• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.

You think its hard convincing owners....

VikkiVet

Mama Doe
I genuinely greatly admire the work some people do educating potential and current owners on the health and welfare of rabbits. I do my bit as a vet student, and more so when I am a vet, but then I realise how incredibly hard the job is when things like this happen...

I've been having an email-based argument with a friend and fellow vet student who occasionally "backyard breeds" her bunnies and sells the litters on the college's intranet.

Aside from the fact that she does no home checks, gives no advice on housing, vaccination, neutering etc she also regularly weans the kits at 4-6 weeks and they are gone by 6 weeks max!

I've tried to reasonably debate with her that they shouldn't be rehomed, especially alone, until 8 weeks but she insists that she has done it before, they've all been fine (how can she know? does she check?) and that I am patronising her for even suggesting otherwise as I haven't actually bred any rabbits (thank God!).

So on her behalf and no doubt any other similarly minded current or future vets, I apologise for their lack of research, information, common sense and diligence. No doubt their own experience and opinion will translate to clients as future advice, thus worstening the situation for the rabbits themselves and local rescue centres who will deal with the fallout.

(thanks, just had to get that off my chest!!)
 
Surely there is a heap of veterinary info in the text books you can show her? Would help prove her wrong.
 
I've bred rabbits and have no qualms about setting people 'straight'. If I can be of any help, let me know :D It sounds like fun!
 
She claims to have "done her research" and her kits start to eat adult food from 3 weeks so they are "fine". I am guessing she has never seen a young rabbit with dysbiosis or ileus.

To me its a bit like sending a 2-3 year old to primary school - most can hold a pencil, mostly dress themselves, speak coherently, are toilet trained etc, so they are capable of going to school, but we delay them because they need to develop other forms of maturity and be able to deal with the stresses and changes.
 
She claims to have "done her research" and her kits start to eat adult food from 3 weeks so they are "fine". I am guessing she has never seen a young rabbit with dysbiosis or ileus.

To me its a bit like sending a 2-3 year old to primary school - most can hold a pencil, mostly dress themselves, speak coherently, are toilet trained etc, so they are capable of going to school, but we delay them because they need to develop other forms of maturity and be able to deal with the stresses and changes.

That's inaccurate anyway. My kits would eat solid from as soon as they came out the nest, and were eating and chewing hay in the nest. She obviosuly doesn't understand about the immune system, or developng social skills and stability.

How very sad. And very sad for her future clients and their bunnies too.
 
In all honesty, does she really care what happens to these little ones?

I very much doubt it. :cry::cry:

Some people just don't get the whole bunny thing. Such a pity she seems to be one. Her position would enable her to do such good work for the welfare of bunnies.

Perhaps one day................................:roll::roll:
 
It is worrrying that some vets are like this but I know it happens!!

Years ago I had a vet treat my hamster, he took him out back to 'drill his teeth' (that needed trimming), when he came back I pointed out he had a bent bruised toe-the vet had caught it and for the rest of his life it was bent.

My sister did work experience a year or so later and this same vet said to her 'there is no point to small animals like hamsters,and rabbits and guinea-pigs are only good for fox food'.

It is disgusting that we pay people like this a LOT of money to treat our pets and put our trust in them, how can they be getting the best treatment when they don't care as much about animals as some vets do? :cry:
 
Its very disheartening when its the people you'd least expect.

I work with people in rescue(not Hopper Haven, I hasten to add) who think nothing of breeding, buying animals from pet shops (one recently got a puppy from a puppy farm in Wales cos work wouldn't allow her a puppy cos of her hours), don't neuter, and keep animals in less than desirable housing.
 
:shock:

Erm....

:shock:

I'd tell her it isnt patronising, its called caring. In the profession you're both about to enter, thats pretty important.

But, then, what do I know.
 
Very depressing :(

Why is she training as a vet? She doesn't seem all that fussed about animal welfare.

I really hope I never come across a vet with attitudes like this, I wouldn't feel at all comfortable with them treating my rabbits. :(
 
Very depressing :(

Why is she training as a vet? She doesn't seem all that fussed about animal welfare.

I really hope I never come across a vet with attitudes like this, I wouldn't feel at all comfortable with them treating my rabbits. :(

No me neither, I suspect she might be different with 'other' peoples animals though, afterall your paying for her service. That said, it does seem a bit contradictatory of her and kind of against a 'code of practice' you'd imagine that vets have because of their profession, I think her reluctance to listen to you is quite arrogant aswell - which in turn is immature of her I think.
 
The discussion is still going on.... she keeps saying its her "final word" but every time i reply she comes back with more.

She's getting a bit rude now and quite aggressive. I've made sure I'm not the same way back. She's trying so hard to justify her position, but hasn't yet managed to poke a decent hole in mine, infact has just further justified mine and weakened her own with things like "some rescues are really anal about where they let their animals go" and "most rescues won't rehome to little children" etc.

Even got the old chestnut "i've rescued bunnies in the past so I don't see why I can't breed from mine now". She claims to breed only when she wants more rabbits, and said she was only "selling the surplus" - what a lovely phrase!

I'm keeping my cool but it does rile me that someone I am genuinely friends can be just so poorly informed. Sad, sad times.
 
To be fair I do think she loves her animals and does want to best for them, she is just blind to reality and only has her experience to go on, which luckily for her has only been good.

As she said, I have no experience in breeding rabbits, but that doesn't make me ill informed as I have done the research and taken on board the experiences and knowledge of those who have, both breeders and rescuers, and formed a more balanced judgement. It may not be the same as others but at least I have looked at both sides.
 
To be fair I do think she loves her animals and does want to best for them, she is just blind to reality and only has her experience to go on, which luckily for her has only been good.

As she said, I have no experience in breeding rabbits, but that doesn't make me ill informed as I have done the research and taken on board the experiences and knowledge of those who have, both breeders and rescuers, and formed a more balanced judgement. It may not be the same as others but at least I have looked at both sides.

:wave: How about dropping it with her now and getting just being mates, bide your time and one afternoon go for a coffee and cake and take her to a rescue so she can see first hand the seriousness of bringing more animals into a saturated market. You are right but I'd play the long game on it.;)
 
:wave: How about dropping it with her now and getting just being mates, bide your time and one afternoon go for a coffee and cake and take her to a rescue so she can see first hand the seriousness of bringing more animals into a saturated market. You are right but I'd play the long game on it.;)

Yeah I think i've said my piece now, I don't want to ram it down her throat! I doubt she'll change but at least I have tried.
We're doing some rabbit awareness week stuff at uni so maybe she'll turn up and see I'm not a raving looney after all!
 
I thought vets were meant to be animal lovers.
Just point her in the direction of this forum and especially the poor souls in Rabbitts in Need.
 
Back
Top