A Doctor Who Understands Your Rabbit: A Vet You Can Trust
VRRA’s intent is to assist our adopters in connecting with veterinarians who have demonstrated competency in rabbit medicine, treatment, and surgery. We cannot emphasize enough that bringing your bunny to an experienced rabbit vet is vital, even if it means a little further to travel, or a higher price tag.
It is all too common to hear of situations where a loving owner has gone to a doctor possessing limited exotics experience and then not received the proper treatment, causing the owner to go out of pocket needlessly, and/or causing further distress, discomfort, or worse on their bunny. Rabbit health science is changing rapidly and it is worth building a relationship with a trusted doctor who is passionate about your chosen species and up to date in their medical care.
Veterinary medical schools typically do not include the study of rabbits (as well as other small, “pocket pet” species) in their curriculum as a required species. As such, some veterinarians choose to treat rabbits and others even though they are not necessarily trained in the specifics of that species. Veterinarians interested in rabbit medicine must learn about rabbits elsewhere, by attending conferences, completing continuing education modules, and/or working with rabbit rescue groups to garner experience.
The following vet list is based on many years submersed in the Lower Mainland’s rabbit community. It has been compiled using that community’s valuable feedback as well as our rescue’s own considerable experience. We can, however, assume no responsibility for any issues clients may have with a particular clinic or a specific physician. We receive no compensation based on a party’s inclusion on this list, as a group or a private citizen.
If you do not see a veterinarian’s name on our list, or if a name has been removed, there are several reasons why this may be:
• We do not yet know enough about this veterinarian to recommend them,
• The veterinarian does not wish to be included because they are currently not accepting new clients,
• We cannot endorse this veterinarian because of negative client experiences or consistently poor patient outcomes.
If you are interested in using a veterinarian not on our list, please do your own careful research on the veterinarian. Also please do not assume all veterinarians practicing at the same clinic are rabbit-savvy just because one vet is. It is not uncommon to have only one exotics specialist on staff in a clinic. If you call for an appointment and are offered an appointment with a vet you do not know, inquire as to their rabbit expertise level and insist on seeing the vet you asked for.
If you have any questions or would like to speak privately with us regarding any veterinarians in your area, please contact us at vrrarabbitvets@gmail.com . Please add “Choosing A Rabbit Vet” as the subject.
Capitol Hill Animal Clinic – Burnaby
Dr. Cindy Chow / 604-299-3395 / capitolhillanimalhospital.com
Eagle Ridge Animal & Bird Hospital – Coquitlam
Dr. Ian Hardin; Dr. Christine Ong
604-464-3343 / animalhospital.com / eranimalhospital.com
Maple Ridge Veterinary Hospital – Maple Ridge
Dr. Hugh Upjohn / 604-465-5421 / mapleridgeveterinaryhospital.com
Dewdney Animal Hospital – Maple Ridge
Dr. Adrian Walton / 604-467-1161 / dewdneyvet.com
Riverwood Veterinary Clinic – Port Coquitlam
Dr. Sylvia Huang / 604-945-4949 / riverwoodvetclinic.com
Kennedy Heights Animal & Bird Hospital – Surrey
Dr. Hugh Upjohn; Dr. Linda Schild; Dr. Bhavesh Tailor
604-591-5304 / kennedyheightsanimalhosp.ca
South Surrey Veterinary Hospital – Surrey
Dr. Laura Kortschak / 604-538-7874 / southsurreyvethospital.ca
West Boulevard Veterinary Clinic – Vancouver
Dr. Janne Potter; Dr. Sarah Rurak; Dr. Karen Kutney; Dr. Jessica Salomon
604-266-7421 / wbvc.bc.ca
EMERGENCY CARE/AFTER HOURS CARE:
Burrard Animal Hospital & ER – Vancouver
Dr. Ira Barzelai; Dr. Linda Cheng; Dr. G. Basi
604-738-5683 / burrardvet.com
VCA – Vancouver Animal Emergency – Vancouver
604-879-3737 / vcacanada.com (check to see if a rabbit veterinarian is there)
Animal Emergency Clinic of the Fraser Valley
604-514-1711 / animalemerge.com
END OF LIFE IN HOME SERVICES
Lifting Stars Pet Home Care
Dr. Jeff Berkshire
778 840 5438 / liftingstars.ca
