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Vet scruffing rabbits

One of the vets we use with work is not, in my opinion one of the best vets, although apparently he is fantastic :roll:

I had to rush a bun to him yesterday after we heard her screaming, i phoned him and he said to rush her straight down. He picked her up out of the box by her scruff, and held her by it while examining her. I have been told about him doing this but never seen it myself and she looked so uncomfortable. I didnt know whether to say anything or not.

Also if she was screaming that tells me there is something very very wrong with her, but he said it must have just been a funny 5 or something made her jump and panic?
 
Aye, its not the best way to pick up a rabbit, and i believe it can cause damage?

Yeah, i would def. say something to him as it isn't the recommended way to pick a bun up
 
Doesnt sound very good, although perhaps he held are like it cos he didnt want to put pressure on parts of the body :s

I would never hold a rabbit like that though, it might hurt them.
 
If a vet scruffed one of my rabbits he would only do it once and when he picked himself up off the floor I would tell him what I thought about his cruelty:evil:
 
When i went college in Liverpool, they taught you to restrain a bum, which was effectively "scruff and bum" (support bum one hand, scruff other) Which i never agreed with and failed that test as i refused :?
 
I personally think it's ok to hold a bun with the scruff on a table, but not to pick up (unless you support the bum too). It keeps them still and stops them kicking, leaping etc. I use this for the college bunnies to get them in the right position for me to pick them up properly (hand underneath front body, and hand under bum). And our old vets held my bunnies' scruff to hold them still whilst she clipped their feet. I think it's fine, as long as you don't pick them up solely by the scruff.
 
my vet scruffs my bunnys too. especially yoshi as he tries to take a leap of freedom or just won't come out of the box :roll: I don't think it looks very nice but it does allow the vets to keep control of the animal alot easier [this is how the mother would carry them when they were young as well] The only time she hasn't done it is when gizmo was very poorly and just floppy then she carefully lifted him out as she could see he was in no rush to go anywhere. :shock: [he is fine now though:D]
I have read in many bunny books about scruffing a bunny when trying to examine them apparently it is safer to do that to avoid getting scratched or bitten. I don't like it either but it does seem to work in the vets.... not that i would EVER try it :shock::shock:
 
If a vet scruffed one of my rabbits he would only do it once and when he picked himself up off the floor I would tell him what I thought about his cruelty:evil:
Yep me too.
I would be devasted if my vet did that.
 
my vet scruffs my bunnys too. especially yoshi as he tries to take a leap of freedom or just won't come out of the box :roll: I don't think it looks very nice but it does allow the vets to keep control of the animal alot easier [this is how the mother would carry them when they were young as well] The only time she hasn't done it is when gizmo was very poorly and just floppy then she carefully lifted him out as she could see he was in no rush to go anywhere. :shock: [he is fine now though:D]
I have read in many bunny books about scruffing a bunny when trying to examine them apparently it is safer to do that to avoid getting scratched or bitten. I don't like it either but it does seem to work in the vets.... not that i would EVER try it :shock::shock:


Actually thats only in cats and dogs, rabbits don't actively move their young :)
 
Scruffing a rabbit and supporting it's bum, then holding it close to your body is actually the safest way of picking up a rabbit. :?

I'd far rather my vet did it that way and lessen the risk of the rabbit struggling and injuring itself. However, lifting up a rabbit by the solely by the scruff is not ok, and puts the rabbits at risk.
 
i had to take bisc and matt to the emergency vets once and that vet picked them up by their scruff without supporting their behind. i was not happy at all and even more furious when he didn't know how much baytril they had to have and had to get his handbook to refer to! buns were obviously upset at being picked up like this as it hadn't happened before. stupid vet. :censored:
 
maybe its worth asking the vet next time you go why he holds them like that and ask him nicely "wont you cause damage holding a bun like that" and see what he says?
 
I couldn't repeat what John said to a vet who did that with one of our buns :censored::censored::censored:

You should never, ever scruff a bun and then lift it just by the scruff :censored: it's as bad as those who lift it by the ears :censored::censored:
 
I always handle my bunnies when I take them up ...put them on the scales etc... I remember one vet scruffed Jazz and I was like er no look at his eyes its hurting him! Not sure how they handle them when they are left there for eops though :?
 
The vet I trust most usually handles the bunnies just as I would but I have seen another one who scruffed Alfie in one hand while supporting his bum with the other. It doesn't look nice but then again a third vet almost dropped Alfie because she couldn't hold him properly, so I would rather they held him securely by the scruff than let him fall to the floor.
 
One of the older vets at the practice i use once did it to Charlie after his neuter and i cringed:shock: He said that is the way to handle rabbits so i told him 'not my rabbit:evil:' thanks god he has retired. Poor Charlie's eyes nearly popped out, if he had done that to Lily she'd of eaten his hand:lol:
 
We always go for a hand under the bum, and another under the ribs, - hips and shoulders from underneath. it seems to work best for all our pets.

I can see how the scruff hold can work when the bum is supported, but i prefer my method. Must be very uncomfortable for them if the scruff only is held.
 
Actually thats only in cats and dogs, rabbits don't actively move their young :)

oops... thats what the vet told me :shock::shock: obviously only said it because she seen my face when she did it :evil: Now i know that NOBODY will ever be scruffing either of my bunnies again.... think a new vet required too if she is prepared to lie to me the lying t:censored::censored:t

Thanks for the info though... i feel so sorry for my boys now... going to go give them both some bunny loving :oops::oops: :(:(
 
Our vets support their bottom, and then hold their scruff. They DO NOT pick them up by their scruff, If they did I think I would end up walking out:evil:
 
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