Does your rabbit vet routinely use Vetergesic as a pre-med, before a GA?

I would like as many replies as possible please :wave: It's doing my head in. Last Friday Molly went in for a blood test and x-rays. I expected that she would just be given a small amount of anaesthetic gas for a few minutes, while they did what they needed to do - that's what happened when Barney had blood tests and x-rays, at the same practice. It wasn't the vet who has been dealing with Molly and Barney, it was the vet in charge, as my usual vet was off sick. When I picked Molly up after work and took her home, I could tell straight away that she'd had Vetergesic - she was spaced out, too tired to move or eat. I rang the surgery to confirm my suspicions, which they did I asked the receptionist why she'd been given that when she was only having x-rays, so she passed me onto a vet (different one again), who explained that Vetergesic is always used as a pre-med, before the anaesthetic is given, as apparently rabbits sometimes 'hold their breath' when the anasthetic gas is administered, making it obviously ineffective :? even if that is the case, surely it wouldn't matter if the rabbit wasn't totally under - just for an X-ray????
The reason i am so annoyed about it is that I really thought Molly was going to die at the weekend - she was exactly as Honey was before she died. Vetergesic makes rabbits so sleepy they can't be bothered eating, which is obviously life-threatening. I was on the verge of having her admitted to the exotics vets in Manchester, but luckily on Sunday she started to pick up and eat. I think it was partly due to the vetergesic, and partly due to the stress. But I think in this case the vetergesic was totally unnecessary and put her at risk

Any experiences welcome :wave:

Mine doesn't.

If they do have vetergesic it is given to cover any pain after the procedure. They certainly wouldn't be given vetergesic for blood tests and xrays.

My Herbie had a very bad reaction to vetergesic, it was a terrible experience. Obviously he was never given it again, but on that first occasion no-one was to know that he would have such an adverse reaction.

The rest of my rabbits that have had it, including a very poorly Wallace, have all been OK. It does make them sleepy, but nothing like we experienced with Herbie.

I may be way off here, as this is just going by my invoices and comparing what's on the bill to what I had done, but I'm pretty sure 'Vetergesic amps' has been used on Barney both to sedate him and as a painkiller, as well as obviously for GA.

I think he was sedated using vetergesic for an xray (sedated then tranced, rather than GA used) then put under GA afterwards for a dental. He's also had it as a painkiller, alongside or instead of metacam, when his gut was bad - it was great and got him eating again.

I've always seen it on bills when a GA has been necessary. Again, I'm just going by my bills here.

I've only heard of it being given for pain control after a procedure or to control the pain to get them through a stasis episode, I'm a bit :shock::shock: about it being given in the way you describe.

This is the anaesthetic protocol described to me (I can't believe how long ago it was now!) when Esme had problems with anaesthetic:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...y-anaesthetics-appreciated&highlight=ketamine

I know that the way described there is not the only recommended way of anaesthetising a rabbit though as when Esme was eventaully spayed only one anaesthetic was used but I don't know what it was.

Edit to add: looking at that old thread: Marie Kubiak says she sometimes uses buprenorphine which I think is another name for vetergesic (?) so it's something I learnt 6 years ago then forgot again :roll:


I really dislike the effects of vetergesic too. I've been quite put out with local vets when a rabbit is over a stasis episode and deemed well enough to come home then they have dosed then with vetergesic just before sending them home, which makes no sense at all. On the last occasion I asked them not to do so.

I also remember one night when Elijah went to local vets at about 9pm with his usual stasis symptoms, he was given gut meds and vetergesic and sent home and I found it really difficult monitoring him because I didn't know if he was really ill or just zonked out.

Thanks for the replies :wave:

Anyone else??! Most of you must have rabbits who've had GA's...

My Vet uses Fentanyl I think, not Vetergesic

I think my vets use buprenorphine too. I'm not certain how often when it comes to surgery. Definitely in cases of stasis. It does make mine stupid groggy but I tend to pester them till they eat and if they are not drinking well then I ask for extra fluids to help them clear it out of their systems. My vet knows me well enough that she feels confident on the occasion that I have to pick up Mimzy early from a procedure that he'll still be really zonked from.
I wonder if the females simply have more issues processing painkillers than the males, perhaps? :? Not the same species but I know Jenna always is more incapacitated after GA than Mimzy has ever been (probably due to how quickly bunnies shunt chemicals through their bodies more than anything else.)

How is Molly doing now? Maybe you could have them note in her chart how she reacted to the vetergesic so they use a lower dose or something different next time? Each pet is different and may need extra care in some cases. xxxx