Vet Tech To Do Surgery With Doctor's Assistance?

[Kricket]

I have a dilemma. Perhaps you wouldkindly offer me your advice. Would you allow a Vet Tech to doa spay and neuter on your bunnies? I was offered a discountby my vet to allow a wonderful vet tech to do surgery on mybuns. She would have the doctor by her side. Thedoctor that I speak of I've been referred to by many people forrabbits. They say he is great. I talked with theTech and she was very sweet and explained every part of the proceduresto me. I am so torn on the decision to let someone do surgeryon my buns that has never done so before. Understood thateveryone has to learn somehow. Each of our wonderful vets wasat some time a vet tech. What would you do? Wouldyou allow this surgery?

My other option is having the procedures done at a Birth Control Clinic. (Which is $50.00 cheaper.)


Thanks so much for reading and any thoughts you have, please, don't be shy.

Truly, Kricket

 

[pamnock]

You don't appear to be really comfortable with it -- so I'd say no.

Pam

 

[Stephanie]

I feel that they wouldn't offer if they didn'tthink this Tech wasn't qualified for it. If the doctor is going to beby her side through the whole procedure, I say go for it. You're right,everyone needs to learn and just think, she's going to go on to performthis surgery on hundreds of rabbits in the future, saving lives andlimiting to the overpopulation of rabbits.

 

[Carolyn]

Personally, if it were any of my rabbits, I'd say no.

Realize that everyone has to learn, but I would go out of my way to getsomeone that has had a good reputation and years of experience if Iwere to have Tucker, Fauna, or Cali operated on - in any manner,whatever it may be.

Perhaps that's selfish, but they're my 'kids' and that's just my opinion.

-Carolyn

 

[erin]

HI I have not posted on here in a long time and Iam a vet tech at my local animal hospital. givin the nature that i haveseen the procedure done its fast and a quick recovery.

I being new to the vet tech position know that all the nurses and techsat my job are great we handle the animals as if they were our own. Iwould still get the doc to do it since he is more experianced. the vettechs do a great job at it but thats what the docs are for.
hope this helps.
Erin

 

[Blue]

I agree with Carolyn. I feel funny about it as Iknow it is selfish, but I would never allow my own Speedy to go throughany proceedure by an unlicensed vet. A tech has not received a vetlicense and has not had as much educative requirements as a vet.THerefore, not only do they have less experience performingproceedures, but they also have not studdied nearly the depth ofinformation that vets are required to. Of course, I also wouldn't takehim to a newly practicing vet. The medical practice of bunnies is stillyoung as an area of animal science and I would not want my own boy tobe the testing unit for anesthesia ammounts etc.

 

[erin]

at the hospital i work at its always best to getyour animal tesed like blue said ...most animals are ok with it. I alsoagree with carolyn and blue i think we are there to assist in thesurgery room not do it so I would get it done by the doc.

 

[Kricket]

Thanks so much for your replies. Whatdo you think about 'open' neuters? I just found out that theclinic I was thinking of does 'open' neuters (only). (Thevet's office {with the tech} does 'closed' neuters). Howdangerous or risky is an open neuter?

Thanks again

Love Kricket

 

[EEEM]

I would personally let the vet tech do it. Iagree that the vet wouldn't even suggest it unless he thought the techwas ready. And since he would be there the entire time to coach andstep in. In way, I think the tech would be a little more careful andprecise since it woudl be the first time. Having worked at a vet'soffice and seen how many "routine" surgeries get performed everydayit's just part of the routine. And when something out of the ordinaryhappens more care is taken. I'm not saying your vet wouldn't becompetent or would be sloppy, but I think you might actually get alittle more attention to what's happening on the part of the tech andthe vet if it's a first timer.

But Pam also has a good point, if you're not comfortable, just don't doit. Get the vet to do it. No one's feelings will be hurt.

 

Hi Kricket , firstof all Your paying for the vetto spay your rabbit idont think i would allow a vet tech topreform it even with the dr standingright there ,

AS for Open Nuters No it leads to way too muchinfections , open means justthat the area where the testes are removedfrom is left wide open , Thisis where i had problemswith my Daughters cat , he was on medsfor major infection for weeks ,with her cat you couldlitterally see the urethra its was nastyand very disgusting , no stay with aclosed neuter its muchsafer. I realize bunnys arenot cats but the one thing toremember is rabbits tendto be more sensative to infections. JMO

 

[pamnock]

From the reading I've done, all referencesrecommend the"closed" procedure on rabbits and small rodentsbecause open castration can lead to herniation of intestines etc.through the incision.

Here's more info:


http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00404.htm

If I was limited to the choice of the supervised vet techand closed procedure or no vet tech and open -- I'd go with the vettech and the safer "closed" procedure which is highly recommended forrabbits. EEM also has the good point that the procedure will be closelysupervised.



Pam

 

[Kricket]

Y'all are so great to help my buns and meout. I am so scared to risk an infection with an openneuter. I am going to sleep on it one more night.Right now, I am leaning towards the vet tech. Considering theother clinic in town that does spays and neuters does openneuters. That sounds so bad! I am hoping I make theright decision. These are my precious babies and I wouldnever forgive myself if something were to happen.

What kind of meds are used after the procedure?

Thanks again

Love Shorty, Star and Krick

 

[BunBun Mom]

Where do live that allows techs to do surgery?I'm a tech and here we are not allowed to do surgerys ourself. We canclose but that's it.


I personally wouldn't let anyone other than aVet do it. Atleast, he's done many.

 

[Kricket]

I am in Tucson, Arizona. I'm not surewhat her actual title is, nor do I know what kind of school Vets goto. She is going to vet school for four years inColorado. I think she is doing some sort of co-op intershipat the vet's clinic. She is soooo sweet, on her days off, shedrives 120 miles to Phoenix to volunteer at the free clinic.The doctor that supervises her is the most recommended vet in town forrabbits. He owns rabbits and breeds them. I amfeeling more comfortable with her doing the surgery mostly AFTERreading about open neuters. The only other clinic in townthat does alterations on rabbits ONLY does open neuters. Shewill be doing a closed neuter on my bun.

ALSO, I HAVE to tell you guys - the clinic that does the open neuters -returned my call to answer some of my questions - the woman that calledme did NOT know the difference between an open and closedneuter. That immediately made me nervous as they allowedsomeone to call me that didn't know everything about spaying andneutering rabbits. Am I crazy to have been put off bythat? I just want my clinic to know more about my buns thanme...???

 

[pamnock]

Kricket wrote:

I just want my clinic to know moreabout my buns than me...???

Would be nice if you didn't have to explain the procedures to your vet's office

Pam

 

[Blue]

ok, given your choices...now I definitely say go with the supervised tech!:?

 

[pamnock]

I'm glad you were able to get so much input andsupport from everyone on the board. I'm sure it was a harddecision to make, and it helps to get as much information as possibleto be able to make an informed choice.

Now, I believe you have been able to carefully weigh the options and came come to a decision you are comfortable with.

Let us know how everything goes

Pam

 

[Gabby]

and open neuter does not mean everything is left wideopen, while some vets do leave things open, theactual open neuter refers to opening up the vaginal tunic and tying offeach tube to the testicle. the testicle is then removed, thetubes are placed back inside the tunic and it is stitched shut, thetunic is then place back into the outer skin and this isthen stitched/glue depending on the vets fav method, a closedneuter they open the skin pull the whole thing out and tie it off as 1item.

The reason my vet prefers the open neuter is because she knowseverything has been tied off properly and the vaginal tunic closed sono hernias, with the close, one the tubes could always pull back out ofthe suture and bleed out. Just refuring to how my vetpreforms the surgery and why she prefurs it.. I am trying not to put tomuch detail into it, but for nyone who would like more detail i'd behappy to give you a blow by blow detailed description in private, notfor the more sensitive or younger veiwers i wouldthink. by the way forgive anything doesn't makesence, tiss VERY late and i need to go to bed now....:shock:

BTW neuters aren't really that detailed to be worring aboutthe tech preforming them, an OVH is a bit more involvedfor ovious reasons so you'd want to feel a bit more comfywith the person preforming the surgery.

I let our new vet tend to and do surgery on my buns, She is new andyoung, but she has a good experienced vet behind her overseeing her,not to mention i was her tech for her first 2 rabbit neuters she everdid so i have seen first hand how he is, granted the averageperson doesn't get to see that, however any good vet wouldn'tlet a tech they did not have confidonce in preform a SX, andtypically i think they only allow those to preform SX if theyare heading in the direction of becoming a vet. spme peopleare techs for life some move on and the more experience theyget prior to becoming a vet , i think the better vet theywill be.. ok NOW i'm going to bed.. BTW I haveNO desire to bea vet, i'm content being the helper Ok i'm off to bed..

 

[pamnock]

Gabby wrote:

BTW neuters aren't really that detailed to beworring about the tech preforming them,

Good point --

For breeders who used the colony system of breeding, castration wasdone by the breeder themselves. Rabbits actually recoveredquicker and were not subject to the dangers of anethesia.

For me personally -- I'll pass on doing it myself :shock:

Pam