EMERGENCY wheezing bunny

[skunklionshow]

Tobey is wheezing & is very lethargic. Unsure on appetite bc I just got home from work & he shares pen w another rabbit. What the hell should I do? They are working off a textbook.
HELP!

[BB & Tiny]

Get to the vet.

[skunklionshow]

He binkyed off to the rainbow bridge. As much as I love rabbits I hate them. They just take too long letting us know they are sick. Binky on my little man!

[LBJ10]

Oh no, so sorry to be reading this. Poor little Tobey. =( With bunnies being prey species, they often hide their illnesses until they are very sick. You couldn’t have known, so please don’t beat yourself up.

[vanessa]

That was so sudden. I’m sorry for your loss 🙁

[jerseygirl]

(((SLS))), Im so sorry. ***Binky Free Tobey***

[LittlePuffyTail]

So very sorry. . (((((Binky Free Toby)))))

[skunklionshow]

 

UPDATE:

When I posted I was at the emergency vet.  Unfortunately that practice did not see rabbits.  So I started to call other ER practices to see if they would take a rabbit.  After about 15 mins, the ER I was at decided that they would see him since there were no other options.  He died as they were prepa1ring to take xrays.  So I called my bunny vet this morning and shared that I felt very frustrated that my vet office posts these ER’s as their after hours care provider, but they do NOT see rabbits.  I’m a psychologist and well I know that carrying a pager stinks!  It’s nerve wracking knowing that you are always on call.  I get that, but I don’t think it is ethical to list an after hours provider that does not service the species.  My vet followed up with me providing me w/ the only 2 exotics emergency vets and both are about 2 hours away.  I just don’t feel this is good practice.  Am I making sense or am I just frustrated by last night’s experience?  I feel that this practice needs to consider an alternative, which may be for their exotics vets to carry a pager.  Thoughts?  Opinions?

Sorry I lived in Philly for 13 years, literally right down the street from the vet school.  They could trouble shoot a rabbit in their ER but often had to wait for major interventions until their exotics were available during the day.  I also went to a practice that say exotics and cats and had extended hours until about 9pm.  I really miss having that level of health care access.

[CooperLop]

So sorry, that’s a tough situation. It’s a shame the ER couldn’t see him immediately and then assess if he needed to go to an exotic ER.

[BB & Tiny]

It is irresponsible of them to not have a viable alternative when they are not open. Sorry for you loss.

[Bam]

I’m so sorry for your loss.
I can very well understand your frustration with the ER-vet-situation.

[LBJ10]

Our vet used to have an on-call emergency vet. They no longer do that, unfortunately. I don’t know what the issue was, if it was costs or what. I know there is no longer a local emergency hotline (there was one many years ago that serviced the whole city and would refer you to an on-call vet). Anyway, if you call my vet now after hours, they have the phone number of the one and only emergency vet in town. It’s a specialty emergency vet clinic, they only see after hours patients. I would never take my rabbits there, to be honest. They are not very well equipped when it comes to anything other than a cat or dog. They will definitely “see” a rabbit though. Don’t get me wrong. I just don’t feel like they know what they are doing there.

[vanessa]

I have had similar frustrations. My regular bunny vet posts their ER contact number – and they dont’ see exotics. So when I needed an emergency visit, I called and asked for a reference for another exotic vet. I have since felt the second vet is better with bunnies, but they don’t see emergencies, and they don’t take appointments. It’s call at 7am and see what’s available. The first vet has more flexible options, but isn’t as good as the second vet. The first vet has a dropoff service, so I can drop my bunnies off at 0700, and pick them up later int he day. They also see emergencies. My issue with that – is the receptionists don’t always know what constitutes a bunny emergency. I had a bird on travel with me once, and had to drive 2 hours for an exotic vet. In South Africa where I’m from, my local vet (and all other vets I knew), saw docs, cats, AND exotics. So moving to the United States, I was surprised that they separate “normal” and “exotic”.
I’m sorry for your loss 🙁

[MeketatenBun]

I’m so sorry this happened to you. In a way, it may be a good thing that the emergency vet was at least honest in telling you they couldn’t treat your bunny until there was no other option. As stated above, some vets will “see” rabbits when they have no idea and won’t tell you they have no idea. My (ex)boyfriend’s dad was/is a vet and when my Nefertari broke her back, he took her in. She was getting better, then “took a turn for the worse” and before we could euthanize her she died in my arms. Found out years later from a friend who had a friend that worked at the clinic at a time that the guy “had a rabbit that broke its back and he had no idea what to do with her”. So yeah, while it’s crappy that THAT’S the clinic you’re referred to, at least they are an honest clinic. It’s also nice to know that when things became impossible for finding another clinic, that they were willing to do the best they could despite not knowing much.

At the same time, you shouldn’t be referred to a clinic that can’t help you, and they should’ve done what they could before waiting so long.

But you did everything you could for Tobey. He knows you were trying to help, bunnies are just so frustratingly fragile. I’m still so sorry this happened to you and I’m sending healing vibes your way

[Author]

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