Neutering questions

Hi guys i am due at the vets this week on a dog matter and was going to ask this question and thought to do some research before hand.. But i'm not really seeing anything beneficial to get my bun neutered?

I don't routinely neuter/spay my dogs and like to see hard facts but with male rabbits there doesnt seem to be anything concrete that would apply to our bun..

For instance summising he stays an only bun (if he was going to get a lady friend of course theres no question he'd be done) , the only arguments i have seen are they are less inclined to fight but he hasnt got a companion unless you count my dog and i dont see that as relevant?

They are easier to litter train but being an outside bun i dont see how that applies to us?

I'm struggling with this one though that it removes the want to mate as i can only compare with my experience with dogs if there is no female apparent would it get the urge as much?

Is there any health issues like testicular cancer etc or retained testicals as i dont seem to be coming across any or i'm looking in the wrong place.. Any links, advice would be grateful..

Sarah

http://www.rabbitrehome.org.uk/ourwork/neutering.asp

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html

http://www.bunnybunch.org/spayneuter2.html#reasons

"Rabbits should always live with at least one other rabbit. Rabbits that are spayed or neutered are much easier to bond, plus there will be no unwanted litters."

"Testicular cancer in unaltered males, although not nearly as common as uterine cancer in unspayed females, can and does happen. In fact, we’re starting to hear of more and more cases of testicular cancer in unaltered males."

Rabbits male or female who are neuteured and spayed live longer and less stressful lives which overall makes them happier. The hormones do crazy things to them and they often go through 'teenage phases' as i like to call them. A sweet angelic bunny can soon turn into a monster if you're not careful.

The litter training isn't as important if they live outside but it is a lot easier to clean out for you and helps them keep clean and healthy - if they are doing their business everywhere rather than in just one corner infection can spread a lot more easily.

Cancer as mentioned above is another reason they should be neuteured. And i also agree that rabbits should never live on their own unless they are one of those rabbits who hate other rabbits full stop. In the wild they live in big groups, they are very sociable animals and without a companion to groom cuddle and play with can become very bored, withdrawn and depressed.

Another reason, especially with males to have them neuteured is because they will spray urine at you!

I agree with above posters points. You should always keep rabbits in pairs, at least, unless they are house rabbits and you are at home for most of the day, otherwise they will be lonely.

Also, male rabbits can be aggressive when they hit puberty, neutering will reduce this and make them a lot happier because they haven't got an urge to find a mate all the time.

It doesn't cost an awful lot to get a rabbit neutered and it's a fairly simple op to do.

Ok now i have to disagree with all this! We have a male bunny and the breeder said he would be very happy on his own with us, which he is, and she advised against neutering because they tend to 'lose their personality' afterwards.... Now I remember the first time twitch started having his 'hormones' and wanted to hump my arm, and I gave him a soft toy to hump(the raindeer Sainsbury's sold a couple of yrs ago...), which he did, and this has been his 'shaggy toy' ever since, and he luuuuuuuuuuuves it! at the end of the day he gets luving when he needs it, but doesn;t have to share anything with another bunny! (please do bear in mind we clean this bear regularly!). The vet found this story quite amusing, but the most important thing is that the bunny is happy and not agressive at all (he has never bitten anyone), and he's the liveliest happiest most affectionate bunny!
I have readthat there may possibly one day be a cancer... it all seems too much of a 'maybe' for me, and therefore was not a good enough reason to cut my baby bunny's thg off! If it had been a girl, I probably would have had her spayed as they tend to have more health problems due to this, but for a little buck, as long you want to have him without other bunnies, I'm sure he'll be extremely happy like that (you may need to find him a toy though, be cause I can imagine otherwise they must get very frustrated and will pbably try and hump everythg they see!).

just to add, my bunny Twitch ahs never sprayed urine at me, and he is litter trained.... I simply don;t see why there should be a surgical intervention when there is no specific need for it, so I agree with yoU!

Brilliant thanks for your help guys, after having a good old read i can't see rocky getting 'done' i feel a bit prejudiced against because hes an outside bun lol he gets attention more than my dogs do!! :lol::lol:
I put him in the run this morning and Meg our dog laid down at the door and he quite happily pulled her fur off her until he vanished for a siesta, so i'm sure hes going to relatively content..

Vacs wise being an outside bun i think its best he was jabbed..

Thanks you've been a good help

christelle said:

and she advised against neutering because they tend to 'lose their personality' afterwards.... Now I remember the first time twitch started having his 'hormones' and wanted to hump my arm, and I gave him a soft toy to hump(the raindeer Sainsbury's sold a couple of yrs ago...), which he did, and this has been his 'shaggy toy' ever since, and he luuuuuuuuuuuves it! at the end of the day he gets luving when he needs it, but doesn;t have to share anything with another bunny!

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I've never known a male bun lose their personality, and no wonder a breeder said this, lol! It's a shame you don't want to get him a friend. I once kept a single bunny outside, I gave her loads of attention but in retrospect she must have been so lonely

I have read a lot that unneutered male buns do have 'it' on their minds all the time and therefore are usually frustrated when on their own and not neutered. Apparently they are much more content afterwards.

A indoor bun with a human for company would be okay, but this is an outdoor bun, so really he needs a companion - ergo he needs neutering to make his life happier.

ailz said:

A indoor bun with a human for company would be okay, but this is an outdoor bun, so really he needs a companion - ergo he needs neutering to make his life happier.

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I agree, an outdoor bunny on their own is always lonely. My next door neighbours have a lone, male bun and if you had seem him jump for joy when when a wild rabbit ran through their garden, you would realise how lonely that poor rabbit is.

Have you thought about bringing your rabbit inside if you are certain that you don't want another?

can i ask why would a breeder say there;s no need to neuter, and that netherland dwarfs are better on their own? I would assume that if she was just doing breeding for the money she would have tried to sell me 2, not just one...but she seems to adore her rabbits so I couldn;t imagine why she'd lie...
i'm really confused about all this! When we left our bunny to the breeder while we were away, he had another bun in a cage next to him and they kept trying to go at each other! So I really don;t think it's a good idea to risk getting another bunny and have that constantly!

christelle said:

can i ask why would a breeder say there;s no need to neuter, and that netherland dwarfs are better on their own? I would assume that if she was just doing breeding for the money she would have tried to sell me 2, not just one...but she seems to adore her rabbits so I couldn;t imagine why she'd lie...
i'm really confused about all this! When we left our bunny to the breeder while we were away, he had another bun in a cage next to him and they kept trying to go at each other! So I really don;t think it's a good idea to risk getting another bunny and have that constantly!

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I have a nethie cross and he is very happy with his bunny-girlfriend.
Although nethies have a reputation for being a bit grumpy, that's not a reason to keep them alone.

Pairing up rabbits isn't like shoving a couple of goldfish in a tank, they need to be paired up with a rabbit they like (and likes them back), a good rescue centre will do this for you. For instance, my two are very loved up bunnies and Inky is very, very placid with most other rabbits. However, a while back I looked after a pair of rabbits for a friend and even though I kept them well apart, Inky took an instant dislike to my friend's lop and tried to have a go at it, until we moved the other rabbits out of sight. I would imagine that your rabbit (particularly if not neutered) took an instant dislike to the other rabbit, causing the problem. This doesn't mean that your rabbit would react like that with every rabbit he comes into contact with.

ok well thanks for the advice. I didn;t think my bunny was unhappy alone, but if they are happier in pairs, I will definitely consider it. I am a little concerned about getting him neutered now though as he is almost 2...

Two is still quite young for getting neutered so I don't think you'd have any problems if you decide to go for it. Just make sure the vet has done lots of them and is up on rabbit care.

I have a nethie cross and he loves his wife! She's actually bolder than him with people and it's helped bring him out of his shell. It's lovely seeing them snuggle up at bedtime and her licking his face for him! The thread below shows some loved up bunnies to give you ideas!

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?t=116152&highlight=valentines

If you have a good vet that sees a lot of rabbits then getting them neutered at an older age should not be a problem (although there is always a risk). I had my female spayed when she was 3-4 years old and she was and still is fine.

My first rabbit was an un-neutered male and he was very agressive and drew blood from peoples legs on a regular basis. I had him when I was a child when routine neutering was not recommended but if I had known then what i know now I would definitely have had him castrated.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

christelle said:

ok well thanks for the advice. I didn;t think my bunny was unhappy alone, but if they are happier in pairs, I will definitely consider it. I am a little concerned about getting him neutered now though as he is almost 2...

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As others have said, 2 is not that old, I didn't have my female Smokey spayed until she was about year old, so I can understand your concerns.

I would perhaps have a look either on Rabbit Rehome to find a rescue centre near you or have a chat with your vet to find one, then you can get in contact and have a chat about your concerns about pairing him up.

Thanks for the continued info but perhaps some people don't want the responsibility of 2 buns so does that mean we should pass the 1 needy bun by?

I'm a bit dismayed that the concensous seems to be on the house bunnies and i'm getting looked down on as was someone else for having an outside bun..
I personally don't think our bun gets any less attention than an indoor bun..and if he cant come in it doesnt mean he doesnt get any less of a life..

i had a netherland dwarf when i was like 6 till 14ish, george, and he was an outside bun, and tbh when he was inside for a long time, (had an inside and outside cage as he was my only friend hahah) and when he was inside for a long time, hed get just irritated really, think with all the fuss going on everywhere his insitcints told him to be alert, when he wanted to relax abit

on the other hand, he used to struggle whenever he heard the shed door opening because he knew he was going back in his cage and he felt he hadnt had long enough outside hehe

i do think that bunnies need time alone, so i think that either outdoor or inside buns are fine, simba lives a mixture of both as he has an indoor and outdoor cage! hope i dont get anyone telling me off for like moving his habitat or something hehe..

Well I have to say that I agree that all this has made me feel bad about having just one bunny outside! But yesterday night he was again running around on the balcony and then straight to the window where he can see us (the balcony is right outside the living room, so we;re often with him, and we sometimes leave the door open), and he really didn;t seem unhappy at all. But on our balcony, which is on the 2d floor, he has an amazing view of the garden below with the other animals and people and cars, so there;'s always sthg intriguing him.
My fiance doesn't want another bunny, as getting Twitch was already mainly my idea, and he has developped astham due to allergy to the rabbit. I know that whenever Twitch has seen other bunnies he has showed no interest, and if another bun approaches him he tends to get very annoyed.
I would love another bunny, but am worried about the added responsibility and also the fact that it would break my heart to have to get rid of the new bunny if she didn;t get on with Twitch... also, I'd be so worried about them fighting and then getting abscesses due to the wounds and all that... it seems like a lot of hassle when Twitch seems very happy like that...

i have two netherland dwarf rabbits and i had my boy neutered and the girl spayed...they hated each other...they are both far far happier as single buns and they binky around all the time.

i thoroughly regret having my male castrated because it has altered his personality completely...he was a funny cheeky really friendly guy but when i joined this forum i beleived all that i read and had him castrated and introduced him to maisie...wish heartily that i had never done it. He is now aggressive and stroppy and bitey and although i love him to bits i think neutering him has ruined him and i'm glad he isn't a childs bunny as he would be unhandleable.

My two single buns live outside, they can't see any other bunnies and they are both thriving..they have plenty of things in their hutches and plenty of out time in their respective runs, they have a good diet and plenty to stimulate them mentally and physically.

I think you are right to be cautious and each rabbit is an individual and whilst certain things may work and be good for some bunnies this certainly does not apply to all bunnies.

provided a bunny has a large and interesting environment is fed properly and exercised regularly and has plenty of handling it can live quite happily without another rabbit and without surgical intervention