I am not too sure about other countries but in Malaysia, rabbits are one of the cheapest pets and also easily purchased. As you would guess, it is cheap because the supply is always greater than the demand. The current market price for a local rabbit (mixed breed) is in the range of $40 to $80.
That being said, most vets in Malaysia are not rabbit savvy. Why? For the same reason as above. It is cheap to get a rabbit and to treat a rabbit for any illnesses is expensive. So either the vet could not be bothered to recommend the treatment or the owner could not be bothered paying for medical fees which are higher than the purchase price of a little bunny. The price of medical treatment begins at $20 and depending on the severity of individual cases, it may cost up to hundreds.
Sad? It is super duper sad case.
Over the weekend, something happened that gave me a little hope. People are starting to go to vets for treatments. Soon, vet would have to keep up with the demands of rabbit owners going to them for consultations and treatments. That is a good thing.
Vets who depends a lot on the dogs and cats business should start equip themselves with sound rabbit knowledge because rabbit matters as much as dogs and cats.
I am glad to have a good vet to help me with my rabbits. But for those that do not have a rabbit-savvy vet, what I would suggest is to do some research on the common illnesses, write down a few possible treatments and get your vet to administer those treatments. Some vets are honest enough to admit that they are not well versed but are willing to help – these are the best to work with. Most of the time, when a rabbit owner brings his/her rabbit to the vet, it would have been a life and death situation. So in my opinion, since it is already a hopeless situation, I would try anything to at least fight for a 50:50 chance in saving my rabbit’s life.
Rabbits are indeed great pets to have. Don’t you agree?
