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Rabbits that get very stressed during vet trips

Liz47

Wise Old Thumper
Does anyone have any bunnies which get very stressed at the vets and any tips on calming them?

Gordon has been to the vets a lot of times over the past few months, and is on three different oral medications at the moment but they don't seem to be having the effect we were hoping for so I will be taking him back this week. The carrier is in their bedroom and I put hay in it and they both go in it every now and again for a munch and it's in front of my wardrobe so I move it regularly and neither of them are bothered by this so they are used to the carrier. I have a blanket which I cover the carrier with so it's dark for them and don't move it to check on them so I'm not unsettling them.

When I get to the vets Gordon is shaking sometimes and looks terrified :( Even if he has nothing done when I get back he won't eat, won't want to move and will lunge and go for me which he never does unless poorly. He will start eating again within a few hours if I leave him alone but won't finish all his food and will be really miserable and off for several days, he won't groom or sit with Beano and will be generally a grump with me and her. His breathing will get worse too since he has heart failure and the stress isn't good for him but I don't know what else I can be doing to calm him.
 
Does anyone have any bunnies which get very stressed at the vets and any tips on calming them?

Gordon has been to the vets a lot of times over the past few months, and is on three different oral medications at the moment but they don't seem to be having the effect we were hoping for so I will be taking him back this week. The carrier is in their bedroom and I put hay in it and they both go in it every now and again for a munch and it's in front of my wardrobe so I move it regularly and neither of them are bothered by this so they are used to the carrier. I have a blanket which I cover the carrier with so it's dark for them and don't move it to check on them so I'm not unsettling them.

When I get to the vets Gordon is shaking sometimes and looks terrified :( Even if he has nothing done when I get back he won't eat, won't want to move and will lunge and go for me which he never does unless poorly. He will start eating again within a few hours if I leave him alone but won't finish all his food and will be really miserable and off for several days, he won't groom or sit with Beano and will be generally a grump with me and her. His breathing will get worse too since he has heart failure and the stress isn't good for him but I don't know what else I can be doing to calm him.

Would the Vet do Home Visits ? Once Morse was diagnosed with Heart Disease, aswell as all his other problems, my Vet always came out to him as he was always terrified of car travel. That was the only thing that ever fazed him. He needed oxygen after just a 10 minute car journey when his heart became poorly. The only time he travelled was when he needed a surgical procedure. So that was only a couple of times during his final two years of life. All other consults were done here.
 
Oh dear :cry: sorry he isn't improving. I would have said about leaving the carrier out, but you do that anyway. I used to feed my buns Dandy and Beano pellets in their carrier, as being nervous buns they were never happy about going in the carrier. they didn't shake, but they would sort of freeze with fear at the vets. I've never used any but I feel sure I have read that you can get a pet rescue remedy, and also that the herb Rosemary can be calming. Hope someone can give some advise based on actual experience.

Eta. Jane's idea about the home visit is good, I got interrupted by the goats banging at the back door and cross posted. The first time Dandy and Beano had to see the vet for their vaccines the vet came out, I told her they were virtually wild but she was still shocked :lol:
 
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i can empathise. Joey got so stressed going to his last appointment that in the vets words he was "trembling". Sometimes he handles it better than others though, tbh this visit may have been made worse as i intentionally placed Boos carrier so they couldnt see one another (based on visit before Boo having to sit lonely in her carrier watching the other 2 snuggle)
 
I can also empathise. All three of my rabbits do not like car journeys or vets. All three of them shake and it makes no difference if it's one rabbit in the carrier or two. For this reason, unless they all have to have treatment, I only take the rabbit patient. None of them will eat anything while in the carrier, nor if I bring them in the house to administer meds. Not even a treat after giving a pedicure for example. When the rabbit returns home, he/she will go immediately into their box at the end of the shed and stay there for a couple of hours usually.

Home visits are a good idea.
 
Does anyone have any bunnies which get very stressed at the vets and any tips on calming them?

Gordon has been to the vets a lot of times over the past few months, and is on three different oral medications at the moment but they don't seem to be having the effect we were hoping for so I will be taking him back this week. The carrier is in their bedroom and I put hay in it and they both go in it every now and again for a munch and it's in front of my wardrobe so I move it regularly and neither of them are bothered by this so they are used to the carrier. I have a blanket which I cover the carrier with so it's dark for them and don't move it to check on them so I'm not unsettling them.

When I get to the vets Gordon is shaking sometimes and looks terrified :( Even if he has nothing done when I get back he won't eat, won't want to move and will lunge and go for me which he never does unless poorly. He will start eating again within a few hours if I leave him alone but won't finish all his food and will be really miserable and off for several days, he won't groom or sit with Beano and will be generally a grump with me and her. His breathing will get worse too since he has heart failure and the stress isn't good for him but I don't know what else I can be doing to calm him.

Sorry to hear Gordon isn't improving Liz :(

I had a rabbit who was so stressed that by the time she reached the vet, her lips and tongue was blue. She then had to have the oxygen cylinder to her mouth until she had regained her colour.

I have a couple of alternative suggestions that certainly help my rabbits in stressful situations and I will PM in case they are of any interest. It's a great stress on a rabbit who already has heart failure, I'm so sorry xx
 
Thank you for the replies.

I was talking to the vets about how stressed he gets and they could see that but they said they don't do home visits unless it's an emergency, especially since I live an hour away and all the vets appointments are usually booked up it's a busy practice but they make exceptions such as not going for follow ups as they trust I know what to look out for and doing injections at home which my old vets used to do anyway but this practice don't usually allow.

I will look into calming things such as Rosemary. I've tried getting a taxi rather than the bus but he has still been the same either way, even me giving medication at home stresses him out for the full day even if it's just a quick syringe giving of medication but he will need to be on it long term :(
 
Poor Gordon :( I don't really have any advice: Aboleth hates the journey but she's always fine at the vets and once we get home, sometimes subdued but she's always been alright within the hour post-vets. Hope you can find him a good solution soon!
 
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