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How much training do vets actually get on rabbits in order to qualify?

Kittycat

Young Bun
I'm asking because so many of them just don't seem to know the basics, and it amazes me that they are allowed to practice with the deficit of knowledge some seem to have. :roll:

I've just been to my used-to-be-brilliant vets and got the new guy. Was told he was experienced with bunnies, so was full of hope that he might be a good replacement for my wonderful rabbit savvy vet who retired recently.

The appointment was for Bella who had produced smaller than normal poo (utterly unheard of from my golden nugget girl!) overnight, and who looked a little hunched.

He tried. He really did.

The alarm bells started ringing when he started prescribing zantac for her tum before even looking in her mouth! Was taken aback when I suggested that it might be teeth...:roll:

That was bad enough, but when I told him I'd be back if her poos get any smaller/dont return to normal size, he said not to worry about that because " rabbits do smaller pellets anyway, and eat them".

My daughter and I both looked at him incredulously and chorused "those aren't cecotropes!"

Dear God. A vet who cannot tell the difference between a small hard pellet and a cecotrope. How on earth does that happen? :(

Another one for my "Never again" List. :(
 
About 4 lectures covering ALL Exotics

So unless the individual Vet takes it upon themselves to gain more in depth Rabbit specific knowledge they receive very little training at all.
 
I think I read here the other day, that they only have so many lectures or something but it covers all small animals. Not enough :(

Edit: Posted just after Jane!

We're lucky in the sense that the 2 vets we take our buns to did quite a lot of training with small animals and one of them has her own bunnies.
 
I know what you mean, we have an alright vet, she's done special small animal courses and qualifications, but last time said 'when i first qualified rabbits were very much exotic pets so we didn't cover them we had to learn as we went' and the nurse (training) hasn't covered checking teeth - so im not sure they do much tbh!

The one we have atm is ok, but if they were seriously ill i'd get a second opinion - she hadn't really heard of rwaf :-/ when i said 'oh i follow the rwaf safe food list' she said whats that ?? :shock:

I once seen a vet for injections who said 'oh yes rabbits just go pop if they get gas' :shock: i was like um, thanks for the info. He didn't even check their teeth cos they were fidgeting... needless to say we don't go there anymore!

the first vet we had was great, she grew up with rabbits and really knew about them, but it was too far to go with them - tia was getting too stressed.

i think we have quite a good 'exotic' referral place (in horsham??) which is not too far, should we need it
 
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I was thinking the same about my vet when she had to get a book out to see how long the combi jab lasted? I take it she dont deal with rabbits very often?
 
About 4 lectures covering ALL Exotics

So unless the individual Vet takes it upon themselves to gain more in depth Rabbit specific knowledge they receive very little training at all.

A vet on a Facebook group the other day tried to tell me they have plenty of training nowadays. Didn't want to argue not having done the course myself but it did make me wonder how some of them are so bad if their training is adequate.

Not meaning to sound racist but the worst vets I've seen have been foreign. When I questioned them they admitted to never having treated rabbit (or rats) and wasn't covered in their course back home. How are they allowed to practice here?
 
You know that 'small animal certificate' that some of them have, what doe that entail, does anyone know?
 
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