A Pet Rabbit's Veterinary Woes
Before you and your family decide which of the cuddly bunnies in the store you want to buy, you should consider shopping around for a veterinarian first. Yes, most vets are capable of caring for you pet rabbit, but you will want a vet that specializes in domesticated rabbits, their illnesses, and anatomy. Just picking any old vet can actually cause more harm than good when your little bunny friend needs a little medical care. When looking for the perfect vet for your pet rabbit, here are some things to look for.
Familiarity with Pet Rabbits
Veterinarians are trained to deal with any number of animals. To be sure, there are more species of animals than there are people in the US, so they need to know about a wide range of animal maladies and treatments. With all the knowledge they have to cram into their hands it is going to be hard to find a vet that knows more about pet rabbits than the average vet. Finding a vet that knows about pet rabbits inside and out will certainly give you a little more confidence when purchasing a pet rabbit. Knowing that the vet you choose can care for your pet rabbit with exceptional skill will ease a few fears.
Spay and Neutering Success
We all know the jokes about how "they breed like rabbits", so finding a vet that has a high success rate when neutering and spaying a rabbit is going to be a bonus. Rabbits have a marginal death rate when it comes to getting their sexual organs "fixed", so ask your potential vet what his or her fatality percentage is. The rate of deaths should be no higher than 2%. If the rate is higher, take your pet rabbit somewhere else because chances are this vet might not give your rabbit the care it deserves.
When to Take Your Pet Rabbit to the Vet
Once you have your rabbit perfect vet picked out, you will want to take your pet rabbit in for a routine check up. The vet will want to check the rabbit from its pointy ears down to its cottony tail. Your vet will let you know what to look for if you think that your pet rabbit is beginning to become ill. If you think your rabbit is acting a little listless, agitated, or just not acting like itself, you should make an appointment to see your vet right away. Rabbits are fragile creatures that need superior care and affection.
Finding a vet worthy of your family pet can be as easy as you want it to be. Pull out the phone book, make a list of the vets closest to you, and make the call. Ask all the important questions and make sure you are getting a vet you can afford.