Really worried Could my vet be wrong? Could she still be pregnant? Rabbit in distress

I am very worried. I really am. My rabbit is in a horrendous state. Never seen her act or behave this way before.

I've had her for 3 years now. She came to me as a baby and she was pregnant - so surprise babies. The only way I knew was her making a nest. I have had her 3 years and not once has she made a nest since the week before she gave birth. Not once. She made a nest 2 days ago after accidentally coming into contact with my male rabbit 21 days ago. She pulled loads of fur out to make this nest and it was very deep. I moved her indoors presuming instantly she was pregnant as she's never had phantoms or made nests before. Moved her indoors and she made a nest as soon as she was moved. Its right in centre of her cage. Quite a large nest. She hasn't liked me touching her stomach, so had to pick her up carefully when I did and she's been as loving as she was before.

Here's my issue. I took her to the vets thinking maybe best to check everything is okay. I thought she was pregnant last year (this was with another rabbit and another accident - yes I know there are reasons for both) apart from last year she did not make a nest, at all. So i thought she was in danger and at risk as i thought she should be pregnant and was overdue and just not making a nest etc or prepared to give birth. I took her for examinations. They prodded her stomach thoroughly, scanned her, everything and said she wasn't pregnant after scan. She went through far worse in those examinations and not once did she react badly to them. She was still my loving rabbit and had no odd behaviour. Fast forward to this vet visit and its a completely different story. She did not like me picking her up to start with because she doesn't like her stomach being touched, she'd whimper a bit however I took her to vets and the vet was quite forceful with her which I didn't like for a potential pregnancy. She was prodding her stomach forcefully, squeezing her tummy etc and she also squeezed her nipples really hard saying oh not produced milk (yet I have read online now they don't till birth) and also she said oh she's not pulled fur neither another sign shes not, yet she has pulled fur because her nests have been full of her fur so this is also inaccurate. Anyways they said most likely not pregnant, sigh of relief? Not really because Mindy my rabbit has been extremely distressed and acting in pain since this vet visit. I am worried the vet is wrong.

I wish I had never taken her now as I feel I have done more harm than good and should have left nature to do its thing. She's extremely distressed. Since the vets, she has not stopped grunting, heavy breathing, fast breathing and she's lying around. She won't do anything yet before she was digging a lot. She's also extremely aggressive. I have had her 3 years and not once has she even been close to being aggressive towards me. She's the most loving rabbit ever. We cuddle all the time and she even trusted me with her babies when they were born 3 years back but I went to feed her before and I couldn't even get my hand to the door without her aggressively going for me. Really aggressively attacking me. I opened cage and tried to soothe her with my voice etc but nothing could calm her, loud grunting.. Attacking me with her paws several times, and going to bite me. I've never been scared of any of my rabbits before but tonight I became frightened when she wouldn't stop going for me. In the end I had to get a carrot and I put the carrot to the left and she went for the carrot and I quickly had to grab her food bowl but she still ran straight for my hand to attack me again. Whilst grunting. And heavy breathing. I managed to just feed her and closed the cage securely. She's in such a bad state and I am so worried.

Could the vet be wrong, could she still be pregnant and this is why she's reacting this way? I won't take her back to vets if she's still like this tomorrow because to be quite honest, I do not trust them at all the state my poor baby is in now. I don't trust their judgement and I don't trust how they handled my baby. I really hope she's calmer tomorrow and this isn't a start of an aggressive streak in her all because I took her to vets to try confirm a pregnancy, I should have left that to nature and now I am deeply concerned about my rabbits actions, behaviour and distressed breathing and grunting. Thoughts anyone? She has honestly never done this in whole 3 years I had her and I have even done things like feed her medicine, exams at vets similar to this and worse, I have clipped her nails etc even accidentally causing her to bleed once by cutting too far and not once has she done this to me or acted in this way. Something is wrong with my baby and I don't like it. I am very upset right now especially how aggressive she's been towards me.

Whether she is infact pregnant or having a false pregnancy, her hormones will be completely up in the air right now either way, which could likely be causing aggression. She won't be far from kindling if she is pregnant, and will likely not appreciate your close proximity during this time. The coming into contact with your male is what will have stimulated a false pregnancy if she isn't pregnant and he didn't mate her.

If you aren't intending to breed, I would kindly recommend you have her spayed (once she is back to her usual self whatever happens) because this is likely causing the issue - the hormones. Spaying with calm her down, and mean that you don't have to worry quite the same way if she comes into contact with a male again, since this is the second time it's happened. If you have your buck castrated, you could then bond them so they can the company of another rabbit (after a period of time after the neutering).

The other concern is that female rabbits have up to 80% chance of developing uterine cancer by the age of 5. So spaying elimates this risk if done before the cancer develops.

My best advise is to create a thread with the title 'Rabbit savvy vet needed in X (your area)' so people can recommend a good vet who knows what they're doing with buns. And please have a look at this leaflet by the RWAF http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/pdfs/neutering28807.pdf

Best of luck to you & your wee ladybun.

Didn't want to read and run, sorry can not offer any more advise than has already been given. I hope your bun is ok xx

I would be very worried that what appears to be a vet with very little knowledge or experience of rabbit care (not uncommon in general vet practice ) has caused harm. I would urgently seek recommendations for a rabbit savvy vet in your area and cntact them. However you may now be in a very difficult position of not knowing whether to cause more stress or not - as she appears distressed I would personally risk another vet visit to a GOOD vet.

Is she eating/pooping normally? I also think going to a rabbit savvy vet would be best in case this other vet has caused damage, but I can understand why you're reluctant. Could just be she's really hormonal right now.