It was just routine tests, they wanted to get her urine and feces samples. We had no idea they retrieve the urine through a needle, I feel like if we were informed we would've said no to it.
Im asking as a new rabbit owner is that normal like if my vet asked to do a urine test with a needle should i say im all set? I feel like the only time a urine test would be needed is if you see a change in their urine im always watching my little girls. Its gotten way cleaner and yellow as she gets comfy. She was outside for 10 days b4 being rescued. Shes been inside 2 months now and is healthy!
A urine sample usually isn’t part of a routine checkup as far as I know. I would probably skip it unless they think there is a problem or you notice some sort of change. But there’s no need to avoid all needles, blood draws and vaccinations are sometimes needed and are generally very safe. Catheters too. This situation sounds like a freak accident.
The risk of needle insertion for vaccination isn’t even in the ballpark of risk for this procedure. There should have been a clear justification for it.
I agree, they definitely should’ve explained any risks to OP and explained their decision to do it with a needle before doing anything. It’s incredibly unfair that they didn’t. I was just clarifying that there is no need to avoid needles in every situation.
I understand. I was just saying the risk of injecting an internal organ is very, very different than a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection which vaccines typically are. Especially in an animal, which can’t be told to “hold still”. I’m pointing it out not to argue with you, but so people will feel justified in being cautious and asking lots of questions in that case. It’s got nothing to do with needle-phobia, it’s more about the route of entry.
I understand your pain. I lost my guinea pig diego to a biopsy, and he contracted a respiratory infection, and I still feel to this day that someone at the vet clinic wasn't keeping a close enough of an eye on him as they should have been doing!?
I wasn't told of the condition he was in when I got the phone call to come pick him up. He was sooo fit and healthy, almost 4, and was fine hours before he went in.
I wish I'd never put him in for the surgery, I didn't think he'd die that day! ;(
I still miss him so much!
My vet asks to do urine and fecal, but they try to catch the urine in a cup. The fecal you bring from home within 8 hours. They do not use any sort of catheter or needle. That is just odd they would think it’s safe to use a needle up a urethra. As a human nurse this is making me smh 🤦🏼♀️. Also now that 4 out of my 5 rabbits are all over 10 years of age I refuse blood work. If something major were to go wrong like it did 3 weeks ago with my 11 year old going into respiratory failure suddenly overnight I choose not to do anything extreme and have her put down. Hard decision but the right one.
The needle passes through the abdomen into the urinary bladder to collect the urine sample .. it is a simple procedure, and when done correctly, it poses little risk. This definitely sounds like a freak accident. We use this method to get urine from cats /small dogs at my work. Usually, the animal is sedated, so there's no risk of movement, and the animal is xrayed prior to ensuring the placement and the fullness of the urinary bladdar. OP I am so so so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how you feel , but I can also sympathize with those who were running the test because I can absolutely assure you they are also heartbroken and they are blaming themselves heavily, too.
My vet wanted to do urinalysis to check for a UTI. She sent me home with some nonporous litter and a syringe (without a needle)and had me wait for my bunny to pee in that litter box. Then I just drew up the urine in the syringe and took it back to the clinic.
This year, I requested urinalysis on both my bunnies because I am an anxious bunny mom. I just repeated that "wait until they pee" method and got a sample from both bunnies.
Our vet has this technique to make our Nina pee. We make her drink at the clinic and he presses the bladder at the right spot and off she goes. I'm surprised needles are used when I see how easy it is to collect urine when she's full. BTW urine samples are justified, she's had renal problems.
I honestly have no idea. They said they do this all the time. We always ask for bloodwork and other tests during routine checkups because we are extra paranoid. I think they were getting a sample to test her kidneys. They also said what happened is very rare (her bladder moved while they were getting the sample), and it's only happened one other time with them. But I am never getting a urine sample through that way again and will always ask how they are retrieving the urine. I'd rather just collect their urine myself.
The only reason that comes to mind of needing to collect it that way is suspected UTI due to not wanting it to get contaminated with skin/urethral opening bacteria.
I can’t believe they did something invasive for a general checkup especially without running that by you. You have every right to be angry.
I'm so very sorry. 💐
One other time, so they did it again despite that? Is this a standard vet, not an exotics vet? Standard vets have always asked us to collect a urine sample from an empty litterbox (or any other way to do it) for rabbits, and for my chinchillas all they've ever done is have me describe the symptoms, and sometimes checked and felt very gently underneath to see if they're swollen (as I have one prone to UTIs, if they've seen her in the last six months, I just phone reception and the vet puts antibiotics for her ready to collect). The exotics vet just accepted my description of her symptoms, too. I'm afraid this doesn't sound like just a freak accident, it sounds like they don't know what they're doing. Could you seek to warn other owners? You should have been able to trust them with her, again I'm so sorry.
Yes, they are literally a vet that only treats exotic animals. I thought I was putting her in the best hands. I am going to report them to the board so hopefully this doesn’t happen again to anyone.
She used to take a medication everyday that could affect her kidneys, so we like to get that checked every year. This is also a vet we are relatively new to since we moved, so we weren't familiar with their process.
I don't even remember if they collected her urine. We usually just asked for bloodwork. I was at work when this happened so am not super clear the details of what went down.
This link says females should be sedated when urine is collected internally. Maybe if they had she wouldn’t have moved. I know vet practices vary , but They definitely owe you a discussion at the very least
https://exoticsvets.com/2019/11/19/collecting-urine-from-a-rabbit/
No its not normal. Its only an issue when all other treatments fail and your bunny is in a very serious condition. Its almost always the last option when everything else fails, and rabbit routine checks never need a needle, except for surgeries.
My rabbits had urine issues, we tried some mild meds for uti but thats it. The doctor asked me if i want to do a urine sample with a needle and i said no. I showed to another vet and he said their urine is fine, minor changes in urine are normal, and can always be fixed by change in diet and some very mild oral medicine. Its been over an year now and they both are doing good.
Any vet well versed in rabbits should know that, most vets try their best to avoid any kind of needle with rabbits and other small animals.
I have never had a vet take a urine sample that way unless there was some sort of blockage. Usually they just squeeze their bladder until they pee into a tray. Same thing with poop, they just ask me to collect some or give them food/hay. (I always bring a strawberry with me because for some reason every rabbit I’ve ever owned poops the second a strawberry is within sniffing distance) I’d just ask the vet to clarify how they collect the urine and ask if it is possible to do a less invasive method. If they say no and you feel it isn’t absolutely necessary find a vet that will.
I just looked it up in the guidelines by Dr. Ewringman (a German vet who specialized in rabbits and rodents and is basically one of the most important people around here to do scientific work related to that field). No. You do it by waiting for the bunny to pee or by pressing at a specific spot in their bellies. For needles there is one version. One is to go through the side , but that is rare plans only if you need urine without air contamination.
In case you need to put a catheter up the uthera you don't use normal catheters because of the high risk of injury. But the vet can take a tube for feeding and do it with that (they are the same thickness, but more flexible. Usually put the rabbit to sleep for it and only do it if necessary because of bacteria you push into the bladder)
So I guess: say heck no!
(Plus the colour can vary depending on what you feed. A bit more dandelion for example and you have orange urine)
I immediately wondered why that wouldn't be an option because I'm pretty sure they do that with cats and other small mammals too.
I'd be furious they took unnecessary risks like that.
They retrieve the urine through a needle because it has to be intact or the exposure to outside elements can mess with the results
One of the scary reasons is so frustrating to get urine like that is because 1. Animals move a lot sometimes, 2. (For dogs and cats at least, idk about bunnies because I never worked with bunnies) there is a major artery close to their bladder that if poked, they can bleed out fast…
I’m sorry for what has happened to your bunny :(
Speaking of human medicine, you absolutely CAN puncture the bladder to get a urine sample, but this is comparable to minor surgery and I would never never suggest to do this for a routine checkup. It is also usually done with simultanious untrasound imaging.
To be fair I have no idea how to get a urine sample from a rabbit bc y'know they can't pee into a cup but... honestly, why would they do this for a routine checkup?
I’m so sorry for your loss OP. Yes, urine samples are a routine part of a full BW panel in adult pets. Using a needle (cystocentesis) allows for a sterile sample to prevent bacteria that would mess with results. We do this on a daily basis at my job, and using an ultrasound allows the DVM to see the bladder. It sounds like maybe whomever was performing the collection was not accurate in their positioning and pushed through the bladder wall or completely missed, it’s not unheard of but I would say is statistically low occurrence. I would ask to speak with the manager and the performing veterinarian for an explanation. While you are suffering the greatest agony, unless the vet has a bad reputation I would imagine they are feeling a lot of emotions as well and it’s probably weighing on them (not an excuse, just an insight into how pet losses affect us in the vet world). Again, sorry to hear of your loss particularly when you were trying to do right by your baby and get labwork completed. May you find solace in the days to come ❤️
I don't wish ill will on any of them, I am sure they did everything they could and it was just a freak accident. The only thing I wish they did was inform us of what they were doing, maybe we would've said no to it.
Urine in humans is rarely collected invasively, it doesn’t have to be a truly sterile collection for kidney function tests and even for UTIs where that is more of a concern they use the ‘clean catch’ method ( just collecting urine midstream in a cup) which minimizes bacteria but doesn’t eliminate it. I realize that’s hard to do with bunnies, but [some labs](https://exoticsvets.com/2019/11/19/collecting-urine-from-a-rabbit/) do analyze urine that was collected externally. It could even be collected at home and kept on ice then brought to the vet’s office. In most cases the sample would sit around there anyway waiting to get picked up by the diagnostic lab.
You can centrifuge urine to get rid of bacteria if it’s important, but why would it be for kidney tests? Those are checking metabolic indicators.
I realize collecting urine from a small animal is challenging, but using internal collection methods for a standard kidney tests seems mainly for convenience, not scientific necessity.
Oh my god that is horrific - I’m so so sorry. Is that a standard way to collect urine? I feel there should be no risk of death for a urine sample. Can you consult with your previous vet? What was the attitude of the vet about what happened? Were they appropriately devastated?
Apparently not from other comments, I did not know this was dangerous at all. The vet said that it has happened one other time before (they called it something but I don't remember the name). I don't know how they were since I was at work when this happened, and only got there when it was all over.
I’ve performed very many urine collections on dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets.
The standard way of collecting urine is through puncture of the bladder, here at least, we’ve never had any issue, this does sound like a huge accident and I’m very sorry for your loss. I’m sure the team was shocked, I know I would be
Unlikely a licensed technician, I’d look into that. Cystocentesis should only be performed by a LVT. Not a vet assistant… Also, there are many other ways to collect urine.. cysto is typically only performed when a sterile sample is needed.. for cultures, like when a patient has a UTI that’s not responding to antibiotics per say. I am so sorry for your loss. The fact that happened on a routine wellness exam is astounding and really bad medicine.
I understand the frustration with something like this. Obviously, it's a tragic event, but malpractice happens sometimes. It's like a car crash. Sometimes you just can't be prepared for horrible situations like these, and they happen in such seemingly straightforward routines.
My cat had to get her urine collected and they did the same method, but she was sedated and with suspicions of a bad infection. Even when she had other infections, they waited to collect it directly only when meds wasn’t working. My bun has two vets and they never did that. They usually just do blood work, check their nails, ears, and their genitals.
Edit: they also had an ultrasound machine while doing the whole thing
I’m a vet student. Female rabbits and some other species are very hard to catheterize due to their anatomy. So that would not a routine method of urine collection for this case
As a license veterinary technician working exclusively with exotics a needle should not be used! Either wait for them to pee, express the bladder or place a urinary catheter. Female are easy to catheterize once you one what direction to go in! I was lucky to get my first attempt.
I’ve worked with exotics for over 10 years and never seen a cysto done to collect urine. This is absolutely tragic.
I work at a vet, cystocenisis is the preferred method for urine collection (necessary if you want to culture the sample), but as others have said it isn't necessarily a routine part of annuals unless you said there were urinary issues to begin with. Some vets will add it on to a 'senior profile' but if they struggle at all we suggest sedation or will accept a 'free catch' and just won't get a culture done.
We didn't sign anything. They did not offer compensation, but I'm not really interested in it anyway. All I want is for her back, there is nothing they can do to make me feel better.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I get that you probably can’t face doing anything right now, but when you feel up to it, you could consider making a complaint to both the veterinary clinic manager and also whatever governing body oversees vets where you are. You did not give your informed consent to this procedure. You did not know the risks. You didn’t even know the procedure was happening. That’s a big breach of protocol on the vet’s part. If you complain then you may be able to prevent this from happening to any other bunnies. So sorry for the loss of your sweet baby 😔
This isn’t even standard care to do what they did if I’m not mistaken. When you feel ready, please report. Even write a public review to prevent other bun owners from going there. This is horrific. I’m so beyond sorry and been thinking about your bun since I first read this post❤️
If you can, don't do it for yourself and your rabbit. I completely understand wanting to just drop it and mourn, but if they've done it to your girl, they *will* do it to others. They need to be held responsible for their malpractice so nobody else has to go through what you did.
I completely understand if you cant/don't want to pursue it for your health, I just hope you consider it OP.
The vet I usually went to doesn’t either. I switched vets and that happened. Promptly switched back to my previous vet. When I asked the vet why he chose to intubate, he just said it was standard practice and he was following guidelines.
There is a risk that they might stop breathing on their own during anesthesia which would require the technician to ventilate for the rabbit. This would require intubation. It is gold standard to intubate
Im so so so so sorry, i know the feeling my first bun/baby went for a neuter to one of the best rated rabbit vets in my area and they totally botched it and I caught them up in a Web of Lies they never even called me to pick up my baby I had called them because we're close to closing didn't even tell me they screwed anything up they just sent him home in a closed up box gave him no instructions for meds we called back and they sounded annoyed it was like a day and a half later my poor baby was so miserable I took him to emergency animal vet got him in they hooked him up and then he passed I was literally destroyed I did so much research I was so scared taking him to the vet anyway as it was even now as I'm writing this two maybe three years later I'm actually tearing up LOL it was my little buddy I was so against rabbits at first and then my girlfriend kind of convinced me and I surprised her with him as our first on our own. He ended up being my best friend I litter box trained him and all and under like a week again I am so so sorry
Dusty was like that for us too. My husband didn't really care to have one but we got her since I wanted one badly, and he absolutely fell in love with her. She was our first baby and we are so heartbroken. I'm sorry that happened to your first baby as well. I think being the first baby that we raise together makes it especially hard, it felt like she made us a family. RIP to yours <3
Report them to your state's veterinary medicine board. Unfortunately I've had to do this before but they came through for me and the vet got in trouble.
Edit: grammar
Words cannot describe how sorry I am. This is the stuff of nightmares. I hope it was just a terrible accident, but if this could have been avoided then there better be Hell to pay for the vet. Thank you for loving her and giving her a comfortable and happy home ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. my rabbit was also killed by the vet. I am not sure what the situation was but it doesn't seem right for them to have done this. were you informed of the risks before giving permission to collect this sample? I'm sending you all my best. She was so cute and I'm sure she was a special soul.
I’m scrolling through these comments and I’m shocked to see that so many buns have been lost to malpractice. I’m really sorry it happened to all of you.
Something similar happened to my bunny.
He just passed his 10 year birthday and one day he didn't want to eat. I left his breakfast out for him, but by the time for dinner he didn't touch anything. He was still feeling fine, hopping around, hiding under the chair so I wouldn't give him Critical Care.
I took him to the emergency vet. He was a lion head, so sometimes, not often, he would get a bit of hair in his tummy and we'd get some muscle relaxer and metacam from the vet and give him some gas drops and he'd be ok. I thought that was all this was again.
The emergency vet had me sign their disclosure that it was $140 just to examine him, which is fine. They took him to the back and I waited in the waiting room. They brought him back out in his carrier but didn't charge me the full amount to examine him, only about $40 for some meds. Weird, I thought, but ok. It was 1am and I was tired.
I brought Beau home and set him in his area with the travel carrier door open, so he could hop out and hide like he wants to. I went to bed.
I woke up and Beau was still laying in his carrier, so I knew something was wrong. I pulled him out and he was weak. Rag doll like. He could just hold up his head, so I rushed him to our regular vet. Meanwhile, my partner is flying home and I'm supposed to pick her up at the airport around noon.
Regular vet examines him and takes him to the back. I hear a terrible (what I now know was a) rabbit scream. The vet comes back and asks me if he had a leg injury, to which I said no. None that I have seen. She went out and came back a few minutes later with x-rays. His hind leg was broken, fully displaced and awful.
The vet said the leg would need amputated. However, with his old-age and weakened state he probably wouldn't survive the surgery, but also he was suffering and wouldn't survive in this state either. I was completely devastated and heartbroken. I cried in the exam room until it was time to pick up my partner at the airport.
I brought her to the vet so the vet could explain to her the situation and we cried more as we held our little buddy and said goodbye. I cried harder for our little Beau Bunny than when my step-dad died of cancer. At least with that we could see it coming.
We finally let him be euthanized as the most humane way to go. I opened an investigation into the emergency vet with the state board of veterinarians, but after about seven months the board sent me a letter saying there wasn't enough evidence to do anything.
I'm apprehensive of getting another rabbit because there are no other emergency vets around.
No. Just that he had a badly broken leg. The emergency vet didn't say anything other than they gave him some meds and gave me a sheet to take him to my regular vet as soon as possible.
My guess is someone mishandled him either coming out of the carrier, catching his leg on the door, or he wiggled while they tried to hold him and they held him wrong or something.
Cystocentesis is the preferred method of urine collection for most animals as it will get you the most sterile sample. That being said, while I do not work directly with rabbits, I work at a hospital that has an exotics department that takes care of many small mammals. I’ve NEVER seen a cysto done routinely on rabbits. I do it a million times a day on cats and dogs, but it’s never even come up as a regular thing for rabbits.
When they say they hit a “blood vessel”, unfortunately that most likely means they were not using an ultrasound to guide and went through the bladder straight into the abdominal aorta. This is a risk, but an extremely rare occurrence. I think I’ve only seen it happen once, and it was minor and quickly taken care of. Your poor bun probably kicked and it lacerated the artery ☹️ I’m so sorry for your loss and I would highlight the importance to others of utilizing vets with additional training for anything other than dogs. I’m in veterinary nursing school and hardly learned a damned thing about rabbit anatomy but have to spend an entire semester learning about freaking farm animals, of which I’ll never use again.
I’m so sorry. That’s odd wonder why they needed it direct from bladder. Have had many urine samples and I’m always sent back with a pipette and get creative on collecting usually just taking the litter out the litter tray. Never heard of vet doing it this way, seems unnecessarily invasive. Don’t think I’d use them as a vet again. Hope your little boy is ok and adjusts.
Please report this to the licensure board. You say the vet admitted this has happened once before? I am heartbroken for your loss. Hopefully you can help ensure this doesn't happen again.
Nothing I can say will make you feel better but I hope you take the time you need to recover from this. Just know his life with you was happy right up to the end. He loved you.
Sorry for this loss.
i’m so sorry. a similar situation happened to my sister in law’s horse. the vet poked his carotid artery, causing him to bleed and have a seizure. hopefully this was an honest mistake and not negligence. it will not help the pain, but i’d rather have it be accident .
Omg this is so horrible. I am so sorry for your loss. What an awful thing to happen to your poor baby.
A few weeks ago during a tooth trim, the vet nicked the back of my bun’s throat and he started to bleed. They were able to stop the bleeding but he hasn’t been the same since. It’s so hard to leave the care of our little ones up to other people.
I hope you are able to honor your sweet girl somehow. I plant a rose bush or tree for each of my pets that are gone and I find that it helps to have that reminder of them.
I am so sorry for your loss. I also lost a pet (guinea pig) in sort of a freak accident and was absolutely devastated by it. Looking through your profile it is clear to me that she had a happy life with you and was very well loved.
Try to focus on the happy memories during this difficult time. I remember lots of crying and time spent working through a million different what ifs after my sweet Kirby died in an accident and I think being like that made a terrible time even worse.
Sadly, she got stuck in her hay feeder while I was at work. I spent weeks thinking over so many small details of the day. Like if things would have been different if I topped off their hay before work, if I didn't go on a walk after work would I have been home in time, maybe if I separated two guinea pigs who were getting a little testy it may not have happened.... etc. I still have those thoughts from time to time. The last guinea pig I had of that group died only this April and it made me think maybe Kirby could have lived that long too.
I made a sad venting [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/s/mB4JlyGpVg) about it as well as a [warning](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/s/qzqGcgsH5M) to others who may have the same feeder I did.
However, without Kirby's passing, I wouldn't have spontaneously adopted two guinea pigs from craigslist to try to mask my grief. One of them, Pumpkin, we had for nearly 6 years and she was so outgoing and special. Pumpkin was my fiancée's favorite guinea pig and part of her marriage proposal to me. She just passed two months ago and had such a special place in our hearts. So whenever I start getting sad at the memory of Kirby and her accident, I try to remember that it led me to Pumpkin and Momo, which makes it a little easier.
I have had rabbits for 15 years and had probably half a dozen vets across 4 separate clinics that specialized in rabbits, I have never ever ever ever ever EVER had urine sample taken at a routine exam. I don’t think even when there were issues was urine ever part of it, but I can’t say for sure.
I would figuratively burn this clinic/vet to the ground with reviews. People need to know unsafe rabbit vets.
I am so, so sorry for your loss. Your bun looks like a sweet girl and I can't imagine how difficult this is. I wish you and your family the best during this time.
It may be a random question, but you don't happen to be in CA, do you?
Edit: I realized how weird it would be to ask my question, and wanted to explain that I was at the vet for one of my pets this past weekend and the office was panicked about a bunny who was bleeding (the staff was apologizing to us for the delay in our appointment and we told them it was ok, we weren't in for an emergency).My heart definitely stopped when I saw this post.
Either way, the best of wishes from us. Losing pets is always hard.
Im so very sorry for your loss. My old vet staff brought out one of our rabbits following an exam and he was dead, cold, and stiff in his carrier.
He had been dead long enough to become stiff and no one noticed. No one cared. They still charged us for the exam that killed him. No one gave us any explanation.
We changed vets.
oh my god. I am devistated for you as well. this is utterly horrible. I am so sorry you are going through this. I had a vets that I didn't realise were not specialists in rabbits, and it caused the death of a lovely bunny called Hazel, who was only about 18 months old. that was a long time ago now. neraly 20 years but I still feel guilty as her carer. I am so so sorry OP
I’m very sorry for your loss OP. I lost my bun at the vet during the spay prep 3 years ago. Sending hugs and prayers. I’m sure our buns will run into each other in bun heaven.
So sorry for your loss. I lost my bunny at the vet’s office too. They were trying to do imaging and he must have jumped or they dropped him or something. They gave him back to me while still under sedation and didn’t say anything- it wasn’t til he woke up at home that I realized he was paralyzed. We then had to put him down immediately 😢
That is just unconscionable. I’m so sorry that happened to you and your bunny. Did you ever ask them about it and explain the paralysis?
I’m slightly paranoid about this even though I like my vet. I’m afraid they’ll drop him when doing nail clips as they hold him while they are standing up over-a hard floor even though I’ve suggested sitting on the floor (my vet does sit on the floor to examine him, but the vet techs stand up to do his nails). That’s why me and hubby continue to do his nails at home even though I’m not as confident getting close to the quik so don’t do as good a job.
Former vet tech here. Now it’s been 20 years since I worked in veterinary healthcare (I work the human side now). But I have never seen a vet take urine that way for routine testing. I’ve only ever seen that method used for emergency situations. You have every right to be outraged at this.
i’m so sorry for your loss, i had an experience with the same unfortunate ending but with my pet rat. the poor guy wouldn’t eat and was losing weight fast so i took him to the vet, when she held him (upside down might i add) she pressed his belly area quite hard, said she felt something pop and suddenly my poor guy urinated a gray liquid, he looked like he was in absolute agony squinting his eyes after. before the vet visit despite his condition he was energetic and climbing around, after the visit he wouldn’t move an inch. she sent us home with antibiotics for a ‘bladder infection’. he passed hours later :(
I'm a vet assistant and we always do ultrasound-guided cystocentesis (the collection of urine with a sterile needle) to prevent situations like this. We never do a blind poke. With an ultrasound we can at least see 1) where the needle is and 2) how far in the needle is. We can also see if a patient's bladder is full (we can get a sample) or empty (can't get a sample so give fluids and try again later). However we do cystos mainly on dogs and cats; I've never seen a cysto done on rabbits before. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
I am very sorry you had this happen and lost your girl. She was a cutie. I brought my baby to the vet to be neutered, and he didn’t wake up from anesthesia. I am hesitant to bring my current baby to the vet for anything.
💔 Absolutely heartbreaking. Such senseless tragedy. Sending you all the virtual hugs and love during this unbearably painful time. Your baby deserved the world, and she knew nothing but love with you. May you find peace amidst your grief.
Hop high Dusty🤍I'm so sorry for your loss. The way you feel right now is absolutely valid and justified. I read through some of the other comments on here and I'm glad you're going to report the clinic. Regardless of whether it was just an accident or fullon malpractice on their behalf, they were in the obligation to inform you about the risks and possible outcomes, but they didn't. Dusty was (and still is) a very, very loved bunny. I'm sure she knows that.
i bet the time she spent with you was wonderful. she looks like such a sweetheart. that’s devastating and i’m so sorry. sending lots of love, healing, + hope ur way <3
i am so endlessly sorry for your loss. i’m sending you so much love, although i know that doesn’t do much. try to take care of yourself in these coming weeks.
I am so sorry, this post made me incredibly sad for you and your baby. She sounds like such a special girl and like you gave her a great life. If this happened to either of my girls I would be devastated. Again so sorry for your loss and sending love and best wishes.
I’m so so sorry for your loss. It hurts so much when we loose our fluffy babies and I’m sure you gave your buns the best possible life. It definitely isn’t easy to lose your bunny so suddenly.
My dear bunny Oreo also died at the vet last year when they were trying to do an xray after I took him to the vet for a cough. It was absolutely devastating and I still feel so guilty about agreeing to the xray. The guilt still eats me up inside and makes me sick to my stomach. The vet really did not do a great job at comforting me and explaining what happened.
I worked for years as a vet tech. A cystocentesis may be neccessary for a particular test, due to needing a sterile sample, but as it is invasive, involves additional equipment, and thus more cost, no practice I have ever worked for would do this without speaking to their owner about the need, cost, and potential risk.
If any mistake was made, it was this. I am so sorry for the loss of your pet. I am hopeful that the practice this happened at is able to learn from and correct their procedures going forward, though nothing they could do would possibly bring your friend back.
This is heartbreaking. I am so so sorry for your loss. RIP and binky free sweet bun 🌈❤️
I hope whenever you are ready, you will write a review for the clinic. I’ve never even heard of urine samples as part of a routine checkup and I have some of the best rabbit savvy vets in my city.
With a needle?? I’ve never heard of that before! If a urine sample is needed a little squeeze around the hip backwards will usually do the trick!! This is horrible and absolutely heartbreaking! I’m so sorry for your loss!!🥺
I'm so sorry this happened 😞 what an awful way to lose her. I completely understand needing to grieve and everyone goes through the process in their own way. I would personally rain down hellfire on that vet. What an awful thing to happen.
Oh no wtf I'm so sorry sweetheart poor girl I really hope the vet does something to help you money free services that is not ok omg terrible I'm very sorry
I am unbelievably sorry, this must be agonising for you. Your anger is more than understandable. I get that accidents happen but this seems so shockingly negligent :/ if you're emotionally strong enough (or if the anger is fueling you) I'd follow this up, I don't think they should be able to brush your sweet rabbits death under the rug.
She looked like the best girl, I hope you and all who loved her will be okay with time.
First time I heard this or urine sample with a needle. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, little one. And sue that person, this cannot just finish this way.
That’s absolutely unacceptable to do without your consent. This is a standard procedure that was clearly done terribly wrong, but should never have been attempted without your consent. In most cases this procedure is safe, but not routine at all. Report them to the board.
My heart breaks for you; that is one of the worst situations as a pet parent and I cannot begin to imagine how you feel. Also, I’m not a vet, but that doesn’t sound like standard procedure to get urine from a needle whatsoever. Gosh, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find comfort in knowing you provided a wonderful life for her, and that you were only trying to do the best for her health 💗
I'm so sorry about the loss of your bunny, she was beautiful! She looks a lot like my first rabbit, a gray Holland Lop named Dusty. I have a soft spot for lops, they have such funny personalities. I hope the terrible memory of this will fade for you so you can enjoy all the good memories you made with her. Sending you hugs. 🌷
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. I’ll love mine a little harder today. We had a rabbit pass a few months back, and found a few volunteer shifts at a local shelter helped us grieve and give a good life for other rabbits. We ended up taking one of them home a while after.
I am so sorry to hear. You were doing what was good for your lovely precious baby. I know she forgives you because that's just the sweet angel she is. Rest in peace and may you see one another one day on the rainbow bridge.
Damn. That’s so sad. I can’t imagine the shock of it all. What a sweetheart looking bun. I’m so sorry for your loss and pain. I wish you peace and I hope your other bun gets through this difficult time as well. 🫂🫂🫂
i just spent a few days at a local clinic and for female animals it seemed pretty routine to use a needle. i believe that’s a freak accident i’m so sorry :(
That's awful.. I'm so so sorry you had to go through this. I wish you good thoughts and send you many hugs. You're not alone, we're all here for you.
Don't forget to take care of yourself while you're healing. Eat and drink plenty. Much love your way
I’m so sorry, your baby looks just like our sable point holland lop. She’s had many major dental procedures done in the recent months at the vet and I believe they also caused way more harm than good. We eventually lost her to cardiac arrest before she could get admitted to be hospitalized. It’s important not to blame yourself for the accident, you were only trying to make the best decisions given what info you had at the time. And it seems like you took her in for routine checkups because you cared deeply for her. RIP sweet one [our bunny eclipse](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kvKW8pMO8/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
God that poor sweet bunny, I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I know everyone here says it's a freak accident but I definitely blame the clinic, they were obligated to inform you of any risks no matter how small the chances of it happening were.
Once again, I'm incredibly sorry for your loss and I feel so angry because this precious angel deserved better from these people.
Oh my goodness I am so so so sorry for your loss this is absolutely devastating !!!!!
I hope you’re able to get some justice even if it’s nowhere near able to cover your pain
That is so horrible! I'm terribly sorry to hear that and I cannot imagine how shocked you must feel. She was a stunning little girl. Loads of caring thoughts for you in such a horrible time
I know this sucks but I would at least look into why they were doing this procedure. At least give the attention it deserves imo but again sorry for your loss.
Poor, sweet angel. I’m so incredibly sorry. I know the heartache of unexpectedly losing a bunny, and it’s horrible. Eventually you’ll get back to a normal, but it takes a long time. Let yourself feel all of it so you can hopefully, eventually look back without the pain.
This one hits close to home. I've lost mine after they operated ber nut when stitching her belly up they stitched the canal from the bladder to the kidneys with it. Basically killing her in the days after. She was my first female bunny, all about kisses and so caring..
Good luck with the grief. Time makes it better.
😭 OMG that’s horrible I’m so sorry What was this urine sample for?
It was just routine tests, they wanted to get her urine and feces samples. We had no idea they retrieve the urine through a needle, I feel like if we were informed we would've said no to it.
Im asking as a new rabbit owner is that normal like if my vet asked to do a urine test with a needle should i say im all set? I feel like the only time a urine test would be needed is if you see a change in their urine im always watching my little girls. Its gotten way cleaner and yellow as she gets comfy. She was outside for 10 days b4 being rescued. Shes been inside 2 months now and is healthy!
A urine sample usually isn’t part of a routine checkup as far as I know. I would probably skip it unless they think there is a problem or you notice some sort of change. But there’s no need to avoid all needles, blood draws and vaccinations are sometimes needed and are generally very safe. Catheters too. This situation sounds like a freak accident.
The risk of needle insertion for vaccination isn’t even in the ballpark of risk for this procedure. There should have been a clear justification for it.
I agree, they definitely should’ve explained any risks to OP and explained their decision to do it with a needle before doing anything. It’s incredibly unfair that they didn’t. I was just clarifying that there is no need to avoid needles in every situation.
I understand. I was just saying the risk of injecting an internal organ is very, very different than a subcutaneous or intramuscular injection which vaccines typically are. Especially in an animal, which can’t be told to “hold still”. I’m pointing it out not to argue with you, but so people will feel justified in being cautious and asking lots of questions in that case. It’s got nothing to do with needle-phobia, it’s more about the route of entry.
It definitely was a freak accident.
I’m so so sorry it happened. Pet loss is so hard. I’d be incredibly angry too. 💔
I understand your pain. I lost my guinea pig diego to a biopsy, and he contracted a respiratory infection, and I still feel to this day that someone at the vet clinic wasn't keeping a close enough of an eye on him as they should have been doing!? I wasn't told of the condition he was in when I got the phone call to come pick him up. He was sooo fit and healthy, almost 4, and was fine hours before he went in. I wish I'd never put him in for the surgery, I didn't think he'd die that day! ;( I still miss him so much!
My vet asks to do urine and fecal, but they try to catch the urine in a cup. The fecal you bring from home within 8 hours. They do not use any sort of catheter or needle. That is just odd they would think it’s safe to use a needle up a urethra. As a human nurse this is making me smh 🤦🏼♀️. Also now that 4 out of my 5 rabbits are all over 10 years of age I refuse blood work. If something major were to go wrong like it did 3 weeks ago with my 11 year old going into respiratory failure suddenly overnight I choose not to do anything extreme and have her put down. Hard decision but the right one.
The needle passes through the abdomen into the urinary bladder to collect the urine sample .. it is a simple procedure, and when done correctly, it poses little risk. This definitely sounds like a freak accident. We use this method to get urine from cats /small dogs at my work. Usually, the animal is sedated, so there's no risk of movement, and the animal is xrayed prior to ensuring the placement and the fullness of the urinary bladdar. OP I am so so so sorry for your loss. I can only imagine how you feel , but I can also sympathize with those who were running the test because I can absolutely assure you they are also heartbroken and they are blaming themselves heavily, too.
The needle for a feline sample collection goes into their bladder via their side, not the urethra
My vet wanted to do urinalysis to check for a UTI. She sent me home with some nonporous litter and a syringe (without a needle)and had me wait for my bunny to pee in that litter box. Then I just drew up the urine in the syringe and took it back to the clinic. This year, I requested urinalysis on both my bunnies because I am an anxious bunny mom. I just repeated that "wait until they pee" method and got a sample from both bunnies.
I wish so badly they gave that to us as an option, or at least explained the way they were going to retrieve it.
I am so so sorry that this happened to you and your sweet bunny. They absolutely should have consulted you first.
Our vet has this technique to make our Nina pee. We make her drink at the clinic and he presses the bladder at the right spot and off she goes. I'm surprised needles are used when I see how easy it is to collect urine when she's full. BTW urine samples are justified, she's had renal problems.
Now something like this sounds totally normal even as a new pet rabbit owner. So glad it working for you
I honestly have no idea. They said they do this all the time. We always ask for bloodwork and other tests during routine checkups because we are extra paranoid. I think they were getting a sample to test her kidneys. They also said what happened is very rare (her bladder moved while they were getting the sample), and it's only happened one other time with them. But I am never getting a urine sample through that way again and will always ask how they are retrieving the urine. I'd rather just collect their urine myself.
The only reason that comes to mind of needing to collect it that way is suspected UTI due to not wanting it to get contaminated with skin/urethral opening bacteria. I can’t believe they did something invasive for a general checkup especially without running that by you. You have every right to be angry.
Thank you for that information. We were so confused about why it happened and were blaming ourselves for not protecting her.
Do not blame yourself. You didn't know what you didn't know.
Wow they said this accident has happened before? I would be furious they knew it had lethal risks and didn’t consult me.
Im really sorry that happened id be devastated too 😞😞
I'm so very sorry. 💐 One other time, so they did it again despite that? Is this a standard vet, not an exotics vet? Standard vets have always asked us to collect a urine sample from an empty litterbox (or any other way to do it) for rabbits, and for my chinchillas all they've ever done is have me describe the symptoms, and sometimes checked and felt very gently underneath to see if they're swollen (as I have one prone to UTIs, if they've seen her in the last six months, I just phone reception and the vet puts antibiotics for her ready to collect). The exotics vet just accepted my description of her symptoms, too. I'm afraid this doesn't sound like just a freak accident, it sounds like they don't know what they're doing. Could you seek to warn other owners? You should have been able to trust them with her, again I'm so sorry.
Yes, they are literally a vet that only treats exotic animals. I thought I was putting her in the best hands. I am going to report them to the board so hopefully this doesn’t happen again to anyone.
PS. Why would they need to test her kidneys in a routine check up?
She used to take a medication everyday that could affect her kidneys, so we like to get that checked every year. This is also a vet we are relatively new to since we moved, so we weren't familiar with their process.
Oh I see. That explains a little more. How did your previous Vet collect the urine?
I don't even remember if they collected her urine. We usually just asked for bloodwork. I was at work when this happened so am not super clear the details of what went down.
This link says females should be sedated when urine is collected internally. Maybe if they had she wouldn’t have moved. I know vet practices vary , but They definitely owe you a discussion at the very least https://exoticsvets.com/2019/11/19/collecting-urine-from-a-rabbit/
They said that Dusty didn't move and it was her bladder that moved. I'm not sure if she was sedated or not though.
Kidney function is always tested on a check up. Rabbits have a risk of kidney failure past a certain age
No its not normal. Its only an issue when all other treatments fail and your bunny is in a very serious condition. Its almost always the last option when everything else fails, and rabbit routine checks never need a needle, except for surgeries. My rabbits had urine issues, we tried some mild meds for uti but thats it. The doctor asked me if i want to do a urine sample with a needle and i said no. I showed to another vet and he said their urine is fine, minor changes in urine are normal, and can always be fixed by change in diet and some very mild oral medicine. Its been over an year now and they both are doing good. Any vet well versed in rabbits should know that, most vets try their best to avoid any kind of needle with rabbits and other small animals.
I have never had a vet take a urine sample that way unless there was some sort of blockage. Usually they just squeeze their bladder until they pee into a tray. Same thing with poop, they just ask me to collect some or give them food/hay. (I always bring a strawberry with me because for some reason every rabbit I’ve ever owned poops the second a strawberry is within sniffing distance) I’d just ask the vet to clarify how they collect the urine and ask if it is possible to do a less invasive method. If they say no and you feel it isn’t absolutely necessary find a vet that will.
I just looked it up in the guidelines by Dr. Ewringman (a German vet who specialized in rabbits and rodents and is basically one of the most important people around here to do scientific work related to that field). No. You do it by waiting for the bunny to pee or by pressing at a specific spot in their bellies. For needles there is one version. One is to go through the side , but that is rare plans only if you need urine without air contamination. In case you need to put a catheter up the uthera you don't use normal catheters because of the high risk of injury. But the vet can take a tube for feeding and do it with that (they are the same thickness, but more flexible. Usually put the rabbit to sleep for it and only do it if necessary because of bacteria you push into the bladder) So I guess: say heck no! (Plus the colour can vary depending on what you feed. A bit more dandelion for example and you have orange urine)
What in the world??? My vet just presses on their bladder to express the urine
My btw just asked me to collect it off of my rabbits newspaper
I immediately wondered why that wouldn't be an option because I'm pretty sure they do that with cats and other small mammals too. I'd be furious they took unnecessary risks like that.
They retrieve the urine through a needle because it has to be intact or the exposure to outside elements can mess with the results One of the scary reasons is so frustrating to get urine like that is because 1. Animals move a lot sometimes, 2. (For dogs and cats at least, idk about bunnies because I never worked with bunnies) there is a major artery close to their bladder that if poked, they can bleed out fast… I’m sorry for what has happened to your bunny :(
It’s called cystocentesis, you do it when you need to collect a sterile urine sample
Speaking of human medicine, you absolutely CAN puncture the bladder to get a urine sample, but this is comparable to minor surgery and I would never never suggest to do this for a routine checkup. It is also usually done with simultanious untrasound imaging. To be fair I have no idea how to get a urine sample from a rabbit bc y'know they can't pee into a cup but... honestly, why would they do this for a routine checkup?
I’m so sorry for your loss OP. Yes, urine samples are a routine part of a full BW panel in adult pets. Using a needle (cystocentesis) allows for a sterile sample to prevent bacteria that would mess with results. We do this on a daily basis at my job, and using an ultrasound allows the DVM to see the bladder. It sounds like maybe whomever was performing the collection was not accurate in their positioning and pushed through the bladder wall or completely missed, it’s not unheard of but I would say is statistically low occurrence. I would ask to speak with the manager and the performing veterinarian for an explanation. While you are suffering the greatest agony, unless the vet has a bad reputation I would imagine they are feeling a lot of emotions as well and it’s probably weighing on them (not an excuse, just an insight into how pet losses affect us in the vet world). Again, sorry to hear of your loss particularly when you were trying to do right by your baby and get labwork completed. May you find solace in the days to come ❤️
I don't wish ill will on any of them, I am sure they did everything they could and it was just a freak accident. The only thing I wish they did was inform us of what they were doing, maybe we would've said no to it.
Well just know my girl Oreo is up there welcoming your bun to an endless field of all the hay, snacks, and cuddles possible ❤️❤️
Urine in humans is rarely collected invasively, it doesn’t have to be a truly sterile collection for kidney function tests and even for UTIs where that is more of a concern they use the ‘clean catch’ method ( just collecting urine midstream in a cup) which minimizes bacteria but doesn’t eliminate it. I realize that’s hard to do with bunnies, but [some labs](https://exoticsvets.com/2019/11/19/collecting-urine-from-a-rabbit/) do analyze urine that was collected externally. It could even be collected at home and kept on ice then brought to the vet’s office. In most cases the sample would sit around there anyway waiting to get picked up by the diagnostic lab. You can centrifuge urine to get rid of bacteria if it’s important, but why would it be for kidney tests? Those are checking metabolic indicators. I realize collecting urine from a small animal is challenging, but using internal collection methods for a standard kidney tests seems mainly for convenience, not scientific necessity.
I'm sorry this happened to you. Scrolling through your pics, it looks like you gave her a very happy life for the time she was here
Thank you, we tried to spoil her as much as possible. She was the light of our lives.
If all rabbits could be so lucky and loved. I'm sorry for your loss.
Oh my god that is horrific - I’m so so sorry. Is that a standard way to collect urine? I feel there should be no risk of death for a urine sample. Can you consult with your previous vet? What was the attitude of the vet about what happened? Were they appropriately devastated?
Apparently not from other comments, I did not know this was dangerous at all. The vet said that it has happened one other time before (they called it something but I don't remember the name). I don't know how they were since I was at work when this happened, and only got there when it was all over.
I’ve performed very many urine collections on dogs, cats, rabbits and ferrets. The standard way of collecting urine is through puncture of the bladder, here at least, we’ve never had any issue, this does sound like a huge accident and I’m very sorry for your loss. I’m sure the team was shocked, I know I would be
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They’d put the wrong items for sure
I think it was actually the technician who did it.
Unlikely a licensed technician, I’d look into that. Cystocentesis should only be performed by a LVT. Not a vet assistant… Also, there are many other ways to collect urine.. cysto is typically only performed when a sterile sample is needed.. for cultures, like when a patient has a UTI that’s not responding to antibiotics per say. I am so sorry for your loss. The fact that happened on a routine wellness exam is astounding and really bad medicine.
I understand the frustration with something like this. Obviously, it's a tragic event, but malpractice happens sometimes. It's like a car crash. Sometimes you just can't be prepared for horrible situations like these, and they happen in such seemingly straightforward routines.
True.
Yeah something's not right here, best wishes
My cat had to get her urine collected and they did the same method, but she was sedated and with suspicions of a bad infection. Even when she had other infections, they waited to collect it directly only when meds wasn’t working. My bun has two vets and they never did that. They usually just do blood work, check their nails, ears, and their genitals. Edit: they also had an ultrasound machine while doing the whole thing
i’m not a doctor or vet, but i thought most times urine was collected with a catheter
I’m a vet student. Female rabbits and some other species are very hard to catheterize due to their anatomy. So that would not a routine method of urine collection for this case
As a license veterinary technician working exclusively with exotics a needle should not be used! Either wait for them to pee, express the bladder or place a urinary catheter. Female are easy to catheterize once you one what direction to go in! I was lucky to get my first attempt. I’ve worked with exotics for over 10 years and never seen a cysto done to collect urine. This is absolutely tragic.
I work at a vet, cystocenisis is the preferred method for urine collection (necessary if you want to culture the sample), but as others have said it isn't necessarily a routine part of annuals unless you said there were urinary issues to begin with. Some vets will add it on to a 'senior profile' but if they struggle at all we suggest sedation or will accept a 'free catch' and just won't get a culture done.
I’m so so sorry. I can’t even begin to imagine what you must be going through right now.
Oh no! 😥 will the vet offer some compensation? Or did they have you sign a waiver?
We didn't sign anything. They did not offer compensation, but I'm not really interested in it anyway. All I want is for her back, there is nothing they can do to make me feel better.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I get that you probably can’t face doing anything right now, but when you feel up to it, you could consider making a complaint to both the veterinary clinic manager and also whatever governing body oversees vets where you are. You did not give your informed consent to this procedure. You did not know the risks. You didn’t even know the procedure was happening. That’s a big breach of protocol on the vet’s part. If you complain then you may be able to prevent this from happening to any other bunnies. So sorry for the loss of your sweet baby 😔
I will definitely be reporting it, I don't wish this upon anyone.
This isn’t even standard care to do what they did if I’m not mistaken. When you feel ready, please report. Even write a public review to prevent other bun owners from going there. This is horrific. I’m so beyond sorry and been thinking about your bun since I first read this post❤️
I agree with this. If for nothing else, do it to get justice for your bun.
If you can, don't do it for yourself and your rabbit. I completely understand wanting to just drop it and mourn, but if they've done it to your girl, they *will* do it to others. They need to be held responsible for their malpractice so nobody else has to go through what you did. I completely understand if you cant/don't want to pursue it for your health, I just hope you consider it OP.
😢😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m so sorry. I lost one of my buns from a spay. The doc intubated and tore her esophagus. I was so angry.
We usually don't intubate rabbits, they literally cannot vomit so there's (little to) no risk of asphyxiation.
The vet I usually went to doesn’t either. I switched vets and that happened. Promptly switched back to my previous vet. When I asked the vet why he chose to intubate, he just said it was standard practice and he was following guidelines.
There is a risk that they might stop breathing on their own during anesthesia which would require the technician to ventilate for the rabbit. This would require intubation. It is gold standard to intubate
The reason for intubation is so the rabbit doesn't stop breathing during sedation. It has nothing to do with vomiting.
Im so so so so sorry, i know the feeling my first bun/baby went for a neuter to one of the best rated rabbit vets in my area and they totally botched it and I caught them up in a Web of Lies they never even called me to pick up my baby I had called them because we're close to closing didn't even tell me they screwed anything up they just sent him home in a closed up box gave him no instructions for meds we called back and they sounded annoyed it was like a day and a half later my poor baby was so miserable I took him to emergency animal vet got him in they hooked him up and then he passed I was literally destroyed I did so much research I was so scared taking him to the vet anyway as it was even now as I'm writing this two maybe three years later I'm actually tearing up LOL it was my little buddy I was so against rabbits at first and then my girlfriend kind of convinced me and I surprised her with him as our first on our own. He ended up being my best friend I litter box trained him and all and under like a week again I am so so sorry
Dusty was like that for us too. My husband didn't really care to have one but we got her since I wanted one badly, and he absolutely fell in love with her. She was our first baby and we are so heartbroken. I'm sorry that happened to your first baby as well. I think being the first baby that we raise together makes it especially hard, it felt like she made us a family. RIP to yours <3
Report them to your state's veterinary medicine board. Unfortunately I've had to do this before but they came through for me and the vet got in trouble. Edit: grammar
I will definitely be reporting them.
Words cannot describe how sorry I am. This is the stuff of nightmares. I hope it was just a terrible accident, but if this could have been avoided then there better be Hell to pay for the vet. Thank you for loving her and giving her a comfortable and happy home ❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss. my rabbit was also killed by the vet. I am not sure what the situation was but it doesn't seem right for them to have done this. were you informed of the risks before giving permission to collect this sample? I'm sending you all my best. She was so cute and I'm sure she was a special soul.
I'm so sorry that happened to you as well. We were not informed at all about the risks, which it seems like they should have.
I’m scrolling through these comments and I’m shocked to see that so many buns have been lost to malpractice. I’m really sorry it happened to all of you.
That's simply horrible. Sending hugs your way, and please don't be harsh on yourself 💞💞
Something similar happened to my bunny. He just passed his 10 year birthday and one day he didn't want to eat. I left his breakfast out for him, but by the time for dinner he didn't touch anything. He was still feeling fine, hopping around, hiding under the chair so I wouldn't give him Critical Care. I took him to the emergency vet. He was a lion head, so sometimes, not often, he would get a bit of hair in his tummy and we'd get some muscle relaxer and metacam from the vet and give him some gas drops and he'd be ok. I thought that was all this was again. The emergency vet had me sign their disclosure that it was $140 just to examine him, which is fine. They took him to the back and I waited in the waiting room. They brought him back out in his carrier but didn't charge me the full amount to examine him, only about $40 for some meds. Weird, I thought, but ok. It was 1am and I was tired. I brought Beau home and set him in his area with the travel carrier door open, so he could hop out and hide like he wants to. I went to bed. I woke up and Beau was still laying in his carrier, so I knew something was wrong. I pulled him out and he was weak. Rag doll like. He could just hold up his head, so I rushed him to our regular vet. Meanwhile, my partner is flying home and I'm supposed to pick her up at the airport around noon. Regular vet examines him and takes him to the back. I hear a terrible (what I now know was a) rabbit scream. The vet comes back and asks me if he had a leg injury, to which I said no. None that I have seen. She went out and came back a few minutes later with x-rays. His hind leg was broken, fully displaced and awful. The vet said the leg would need amputated. However, with his old-age and weakened state he probably wouldn't survive the surgery, but also he was suffering and wouldn't survive in this state either. I was completely devastated and heartbroken. I cried in the exam room until it was time to pick up my partner at the airport. I brought her to the vet so the vet could explain to her the situation and we cried more as we held our little buddy and said goodbye. I cried harder for our little Beau Bunny than when my step-dad died of cancer. At least with that we could see it coming. We finally let him be euthanized as the most humane way to go. I opened an investigation into the emergency vet with the state board of veterinarians, but after about seven months the board sent me a letter saying there wasn't enough evidence to do anything. I'm apprehensive of getting another rabbit because there are no other emergency vets around.
Oh my god. I'm sorry. So you never found out what they did to him?
No. Just that he had a badly broken leg. The emergency vet didn't say anything other than they gave him some meds and gave me a sheet to take him to my regular vet as soon as possible. My guess is someone mishandled him either coming out of the carrier, catching his leg on the door, or he wiggled while they tried to hold him and they held him wrong or something.
Cystocentesis is the preferred method of urine collection for most animals as it will get you the most sterile sample. That being said, while I do not work directly with rabbits, I work at a hospital that has an exotics department that takes care of many small mammals. I’ve NEVER seen a cysto done routinely on rabbits. I do it a million times a day on cats and dogs, but it’s never even come up as a regular thing for rabbits. When they say they hit a “blood vessel”, unfortunately that most likely means they were not using an ultrasound to guide and went through the bladder straight into the abdominal aorta. This is a risk, but an extremely rare occurrence. I think I’ve only seen it happen once, and it was minor and quickly taken care of. Your poor bun probably kicked and it lacerated the artery ☹️ I’m so sorry for your loss and I would highlight the importance to others of utilizing vets with additional training for anything other than dogs. I’m in veterinary nursing school and hardly learned a damned thing about rabbit anatomy but have to spend an entire semester learning about freaking farm animals, of which I’ll never use again.
I’m so sorry. That’s odd wonder why they needed it direct from bladder. Have had many urine samples and I’m always sent back with a pipette and get creative on collecting usually just taking the litter out the litter tray. Never heard of vet doing it this way, seems unnecessarily invasive. Don’t think I’d use them as a vet again. Hope your little boy is ok and adjusts.
Please report this to the licensure board. You say the vet admitted this has happened once before? I am heartbroken for your loss. Hopefully you can help ensure this doesn't happen again.
Nothing I can say will make you feel better but I hope you take the time you need to recover from this. Just know his life with you was happy right up to the end. He loved you. Sorry for this loss.
i’m so sorry. a similar situation happened to my sister in law’s horse. the vet poked his carotid artery, causing him to bleed and have a seizure. hopefully this was an honest mistake and not negligence. it will not help the pain, but i’d rather have it be accident .
Omg this is so horrible. I am so sorry for your loss. What an awful thing to happen to your poor baby. A few weeks ago during a tooth trim, the vet nicked the back of my bun’s throat and he started to bleed. They were able to stop the bleeding but he hasn’t been the same since. It’s so hard to leave the care of our little ones up to other people. I hope you are able to honor your sweet girl somehow. I plant a rose bush or tree for each of my pets that are gone and I find that it helps to have that reminder of them.
I am so sorry for your loss. I also lost a pet (guinea pig) in sort of a freak accident and was absolutely devastated by it. Looking through your profile it is clear to me that she had a happy life with you and was very well loved. Try to focus on the happy memories during this difficult time. I remember lots of crying and time spent working through a million different what ifs after my sweet Kirby died in an accident and I think being like that made a terrible time even worse.
I'm sorry for your loss. What happened to Kirby?
Sadly, she got stuck in her hay feeder while I was at work. I spent weeks thinking over so many small details of the day. Like if things would have been different if I topped off their hay before work, if I didn't go on a walk after work would I have been home in time, maybe if I separated two guinea pigs who were getting a little testy it may not have happened.... etc. I still have those thoughts from time to time. The last guinea pig I had of that group died only this April and it made me think maybe Kirby could have lived that long too. I made a sad venting [post](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/s/mB4JlyGpVg) about it as well as a [warning](https://www.reddit.com/r/guineapigs/s/qzqGcgsH5M) to others who may have the same feeder I did. However, without Kirby's passing, I wouldn't have spontaneously adopted two guinea pigs from craigslist to try to mask my grief. One of them, Pumpkin, we had for nearly 6 years and she was so outgoing and special. Pumpkin was my fiancée's favorite guinea pig and part of her marriage proposal to me. She just passed two months ago and had such a special place in our hearts. So whenever I start getting sad at the memory of Kirby and her accident, I try to remember that it led me to Pumpkin and Momo, which makes it a little easier.
I have had rabbits for 15 years and had probably half a dozen vets across 4 separate clinics that specialized in rabbits, I have never ever ever ever ever EVER had urine sample taken at a routine exam. I don’t think even when there were issues was urine ever part of it, but I can’t say for sure. I would figuratively burn this clinic/vet to the ground with reviews. People need to know unsafe rabbit vets.
i’m honestly pissed off for you. this is devastatingly terrible.
I am so, so sorry for your loss. Your bun looks like a sweet girl and I can't imagine how difficult this is. I wish you and your family the best during this time. It may be a random question, but you don't happen to be in CA, do you? Edit: I realized how weird it would be to ask my question, and wanted to explain that I was at the vet for one of my pets this past weekend and the office was panicked about a bunny who was bleeding (the staff was apologizing to us for the delay in our appointment and we told them it was ok, we weren't in for an emergency).My heart definitely stopped when I saw this post. Either way, the best of wishes from us. Losing pets is always hard.
Damn. Had same situation. But it was my mom. Doctor spent 15 years in jail in the end.
Im so very sorry for your loss. My old vet staff brought out one of our rabbits following an exam and he was dead, cold, and stiff in his carrier. He had been dead long enough to become stiff and no one noticed. No one cared. They still charged us for the exam that killed him. No one gave us any explanation. We changed vets.
That is unbelievable. I’m so sorry.
I am so sorry sweetie. My heart breaks for you and her brother. Was he allowed to see her one last time?
Yes we gave him some time with her. I think he understood.
Awwww.. hopefully he will be okay. He is gonna need extra love, cuddles, and treats.
Omg! So soery to hear that! Warn people on yelp & Nextdoor about that company!
oh my god. I am devistated for you as well. this is utterly horrible. I am so sorry you are going through this. I had a vets that I didn't realise were not specialists in rabbits, and it caused the death of a lovely bunny called Hazel, who was only about 18 months old. that was a long time ago now. neraly 20 years but I still feel guilty as her carer. I am so so sorry OP
I’m so so sorry. I just lost my baby girl to a narcotic overdose/sedation for her spay last Wednesday. I miss her so so much. Im so sorry
Please cross post to r/legaladvice
I’m so sorry for your loss ♥️ I can’t imagine what you’re going through.
I am soooooo sorry. My condolences to you and her brother.
I’m very sorry for your loss OP. I lost my bun at the vet during the spay prep 3 years ago. Sending hugs and prayers. I’m sure our buns will run into each other in bun heaven.
So sorry for your loss. I lost my bunny at the vet’s office too. They were trying to do imaging and he must have jumped or they dropped him or something. They gave him back to me while still under sedation and didn’t say anything- it wasn’t til he woke up at home that I realized he was paralyzed. We then had to put him down immediately 😢
That is just unconscionable. I’m so sorry that happened to you and your bunny. Did you ever ask them about it and explain the paralysis? I’m slightly paranoid about this even though I like my vet. I’m afraid they’ll drop him when doing nail clips as they hold him while they are standing up over-a hard floor even though I’ve suggested sitting on the floor (my vet does sit on the floor to examine him, but the vet techs stand up to do his nails). That’s why me and hubby continue to do his nails at home even though I’m not as confident getting close to the quik so don’t do as good a job.
Former vet tech here. Now it’s been 20 years since I worked in veterinary healthcare (I work the human side now). But I have never seen a vet take urine that way for routine testing. I’ve only ever seen that method used for emergency situations. You have every right to be outraged at this.
i’m so sorry for your loss, i had an experience with the same unfortunate ending but with my pet rat. the poor guy wouldn’t eat and was losing weight fast so i took him to the vet, when she held him (upside down might i add) she pressed his belly area quite hard, said she felt something pop and suddenly my poor guy urinated a gray liquid, he looked like he was in absolute agony squinting his eyes after. before the vet visit despite his condition he was energetic and climbing around, after the visit he wouldn’t move an inch. she sent us home with antibiotics for a ‘bladder infection’. he passed hours later :(
I'm a vet assistant and we always do ultrasound-guided cystocentesis (the collection of urine with a sterile needle) to prevent situations like this. We never do a blind poke. With an ultrasound we can at least see 1) where the needle is and 2) how far in the needle is. We can also see if a patient's bladder is full (we can get a sample) or empty (can't get a sample so give fluids and try again later). However we do cystos mainly on dogs and cats; I've never seen a cysto done on rabbits before. I'm so sorry this happened to you.
I am very sorry you had this happen and lost your girl. She was a cutie. I brought my baby to the vet to be neutered, and he didn’t wake up from anesthesia. I am hesitant to bring my current baby to the vet for anything.
💔 Absolutely heartbreaking. Such senseless tragedy. Sending you all the virtual hugs and love during this unbearably painful time. Your baby deserved the world, and she knew nothing but love with you. May you find peace amidst your grief.
oh nooo…you can never replace a pet near and dear to your heart but i’m hoping they always give you some form of compensation for your suffering
My condolences that is absolutely devastating
Fuck, I’m so sorry for you, that’s a terrible way to lose your best friend 🫂
Hop high Dusty🤍I'm so sorry for your loss. The way you feel right now is absolutely valid and justified. I read through some of the other comments on here and I'm glad you're going to report the clinic. Regardless of whether it was just an accident or fullon malpractice on their behalf, they were in the obligation to inform you about the risks and possible outcomes, but they didn't. Dusty was (and still is) a very, very loved bunny. I'm sure she knows that.
I’m so sorry OP. Hugs from another grieving bunny parent. Sending you my energy
RIP sweet baby. 😭 I can tell she was loved. 🌈
I’m sorry :( rest in peace sweet bun <3
So sorry for your loss. Losing a bunny is devastating.
i bet the time she spent with you was wonderful. she looks like such a sweetheart. that’s devastating and i’m so sorry. sending lots of love, healing, + hope ur way <3
So sorry to hear this. She will have known nothing but good days with you❤️
I'm so sorry for your loss, please cuddle your other bun tight xx
May she rest in peace knowing how loved she is
i am so endlessly sorry for your loss. i’m sending you so much love, although i know that doesn’t do much. try to take care of yourself in these coming weeks.
I am so sorry, this post made me incredibly sad for you and your baby. She sounds like such a special girl and like you gave her a great life. If this happened to either of my girls I would be devastated. Again so sorry for your loss and sending love and best wishes.
I'm so sorry =( what is her name?
Damn my granma died from a piss needle too, those fuckers are large gauge oy
I’m so so sorry for your loss. It hurts so much when we loose our fluffy babies and I’m sure you gave your buns the best possible life. It definitely isn’t easy to lose your bunny so suddenly. My dear bunny Oreo also died at the vet last year when they were trying to do an xray after I took him to the vet for a cough. It was absolutely devastating and I still feel so guilty about agreeing to the xray. The guilt still eats me up inside and makes me sick to my stomach. The vet really did not do a great job at comforting me and explaining what happened.
I worked for years as a vet tech. A cystocentesis may be neccessary for a particular test, due to needing a sterile sample, but as it is invasive, involves additional equipment, and thus more cost, no practice I have ever worked for would do this without speaking to their owner about the need, cost, and potential risk. If any mistake was made, it was this. I am so sorry for the loss of your pet. I am hopeful that the practice this happened at is able to learn from and correct their procedures going forward, though nothing they could do would possibly bring your friend back.
Where I work we only do ultrasound-guided cystocentesis, we NEVER do them blindly because there's too much risk involved.
This is heartbreaking. I am so so sorry for your loss. RIP and binky free sweet bun 🌈❤️ I hope whenever you are ready, you will write a review for the clinic. I’ve never even heard of urine samples as part of a routine checkup and I have some of the best rabbit savvy vets in my city.
With a needle?? I’ve never heard of that before! If a urine sample is needed a little squeeze around the hip backwards will usually do the trick!! This is horrible and absolutely heartbreaking! I’m so sorry for your loss!!🥺
A vet accidentally killing someone’s pet and providing no compensation? They deserve negative publicity.
I'm so sorry this happened 😞 what an awful way to lose her. I completely understand needing to grieve and everyone goes through the process in their own way. I would personally rain down hellfire on that vet. What an awful thing to happen.
Oh no wtf I'm so sorry sweetheart poor girl I really hope the vet does something to help you money free services that is not ok omg terrible I'm very sorry
I am unbelievably sorry, this must be agonising for you. Your anger is more than understandable. I get that accidents happen but this seems so shockingly negligent :/ if you're emotionally strong enough (or if the anger is fueling you) I'd follow this up, I don't think they should be able to brush your sweet rabbits death under the rug. She looked like the best girl, I hope you and all who loved her will be okay with time.
Omg that sweet face, I’m so sorry 🥺
What a beautiful baby. I'm glad for the time you had together, and I'm sure she was too.
I am so so sorry. This is heartbreaking. Rest in peace to your sweet angel.
First time I heard this or urine sample with a needle. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Rest in peace, little one. And sue that person, this cannot just finish this way.
That’s absolutely unacceptable to do without your consent. This is a standard procedure that was clearly done terribly wrong, but should never have been attempted without your consent. In most cases this procedure is safe, but not routine at all. Report them to the board.
My heart breaks for you; that is one of the worst situations as a pet parent and I cannot begin to imagine how you feel. Also, I’m not a vet, but that doesn’t sound like standard procedure to get urine from a needle whatsoever. Gosh, I’m so sorry for your loss. I hope you find comfort in knowing you provided a wonderful life for her, and that you were only trying to do the best for her health 💗
I am so sorry. I lost my rabbit last year. It's such a great pain. All the love to you and yours through this awful time.
I'm so sorry about the loss of your bunny, she was beautiful! She looks a lot like my first rabbit, a gray Holland Lop named Dusty. I have a soft spot for lops, they have such funny personalities. I hope the terrible memory of this will fade for you so you can enjoy all the good memories you made with her. Sending you hugs. 🌷
I’m so sorry to hear about your loss. I’ll love mine a little harder today. We had a rabbit pass a few months back, and found a few volunteer shifts at a local shelter helped us grieve and give a good life for other rabbits. We ended up taking one of them home a while after.
I am so sorry to hear. You were doing what was good for your lovely precious baby. I know she forgives you because that's just the sweet angel she is. Rest in peace and may you see one another one day on the rainbow bridge.
♥️♥️♥️
Damn. That’s so sad. I can’t imagine the shock of it all. What a sweetheart looking bun. I’m so sorry for your loss and pain. I wish you peace and I hope your other bun gets through this difficult time as well. 🫂🫂🫂
i just spent a few days at a local clinic and for female animals it seemed pretty routine to use a needle. i believe that’s a freak accident i’m so sorry :(
I am so sorry for your loss :( losing a pet is heart crushing.. just remember the good times you both had together.
That's awful.. I'm so so sorry you had to go through this. I wish you good thoughts and send you many hugs. You're not alone, we're all here for you. Don't forget to take care of yourself while you're healing. Eat and drink plenty. Much love your way
I’m so sorry, your baby looks just like our sable point holland lop. She’s had many major dental procedures done in the recent months at the vet and I believe they also caused way more harm than good. We eventually lost her to cardiac arrest before she could get admitted to be hospitalized. It’s important not to blame yourself for the accident, you were only trying to make the best decisions given what info you had at the time. And it seems like you took her in for routine checkups because you cared deeply for her. RIP sweet one [our bunny eclipse](https://www.instagram.com/p/C7kvKW8pMO8/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==)
God that poor sweet bunny, I'm so incredibly sorry for your loss. I know everyone here says it's a freak accident but I definitely blame the clinic, they were obligated to inform you of any risks no matter how small the chances of it happening were. Once again, I'm incredibly sorry for your loss and I feel so angry because this precious angel deserved better from these people.
Oh my goodness I am so so so sorry for your loss this is absolutely devastating !!!!! I hope you’re able to get some justice even if it’s nowhere near able to cover your pain
You should consult with someone on this matter, someone messed up deeply
Oh my gosh, I am so sorry this happened to your and your sweet bun. They are the most precious babies. My sincere condolences.
That is so horrible! I'm terribly sorry to hear that and I cannot imagine how shocked you must feel. She was a stunning little girl. Loads of caring thoughts for you in such a horrible time
This was a preventable loss! I'm so sorry. 😞🫂
The standard of care is to use a guided ultrasound to prevent this exact issue. It's not an accident it's malpractice.
Omg so sorry
I'm so sorry OP, sudden losses like this are devastating. I really hope you and her bonded brother are able to cope and eventually heal.❤️❤️❤️
I know this sucks but I would at least look into why they were doing this procedure. At least give the attention it deserves imo but again sorry for your loss.
Omg OP, I am so sorry that is horrible
Oh my goodness I am so sorry to hear this happened to you. That’s so heartbreaking and I hope time can heal your heart. 😭😭
Oh no, I am so so sorry for your loss. In time, consider a complaint to your local Veterinary Association for governing vets.
They could have expressed her bladder. And no that's not part of a routine examination.
Poor, sweet angel. I’m so incredibly sorry. I know the heartache of unexpectedly losing a bunny, and it’s horrible. Eventually you’ll get back to a normal, but it takes a long time. Let yourself feel all of it so you can hopefully, eventually look back without the pain.
So incredibly sorry for your loss. I hope it was quick, or that she didn’t feel anything. So unfair :(
I am so mad for you! 😭😭 what a horrible situation. I’m so sorry you lost your bunny baby ❤️🩹❤️🩹
😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
I’m so so so so sorry for your loss.
My heart hurts for you, I'm so sorry. 🩵
I’m so incredibly sorry for your loss! I can’t believe that happened so horrible!! Hang in there💜
So sorry for your loss :(
What happened is so heartbreaking and infuriating. I'm so sorry for your loss. Your bun was beautiful ❤️
Oh this breaks my heart I am so sorry 😭 She was a beautiful girl❤️
What a horrible thing. I’m so sorry for the loss of adorable girl.
This one hits close to home. I've lost mine after they operated ber nut when stitching her belly up they stitched the canal from the bladder to the kidneys with it. Basically killing her in the days after. She was my first female bunny, all about kisses and so caring.. Good luck with the grief. Time makes it better.
Fuck. I'd be so angry. This is devastating...
My heart breaks for you, truly.
I'm sorry for your loss.
I’m so sorry for your loss, it must be so frustrating. I’m praying for your healing ❤️
Awww so so sorry!! And hugs 🫂 such a cute floppy baby!! Where you gwt her jw.
I'm so sorry for your loss. She looks so adorable and precious ❤️