# Vet may have killed my rabbit. Advice?



## dreemariah (May 5, 2014)

Here's the whole story.
I had two buns, Castiel and Petunia, on valentines day Castiel was very very lethargic when I got up to go to work, he wouldn't move, wouldn't accept food, and had peed and pooped all over himself even though he had very good litter habits. Rushed him to the vet (bunny savvy, where I always took them) and within 5 mins of getting there he passed away.
This last Saturday (May 3) Petunia seemed mildly lethargic in the afternoon and I realized I hadn't seen her eat since I as gotten home from my errands that morning. My normal vet was closed so I looked up the closest one that was open that knew how to care for rabbits. It was a 30 min drive away so I scooped her up and rushed up there. She didn't seem as bad as Castiel was when I found him, but we lost him so quickly I had hoped i caught it quick enough to save her.
When we got there the vet felt her stomach, listened to her heart and breathing, then suggested X-rays to see if anything was blocking her digestion. It all came back clean, just a little gas bubble that was probably making her uncomfortable. She suggested a pain medication and some critical care food so I could hand feed her if she still wasn't eating. Stage assistant brought petunia back in a couple mins later and she looked SO MUCH WORSE. The only description I can think of is that was "sinking" she did not look good at all. I told the assistant and he said okay we will take another look at her and took her out of the room. The vet returned with her, placed her on the floor, petunia took one sad little hop and the vet said "no she's okay, we have her an injection that is kinda sedative so she's just gonna be quiet for a while." When she said that my gut told me she was wrong, and whatever that injection was, it made it worse. But she's the vet, not me. So I took her word for it, thinking I was just panicking after Castiel.
I paid the rediculious $300 bill and left. In the car petunias berating became labored and hiccup like, I turned around called the vet and told them something is wrong I'm coming back, and while on the phone with them she died in the car.
The vet says she doesn't know what happen or why she died so fast. 
Later I looked at the instructions she had given me saying what they did and what I should do. 
Before the X-ray they gave her 3 injections
Buprenex (pain meds)
Baytril (antibiotic)
And reglan (motility agent)
I did some internet research and found that the buprenex is great for cats and dogs but lethal to rabbits.
I've also seen that a side effect of buprenex is respitory distress, and with rabbits being so fragile, respitory distress can certainly take them quickly.
And I saw that the combination of buprenex and reglan can be a fatal combination. 

I called her regular vet this morning to get their opinion but she wasn't in yet so I left a message and am now awaiting a call back.

I wanted to get a few opinions, 
Have you ever had this situation? Has your rabbit had a lethal reaction to any of these medications? 
What should I do about the emergency vet? Is there a way to report them so that this doesn't happen to someone else's bun? Should I take some kind of legal action? I don't know what to do, because at this point nothing is going to bring petunia back.


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## Aushi (May 5, 2014)

That is such a sad situation  I was sort of in the same spot as you were, but without any medication. My bun broke her neck, she was so lethargic and such I thought she had eaten something that was poisonous around the house. When I took her to the vet he basically flicked her neck to show us that it was broken and she died. He said there was nothing they could do about it anyways, she was just going to die slowly, so I sort of understand why he did it, but I wouldn't have consented if he had asked and would have preferred to put her to sleep calmly ;-;

In your case, I suggest you don't only ask your veterinarian but also order a necropsy on your girl by your regular veterinarian. If it can be proven definitively that the medications made her situation worse and had a hand in her death, I WOULD take legal action. Demand they pay for the $300 bill, pay for the necropsy and then some more so they learn their lesson and never do something without thinking again. If it was THAT easy for YOU to find info online about the possibly fatal reaction to those drugs, this vet, who has NEVER seen your rabbit (I assume!) before, should have been even MORE creative and use something else, or at least ASK you "Hey, this has been found to be fatal, but I think it's the only way to go" etc etc.


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## Sophie's Humble Servant (May 5, 2014)

Omg I am so sorry for your loss and the horrible circumstances you faced. I don't have any advice to offer, just wanted to offer my condolences


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## Leopold_Ruby (May 5, 2014)

Is it a possibilty your second rabbit died from the same thing your first rabbit died from? Since you lost them both so quickly, the same way, I think it would be unfair to blame your second vet entirely.


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## squidpop (May 5, 2014)

I would blame the vet for giving a drug that is known to be toxic to rabbits when there are other drugs not toxic to rabbits that she should have given. The right thing for the vet to do is make amends for her mistake by refunding your money, its the least she can do.
Over that, I would also take the vet to court if she did not refund my money. If you have the evidence, the receipt saying she injected your rabbit with buprenex, and you have a print out from a valid veterinarian drug site data base saying it is toxic to rabbits, I think that is all you would need in small claims court to win. 
So sorry for your loss


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## missyscove (May 5, 2014)

I'm sorry for your loss. 

I'm not sure where you're reading that buprenex (buprenorphine) isn't safe for rabbits. I just pulled out my copy of the 3rd edition of Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery by Quesenberry & Carpenter and buprenorphine is specifically mentioned under the pain control section for rabbits so without firsthand information it doesn't sound like there was any real malpractice going on in your situation. 

I'm not sure where you're located, but if you're in the United States and have a complaint the appropriate thing to do is file a complaint with your state veterinary medical board who is then responsible for reviewing the veterinary record and taking any appropriate action.


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## squidpop (May 6, 2014)

I think whether or not you could ask for your money back would depend on whether or not it is a cut and dry fact that buprenorphine is toxic to rabbits. If there are legitimate medical sources that say it is safe for rabbits then it would be hard to say the vet was wrong to have given it.


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## Nancy McClelland (May 6, 2014)

All we can do is express sympathy with your predicament. Any loss diminishes us.


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## Sweetie (May 7, 2014)

Buprenex is safe for rabbits. It is not toxic to them. When Prince was alive, he had some buprenex for pain. I am thinking that your bunny died from whatever the other one did. But I can find out if the three meds are suppose to be given together or not. I can let you know as soon as I find out. But buprenex is safe for rabbits.


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## hunterbaby05 (May 8, 2014)

I Am so sorry for your loss, sounds like a very traumatic experience for you. At my vet they don't administer anything to the rabbit without consulting me first. I would be very upset that they decided to administer injections to my rabbit without first asking me about it first, especially if it was a vet I have never been to before. I am so sorry. May your heart heal.


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## Bunnylova4eva (May 8, 2014)

missyscove said:


> I'm sorry for your loss.
> 
> I'm not sure where you're reading that buprenex (buprenorphine) isn't safe for rabbits. I just pulled out my copy of the 3rd edition of Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery by Quesenberry & Carpenter and buprenorphine is specifically mentioned under the pain control section for rabbits so without firsthand information it doesn't sound like there was any real malpractice going on in your situation.
> 
> I'm not sure where you're located, but if you're in the United States and have a complaint the appropriate thing to do is file a complaint with your state veterinary medical board who is then responsible for reviewing the veterinary record and taking any appropriate action.


 

I completely agree with Christina-buprenex is safe for bunnies. In fact, my bunny just went through something similar this weekend. Course of action was nearly the same, and he did pull through, though he came close. I think it may be a little bit unfair to blame the vet-any trip in the car is very stressful on a bunny, not to mentions treatment and xrays. Sometimes just that extra bit of stress added on top does them in. 

Anyway, no matter what the case, I'm so sorry to hear about your bunny-I know you loved her and she'll be very missed. Binky free lil' Petunia!


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## Sweetie (May 12, 2014)

dreemariah: I just found out about the meds your rabbit was given, and this is from a vet tech who used to be a member on here:

Reglan is a no-no especially in certain GI issues. Baytril is pretty much useless in GI situations. Buprenex is generally safe and effective but can depress respiration and slow the gut.

Also if there was a blockage or ulcer, then it could have been the reglan that killed your rabbit. It is not likely that buprenex killed your rabbit unless buprenex was overdosed.

I am so sorry for the loss of your rabbits.


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