Nugget the Bunny's Surgery & Medical Expenses

Hello bunny lovers,

My name is Isolda, and I’m Nugget’s bun mom. On October 14th, 2022, I noticed Nugget was limping and falling over, unable to walk. At that moment, it felt like my heart had stopped. Nugget was in pain, and it happened late on a Friday afternoon when most exotic vets were out of the office until Monday…

First Hospital

We first took Nugget to an Animal Emergency Hospital in Texas, where she was evaluated. Along with limping and falling over, she had a fever of 105 degrees Fahrenheit and was hyper-salivating. These are clear signs of trauma. She needed immediate help. X-rays were taken, and we found out Nugget suffered from a hip luxation in the left hip. As I understood, it’s when the hip joint ball comes out of the socket. They gave her some fluids and pain medications. The doctor told me he could try to pop it back in place, but there was no guarantee it would work. She would be put under anesthesia, and if unsuccessful, she would still need surgery on Monday with a more experienced vet they had recommended.

The vet that saw her that night had only performed the procedure on cats and dogs, never on a rabbit. I felt like all four walls were caving in, and Nugget’s options were diminishing.

1. The procedure to try and pop it back in had to be done as soon as possible with no guarantee of success.

2. Nugget might still need surgery.

3. The baffling amount of money it would cost for not just one but possibly two procedures.

4. The most important was my Nugget going to be okay…

Little Rant

It’s extremely difficult to find exotic vets. It’s even harder to find one with experience operating on rabbits who is open on the weekends AND CARES about their wellbeing!

I wanted someone with experience, especially since rabbits are tricky. Since the first vet had never done the procedure and she still might need surgery, I decided to take Nugget home that same night with pain medication and continue searching for someone with experience ASAP. I stayed with her all night and called every place I could find, trying to find someone who could help, someone who could give advice, a phone number, anything. By some miracle, we got one phone number at around 10 am who would be able to perform both procedures if needed. They were so quick to respond. The doctor talked to me over the phone, and I took Nugget in that same Saturday afternoon, October 15th.

Second Hospital

This new hospital seemed a lot more promising than the last. We had already spent over a thousand on just the evaluation and x-rays from the previous hospital. It would be another thousand at this new hospital to attempt to pop the join back in. We went ahead with it, but unfortunately, it was unsuccessful. Surgery was our last option. This meant that we would owe thousands more for the surgery, on top of the previous costs, not even including the follow-up care and medications she will need for the next month, which totals a few more hundred dollars. The amount just kept climbing up; it felt unreal. It left us thousands of dollars in debt and keeps growing with her follow-up care and medications. Still, I needed to save her. Surgery was the only option left. She is my world, and I’d do anything for Miss Nugget. She has always been a sweetheart. Even in pain, she persevered through it and still manages to show me love daily with her kisses.

If you could donate or share this post, it would mean the world to Nugget and me. The money raised will help cover the cost of her surgery and recovery. Follow us on Instagram @losbuns to follow Nugget on her road to recovery and her daily life with her two brothers, Bunbun and Shiro.

Thank you ♥️