Grumpy bunny/ stupid vet?

Question
Hello!  I am a happy mother of three bunnies. The older two are happy and healthy, bonded and secluded from the baby who is my concern prompting this question. I took my newest bun, Igmu, to get fixed last week. I took her to the same vet clinic as my other two.. but I didn't get the same doctor. This vet did all kinds of things I am unhappy about. I believe he over-sedated her. (Considering how she barely moved for three days.)  He also used the kind of stitches that had to be removed, whereas most doctors I've been to use the glue-type.  Anyway, poor baby pulled her stitch this weekend. I don't believe it was a result of chewing. I believe it was a result of 1. a bad stitch job and 2. Iggy's jumping up and off the couch, when she probably wasn't well enough to be doing that yet. Anyway, I took her back to the vet so that he could redo the stitches. When I picked her up from the vet this afternoon, he put a ecoller on her. (!)

Anyway. I'm attempting to solve this problem. First off, we moved her into a starter cage (It's still big enough for her to move around, and sit on her haunches, it just isn't the multilevel palace she usually lives in) and we took the stupid ecoller off. Currently, I'm on shifts with my husband keeping an eye that she doesn't chew on her stitches, but I'm afraid because I am not a doctor, and even though I've read never to put a rabbit in an ecoller, I don't know if maybe I should have listened to the doctor.  Or maybe we can keep her like this for now, but slip it back on her before bed each night? Or maybe I should have just gotten a second opinion altogether. I definitely won't be going back to that doctor, I doubt we would have this problem if he just used the glue stitches.

Anyway, what do you think? Should I sumbit my baby to the possible stress of the ecollar because the vet said so? Or should I just continue to keep an eye on her? (and keep her off the couch or any other jumping fun)

Answer
Dear Shawna,

Sounds as if Igmu got into the hands of a vet who isn't familiar with rabbit surgery or post-op care, and who treated her as if she was a strange cat.  :(  Far too common a scenario.

If this were my bunny, I would take her *now* to a different vet, and not rely on the inexperienced vet to care for her.  E-collars are not appropriate for rabbits, as you know.  And subcuticular sutures and glue are usually the best option for bunnies for the very reason that Igmu has suffered.

I hope you can find a rabbit-savvy vet here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

who can patch up the damage done by the inexperienced vet, and make sure that Igmu doesn't have any more complications.

I hope this helps.

Dana