Pictured above is Willow, one of my bunnies who, whenever she gets a bout of GI stasis, always does so either on a weekday after 5pm or on a weekend. This was her looking proud of herself after we drove an HOUR at 11pm on a Thursday after she stopped eating for her to start eating hay as soon as we got in the clinic room.
Did you just take a bunny home? Or maybe you moved across the country and don't know where to bring your bunny for primary and emergency care?
Here are a few crucial questions to ask over the phone before you commit to bringing your bunny to a new exotic vet.
1. Are you equipped to handle exotic pets like bunnies?
If they say "bunnies are not exotic pets," RUN AWAY! They are not the vet for your bun. If they do, ask them if they see bunnies frequently, or if it is a rare occurrence. Follow-up questions may include: Do they offer in-house blood work, or do they have to send it out for results? Do you have dental and X-ray equipment tailored for small animal procedures?
2. Are any of your vets specifically trained to work with bunnies, either for general check-ups and/or surgical procedures like spays/neuters, liver lobe torsion, GI blockages, or dental procedures?
Although not required, I highly recommend using a veterinary practice that has at least one staff member who has specialized in small animals during their veterinary training or career.
3. What does your spay/neuter process look like for bunnies?
Ideally, if you've adopted a bunny, they will already be spayed or neutered. But if not, this is a very important question for the potential vet office. They should be very well-informed about how vigilant they need to be for patient success, including limiting surgical time to 30 min or less, monitoring bunnies' heart and respiratory rates, using specific anesthetics that are easier on bunnies, and administering and prescribing pain medication and gut motility meds for post-surgical comfort.
These four descriptors can be the difference between life and death during a spay/neuter procedure! You can read more details about Anesthesia and Rabbits in an article by the House Rabbit Network.
4. Do you require your bunnies to fast before their spay/neuter surgery?
If they say yes, ask them to double-check if this is actually the case. Sometimes, front office workers are not as well-versed in bunny needs, and they may be referring to general fasting guidelines that apply to dogs and cats. Bunnies cannot fast before surgery, as it can cause their GI systems to stop and put them into GI Stasis.
If the office truly makes your fast your bunny for the procedure, they are not the clinic for your family.
5. Ask if they are available for urgent care appointments or 24/7 emergency care.
If not, as long as they have answered the other previous questions positively, who do they recommend?
Exotic Vets in Michigan that I recommend:
- MiVet Animal Clinic (Dexter, MI) Dr. Anna and Dr. Jen have saved the lives of my personal bunnies and the lives of the sanctuary bunnies too many times to count. They are my #1 recommendation in the state of Michigan for bunny primary care.
- All Creatures Animal Clinic (Ann Arbor, MI)
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