Questions to ask my vet? (Neutering/SNeezing)

[Florida_Bunnies]

So I am taking my two boys in on Monday to see the vet to get them their check-ups and set up their neutering.

 

Are there any questions I should ask the vet? I know she is an experiences rabbit vet, but are there any “normal” things that I should ask about to make sure we are getting the best care for our buns? I guess I should ask what should I expect from the neutering experience. Is it normal for the bunny to be kept overnight after a neuter? Are there any medications the vet should give me? Should I expect them to do blood work? Any complications I should ask about? 

 

Sorry for all this. I am just really really nervous. Since I am a first time bunny owner I am trying to learn as much as possible. I’d just like to hear from my fellow bunny owners who have experience with their buns getting fixed. I guess I should ask what should I expect ? What was it like when you got your bun spayed/neutered? Thanks so much!

 

Also for their check-up what should I expect? ANy questions I should ask? I know they will probably check the buns ears, teeth and such. Anything else they should look at? Also one of my bunnies sneezes occasionally. It’s not ALL the time, but he has like these little attacks of sneezing then it stops and he doesn’t do it again for a few days. I am going to tell the vet about it. Is this a bad thing?

 

Sorry for all the questions. I am just so nervous about my babies having surgery. I feel like a mommy, haha. 

 

Any help/info is appreciated! I’d just like some reassurance that everything will be okay. I just want to be as informed as possible.

[BinkyBunny]

 One important thing is make sure they do not ask you to fast your bunny prior to the surgery.  Many times the front desk people will say this out of habit, but be sure that the request is not coming from the vet that is doing surgery.  Rabbits should not be fasted. 

Some vets will prefer to keep your bunny overnight, most won’t, but either way is fine. Whatever you and your vet feel comfortable with.  

Again, some vets will do bloodwork just to make sure that your bunny does not have an illness that could affect putting him under.  But if the bunny is young and otherwise seems healthy, then many vets will feel fine to proceed.   And again, either way really is okay.  If you feel more comfortable with having bloodwork done, then let the vet know you are okay with the additional charges. 

It is definitely important to bring up the sneezing as the vet needs to know of any possible illness prior to putting a bunny through surgery.  Most likely  it is just some typical dust/hay sneeze or something since it doesn’t happen often, and you didn’t mention any discharge, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.  M vet asks me how many sneezes, how long and typically when it happens, and if there is any discharge. So most likely your vet will inquire a bit too. 

Regarding post surgery, my vet gave my bunny pain meds to help ease the next couple of days. I have heard that not all vets do that, but I have had to many posts where their bunny was in obvious pain afterward, so I don’t know why a vet would not give pain meds for at least a couple of days of post surgery healing. 

Males typically recover quicker than females do, so that is good for you!  (and for them).  They are normally quicker to eat, but it is not abnormal fo for them just to huddle up in a corner, and not want to eat for the whole day.  They should be nibbling on something by the next morning.   Talk to your vet too about what the testicles should look like right after surgery and how much swelling is normal. 

Here are some great links from HRS about  asking the right questions and pre and post care

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/…-questions

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/…-post-care   (note: this article says you need to provide acidophilus before and after surgery, there have been many members, including myself before i ever even knew what an acidophilus was that did not do that and all was fine)   It is more of a precaution, and can’t hurt.   You can discuss this with your vet as well.   This is what one of my rabbit-savvy vets say  aciophilus: 

“Acidophilus is Lactobacillus acidophilus, one of the common organisms in the human GI tract. If makes sense for humans to take it to out-compete “bad bugs.”  It doesn’t make as much sense for rabbits because their GI flora (bacteria) is completely different.  Lactobacillus won’t hurt, and MIGHT help by still out-competing “bad stuff”.“. 

 I know I have thrown alot at you and I hope it doesn’t make you worry as I am just covering things to watch out for, but I am sure all will be fine!  It is nerve-wracking, and there are many members who that will be able to sympathize and offer comfort!

[Helenor]

I was also nervous for my first bunny’s spay. She was still under 2 pounds, but she was fine. I had to syringe feed her a bit after the first day a little. Panko’s neuter went smoothly and I wasn’t that nervous. He was ready to eat that evening, the little pig! I’m not even sure he knew something was missing.

I’m sure your boys will be fine. The vet will tell you to check their incisions every day for a while to make sure it’s not inflamed or anything. Just make sure they leave their incisions alone.

[LizzyBunny]

I was expecting my bun to be very quiet after her spay but she was typical crazy her You never know what to expect!

[Tate]

My boys were both fine after their neuters. It took about a day for them to begin eating again, but I had some Oxbow Critical Care that they ate for that first day (http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/products/type/detail?object=1608).
Their bodies responded a little differently- Velvateen had really swollen up within the first day and it slowly went down over the next 2-3 days, whereas Fievel had no swelling. They were both obviously very sore though!!
It isn’t entirely unusual for a vet to not prescribe a pain med. Firstly, their bodies kick out the meds quickly, you really would need to give it to them every hour or so to get an actual pain relieving effect. Secondly, it’s sometimes good for them to feel *some* pain (hard for us to watch though!) They really need to chill out for the first few days and the pain reminds them not to move around a whole bunch which could rip a stitch out or something.
I would ask your vet if they do in fact stitch the site up or if they use glue. It doesn’t matter really either way, but my boys were glued up so they didn’t need to get their stitches taken out.
Other than that, inquire about ears, nose, nails, anal glands, etc.
Your buns will do fine!

[LoveChaCha]

It is a very nerve wrecking time, spaying and neutering, but it is in their best interest

Just make sure that you get pain meds, and to make sure your bunny’s space is limited and they cannot jump onto things for a few days to a week.

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