Gretchen's Spay

[Jenni]

I just dropped Gretchen off at the vet. The vet I am using is referred by the Austin House Rabbit Society and has done thousands of spays. I knowGretchen is in good hands and it feels nice to get her established at a bunny vet.

However, when Ibrought Gretchenin, the girl at the counter didn't know much about rabbits and the vet's assistant had to explain to her what procedures Gretchen would need. And then when it was time to take Gretchen to the back, she called her a kitty! :shock:

Hopefully she's just a new staff member or something. Every time I have talked tothe staffprior to today, they have been very knowledgeable of rabbits.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

I know how you feel, I had my doe spayed in April and it was so scary! Even though I knew she was with an awesome vet and this vet had neutered both my boys without a problem either.

As for people at the front counter, I never talk to them when I call a vet, I always ask to talk to a vet because I've yet to talk to one that knows anything about rabbits. I've even heard one person tell a lady that the rabbit should not have any food the night before the neuter when I KNOW that the vet would never have said that because I've talked to her personally about it. Sometimes I wish the people at the counter were forced to learn alittle more about animals because how often do you think people at the counter give out information like that when it's not good information? Anyways, that's my rant, LOL.

I'm sure she'll be fine.

 

[Mummel]

Let us know how Gretchen is doing.

spaying is a lot more dangerous than neutering and should only be done by a very experienced vet. Seems like you found a good one so I think you dont need to worry much.

Emi

 

[Jenni]

I just moved Gretchen back into her cage. She seems to be doing fine. She is eating cilantro and stretching out in a relaxed bunny position for a snooze.

Her poor belly is bald!!! She had such a cute belly.

The vet gave me some medicine that he said they had specially formulated for rabbits. It is a pain killer that I am supposed to rub into the skin on the bare part of ear. It is absorbed through the skin!! How cool is that? They gave me some gloves to wear for it.

All is well. I didn't sleep much last night. I am glad it is over.

 

[Greta]

That's neat! and much easier than trying to get medicine into her mouth.

 

[Pipp]

Jenni wrote:

The vet gave me some medicine that he said they had specially formulated for rabbits. It is a pain killer that I am supposed to rub into the skin on the bare part of ear. It is absorbed through the skin!! How cool is that? They gave me some gloves to wear for it.

Glad to hear it's gone so well!! :yes:

What's the name of the medication? This could solve an ongoing major problem with pain meds. I've always asked forMedicam, but ithas to be given with food, so not great for a bunny that won't eat, and it takes a long time to work. (And it's not really designed for post surgery, more to longer term pain like arthritis).

Please tell!

sas and the gang :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:

 

[Spring]

I'm glad everything went well! That is cool with the pain meds! Hope she's fully back to normal soon!

Best wishes!

 

[Jenni]

Thanks for the support Pipp, Greta, and Spring!

Pipp wrote:

What's the name of the medication? This could solve an ongoing major problem with pain meds. I've always asked forMedicam, but ithas to be given with food, so not great for a bunny that won't eat, and it takes a long time to work. (And it's not really designed for post surgery, more to longer term pain like arthritis).

Please tell!

sas and the gang :bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance::bunnydance:

Pipp, the medicine is Banamine Transdermal Gel and we are about to see if it works. Gretchen was obviously uncomfortable just before I applied it. She was barely interested in her piece of apple.

I did had a problem with it though. They gave it to me in a little syringe. I was supposed to squeeze out .05 cc on my gloved finger. When I pressed the plunger on the syringe all of the medicine came squirting out. I think there was an air bubble in there and it plunged all at once. I had a little on my finger so I rubbed in in her ear and then put the remaining goop and syringe in a plastic bag so I can give her more tomorrow.

I was really upset, because now I can't really measure it and I don't want Gretchen to be in pain. I will just have to scoop it off the plastic bag with my finger tomorrow and I am sure the vet is closed.

I think I will call and suggest that they give the medication in seperate syringes for each dose. There may be some reason why they didn't, but it seems it would be so much easier.

When they gave it to me I thought they said that they had it formulated. The technician said the only other way to really give rabbits good pain killers is by needle.

I just hope it is working. I'll have to go check and see what she's doing.

Poor Gretchen :sad:. I hope she feels okay.

 

[Jenni]

It's working. She's moving around now and eating some cilantro. :wink:

 

[Pipp]

Banamine's good, didn't realize it came in a gel for rabbits.

She'll probably only be in pain for the day. If she already started eating before the pain meds wore off, she'll be okay.

And just take a little vaseline or lotion and put it in the syringe, and squirt it out on some plastic or on your finger to get an idea of how much .05 CC is.

It's really tough to see them miserable, isn't it?

One thing that will make her feel better if somebody didn't already mention it isto give her a sock full of rice or even just atowel warmed up in the microwave so she has something warm to curl up with. Amost every bunny I've run across seems to appreciate that. (They get post-surgery chills I think).

Keep us up to date, and give her a kiss for us!

:kiss:

sas and the gang

 

[Pipp]

Jenni wrote:

It's working. She's moving around now and eating some cilantro. :wink:

WHoopee!!

 

[Jenni]

Sas,

Thanks for the tip with the syringe. I will do that for the next dose.

I warmed up a rice sock for her. She is nuzzled up next to it.

Thanks a bunch!!:thanks:

 

[Jenni]

Sas,

Gretchen loves the rice sock. She snuggles with it and licks it all over!!

:brownbunny

 

[Pipp]

Jenni wrote:

Gretchen loves the rice sock. She snuggles with it and licks it all over!!

:shock: They've bonded!?

(Okay, Naturestee, now what?) :lookaround

 

[Jenni]

Pipp wrote:

:shock: They've bonded!?

LOL! That's what I thought! I told my hubbie that she thought it was a rabbit. He said she was still "not right" due to surgery drugs.

Gretchen is so much better this morning. When I got up she had eaten all of her food except for the mustard greens (I forgot that she hates mustard greens). She looks much more allert and is moving around more.

I have to admit I was pretty worried about her last night.

:sickbunny:

I am such a new bunny mom!

 

[Spring]

Yay! You go girl!:bunnydance:

So glad to hear she's taking the surgery well! .

 

[naturestee]

Pipp wrote:

:shock: They've bonded!?

(Okay, Naturestee, now what?) :lookaround

:dunno

It's warm and fuzzy. I can't help it if she likes it!

That's great that she's doing so well!

And I'm definately going to have to ask my vet if they keep Banamine Transdermal Gel around. Metacam made Fey really sick so I can't trust it with her sister Sprite either. It's good to know there's a painkiller for them that doesn't involve a needle.

 

[MyBabyBunnies]

When Zoey got spayed I didn't get any pain meds. I felt so bad, she was obviously in discomfort but I did get her to eat and all. But my vet said they don't give pain meds after a spay on a rabbit because of the dangers associated with them. :?Of course, that's only the vet I've used for spays and neuters, my other vet seems to know rabbits better. I only went with that vet because he did my boys' neuters, he knows the safe kinds of gases, he does hundreds every year, and he is very fast.

 

[Jenni]

I had a cat a few years ago spayed and the vet did not give her any pain meds either.

The vet I took Gretchen to gave me the impression that they had this transdermal gel formulated especially for their practice. I could be wrong though.

 

[Jenni]

Gretchen has remarkably improved. She tried to escape her cage when I fed her just now.

When is it okay for her to be let out?