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When you take your bunny/ies to the vets ......

B

Bitzy-B

Mama Doe
.... do you handle them for the vet so they can examine bunny or do you just hand them over and let the vet get on with it?

On the one hand if you hold them you can comfort them and they may feel reassured ...... on the other, do they then associate you with that nasty experience!?!
 
Bitzy-B said:
.... do you handle them for the vet so they can examine bunny or do you just hand them over and let the vet get on with it?

On the one hand if you hold them you can comfort them and they may feel reassured ...... on the other, do they then associate you with that nasty experience!?!
Click to expand...

Usually the vet is fine on their own, I usually put my carrier on the top and then remove each bunny individually so the vet can take a look, when I went for nail clippings I had to hold the rabbits whilst the vet clipped though.

I don't think they associate you with the experience, if they do a treat or two will soon bring them round, they will sulk after visiting the vets though, mine always do x
 
Sometimes the vet will ask me to hold the bunny, as they're much calmer with me holding them. I don't think they associate me with the vet :)
 
Hi, I put the carrier on the floor and lift bunnies out, one at a time. I always have a towel with me to put on the table as it's slippery for bunnies. The vet can usually manage on their own but I usually put a reassuring hand on the bun. While vet is getting instruments or syringes I will stroke bun and reassure him / her. The vet will ask if they want you to do anything. Don't speak if the vet is using the stethoscope. They can't hear you.
 
Bitzy-B said:
.... do you handle them for the vet so they can examine bunny or do you just hand them over and let the vet get on with it?

On the one hand if you hold them you can comfort them and they may feel reassured ...... on the other, do they then associate you with that nasty experience!?!
Click to expand...

I always hold onto my rabbits :shock:
 
Thanks guys ...... I was just wondering what everyone else did.

Rascal gets sooo stressed going to the vets, its a huge traumatic experience for everyone involved and I wondered if in previous visits I may have done something that contributes to his stress rather than comforts him.

I've done it both ways in the past with Rascal, if there's a nurse there I let them get on with it but if the vet is on their own I help with holding etc.

With Dizzi I always held onto her as she just wouldn't keep still if I didn't (after the time she wriggled out of the vets hands and jumped off the table and the vet ended up having to examine her on the floor ...... we don't go to that vet anymore).
 
My carrier opens at the top (cabrio one?) so the buns have a wall around them and most vets will examine them initially whilst they're in the carrier. If they need to examine them further it's 50/50 whether I or the vet gets them out. The vet will often ask me to steady the bun on the table whilst they examine them so they have both hand free and of course I support and fuss the bun whilst the vet is getting items .
 
I let the vet get Alf out of the carrier and hold him. I hold him when she goes off to get the scope from another room/clean it/get vaccination or whatever. I wouldn't want him to make a jump for it!

I also don't comfort him or anything - doesn't make a difference! He doesn't get stressed though, he goes there so much :lol: I do give him a treat if I remember whilst we're waiting :) He doesn't show any sort of association with me, so I don't think he does that either.
 
I hold them, unless it is Herbie getting his teeth burred and the vet / nurse takes him out the back for that as they use some machine.
 
I see what the vet wants me to do: I always tell them I'm awful at lifting them so sometimes they do that for me, but I usually end up holding them. Lopsy sometimes makes attempts to leap off the table and Aboleth, once she's got over the horror of the 5min car journey, will investigate everything, especially me... So they need holding on to! And I've got used to WHERE to hold them as well :)
 
I used to let the vet handle them - take them out, for weighing etc - but over time I've grown more confident and I will take out of the carrier and hold etc whilst the vet is examining - and I certainly do the holding whilst the vet does the teeth check:shock:.

All my rabbits react in different ways at the vet - Bobo is the worse and gets very grumpy and bitey - Bug isn't too great either but I hold them both as it makes it easier for the vet. The other 7 are not too bad - Harley and Cheyenne are really good but I still maintain contact for reassurance. And in fact - Harley who normally despises me intensly, suddenly loves me at the vet:D:love:

They all sulk after a vet visit - I leave them for 1/2 hour to calm down and then give them treats by which time most of them are fine again.

It is a good idea to take a towel - especially for the scales. Those are very slippery but then again it may help keep bunny still if they're too scared to move.
 
I lift my bunnies out & hand them over to my vet who has the best rabbit handling skills ever. I'm the other side of the table to comfort & steady them. When "its" over they invariably turn to me & try to scramble up my body . I wish I knew how to burrito my bunny like good vets do. I've had bunnies that get stressed with the journey but no indicators they've held it against me. I make a determined effort to be calm for vets & travel, I've never had a bunny sulk or not not eat normally within an hour of returning home
 
I have no choice with Truffle, as she leaps onto me (for protection - the only time she will do this!).
Fudge and Tully - I help to restrain. It didn't really occur to me not to as usually the vets are using their hands for other things!

Kyla is afraid of nothing and just sits there!
 
joey&boo said:
I lift my bunnies out & hand them over to my vet who has the best rabbit handling skills ever. I'm the other side of the table to comfort & steady them. When "its" over they invariably turn to me & try to scramble up my body . I wish I knew how to burrito my bunny like good vets do. I've had bunnies that get stressed with the journey but no indicators they've held it against me. I make a determined effort to be calm for vets & travel, I've never had a bunny sulk or not not eat normally within an hour of returning home
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I didn't realise how much vet's skills varied until I had my first appointment with said vet. I had a very, very upsetting experience with a local vet who was quite dismissive with Tinkerbell and her lack of co-operation (the little treasure was just very scared, not deliberately being awkward:evil:). Tink did not get examined properly by the first vet who said she would need sedation to be examined properly. She used a towel but it was a thick velvety one which she managed to throw on top of her so I didn't know where to restrain her without hurting her. It was very, very upsetting for both of us. Sooo, I then went to a different vet who handled her with compassion... the rest is history :D (Said compassionate vet still comes out in a cold sweat if you mention handling Tinkerbell though ;))
 
Bunny Buddy said:
(Said compassionate vet still comes out in a cold sweat if you mention handling Tinkerbell though ;))
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Yes, I think vet experience with individual rabbits is good too! Ours remembered Lopsy being the flyer-off-the-table, though he didn't try this time :)
 
I always always hold my buns so the vet has both hands free. Carrier goes on the table, top and front comes off, so that bunny is still sitting inside on blanket, facing vet. I basically just keep my hands on them and gentley fuss them. Always use the same method with George my cat, but I'm not very trusting by nature anyway.
 
Depends on the bunny really. For the most part I do the lifting on/off scales, or when they are being examined. One of mine however neither me or the vet can hold and we have to have her seen inside the carrier on the floor or on my lap under my cardigan if we are lucky. It's really traumatic with her. Not to mention the palaver of getting her in the carrier to start with.

I have a carrier with a grated lid, so stick my arm in and squeeze it as shut as I can and stroke them for comfort on car journeys to the vet. If I have to walk then I put my cardigan over the carrier to stop them seeing out. They are all quite annoyed when they get home but a favourite food seems to help them get over it a bit better.
 
With Flo I just hand her to the vet and let him get on with it (and I'm a vet nurse too!). He is brill with rabbits though. When she gets her teeth checked I hold her though otherwise she tends to leap off the table and squeal! :/
 
I always hold my rabbits!!!!! Just from past experiences but I will never let another vet hold my rabbit unless it's vital they do! Xx
 
I always hold. A few years ago My vet noticed it reduces their heart rates if I'm holding them, thus making the whole thing less stressful. Plus, I know them better than the vets. The vets may ask me to hold a certain way or facing a certain way, but those I know the best prefer me to hold them.
 
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