Establishing A Veterinary Relationship
By Pamela Alley, RVT

One of the most common questions for the rabbit breeder is "How can I obtain quality veterinary care for my animals when I know more about them than the vet does?", followed closely by "I need a medication that I can only get from the vet, but they have to see the animal. How can I get this medication without having to spend a fortune on this doctor who doesn't know anything?"

The very first step to take, long before you have any problems requiring veterinary attention, is to find a veterinarian you trust to do best by your herd. You may find this ability in the local mixed practice, the large animal vet down the road who raised rabbits as a kid, or an exotics specialist may even be your best choice. Trust is absolutely essential in a veterinarian-client relationship, as is a willingness on both sides to learn.

Prepare yourself with a list of good, solid reference books (if you own them, so much the better) and go to each vet in turn after making an appointment for a few minutes of their time to establish a relationship. When you ca]] to make this appointment, be quite straightforward about what you need: A meeting with the veterinarian in the practice who has the most interest in and knowledge about rabbits. If you luck out and find a practice with more than one, consider yourself very blessed indeed.

During this interview, invite the veterinarian to discuss their rabbit-related background. Ask them if they have any books on your list, or if they attend continuing education seminars that address your aspect of rabbit medicine (pet, fancy, commercial, general). Lay out for them the size of your herd, and its purpose. Explain to them that you arc seeking a vet that will work with you, not against you, and ask them to explain their policies on farm calls and herd prescriptions for widespread problems. Take a rabbit with you and ask them to handle it for you. If you are not satisfied with their methods, ask them if they would like some instruction on the fine points. Judge for yourself their attitude on learning.

At this point, if you are satisfied with the information so far, ask them to discuss their fee schedules, charges, emergency call fees, farm call costs, and whether or not you may establish a small prepaid account for use in case of emergencies or unexpected problems. Indicate that at the end of each year, you'd like to discuss the fate of any remaining funds as well as all rabbit care that has occurred during the year. This can help both you and your veterinarian to spot trouble areas.

You might even invite the veterinarian to come out and inspect your herd. This knowledge is necessary for them in the case of a herdwide problem, and if it costs you a farm call fee, bear in mind that the care your herd will receive will likely be that much better. Take the time to do a full tour, discussing care, feeding, watering, and general husbandry. Even if it's a bit embarrassing, be absolutely truthful. If you cut corners to save your feelings, your herd may suffer later on. Some herds have a veterinarian who comes out three or four times a year to see how the herd is, and perhaps catch problems the breeder may not be aware of.

Lot of work, isn't it? It's well worth the trouble. A veterinarian is not a bank packed full of the medications a rabbit breeder thinks they need. They are a trained professional whose brain is what you are paying for when you go to them. You are also establishing a legal relationship with them which is required by law in order for them to dispense most medications.

Let's look at this from the veterinarian's point of view. A rabbit breeder we've never seen and don't know walks into the clinic and asks for, oh, Baytril for their rabbit with snuffles. There's a sign on the wall noting that the veterinarian cannot prescribe medications or diagnose illness without seeing the animal. Even if we do know this person from treating their dogs and cats, we still have to see the rabbit. Now what do we do?

We follow the laws and policies of our profession; that is, we tell thc breeder that much as we'd like to help, we cannot give out medications without seeing the animal. Much disgusted, the rabbit breeder stalks out.

The veterinarian is in a bind here. They may not by law prescribe or diagnose without first establishing a veterinarian-patient-client relationship. Should they give out medications without seeing the animal or having an excellent idea of herd conditions and care, they may be liable for misuse of the medications they prescribe. In the case of Baytril, if the medication is used on a food animal, the veterinarian and the breeder are both in violation of some extremely strict federal laws. But here stands a breeder who really looks confident of their knowledge, wanting a prescription medication. When the veterinarian declines to prescribe (now, they really cannot do anything else without opening up a whole can of worms), the rabbit person is highly offended and may get very angry that they cannot be trusted to know their business.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, does this give the veterinarian any reason to look fondly upon the rabbit person? Not really. There are some practices that refuse to even discuss rabbits and refer the rabbit person to another clinic due to incidents of this nature. The staff simply does not wish to be abused or be vented at by a person who does not understand their position.

So make your solution happen before the problem. Have that little interview and see if you are satisfied with their attitude toward working with you. Be professional about your rabbits and watch the whole picture change before your eyes. Any veterinarian is more willing to work with a person who is knowledgeable and willing to listen and learn from the veterinarian as well as fill in gaps for the doctor.

No one is perfect, and veterinarians are only human. We all make mistakes, and we are all individuals. If you can bring yourself to step back and admit that teamwork is possible, you're a long way ahead.

In many aspects of rabbit ownership, the solution should be ready long before the problem occurs. So make yours ready and pray you never need it.  If you should need it, be glad you looked ahead.