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'The worst behaved rabbit the vet has ever seen'

Hesperus

Warren Veteran
Ludo... oh dear...

The vet said he's never known a rabbit so bad at the vet as Ludo in his ten years of practice. The irony is that Ludo is easy to handle at home, laid back very gentle, just a slight stubborn streak although he is very very strong and can jump ever so high (part of the problem at the vet!). He just reacts with terror at the vet. We've tried taking things that smell of home etc but they don't help, it's the actual examination part that seems to frighten Ludo. In the end the only way it can be done is if Ludo is cradled in my arms on the floor or between my legs :oops::oops::oops::oops: with his head buried and the vet does what he can around that. A bit embarrassing frankly as the vet ends up with his head quite near my legs/bum half the time. :oops::oops::oops:

All appointments take place on the floor. The vet said he's so bad all checks should be kept to the minimum. Bad boy! Good news is he now has short nails and a clean bill of health.

Me and my Mum will be filming a video of Ludo at home to prove that no, we don't have the hound of the baskervilles as a house rabbit as when we say 'he's not like this at home' we can see they struggle to believe that he's lovely really!

Here is a picture of this terror:



Me and my Mum were thinking about it on the way home and we think maybe it's just fate telling me that Ludo was meant to be my bunny as clearly he's not that fussed about other people or places :lol:
 
My Thor is a bit of a minx at the vets though not as bad a Ludo.

Time before last he was at the vets he freaked out so badly he pinged the vets name badge off and bent it in half... I saw a different vet there a few weeks ago and when she commented on how skittish he was I told her that story her reply was "Oh is THAT why his name badge is dented!" :shock: :oops: apparently he hasn't got a new one in the last 6 months! :lol::lol::lol:

Sorry to hear Ludo gets so stressed though :( poor little guy!
 
:lol: aw, poor thing. really likes that vet then! :shock:

bisc and matt are fine at the vets but like to be right up against me for comfort. except once, matt decided to pull my top down to be right against me and flashed my chest to the vet. :oops: so embarrassing! :oops:
 
when i took Mottle in recently (sneezing) the vet nurse suggested examining him on the floor 'just in case'. She handled him soooo gently. I was very impressed. Poor Ludo. M. was v. still (with fear) which made things easier, even let her look in his mouth with a funny metal thing that has to go in his mouth.
 
Shades of Doodee- our vet always preferred an advanced warning she was comming to see him so he could dig out his feral cat guantlets and extra strength cat wrapping towels.

Little * did not just nip- she chomped.
 
I don't think he's badly behaved. He's very frightened.
If the vet also sees cats & dogs there'll be a strong smell of predators around which can frighten a lot. I reckon that no amount of trying to disguise this smell works, because buns can distinguish several scents at once even when 1 is faint.
I can only suggest trying a Bach's flower remedy well before visits. I can't explain why they should work. Some rescues swear by them for nervous animals of all species.
Benjie had done well with Agrimony for traumatic stress, but Aspen is generally advised for this situation.
 
Glad to see I'm not the only one who suffers with challenging behaviour at the vets. Ludo is a good boy and it is fear yes. He's not the boldest bunny with new experiences anyway, and I suppose the set-up he lives in at home is very comfortable and quiet so means the most frightening thing that happens is the window cleaner visits. He's currently fast asleep with his legs up in the air and an ear rested so it's against his water bottle, not a care in the world and not a fear of me or my noise or the noises of the house. We are a quiet household, I think that may be part of the problem, he's just not used to being noisey and strange smells.

Thanks for the recommendations of flower remedies Judy I'll look when I'm in the shop next. Though, to be honest, I think I'm going to pay more and have the home visit service for the vet next time.

Ludo wasn't actually aggressive, it's himself he'll hurt, he just jumps around and does flips in the air and runs up and down climbing in terror up me. :cry:
He never shows any sign of scratching or biting.

Poor bunny, but he's ok now, and I suppose in the grand scale of things it was for his own good, if he did have a heart problem then I'd never have forgiven myself if I'd skipped his health check!
 
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After being weighed yesterday Ellie hopped off the floor scales and hid under the desk, we then had to conduct the rest of the consultation with her hiding and the vet talking to me as I tried to tempt her out...
 
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Awwww poor Ludo, he must really hate the vets. Don't think many do like the vets, but he sounds petrified.

Ludo is one handsome bunny. :love::love::love:
 
Just had a thought- is there any possibility the smell of possible predators [cats, dogs, ferrets et al] at your vets might be making him fearful?
 
:lol: poor Ludo!!!

Rolo hates having his teeth examined, he's pretty good for everything else and doesn't flinch having injections.

Last time the vet tried to look into his mouth, he jumped into my arms (Rolo that is not the vet!!) and he never likes being held!
 
Glad to see I'm not the only one who suffers with challenging behaviour at the vets. Ludo is a good boy and it is fear yes. He's not the boldest bunny with new experiences anyway, and I suppose the set-up he lives in at home is very comfortable and quiet so means the most frightening thing that happens is the window cleaner visits. He's currently fast asleep with his legs up in the air and an ear rested so it's against his water bottle, not a care in the world and not a fear of me or my noise or the noises of the house. We are a quiet household, I think that may be part of the problem, he's just not used to being noisey and strange smells.

This is probably it. Toshi, who as I said before hates new places, has been spoiled his entire life. He was only at the shelter for a week or so and before that there's not much, since he was six months when we got him! Paige and Joshua are very comfortable in cars and Paige actually liked when we took her to a retirement community and yet Piage came from a horrible home and Joshua was at the shelter for almost a year. In Toshi's whole life the worst thing that has happened to him has probably been being picked up :lol:
 
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