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Help! Upset by vets care of my bun!!

LittleBear18

Young Bun
Hi Guys

Just had my little boy castrated, (bless him) he is completely fine, but I’m asking some advice from all you knowledgeable people :)


First of all – I took Timmy in to the vet for my pre op meeting in his indoor cage – so it wasn’t as scary for him and he had his own smells and comforts – the vet said this was fine and checked him over and went through what would happen with him today.

He was due to be castrated and have his myxi jab. I spoke to the nurse and said I would wait, do more research on the myxi jab and if i wanted it done, i would have it done when I got his girlfriend so they could be done in synch. She said this was fine and crossed it off his notes so it wouldn’t be done.

Said goodbye to Timmy and left.

I got a phone call at 12noon sharp to tell me he had been castrated (phew....seeing as thats what he went in there for!) and that he was up and about but he wasn’t eating and the nurse had been syringe feeding him and if he hadn’t eaten by the time i was to pick him up I would need to take some syringes and food home with me so i could continue this at home. I said thats fine, but I presumed he would be fine as soon as I got him home and would eat some of his favourite foods when he feels more comfortable. I booked my post op appointment and to pick him up at ten to six.

Arrived to pick him up and twenty minutes later a vet, who never introduced himself, came out with a tesco hessian bag and called me through. It was only when he put the bag on the vet table that i realised Timmy was in it!!!! I couldn’t believe it!! He had been put in a bag that was NO bigger than he was, AND on a bed of hay – which surely wouldn’t be that soft on his sore areas?!!?

The vet showed me his castration – which looked nice and neat and told me to keep the area dry and clean – to which i noticed his back above his tail was wet, why hadn’t they even dried him up?

He then went on to explain that even though the myxi jab was crossed off one set of notes, it wasn’t crossed off another and he’s given him the jab – now I’ve ‘watched’ 50 rabbits die after getting myxi after having the myxi jab and it was the most heart breaking thing i have ever seen so i wanted to do some more research on it. He didn’t apologise but told me i should have had it anyway – in his 7 years experience he’s never had a bad case. I thought this was quite rude of him? As i said he didn’t apologise but he did say he hadn’t charged me for it! Cheeky so and so!!

I asked him if Timmy had eaten since lunch time because the nurse had informed me he hadn’t and i would need to take some food/syringes home with me to feed him. He actually had the audacity to say to me ‘I don’t know, I haven’t been checking on him’ I honestly didn’t think he himself WOULD be checking on him, i thought the nurses would communicate with him. He then proceeded to tell me he was going to give me some food for him anyway – and never mentioned i would have to pay for this privilege (my previous vets you didn’t have to) I asked him if there was any signs i needed to watch out for for immediately bringing him back in and he said no – so i suggested lethargy and not eating – he said oh yes bring him in if he does that. ARGHH!!!

I then enquired as to where his cage was and he told me i didn’t bring him in anything..... what?!?!?! So after i argued i’d brought him in his big indoor cage he went off to try and find it – he came back in with it and we put timmy in it and timmy calmed down instantly.
Why hadn’t he been put in it before? If it was too big and a problem I would have happily taken it home and brought it back in when i was picking him up – what kind of person brings a pet into a vet without a carry case?!?! Am i a nut case?

Surely putting him in an hessian bag is BAD practice?!?! Im so upset – I was really angry last night and couldn’t sleep. Timmy is fine, so i know i don’t have that to worry about but i’m still cross about everything else – do you think I should complain?

Sorry for the massively long message but thought you should know all that went on!!

Thanks very much for ‘listening’

Megs
 
I have not heard of rabbits dying from the myx jab, are you sure you've got that right? Myx is such a horrible illness it is best to be protected against it. What I would say though because your bun was recovering from a GA the vaccination might not be as effective as the immune would be compromised from the op. Glad bunny is ok :wave:
 
The myxi jab was given too high a dose from a different vet and gave them all myxi - i know this was a fluke accident but it's freaked me.

I will change my vet, but had used them because my friend swears by them and loves them. I just am really upset about the bag thing!

The bag was only a cm bigger all round than my little boy!

I know he's not bothered but I am!

Thanks for advice/comments :)

Megs
 
yikes

I never heard of a hessian bag! Our bets have recovery cages, and then transfer them to our travel cage when we do pickup. For reasons of space they don't generally keep clients cages there for the day (but will do if we explain it'll be a different car doing the pickup, and no chance to meet beforehand to swap cage between cars). How horrid for a conscious and supposedly eating rabbit to be in a bag. What rabbit in a bag would willingly eat! I will be fascinated to see what others think.
 
Glad your bun is ok and eating. I also would be furious to find my precious bun in a bag. I also haven't heard of any buns dying from the myxi jab but also wouldn't have wanted my bun to have it immediately after an op. Probably best to write and say how upsetting you found it all. Even if you don't get a response at least you have expressed your feelings. It may make them look at what they do (hopefully!).

X
 
Awwww Megs I wouldn't wory too much about the bag, I know it's not ideal, but I've seen a video where rabbits are all rescued from vivsection and put in bags ;) they coped ok. If you have lost faith in your vet then it's best to change, but thankfully all ended ok.
 
aww so glad hes okay.
i would write a letter of complaint and also tell them you will be changing vets as you dont like the way you were treated.
 
that is disgusting, change vets immeditaly, and do write a letter of complaint, i would probebly have hit the vet myself had my bunny been put in a bag...and on hay this is inexcusabel bunnnys should not be put onto hay as bedding after the op as the bits can stick into them and cause irritation and infection also giving the myxo jab when they are already low immune system such as at the time of a neuter is a definate no no. it should be done two weeks proir or after but never at teh same time. report them to the rcvs too.

well i am sure your rabbit will now recover well in your care i personally would never use this vet again.

The myxo jab when administered correctly prevents the rabbit catching full blown myxi and means they can only catch the more treatable form nodular myxi it is well worth doing but with a vet who know swhat they are doing, i hope you get some answers and an apology from them. thinking of you and bunny xxx
 
The main thing I'd be complaining about there is the fact that he had been given the vaccination the same day as surgery, not a good idea as his body has two things to cope with and immune system wouldn't cope as well (as SOAD pointed out). When you find a better vet, which I'm guessing is high on your list of priorities (!) I'd ask about having him re-vaccinated just to be sure he's got some protection.

Glad you bunny is okay, they sound pretty incompetent all round, fancy telling you you didn't bring the rabbit in a cage/carrier :shock::roll:
 
I would love to see my vets try to put Pie into a bag. I think I'd lose it! It's not so much its a bag but the unprofessionalism about it is disgusting. I seriously suggest you change vets asap (which I know you will be doing anyway!)
And jabs on the same day as surgery I swear is not done?

Argh! Anywho, welcome to RU and I do hope you and little Timmywill find a better doctors for him. :wave:
 
I thought the myxi vaccine wasn't produced from the myxi virus, but was made from another virus (can't remember it's name) that would produce an antibody response which would also protect against myxi. If that's the case, I'm not sure how a rabbit could get myxi from the vaccine.

There seems to be a huge lack of communication on the vets' part, which is not ideal and should definitely be addressed. The most worrying thing from a medical point of view is that the vaccine shouldn't be given at the same time as any hugely stressful event, such as castration.
 
Thanks every body!!

I've complained to the most senior vet there - she was very apologetic - I did tell her that my last visit to them would be his follow up appointment - this is with her and shes going to talk to me about him.

I asked around about vets and I'm going to defo look at the cat and rabbit clinic - so thanks every one

The vet was just as shocked as I was that he was in a bag. Luckily he's totally not bothered - they just kept saying how shy he is, he's not, i just don't think he'd been looked after properly! He's very outgoing and very nosey. They really didnt seem to take into account he's just been made less of a boy!!!

Is it worth getting him myxi jabbed again? Or should I wait the 6 months? I'm getting his wife at the weekend (don't worry, not putting them together for a while!!) She will need jabbing too...

what do you think is the best plan of action??

Thanks again everybody!!

:) Megs
 
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