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How Do Your Rabbits Behave At The Vet?

Beapig

Mama Doe
Today I took my trio to the vet to get their RVHD2 vaccines.

Plumpkin and Hamilton both went into 'statue mode' on the table, as if hoping that their stillness might make them invisible; it was quick and easy for the vet to weigh them, check their ears etc and give the injections before putting them back in their carriers.

Beatrice on the other hand, jumped very high onto my shoulder. She always does this and buries her head in my coat. The vet said she's seen a lot of dogs and cats do this before, but never a rabbit. In the end, she vaccinated her on my shoulder because Beatrice refused to get down. I hate the trauma they have to go through at the vet! But they were all fine when they got home and happy to have their dinner.

How about your rabbits? Do any of your buns have strange behaviours at the vet?
 
Ralph's okay and seems to rather enjoy nosing about Luna freaks out, she ended up trying to dive up my coat sleeve last time!

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Poor Beatrice, it must be so frightening, good job the vet didn't vaccinate you in mistake ! My Treacle bun just goes all limp, you can do anything with her, think it's blind fear. We do our best for them though don't we, just wish they understood :roll:
 
Yea most of mine try to jump up onto me [emoji38] often hiding in my hair.. I Ieave most appointments looking a right state [emoji38][emoji38][emoji38]

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Both cuddle into me and try to climb onto my shoulder... I love it as I never get cuddles at home.

Daphne also becomes aggressive when the vet tries to check teeth etc.

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Boo is unphased & easy for the vet to examine, Joey remain stationary but a quivering wreck, Mouseypie leaps in to my arms (the last thing she would consider doing if she were at home)
 
Poppy usually comes and puts her front paws on me, looking for protection.

Billy will jump up onto my shoulder, and often over my shoulder to escape. Twice he's gone completely over, once he broke a tooth (he was going in for neutering, so they were able to file it down as he was sedated anyway) and the second time, he bit right through his lip. We get the vet to do his vaccines on the floor now - they're usually happy to do it.
 
Snoopy's quite well behaved and the examinations are pretty straightforward. Although I remember one time the vet was taking his temperature and he spun round on the table with the thermometer sticking out of his bum and the vet attached to the other end [emoji38]

Fudgie can be a nightmare as she has a tendency to try and leap off the table without warning. It catches you off guard as she'll be really well behaved up until that point. First time she did it was at the RVC and the vet literally had to do a diving catch. I needed smelling salts. [emoji51] My GP vet knows about this so the strategy now is to burrito her straightaway.


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It depends on who takes them with us. If it's 'just dad' they'll behave as they see him differently to me and they'll behave. If I'm there as 'mummy', all hell breaks loose!!
 
Luna being blind sits there with shere panic.. so I suppose she's well behaved.
Orion tries to bite anything that you put near him whether that is hands, hay, treats, stethoscope, teeth checker.. he goes on a rampage.
Snoopy usually behaved well, often giving kisses to the vet. I do remember he once jumped on the keyboard of the vet though and gave her a blue screen.. :lol:
 
Mind generally are really good and just sit there. Lavender, who has been twice recently with stasis, came and started licking me, the first time she’s ever done that. She’s fine now. Last set of vaccs, Piper jumped up onto my shoulder, but missed and hit my chin. It really hurt actually, he seemed ok but I’m much more cautious now!
 
Smudge tries to get to me. Imogen tried to explore behind their computer :lol:

Of my bridge buns Mini used to be SO good at the vets. Nutmeg once ended up on my back :roll: and the best of all Mischa once head butted Mark the vet in the chin. :lol:
 
My bridge bunnies Dandy and Beano would turn themselves into statues. Statues that would suddenly without warning launch in a huge jump to get away :shock::lol: they didn’t like people at all. Especially people who would examine them and inject them!

My bridge bunny Boots couldn’t have cared less, he loved attention and didn’t mind being prodded and poked.

Frosty is fine with routine visits but for his dental when he was off colour he got a bit stressed.
 
Elphie routinely tries to get to me. For years, she's always propped herself up me in an attempt to climb into my arms. Last visit, she actually managed to throw herself into my arms, despite all her aches and pains. As per his most recent vet visit, Niji has started doing the climb up and prop self up against me too. Be intrigued to see if vertical vaccinations become routine, like Elphie's, though.

Persephone, Morph, and Yuki get a little stressy at the vet, whether the appointment is for them are not.

Generally, though, we often have floor-appointments which they get to roam around the room whilst groupmates are poked and prodded - especially if multiple rabbits are having appointments. Most also end up 'accepting' that being at the vet is part of their fate for the day and continue to eat, even the stressier three.
 
Mouseypie leaps in to my arms (the last thing she would consider doing if she were at home)
Lopsy's started to do this too, he usually panics like a mental thing and tries to fly off the table, but he's gotten a bit soft is his middle age I think :lol: Aboleth is scared but very tolerant: the worst thing for her is being transported! She shakes as soon as she's picked up in the carrier until it's opened, and then she's fine!
 
One of mine acts very grumpy but ultimately seems relatively calm, she just walks about on the table sniffing at stuff. The other one (head tilt bunny) literally plays dead and spends half the time lying on his side. I feel bad for him cos he's obviously very stressed but doing that actually makes it harder for the vet so he doesn't help himself! I just try to get it over with as quickly as possible for him.
 
Cookie and Lola are pretty good although will try and get to me for comfort :love:

My bridge bunny Frankie was a nightmare. Only when she was very little was she scared enough to sit still but she got braver and the time she leapt off the table (I literally caught her by her back legs and then she swung to the floor which then terrified me she was injured!) was the last time she was treated on the table and every visit was on the floor after that. :lol: when she was in the specialist vets she showed her displeasure and tossed the water bowl they gave her everywhere. When she saw me she started thumping :lol: she was such a character that bunny :love:
 
Well, I can report that Willow decided to have a good sniff round the table today and then decided that she was going to sit on my boobs as a comfy cushion and have cuddles until the vet had her vaccine ready. Thankfully, it was a female vet as I was wearing a stretchy v- necked top and Willow decided to stick her foot down it as I reached forward to put her down on the table, pulling it out and down :oops:
Herb who had come along for moral support stuck his head in the back corner of the carrier and pretended he wasn’t there for the first half of the appointment and then was having a good look out of the front of the carrier for the rest of it. Remind me to wear a polo neck for all future vet visits...
 
Truffle loves the vets and it’s his place to shine and show off! The vet who’s a friend of ours can never believe how well behaved he is. He sits on the table, no fuss when the vet does anything, sometimes while he talks things through with us Truffle decides to have a face wash haha!!

He also climbs up myself or my OH for cuddles. He never lets us do much or really stroke him at home! So we take it while we can at vet visits lol :p

Our other bun Luther is a fidgety butt and doesn’t like sitting still. He likes running around the room exploring though x


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