Bunny Castration

Little Aesop is booked in to be castrated next Wednesday and I'm really nervous. I had the choice between two vets a bigger one and a smaller one, I chose the smaller one as I have spoken to the people at the larger vets a few times and every time they have been quite unfriendly and don't exactly 'instill me with confidence', they also never replied to my emails inquiring about the surgery.
The smaller vets however is much more friendly, they are very helpful when asking questions and very positive and seem to actually care. I will be speaking to the main veterinary surgeon on friday and on the phone he seemed, again, very positive and it seemed like he actually cared whereas the staff at the other surgery just seemed.. bored, to be quite honest!
I booked him into the smaller one and I'm just really nervous that I might be making the wrong decision simply because the other one is bigger and more expensive... Eek!
Just seeking some reassurance and advice. We don't have any rabbit specialists in our area unfortunately.

My vet is also not a rabbit specialist, but I would say she is definitely rabbit savvy. I think at the end of the day you have to sometimes just go with your gut feeling. Faced with the same choice as you, I would have made the same decision. I would reckon that someone who doesn't really care about me very much, probably won't care very much about my rabbit either.

It's good to be able to speak to the surgeon beforehand. I would ask him what criteria he uses to decide whether the rabbit can be discharged post-op and also whether he routinely prescribes pain relief. You could also ask if they perform many neuters.

Hyzenthlaytherabbit said:

Little Aesop is booked in to be castrated next Wednesday and I'm really nervous. I had the choice between two vets a bigger one and a smaller one, I chose the smaller one as I have spoken to the people at the larger vets a few times and every time they have been quite unfriendly and don't exactly 'instill me with confidence', they also never replied to my emails inquiring about the surgery.
The smaller vets however is much more friendly, they are very helpful when asking questions and very positive and seem to actually care. I will be speaking to the main veterinary surgeon on friday and on the phone he seemed, again, very positive and it seemed like he actually cared whereas the staff at the other surgery just seemed.. bored, to be quite honest!
I booked him into the smaller one and I'm just really nervous that I might be making the wrong decision simply because the other one is bigger and more expensive... Eek!
Just seeking some reassurance and advice. We don't have any rabbit specialists in our area unfortunately.

Click to expand...

I have been involved with hundreds of rabbit neuters through rescues/fosters and my own bunnies etc ... and I would have definitely made the decision you have made

I would also ask if they had lost any males during castration and whether they have a large throughput.

Care, consideration and kindess go a long way in my book :thumb:

Omi said:

My vet is also not a rabbit specialist, but I would say she is definitely rabbit savvy. I think at the end of the day you have to sometimes just go with your gut feeling. Faced with the same choice as you, I would have made the same decision. I would reckon that someone who doesn't really care about me very much, probably won't care very much about my rabbit either.

It's good to be able to speak to the surgeon beforehand. I would ask him what criteria he uses to decide whether the rabbit can be discharged post-op and also whether he routinely prescribes pain relief. You could also ask if they perform many neuters.

Click to expand...

This is really good advice. 'Big and expensive' does not always equate to 'good'. I am sure that the Vet you have opted to go with would be very happy to speak with you again to offer you any additional reassurances. A good 'table-side' manner can make such a difference and not all Vets (or Doctors!) have that attribute.

Hyzenthlaytherabbit said:

Little Aesop is booked in to be castrated next Wednesday and I'm really nervous. I had the choice between two vets a bigger one and a smaller one, I chose the smaller one as I have spoken to the people at the larger vets a few times and every time they have been quite unfriendly and don't exactly 'instill me with confidence', they also never replied to my emails inquiring about the surgery.
The smaller vets however is much more friendly, they are very helpful when asking questions and very positive and seem to actually care. I will be speaking to the main veterinary surgeon on friday and on the phone he seemed, again, very positive and it seemed like he actually cared whereas the staff at the other surgery just seemed.. bored, to be quite honest!
I booked him into the smaller one and I'm just really nervous that I might be making the wrong decision simply because the other one is bigger and more expensive... Eek!
Just seeking some reassurance and advice. We don't have any rabbit specialists in our area unfortunately.

Click to expand...

As a matter of interest, have you been to either of the vets for his vaccinations? Have you had a chance to suss out the vets there rather than just 'front of house'?

Omi said:

My vet is also not a rabbit specialist, but I would say she is definitely rabbit savvy. I think at the end of the day you have to sometimes just go with your gut feeling. Faced with the same choice as you, I would have made the same decision. I would reckon that someone who doesn't really care about me very much, probably won't care very much about my rabbit either.

It's good to be able to speak to the surgeon beforehand. I would ask him what criteria he uses to decide whether the rabbit can be discharged post-op and also whether he routinely prescribes pain relief. You could also ask if they perform many neuters.

Click to expand...

My vet is the same, in fact they don't even have any information in the waiting room about rabbits, whereas they have tons of information about cats and dogs. BUT, they are very rabbit savvy and very often treat RSPCA bunnies so I certainly trust them. So what I'm trying to say is that it is best to enquire and ask the vet directly. Good luck though! x

That's actually really helpful, has put my mind at rest a bit. They don't do the procedure amazingly often, but none of the vets in the area that I phoned did it regularly and this is mainly because we live in a very sparsely populated area and simply not many people have pet rabbits.
I will definitely ask him some questions while I'm there, I actually going to see him about volunteer work but it should be fine to ask him some questions!
I haven't had his vaccines done yet, I haven't had him very long and was unsure if these should happen at the same time as the operation or if it should be held off until afterwards. Although they also do both vaccines, I should have inquired, oops...
I'm still learning, he's my first rabbit so I'm a bit neurotic with him and have to look up everything he does to make sure he's not sick, I thought he was having a fit when he flopped on his back the first time... Learning fast though! x

Hyzenthlaytherabbit said:

That's actually really helpful, has put my mind at rest a bit. They don't do the procedure amazingly often, but none of the vets in the area that I phoned did it regularly and this is mainly because we live in a very sparsely populated area and simply not many people have pet rabbits.
I will definitely ask him some questions while I'm there, I actually going to see him about volunteer work but it should be fine to ask him some questions!
I haven't had his vaccines done yet, I haven't had him very long and was unsure if these should happen at the same time as the operation or if it should be held off until afterwards. Although they also do both vaccines, I should have inquired, oops...
I'm still learning, he's my first rabbit so I'm a bit neurotic with him and have to look up everything he does to make sure he's not sick, I thought he was having a fit when he flopped on his back the first time... Learning fast though! x

Click to expand...

Yes, it's a fast learning curve, isn't it?

Regarding the vaccinations, there is currently one for both myxi and vhd, and I wouldn't advise getting the vaccinations done at the same time as the neuter. Your bunny will need all his immune system strength to recover from the operation, so leaving it 2/3 weeks might be wise. Until he's fully healed up The current vaccine takes a full three weeks to provide full immunity.

There will shortly be available an additional vaccine for a new strain of vhd (called VHD2), but not many vets currently have this. The reason for a second vaccine is because the VHD vaccination we currently have does not cover this new strain, which has only emerged during the last few years.


The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund have issued this statement with regards to VHD2 (and their website is a mine of useful information!)

RVHD2 Vaccine availability

Please ensure your vets are aware of this information

As you may know, over the past year there has been an increasing concern regarding RVHD "new variant 2" becoming a cause of deaths in several outbreaks in the UK. Whilst it has been noted in the UK in research papers (Westcott and Choudhury) for at least 2 years, it has clearly become a significant clinical entity in the past few months.

As a result, the RWAF, with valuable assistance from the APLA, Ann Pocknell (Finn Pathologists), Mark Stidworthy and Daniela Denk (IZVG) and Tariq Abou-Zahr (Great Western Referrals) have been putting together a disease risk assessment.

We (RWAF) have now successfully established an SIC (Special Import Certificate) for a suitable EU member state vaccine, Cunivak RHD, and placed an order for a small number of vaccines to establish an ordering system into the UK.

Vets can order their own supplies from VMD. If they require any further information, they should contact the RWAF at hq@rabbitwelfare.co.uk and we will pass on any veterinary queries to our vet, Mr Saunders, but they should be aware that he may be dealing with a high volume of email. A more detailed explanation of the above should be available in Vet Times and Vet Record soon.

Hyzenthlaytherabbit said:

That's actually really helpful, has put my mind at rest a bit. They don't do the procedure amazingly often, but none of the vets in the area that I phoned did it regularly and this is mainly because we live in a very sparsely populated area and simply not many people have pet rabbits.
I will definitely ask him some questions while I'm there, I actually going to see him about volunteer work but it should be fine to ask him some questions!
I haven't had his vaccines done yet, I haven't had him very long and was unsure if these should happen at the same time as the operation or if it should be held off until afterwards. Although they also do both vaccines, I should have inquired, oops...
I'm still learning, he's my first rabbit so I'm a bit neurotic with him and have to look up everything he does to make sure he's not sick, I thought he was having a fit when he flopped on his back the first time... Learning fast though! x

Click to expand...

With regards to the Vaccinations, it is generally better not to have them done at the same time as a neuter. Personally I'd get the vaccination done ASAP, as long as your Rabbit is in good health. It can be given from the age of 5 weeks (although personally I prefer to leave it until the Rabbit is 10 weeks) The vaccine (Nobivac Myxo-RHD) takes 3 weeks to establish a full immune response. So I would not look at booking your Bun in to be neutered until at least three weeks after the vaccination.

The full details about the Myxo-RHD vaccine can be found here:

http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Compendium-datasheets_by_company/Companies/-28293.html

Recently it has become evident that a relatively new strain of VHD, VHD2 or RVHD2 which has emerged in the UK from other parts of Europe. The Myxo-RHD Vaccine does not appear to give protection against RVHD2. So thanks to the hard work of certain very well placed individuals/Professionals work is in progress to make another Vaccine available in the UK, the first batch having just been imported via a 'Special Import Licence'

Two very highly respected and reliable RU members, 'Santa' and 'Bunny Buddy' have kept us well informed of the progress concerning the second vaccine and this thread would be very informative for you to read if you have time :

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/s...e-(RHD)-and-its-variants-(RHDV2)-(Lagoviruses)

Thanks to Santa and Bunny Buddy we are able to be well informed about the evolving situation regarding the second vaccine. As stated, both members are 100% reliable and both have close contact with Vets involved in trying to establish a vaccination programme for RVHD2.

A Rabbit Welfare Organisation- 'The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund' provide a wealth of information about all aspects of Rabbit care. I would highly recommend joining the RWAF. You can read all about them here, including taking a look at the large selection of information leaflets they provide.

http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/

With Rabbits we never stop learning !!

MightyMax said:

Yes, it's a fast learning curve, isn't it?

Regarding the vaccinations, there is currently one for both myxi and vhd, and I wouldn't advise getting the vaccinations done at the same time as the neuter. Your bunny will need all his immune system strength to recover from the operation, so leaving it 2/3 weeks might be wise. Until he's fully healed up The current vaccine takes a full three weeks to provide full immunity.

There will shortly be available an additional vaccine for a new strain of vhd (called VHD2), but not many vets currently have this. The reason for a second vaccine is because the VHD vaccination we currently have does not cover this new strain, which has only emerged during the last few years.


The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund have issued this statement with regards to VHD2 (and their website is a mine of useful information!)

RVHD2 Vaccine availability

Please ensure your vets are aware of this information

As you may know, over the past year there has been an increasing concern regarding RVHD "new variant 2" becoming a cause of deaths in several outbreaks in the UK. Whilst it has been noted in the UK in research papers (Westcott and Choudhury) for at least 2 years, it has clearly become a significant clinical entity in the past few months.

As a result, the RWAF, with valuable assistance from the APLA, Ann Pocknell (Finn Pathologists), Mark Stidworthy and Daniela Denk (IZVG) and Tariq Abou-Zahr (Great Western Referrals) have been putting together a disease risk assessment.

We (RWAF) have now successfully established an SIC (Special Import Certificate) for a suitable EU member state vaccine, Cunivak RHD, and placed an order for a small number of vaccines to establish an ordering system into the UK.

Vets can order their own supplies from VMD. If they require any further information, they should contact the RWAF at hq@rabbitwelfare.co.uk and we will pass on any veterinary queries to our vet, Mr Saunders, but they should be aware that he may be dealing with a high volume of email. A more detailed explanation of the above should be available in Vet Times and Vet Record soon.

Click to expand...

The vets castrated my bunny 2 and a half weeks after his vaccination. Is that something I should be concerned about because they said it could be done after 2 weeks?

WillowAndBiscuit said:

The vets castrated my bunny 2 and a half weeks after his vaccination. Is that something I should be concerned about because they said it could be done after 2 weeks?

Click to expand...

No I wouldn't worry at all about it two and a half weeks is almost three anyway, and so long as he is OK now, that's all that's important.

It's just that the vaccination takes it out of a bun, so to give them a good recovery time is the best thing. You are fine and so is he!

MightyMax said:

No I wouldn't worry at all about it two and a half weeks is almost three anyway, and so long as he is OK now, that's all that's important.

It's just that the vaccination takes it out of a bun, so to give them a good recovery time is the best thing. You are fine and so is he!

Click to expand...

Ahh ok, he's a very quick healer too which probably helps. He was trying to run around and binky just 7 hours after he was castrated! Hahaha