• 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.

Potentially insensitive question about losing a bunny during an operation

S

ShazzaBunny

Warren Veteran
I dont mean to be, but if a bunny passes during an operation, do you still pay for the operation?

Its *touches wood* never happened to me, i really hope it never does.
 
That thought went through my head a little while ago. I don't know the answer. I supose it depends on the vet.
 
My little 7 month old Maverick went to the vets last month to have his eye out. They said he had an abscess inside it. But during the op they'd taken his eye out and the vet said there was a big mass behind it which was travelling up the optic nerve to his brain. They advised it was kinder to let him go under anaesthetic so he wouldn't know anything about it...still charged me £165 for the op!!:shock:

But looking at it, its the vet's time, drugs were used...I don't know, tricky one when you're coping with losing a much loved pet.
 
LainiT said:
My little 7 month old Maverick went to the vets last month to have his eye out. They said he had an abscess inside it. But during the op they'd taken his eye out and the vet said there was a big mass behind it which was travelling up the optic nerve to his brain. They advised it was kinder to let him go under anaesthetic so he wouldn't know anything about it...still charged me £165 for the op!!:shock:

But looking at it, its the vet's time, drugs were used...I don't know, tricky one when you're coping with losing a much loved pet.
Click to expand...

:cry: thats devastating.

But, it brings another question, if the decision is made to allow your bunny not to wake up, like in your case, should it be treated differently (charged differently) than a bunny who passes because of a bad reaction to the anaesthetic? (Sorry so very insensitive and i really dont meant to be).
 
ShazzaBunny said:
:cry: thats devastating.

But, it brings another question, if the decision is made to allow your bunny not to wake up, like in your case, should it be treated differently (charged differently) than a bunny who passes because of a bad reaction to the anaesthetic? (Sorry so very insensitive and i really dont meant to be).
Click to expand...

I know what you mean... luckily its never happened to me. its scary stuff :cry:
 
They normally still charge you for the vets time and for any drugs used and any surgical instruments, waste disposal etc. You would most likely have an itemised bill.
 
loppy ears said:
They normally still charge you for the vets time and for any drugs used and any surgical instruments, waste disposal etc. You would most likely have an itemised bill.
Click to expand...

This is what happened in our case.

Little Dot had a blockage in her gut and needed emergency surgery. This particular surgery is know to be very high risk and I know the vet stayed over at the end of the working day to do the emergency surgery. Dot died just as the surgery was completed and she was about to be stitched up.:( The vet put just as much effort and time in as she would have if Dot had survived. I think it's only fair that they charge in those circumstances.
 
Hollyhocks heart stopped under anasthetic when she went into be spayed, she was then blind and her back legs were not working correctly, the vet kept her in for 24 hours and didn't charge us anything, they were excellent considering she could have died if they hadn't given her oxygen immediately.
She is now fully recovered but cannot ever have another anasthetic. :thumb:
 
Ive had one pass away during an op, was charged a very small fee to cover drugs etc. Ive been in for consults and pts and not been charged though. Depends on the vet and the circumstances I think.
 
For me it depends on how far the op went. Sadly our buns normally go under the anaesthetic before the op has really got started in which case no we wouldn't be charged. If during the op they open them up and find the bun needs to be pts rather than to continue then we are only charged for a normal pts. If the op is completed and bunny doesn't come round then we would be charged for the op
 
I lost Treacle when he went in for a dental and didnt come round :(
I was actually charged for the work done ie dental but the GA wasnt on my bill :?
 
I think it would very much depend on circumstances. If the animal passed due to veterinary negligence then no, I certainly wouldn't expect to pay. But if it passed due to complications, age/illness or something unexpected happening that the vet could not have foreseen then I would still expect to pay. After all, the vet still has to cover his/her costs but I would expect them to be sensitive to exactly what they were charging you for.

ETA - when I had Hooter (girly pig) spayed, the internal stitches snapped due to a dodgy batch of sutures (sp?). Hooter developed a hernia as a result and had to have a second op to re-stitch the internal wound. I wasn't charged for it.
 
Last edited:
We lost our beautiful bunny a couple of days ago under anaesthetic. The vets didn't charge us and have even offered an individual cremation + casket for free. I can't imagine this is their standard practice, but they did say that losing bunnies due to anaesthetic is such a rare thing for them, maybe that's why. Either way, my vets, except for what happened, have been excellent. Sherlock was neutered with them a couple of months ago and all went well.

We will get our girl back in a week. Overall, excellent "aftercare" from our vets.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

a reader of books
Bunny-safe balcony flooring
Replies
10
Views
214
a reader of books
a reader of books
B
Abcess or possible tumour - UPDATE
Replies
16
Views
280
tonibun
T
Lord Trellis
Am I a terrible pet owner
Replies
17
Views
450
bunny momma
bunny momma
Back
Top