This is a subject that I've had a few discussions over. I was under the impression that post mortems were quite costly, am I wrong in this? There's no right or wrong answer as its personal choice but I've had discussions whereby I feel that the bunny is dead anyway and the money would be best spent on others, its not going to bring it back. However, I'm leaning away from this point of view now as knowing what your bunny died of could prevent stuff happening to your other buns. What I didn't realise is that there's different levels of pms. Poor Phill had one done on Ivy and was told it was VHD. Now, it might not have been and so a pm at the lab is mentioned rather than at the Vets. So now I'm confused. If (or should that be when ) the worst happens, is there different types of pm that you can have?
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Post Mortems, sorry not a nice subject
- Thread starter luvabun
- Start date
Yes, there are different types and the cost can depend on what is done. For example a vet may have a quite look at the major organs and spot the problem. However something might need tests sent away - for example to identify a particular type of bug - that's when it starts to getting expensive.
Like most things at vets cost can also depend on the vet. Sometimes, particularly if it's something that puzzels the vet, they might do it free other times it could cost a lot more.
Tam
Like most things at vets cost can also depend on the vet. Sometimes, particularly if it's something that puzzels the vet, they might do it free other times it could cost a lot more.
Tam
I didn't realise it was so complex - I thought it would be a straight forward (albeit harrowing ) procedure. This makes my choices even more difficult but I suppose once you've got it in your head that you want to do it, you go ahead with whatevers necessary. BTW what can the costs range to?Tamsin said:
It's the lab results that cost and that depends what and how many tests are done.
As Phill says just getting your vet to have a look is usually around £10-20, I've no idea what the lab results can range from.
Some things the vet can pick up - e.g. VHD causes changes to the appearance of the liver. Or things like an enlarged heart, tumour, diseased kidneys etc.
A PM won't necessarily tell you the cause of death - sometimes they can be inconclusive of the vet might find a problem but not know what caused it. E.g. some illness can have similar symptoms.
Tam
As Phill says just getting your vet to have a look is usually around £10-20, I've no idea what the lab results can range from.
Some things the vet can pick up - e.g. VHD causes changes to the appearance of the liver. Or things like an enlarged heart, tumour, diseased kidneys etc.
A PM won't necessarily tell you the cause of death - sometimes they can be inconclusive of the vet might find a problem but not know what caused it. E.g. some illness can have similar symptoms.
Tam
Some illnesses in sudden deaths can mimic things like VHD 
If the liver is scarred and blood is present in the abdomen then this can make a vet ask questions as to VHD being present or not.
Our beloved Florence (ATB) passed away very peacefully on morning on the 19th December 2003 - I had been playing with her just half an hour before - yet when I went back to her she had gone She looked as though she was asleep and was in her usual sleeping position - broke my heart it did
Because her passing was so sudden and she had not shown any illness whatsoever, the vet said that she needed to do a PM on her. We agreed to this and a couple of hours later Sally phoned to say that the liver was not right, blood was present etc - she said that it could be VHD We went into total panic mode - we knew all our buns where vaccinated but they all had to be re-done.
That afternoon Sally and Steve (another vet) came out to our house armed with 28 vaccines (they had had to scrounge vaccines from other vets!) - each and every bun was done and then the waiting started
Sally had sent off samples from Florence to the labs and we had to wait for nearly 10 days to get the results - it wasn't VHD but those ten days where the longest in our lives
Some of our buns have had PM's done by the vet - not a great cost - some have had samples sent to labs, more cost - but if it came to a serious issue then I would want a bun to be sent to the lab directly for them to do a PM on there as it is far more thorough.
I don't like having PM's done - but it's a necessary evil as you have to think of the other buns that you have.
Whilst we waited for the results on Florence's lab results we had to go into isolation - we couldn't go to the vets to collect anything - they had to give us medications through the window of our car! We couldn't take any buns in and we couldn't have people who had buns visit us. All necessary precautions but such a feeling of loneliness and helplessness
We always say that if we are in doubt with any of the buns when they become ill then get them to a vet - we also say this now about having a PM done - the lives of the buns left are imperative and we have to make sure that a death was not caused by something that could be passed onto other buns.
If the liver is scarred and blood is present in the abdomen then this can make a vet ask questions as to VHD being present or not.Our beloved Florence (ATB) passed away very peacefully on morning on the 19th December 2003 - I had been playing with her just half an hour before - yet when I went back to her she had gone
She looked as though she was asleep and was in her usual sleeping position - broke my heart it did Because her passing was so sudden and she had not shown any illness whatsoever, the vet said that she needed to do a PM on her. We agreed to this and a couple of hours later Sally phoned to say that the liver was not right, blood was present etc - she said that it could be VHD
We went into total panic mode - we knew all our buns where vaccinated but they all had to be re-done.That afternoon Sally and Steve (another vet) came out to our house armed with 28 vaccines (they had had to scrounge vaccines from other vets!) - each and every bun was done and then the waiting started
Sally had sent off samples from Florence to the labs and we had to wait for nearly 10 days to get the results - it wasn't VHD but those ten days where the longest in our lives
Some of our buns have had PM's done by the vet - not a great cost - some have had samples sent to labs, more cost - but if it came to a serious issue then I would want a bun to be sent to the lab directly for them to do a PM on there as it is far more thorough.
I don't like having PM's done - but it's a necessary evil as you have to think of the other buns that you have.
Whilst we waited for the results on Florence's lab results we had to go into isolation - we couldn't go to the vets to collect anything - they had to give us medications through the window of our car! We couldn't take any buns in and we couldn't have people who had buns visit us. All necessary precautions but such a feeling of loneliness and helplessness
We always say that if we are in doubt with any of the buns when they become ill then get them to a vet - we also say this now about having a PM done - the lives of the buns left are imperative and we have to make sure that a death was not caused by something that could be passed onto other buns.
Thanks for your input guys -you've given me an insight into something I knew nothing about. It must have been painful for you to open up old wounds or indeed think about fresh raw ones but thank you. It does seem a worry though that even after going through a post mortem, the results may still be inconclusive.
Hiya , we tend to opt for a PM if any bunnies die suddenly without obvious cause. The reason for this, is mainly to (as Jay has mentioned) give us an indication whether we are dealing with a contagious disease or not..this is especially important if you have multiple bunnies.
The local vet charges us around 10 pounds to have a check of the organs, and he can see any main problems..thereafter we would decide if sending away for more specific testing is worth while..it is very expensive, and from past experience...results can still be inconclusive.
We had one suspected VHD death seven years ago, but even sending away for tests could not categorically confirm this, as the organs deteriorate rapidly post death and this can give false readings. Hence there does exist a level of inaccuracy with PMs.
I agree with Jill though, that we dont have all bunnies routinely PM on death, as we would rather spend the money on the living bunnies :wink:
The local vet charges us around 10 pounds to have a check of the organs, and he can see any main problems..thereafter we would decide if sending away for more specific testing is worth while..it is very expensive, and from past experience...results can still be inconclusive.
We had one suspected VHD death seven years ago, but even sending away for tests could not categorically confirm this, as the organs deteriorate rapidly post death and this can give false readings. Hence there does exist a level of inaccuracy with PMs.
I agree with Jill though, that we dont have all bunnies routinely PM on death, as we would rather spend the money on the living bunnies :wink:
bunnymadhouse
Wise Old Thumper
i never realised a pm by the vet cost so little. 2 of my buns and 1 rescue bun has died suddenly and i never thought of asking for one
i can see why it is important with such things as vhd being around i ll certainly keep it in mind for future.
Angie
i can see why it is important with such things as vhd being around i ll certainly keep it in mind for future.
Angie
