Rabbit Savvy Vets- Why are They Still Such a Rare Species ?

[InspectorMorse]

Rabbits have been the third most popular Pet for many years now. So why is it that Rabbit Savvy Vets are an exception rather than the norm in Small Animal Veterinary Surgeries ?

Is it that the Veterinary Medicine Syllabus at Universities has still not addressed the issue, meaning Rabbit Medicine is only a small part of the training and going alongside all the other Exotics Species too ? So it is still the case that it is down to the individual Vet to progress their knowledge about Rabbits ?

I can remember asking this question 10 years ago, I really thought things would have moved on by now.

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Then there are hamsters, that's the level of cluelessness that astounds me.

[MissSherwood89]

Honestly I feel like the number of owners who even bother to take their rabbits to a vet are in the minority. Not that that makes it any better of course.

We don't drive, but we are lucky to have one RWAF approved vet we can actually get to in a reasonable amount of time.

[InspectorMorse]

Then there are hamsters, that's the level of cluelessness that astounds me.

Thank goodness for Dave

[Bunny Buddy]

I was having this conversation recently with the some vet friends. They gave the figures for footfall at vets, and I can't remember the exact, but it was, I think, less than 5% on average for rabbits.

If you compound this situation by good rabbit owners seeking out specific vets and the urm, we will say, "non-specifically vets" (I don't want to say average because they may be amazing, just not rabbit focused) only then seeing rabbits that the owners are less invested in, then we have a problem with demand and experience.

They also told me of a time, many years ago, when they were comparing their work, they timed surgeries they were doing simultaneously, one spaying a rabbit (a very fiddly job), he was doing spinal surgery on a dog (also fiddly). They took the same amount of time. The fee for the spay was £80; for the spinal surgery it was ?£500. So, from a business perspective - why would you specialise in rabbits?

[Liz47]

I completely agree, even my close vet friends admit their rabbit knowledge is very minimal, they just aren't taught it. One of my previous vet friends had a book called 'beyond baytril' playing on the fact that many of the less knowledgeable vets just dispense baytril as they don't know what else is safe for rabbits, where I work baytril is still dispensed routinely for gut stasis which u don't understand, sometimes even prioritised over gut stimulants and especially pain relief. I recently asked at a cpd event and even the speakers/majority of vet staff didn't see it as an issue and said they should still be classed as exotics and require a specialist vet, even though I kept saying they're the 3rd most popular.pet etc..

[Barn Yard Bunnies]

Thank goodness for Dave

He is the only hamster vet I trust.

[InspectorMorse]

I completely agree, even my close vet friends admit their rabbit knowledge is very minimal, they just aren't taught it. One of my previous vet friends had a book called 'beyond baytril' playing on the fact that many of the less knowledgeable vets just dispense baytril as they don't know what else is safe for rabbits, where I work baytril is still dispensed routinely for gut stasis which u don't understand, sometimes even prioritised over gut stimulants and especially pain relief. I recently asked at a cpd event and even the speakers/majority of vet staff didn't see it as an issue and said they should still be classed as exotics and require a specialist vet, even though I kept saying they're the 3rd most popular.pet etc..

With regards to Baytril, if it is given routinely ‘just incase’ for gut stasis surly that goes against best practice guidelines for the responsible prescribing of abx

https://www.bva.co.uk/take-action/ou...ntimicrobials/

Some of the things I read on FB regarding what can happen when a person consults a Non Rabbit Savvy Vet makes me

I am not sure what the solution is really

[SarahP]

Then there are hamsters, that's the level of cluelessness that astounds me.

Yes, it is definitely something that puts me off getting them.

[bunniemum]

It's so frustrating.

Since leaving London I have changed my Vets numerous times, and now am running out of options. The last one, I was so pleased to have finally found after living here a few years - she ticked all the boxes for me, but since covid has now moved on and I don't know where. I've now moved to another practice that has a good reputation locally (I've waited quite a few months to get on their client list), but when I took Meadow for her vaccinations and check up. They were so busy I felt rushed and the health check hadn't been thorough enough Will see how I get on when Hueys comes around.