn't started to eat soon after getting home. I always give them a towel with his and Smokey's smells on it, so he has something familiar when he wakes up.

Try not to worry too much (says she who crys whenever her pets have a GA), you're doing the best thing trying to find out what is wrong with your bunny.

Have you tried glucosamine, I have read a thread on here where someone gives them.

I don't take both bunnies to the vets as I don't like to stress both of them out and they are OK when they are put together again. Frisky Clover's idea of a blanket sounds good.

I hope the appt goes well and there is no damage.

I don't know about the sedation. Every time I have taken my buns to the vets they always go in their pairs. They just put the well bun in the pet carrier in the vet cage so they are still near eachother but the other one cannot eat the food of the recovering bun.

Fia gets easily stressed and it brings on her megacolon but she still goes to the vets with Zion as I think she would get more stressed on her own as they really love eachother. I wouldn't want to risk the bond breaking.

I would push for both bunnies to go together personally.

Hi all, Thank you for your replies. You've all been really helpful and although there's no consensus it's alleviated my worries about parting the buns just for that day. Ideally I would take them together but as my vets have been quite stern and have asked me not to I shall do as they say and hope this is the right decision. I do understand that it's not a "tea party" (Happy Hopping) but this pair get anxious when parted and i felt that it would stress them out more being seperated than both being taken to the vets together. I feel happier now though knowing some of you who have replied have parted your buns for the vets and that it has had no lasting effects. I feel much more comfortable about the sedation now as well.
I didn't want to ask my vet these questions as in the past I have felt silly/pushy when asking vets about treatment. I would rather ask the forum and i'm glad I did as it has helped me loads!
Thanks to Frisky Clover for the blanket idea - I will definitely be using that and I will also be crying my eyes out I should imagine!

Thank you all!
Leah x

Happy Hopping said:

You don't bring your other bun to the hospital for moral suport, this is not a tea party. Hospital could have bacteria airborne, whenever a bun do their traveling, it stress them. What's the logic of stressing 2 buns instead of 1?

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Sorry but this is totally contradicting what we know to be true.

As a bunny owner and a volunteer at rescues, and a vet employee, we always recommend taking the bunny who is receiving the treatment and any bonded friends. It helps prevent stress and this in itself can promote a more rapid recovery from any treatment. When you take a bunny anywhere, if it's part of a bonded group, then it should travel with it's friends, wherever it is going.