Is it ok to use a non rabbit-savvy vet for vaccinations?

Hi everyone, I am a new rabbit owner and I'm in need of advice about which vet to go to.

Short version: I am 5 minutes from a non-rabbit savvy vet. My nearest rabbit-savvy vet is very awkward to get to. I'll definitely take my rabbits to the savvy vet for any health problems, but to save a lot of time and stress, would it be in my rabbits' interests to get their vaccinations from the non-rabbit specialist vet?

For more explanation: I have a vet clinic around the corner (a 5 minute walk away), which unfortunately is not listed on the RWAF as a rabbit-savvy vet. Before I knew the importance of finding a rabbit-savvy vet, I spoke to them about one of my buns. They seemed very caring and knowledgeable and on-the-ball but did offer some odd advice. Both of these things make me hesitant to go there for future problems.

Ideally, I would just ignore this vet and go to the **** Vet outside of Edinburgh, which I have heard to be excellent in rabbit vet care and have a gold rating on the RWAF. However, I don't have a car and it is either an hour and a half bus each way or an expensive taxi ride. I may be able to get a lift from my partner's family but this might not always be possible.

One of my rabbits' vaccinations are due shortly. It seems as though a good compromise would be to take them to the vet around the corner for their vaccinations and to take them to the **** Vet for basically anything else. After all, a 5 minute walk in his carrier is going to be a lot less stressful than a relatively long car or bus journey, mostly for my rabbit but for myself as well! My question is, is it ok to use a non-rabbit-savvy vet for routine vaccinations?

I want to do what is in the best interests of the rabbits and I would welcome anyone's advice! Thank you very much for reading this.

Perhaps I should have referred to the rabbit-savvy vet as the Royal Richard Vet!

I'd check how The Royal D!ck feel about it. I *think* as a referral practice you would have to be careful about using another vet as they might see you as registered with that vet and anything you want to consult them about would need to be made as a referral.

You will probably be alright as long as you are registered with them first but I think I've seen posts on Facebook where the Royal D!ick won't see rabbits as they are deemed to be breaking the code of conduct if not done properly and owners have been told they can't go between practices.

It's a complex issue and one I always have a dilemma with. My specialist is 40 minutes drive away (luckily for me I can drive and it's a relatively easy journey), if it was a public transport journey taking longer then my decision might be different. I swap and change between my specialist and a vet 5 minutes away so that I can use the local vet for out of hours (my specialist vets don't offer OOH). It's a fine balancing act. Also, if the rabbit has any underlying conditions I'd be wary about using a vet for vaccinations that doesn't have their full history. My local vet is happy to work this way as she knows I will give her a good account of any relevant histories and totally upfront about moving between the practices. The specialist is my main practice and they are also happy with this arrangement.

Sojsz said:

Perhaps I should have referred to the rabbit-savvy vet as the Royal Richard Vet!

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:lol::lol: The swear filter is hilarious, isn't it? I realised when you said Edinburgh!

I would use the local vet for vaccinations, purely for convenience. Having a vet on the doorstep can be really useful, and you are aware of their capabilities. You can always ask them to refer you if needed for anything else, or you could re-register at the other vet at a later date.

Thank you both so much for your replies! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was going back and forth between the two so much that I don't think I could have written anything coherent in response until now.

I think that trying to work out a way of switching between the two just isn't really feasible so for peace of mind I'm leaning towards registering them both at the specialist vet. It's probably erring very far on the side of caution but I'm a big worrier and keep thinking, "what if the non-specialist vet misses something during a routine vaccination/check up that the specialist would have found?".

I also discovered a pet taxi service that would be a good last resort and much better than a normal taxi.

Thanks again. You both made really good points and helped me a lot

Sojsz said:

Thank you both so much for your replies! I'm so sorry it took me so long to get back to you. I was going back and forth between the two so much that I don't think I could have written anything coherent in response until now.

I think that trying to work out a way of switching between the two just isn't really feasible so for peace of mind I'm leaning towards registering them both at the specialist vet. It's probably erring very far on the side of caution but I'm a big worrier and keep thinking, "what if the non-specialist vet misses something during a routine vaccination/check up that the specialist would have found?".

I also discovered a pet taxi service that would be a good last resort and much better than a normal taxi.

Thanks again. You both made really good points and helped me a lot

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A wise decision I think. It'd be horrible if something was missed that a savvy vet would pick up. On a good day its a 50 minute drive to my vet but I've also had to do it by taxi, trains & buses (which takes a tad longer:lol - I believe its worth the effort. Even when vets share notes it can't be as good as getting to know your bunny personally

Thanks for the reassurance that it's a good decision! I have my suspicions my OH thinks I'm being a *tad* over-protective so it's nice to have back-up...