Spaying Pet Rabbit, good or bad idea?

JessieJames

Hi,

I got a pet rabbit as an xmass pressie (it was very unexpected) but i am enjoying getting to know the furry creature. i had originally believed it was a boy rabbit but found out today its a girl (stupid useless pet shop!), i payed a visit to the vet today because she has sniffles and i got some anti-botics, i also inquired about getting her spayed (which i believe is supposed to improve behavior + life span ) but my vet was kinda against the idea she said that if she lives alone theres no point getting her spayed. I have read a book and been looking up some stuff about it and i came accross something that said a good % of female rabbits can get some sort of cancer if not spayed, i asked the vet about this and she sniggered and said its very unlikely? I also explained that my rabbits behavior can be a little aggressive and destructive and spaying is supposed to improve this but she kind of said it does'nt?

is this true? is what i read incorrect? I'm fairly new at being a rabbit owner and i would like to know a bit more about spaying, so does anyone know if getting her spayed is a good idea or bad? will it improve her life / behavior?

any help would be greatly appreciated thanks a mill

Jess

eden_my_ass

Hi Jess,

Can only offer my experience, we got a rabbit about 9 months ago, and at around the 5/6 month mark he got a bit cranky, bit one or two people (was possibly being aggravated by children but ouch he can bite!) and got very defensive about his food bowl or any movement on the ground he perceived as a threat! Decided that as I had seen recommendations that spaying should occur around this time, and that it MAY affect behaviour, it was worth a try. He was in and out the same day, no after affects and recovered quite quickly and yes it has sorted his behaviour, no more aggression, albeit we're maybe a bit more respectful not to grab his property from under his nose!

Hes calmer since, and like yours he is kept alone so I can see the argument not to spay, also I read that rabbits can get very worked up over the vet trip, so make it as calm and quiet as you can. I was always under the impression that especially with female animals spaying decreased cancer risks because you removed a whole cancer prone set of organs?

andrewh5

With an animal as small as a rabbit there is always an risk with the anaesthetic.

Female rabbits can get very grumpy - mine certainly did - but they do learn not to bite and lunge if tapped on the nose when they try it.

If you do not intend to breed from her and aren't considering a companion rabbit then seriously consider spaying as it does improve lifespan, mood etc. A spayed doe cannot have PMT after all!

Rory123

Find yourself a new vet!

Maggie.23

The vet sniggered at your concerns? I would find a different vet to be honest.
I am not an expert, but I have read in various places that female rabbits have a high chance of developing uterine cancer within about three years if they are not neutered.
With my own female rabbit, I found that she was a more relaxed and content rabbit after neutering.
If you find a vet who has experience neutering rabbits the risks should be minimal.
Your rabbit will need to have her vaccinations first if she hasn't had them already.

From my own experience, I would say having her neutered is a good idea. Best of luck.

00112984

Our rabbit who we'd had for 4 years was put down on Saturday morning

We had her spayed. Once she matured, she was getting quite aggressive and just didn't seem happy in herself. When rabbits get upset, their pee turns an orangey/red colour and she was doing this constantly. After the operation, she was much happier and back to her old self. The recovery was fairly quick and she was completely perfect afterwards. We were delighted we got it done.

For any female mammal, getting her spayed will reduce her chances of getting mammarian or cervical cancers. Usually, your vet will recommend doing this after her first season or at a particular age depending on the type of animal.

It sounds like your vet is not comfortable working with small animals. WE bring our rabbits and dog to the Sandymount Pet Hospital here in Dublin and they've been excellent- perfectly comfortable carrying out the procedure on a rabbit.

I know there's a vet in Bray who specialises in rabbits too- I don't have the details, though.

If you're not in the Wicklow/Dublin region, maybe post where you are and someone might be able to recommend someone in your area.

Sigma Force

I would use another vet, the most important thing when spaying bunnies is the vet. There are some very experienced vets not sure what county you are in but bairbre OMalley in Bray is one.

Female buns should be spayed it will help and they do have a very high risk of reproductive cancers and are in general more relaxed once spayed they tend to get frustrated if not and it's like having pms all the time.

So once you find a good vet then after care is important I have information on all of that on my website below (guineapigcottage one) on the rabbit page.

I've had previous rabbits done with no problems, there is a risk esp. with smallies but anesthetics are much better now days and if you make sure the bun is in full health and not too stressed on the way there and while the rabbit is waiting for the op. The vet should have a quiet area they can put the rabbit when she's recovering.

It's up to you in the end I would recommend the bun is spayed she'll be a much more pleasant girl to have around as well.

Edited to add. Ensure she is fully recovered from the snuffles before hand and if you can get your hands on a pro biotic while she's on antibiotics as well, there's one available from some vets or google brendaspets it's an online store or you can use the capsules of acedopholis.

Limerick Bandit

Hi Jess

Personally I would not have a rabbit spayed unless the rabbit was extremely aggressive, if its going to be kept on its own I don’t see the point, I have read that they have a higher risk of cancer but I have not seen any proof of this and I believe in letting nature take its course due to the risk of putting such a small animal under anesthetic. I have asked vets for there views on spaying and the majority of them say that rabbits are no more at risk than any other animal of cancer I would suggest that your vet might not be sniggering at your question but rather rubbishing the idea?
As Guineapigrescue said it’s up to you in the end.

Rabbits can be a little aggressive and destructive they love to chew everything especially electrical cable so be extremely careful of that my bunny decided to chew the cover off a TV power cable and when went to move it I got more of a shock than I was expecting :eek:

They are a great pet and have a great personality, give her plenty of wooden toys to chew and always have a fresh supply of water and hay and regularly give her fresh grass, once you have picked a food that she likes stick with that food, super rabbit is a good food brand.

Best of luck with her

LB

boomerang

Limerick Bandit wrote: »

Hi Jess

Personally I would not have a rabbit spayed unless the rabbit was extremely aggressive, if its going to be kept on its own I don’t see the point, I have read that they have a higher risk of cancer but I have not seen any proof of this and I believe in letting nature take its course due to the risk of putting such a small animal under anesthetic. I have asked vets for there views on spaying and the majority of them say that rabbits are no more at risk than any other animal of cancer

LB

You own one rabbit.
You have asked three vets for their opinion and the "majority" (two?) said rabbits are no more at risk of reproductive cancer than any other animal.

Hardly extensive research in fairness now, is it?

The truth is, the majority of vets have little to no experience of treating small animals such as rabbits. That is my experience. The reason being that their practice centres on dogs and cats, not rabbits or other smallies, because most Irish people don't believe that small animals are entitled to the same veterinary care as cats and dogs.

Most of the vets I have spoken to about treating our rabbits have never even heard of VHD, or knew that there was a vaccine for it. But it's obviously important, otherwise the pet insurance companies wouldn't demand you have your rabbit vaccinated against it, if you want to avail of their cover. Money talks. Plus from a welfare point of view, it's a nasty, deadly virus. I know someone whose three rabbits were wiped out by it in 24 hours.

And a lot of vets are reluctant to spay/neuter rabbits because it's not something they have done very often and they are nervous because of the greater anaesthesia risk. My own vet had not neutered a rabbit since she was in college and refused to do the surgery, pointing me instead to another vet who is more familiar with the operation.

Rabbits are becoming much more popular as pets in this country and I think the prevailing attitude towards them will change over time.

In the meantime, not one rabbit will leave our sanctuary without being neutered and fully vaccinated for Myx and VHD. By the way, we have had over twenty five or more rabbits pass through our doors in the last two years and out of that number, only one rabbit died during surgery.


OP, please have your bunny spayed. She'll be a lot calmer and more content. And you should really consider getting her a buddy once she's been spayed and is over the op. Rabbits are social little creatures and will form a very close bond with another rabbit. She'll be a much happier bun with a companion.

00112984

Limerick Bandit wrote: »

I have read that they have a higher risk of cancer but I have not seen any proof of this and I believe in letting nature take its course

In nature, a rabbit would breed multiple times. A female mammal is at lower risk of cancers of the reproductive organs having had at least one litter.

Limerick Bandit

boomerang wrote: »

You own one rabbit.
You have asked three vets for their opinion and the "majority" (two?) said rabbits are no more at risk of reproductive cancer than any other animal.

.

I don’t know where you get the impression that I have asked 3 vets?

Maggie.23

Limerick Bandit wrote: »

super rabbit is a good food brand

+1. Mine love it and they are so shiny on it.

JessieJames

00112984 wrote: »

Our rabbit who we'd had for 4 years was put down on Saturday morning

We had her spayed. Once she matured, she was getting quite aggressive and just didn't seem happy in herself. When rabbits get upset, their pee turns an orangey/red colour and she was doing this constantly. After the operation, she was much happier and back to her old self. The recovery was fairly quick and she was completely perfect afterwards. We were delighted we got it done.

For any female mammal, getting her spayed will reduce her chances of getting mammarian or cervical cancers. Usually, your vet will recommend doing this after her first season or at a particular age depending on the type of animal.

It sounds like your vet is not comfortable working with small animals. WE bring our rabbits and dog to the Sandymount Pet Hospital here in Dublin and they've been excellent- perfectly comfortable carrying out the procedure on a rabbit.

I know there's a vet in Bray who specialises in rabbits too- I don't have the details, though.

If you're not in the Wicklow/Dublin region, maybe post where you are and someone might be able to recommend someone in your area.

sorry to hear about your bun :(the pet hospital i went to was Sandymount, the girl seemed a little unsure but i'm guessing there must be another vet in there who is confident about spaying bunny's because a lot of people i have consulted said they went to Sandymount Pet Hosp with there buns.

My bun is quite aggressive and destructive and i am defo considering the opp (as soon as she is over the sniffles of course:D )

00112984

JessieJames wrote: »

sorry to hear about your bun :(the pet hospital i went to was Sandymount, the girl seemed a little unsure but i'm guessing there must be another vet in there who is confident about spaying bunny's because a lot of people i have consulted said they went to Sandymount Pet Hosp with there buns.

My bun is quite aggressive and destructive and i am defo considering the opp (as soon as she is over the sniffles of course:D )

Thanks. Our problem now is that our other rabbit who was younger than the one put to sleep in on her own now. We don't want to get a new, young rabbit because we'll be in the same situation as we are now in a few years' time. We were thinking of getting an older rabbit from a shelter but our girl is so timid, I'm very cautious of putting in a very strong-willed companion with her.

There are (as far as I know), three vets in the Sandymount clinic- Sarah, Richard and John. I'm almost 100% sure it was John who spayed ours and he was great- very informative on what vaccinations they need etc. He even called me once the operation was over but before the bun woke up just to put my mind at ease.

It was Sarah who had the unfortunate task of putting our older girl to sleep on Saturday and she was lovely, to be fair. The problem with rabbits is that they never show any sign of sickness until the very end. It's an instinctual thing where they never show weakness in case a predator will pick them off. We found her lying on her side in her cage on Friday night so knew it was the end. Sat up with her all night and she had a few seizures at around 7am so there really was nothing the vet could do. Like, she gave us all the options but the only thing to come of anything would be keeping the rabbit on fluids for a few days but there was no hope she'd get better. Rabbits aren't the most hardy of creatures and, despite being spayed and having all her vaccinations, living indoors all her life (5 years), having a companion, the best of food, treats, constant supply of water etc., she fell victim to a gastric infection which is so common in rabbits and pretty much not diagnosed until it's too late.

They did the best they could but we knew, bringing her in, that there was nothing that could be done for her. We've always been very happy with the service we've gotten in that clinic- have an appointment there later this week to get a final set of vaccinations for our puppy.

Sorry, I'm rabbiting (heh heh) on.

The change I saw in our older girl once she was spayed was amazing. She was much calmer and happier. Before, she almost has PMS-like symptoms. She'd nip or fly off the handle and then come scutting over after an hour as if to apologise. Once she was spayed, she was a much happier bunny and much easier to live with. After she was spayed, we were happy to leave her with the in-laws for weekends etc. while we were away as she was so unpredictible beforehand.

JessieJames

00112984 wrote: »

while we were away as she was so unpredictible beforehand.

God i know what you mean about the unpredictable behavior, Pancakes can be so sweet the odd time yet most times she will go off the wagon, really going crazy and ignoring me if i tell her to stop what she is doing, can be quite scary at times.

A good few ppl are telling me not to get her spayed and to deal with her destructive behavior by giving her plenty of chew toys (which i have) and despite my efforts she still chews everything, i'm hoping getting her spayed will reduce her tenancies so fingers crossed

boomerang

00112984 wrote: »

A female mammal is at lower risk of cancers of the reproductive organs having had at least one litter.

Can you point us in the direction of any scientific research which supports this?

The idea has long been discounted in terms of dogs and cats.

LB - apologies - I was having a dyslexic moment and read "there" as "three."

suraheg

I work in a vets, training to be a vet nurse, and with any animal we get in, dog cat rabbit or exotic, we advise the owner to get the pet spayed/castrated. It's pretty simple.. if the uterus isn't there it can't become cancerous, also with dogs and cats it lowers the risk of mammary tumors if you neuter them, not sure if this is the same with rabbits. Also most of the time the rabbit becomes aggressive and territorial as it gets older because of all the oestrogen being released by the ovaries, it becomes very territorial over its nest.. even if its not pregnant etc, so its pretty straight forward..a spay removes the uterus and ovarys, thus stopping the production of oestrogen.. thus calming them down! Theres always the chance that its just a crazy bunny though I got my male rabbit castrated once he was 6 months.. and hes much calmer. It takes away the worry of him getting testicular cancer too, and prolongs their life span

hope this helps

animalcrazy

Your female rabbit has an 80% chance of developing reproductive cancer by the age of four, that is why so many rabbits die young and some people think that it is the normal age, when really they can live up on 9, 10, even 12 years.

boomerang

I mentioned this statistic to someone recently who cares for rabbits, animalcrazy, and they told me they still wouldn't fork out €120 to spay/neuter a rabbit... If it died young, they'd just go buy another one. :mad:

I met another person lately who wanted to get a second rabbit to keep their female rabbit company. I told them a male would stand the best chance of getting along with her, but that she would have to be spayed before introducing a male rabbit and that it would be best for the male rabbit if he was neutered too, in time. I explained all the health and behavioural benefits of having buns spayed/neutered, but they still didn't get why it was a good idea. The lady told me, bewildered, "Sure cancer isn't contagious!"

All I can hope is that as rabbits become more popular as pets in this country, that peoples' attitudes towards them will catch up and they'll be afforded the same veterinary care as cats and dogs!

animalcrazy

Ya, rabbits are very misunderstood animals in this country

suraheg

that annoys me so much! Why do people bother getting pets if their attitudes are like that! Poor rabbits.. its usually quite cheap to spay a rabbit 80/90 euro!

animalcrazy

suraheg wrote: »

that annoys me so much! Why do people bother getting pets if their attitudes are like that! Poor rabbits.. its usually quite cheap to spay a rabbit 80/90 euro!

Ya, I'm not sure about females but males are only 40 at my vets! Poor rabbits, I just took in a gorgeus netherland dwarf female who is more then likely pregnant by her brother because she was living with him, and he has pulled all the fur off her back!

Monokne

***Bump***

I know this is an old thread, but...

I had my girl neutered today. We got home at 6 and 5 hours later she's still done little other than sit perfectly still. She's normally a total maniac, very active. I know it's to be expected that she'll be a little off after the op, but does anyone know who long this will/should last? The vet really told me nothing other than to keep her from doing anything that would get her excited and I'm a bit worried because it looks a bit gruesome and she's so docile, not like her at all. Anyone had a rabbit neutered before?

TooManyDogs

I've had 3 rabbits neutered/spayed and it wasn't until the next morning that they behaved normal at all. Just make sure she has access to food and water and she'll be grand

Monokne

Thanks :-)

stereo_steve

Got my two girls done last week. The vet wouldn't let them home after 24 hours as they weren't doing well and needed to be force fed liquid hay. After 48hours though they were home and seemed fine.

You just need to make sure they are warm, drinking,eating and pooing. A rabbit that doesn't eat for 24 hours is in a serious way. I did loads of research on spaying rabbits prior to their op and its common enough apparently for them not to drink or eat if its too much trouble. So put some pellets/hay right in front of them. Give them a bowl of water as well in front of them even if they normally have a drinking bottle.

Hope your rabbit picks up soon! Let us know

Sigma Force

Agree, keep her warm. If she was just done she's going to be sleepy from the anesthetic. If you didn't already ask, give the vet a ring to find out if they gave her a long acting painkiller, pain can put them off their food.

Hand feed her some hay and her favourite veggies and you might need to bring the bottle spout to her mouth, just because she might be groggy and if she has a cone on her head she will take a couple of days to get used to eating and drinking. If she doesn't have a cone on her head then keep a very close eye on her stitches, any sign of her picking at them and take her straight back to the vets to get fitted for a cone.

As said make sure she eats asap.

Odaise Gaelach

My lionhead chinchilla rabbit was very heavily sedated (something about her having very large blood vessels, I think?). The best way to describe her was, well, 'stoned'.

It was about a day and a half to two days before she began to eat again. At the follow-up the next day we'd discovered that she'd burst her skin stitches and they needed to be re-done. But she was fine, all in all.

Keep your bunny warm, try and encourage her to eat and keep an eye on her stitches. If she still doesn't appear to be recovering or eating, get back in touch with the vet again.

Monokne

My lady has just text me to say she's still not her usual crazy self, but she's up nibbling cardboard and wandering about :-) The rabbit, not my lady...that is!