Married to my vet. :-/

[CheriB603]

Hi all! I have a dilemma. My husband is a veterinarian
who does not do rabbits. His partner has more
rabbit experience, but I don’t really know how
much as he’s the new guy and I haven’t had a
chance to interrogate him yet.
My flemmie is almost 12 weeks and she will be
spayed between 5 & 6 mos by my husband’s
partner. My problem is that hubby was raised
on a New Hampshire farm where rabbits were
the pests that chewed on the crops. :-/
I have been devouring the topics here and am
wondering what tests, if any, should be done
just as a general rule when she goes in for
her spay. Tests for coccidia or other parasites?
Definitely want her teeth looked at, though there
are no problems with her at all. What should
I be asking for? Hubby is VERY stubborn and
doesn’t want me to “waste my money on
unnecessary tests”. (even though we only pay
cost). Taking her to a specialist would only tic
him off, though I do have the number of the
rabbit doc at the Emergency Clinic should a
serious problem arise.
Please give me guidance. Thanks

[Beka27]

She needs to go in for a baseline exam prior to the spay appt. They will test for Coccidia, check her ears, eyes, teeth, etc… And gather info from you about her diet. Set that initial appointment for sometime this month.

[CheriB603]

Thanks, I will.

[Sarita]

Well, a fecal test is always a good idea and your husband should be able to do this at the office. Hopefully he will learn something from his partner about rabbit’s since it can be good money for him to know a bit about another species…maybe if you can convince him of that he won’t be such a cheapskate :~)

She probably won’t have dental problems at her age unless it’s genetic…if it’s not genetic dental problems are more age related.

[CheriB603]

Ironically, he treats horses and cows in addition to cats and dogs. His only pets as a kid were the pigs and cows on the farm, which were all eventually dinner. :-(. Maybe that’s why he doesn’t get “attached”.

[Sarita]

Well, I think that pigs and cows need treatment too even if they are going to be dinner :~) I think most people only think of vets as treating pets but big companies and farms do treat animals for agriculture too which I think is what most vet schools initially taught since many vet schools are at Ag schools like Texas A&M. I understand that many vet schools only teach things like rabbit health and stuff as an elective and it’s not part of the regular curriculum.

Did he hire his partner to treat the exotics like rabbits, guinea pigs and birds?

[CheriB603]

Not specifically, that was a happy bonus.

[Beka27]

I agree, I’ll be interested to hear if having a bun in the house changes his opinion of them!

[skunklionshow]

 remind him that’s its not just u that loves bunnies…its a bunch of us.  He should appreciate that as a vet….since I’m sure he went into this biz for a luv of animals & the understanding of the bond bt people & pets.  My dh was never a pet person but he was crushed when our jessica died last week.

[RabbitPam]

My thought, too, was that your husband will not do his practice any good at all if he lets his attitude be known to his clients. It’s hard enough to find a good exotics vet, but accepting that all animals that are pets deserve to be treated with the best possible care and intention for a healthy life in a person’s home should just be a given with a veterinarian. I would be quite upset to learn my vet in a general practice believed my pet was really not on par with cats and dogs.

So, yes, it’s a big bonus to have his new partner be better with those animals, and I think you have a subtle ally now. It may be easier for a partner to convince him of the wisdom of an attitude adjustment. If his partner isn’t specialist enough, you can weigh your options for an outsider’s care of your bunny instead.

[CheriB603]

Well, I learned from this blog that Fipronil is toxic to rabbits, so I asked him if he puts it on our dog & cat and he said No, that he uses something else, but believed Fipronil was safe for rabbits. Well, he went to work and asked his partner who told him how bad it is for rabbits and he came home with his tail between his legs and said I was right and that he had learned something new! I can tell he was impressed with my newfound rabbit knowledge and is now taking things seriously and even being a bit more attentive to our bunny!

Thanks again for the support, kindness and knowledge y’all provide!!

[Beka27]

Has he said how much education he had regarding exotics? I honestly don’t know as I’ve never been through vet school! Is it like a chapter or a quarter or what? I couldn’t imagine having to know the ins and outs of so many different species!

[CheriB603]

He said that unless you were going to specialize, you pretty much had to teach yourself! He said they had an optional lecture series for an hour every Friday where someone would come and talk about bird diseases or ferret problems or bunny specifics… But it was totally optional. And, BTW- he didn’t go to school in the stone age, he graduated in 1985 from Purdue!

[Dwarf Sparrow]

I’m glad he’s acknowledging your research!

I think part of the lack of expertise in some vets might also be due to the fact that there are a lot of rabbit owners who don’t know rabbits need vet visits! (I certainly didn’t know that 8 years ago when I had my lops :/ ) So if there are not a lot of rabbits brought in, they never have the chance to gain experience. I’m lucky enough that I have a 24/7 emergency vet nearby, and it also happens to be a teaching hospital. It adds an interesting dimension to taking Merida to the vet, because the doctor is usually accompanied by a group of ~6 students who watch the proceedings. As much as I hate having to put the bun through the stress of travel and being handled by strangers, I like that every time I bring her to the vet she’s giving the students a chance to learn more about rabbits.

[RabbitPam]

That’s really great. It will probably continue, and you both have something (aka someone) in common to learn about.

I think the study of animal care may be more specialized, as more vets are exclusively dog/cat pet vets. Others and exotics – rabbits, birds, reptiles, ferrets, other small animals – and probably others specialize in farm animals. I rather expect the latter was considered the norm in the past since they were the basis of rural livelihood.

Amazing progress has been made in our lifetime.

[BinkyBunny]

The popularity of “house rabbits” in just the last 10-15 years has grown so much. More and more vets seem to be popping up with specialized training since your husband graduated. Because rabbits seem to be getting better care and owners are becoming more educated, it’s more common for owners to spot issues right away, (since the rabbit is living in the house) and then seek out vet care in time. My bunny is estimated to be about 10 years old and has a great rabbit-savvy vet, which has helped contribute to my bunny’s longevity. I think most people are surprised to find out that they have to actually seek out a rabbit-savvy vet as rabbits are so common. But being that they have a higher heart rate that can make putting them under anesthesia a bit more tricky, along with other unique issues, a vet with specialized training is definitely needed. It seems your husband is open to being educated regardless of how he grew up and his previous ideas and training There is a definite need for more rabbit-savvy vets and so if your husband is up for the challenge, it could be beneficial for him, you, for rabbit owners in your community.

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