Hi,
I prefer my buns to come home immediately after surgery. Most of the vets I know prefer that way too. The rabbit has already been thru a stressful event and our feeling is to get him/her back into familiar surroundings as soon as possible. Many assume that by staying overnight means someone will be there to keep watch....fact is, that just ain't so in most cases. Very few vets have around the clock staff. And in most cases if someone is there overnight, it's an entry level tech or kennel help that really has little expertise in an emergency should it occur. I would make it a point to ask prior to the procedure if a skilled tech or doctorwill be in the clinic overnight. Most of our rabbits are discharged soon as we can get there after the procedure. With the newer anesthisias such as the injectables and sevoflourane, the rebound after sedation is quite fast. I have had buns eating within a couple of hours after the procedure.
Something along this line too....get an itemized list of expected charges. It's rare, but I have seen "extended care" charges (meaning they stayed overnight) as high as $25. And I have seen "assisted feeding" charges of as high as $93. As mentioned, it is rare those charges are that high but I have actually seen it happen.
The bottom line here is whatever you feel comfortable with and the overall condition of the bun after the surgery. The main thing for you is to determine if you areprepared to respond to an emergency in the remote chance one may occur. With the increasing skill of vets in dealing with rabbits, the procedures have become much less risky to a point they should generally be considered "day surgeries". A healthy rabbit usually has no problems in the hands of a skilled doctor.
Randy
