SPAY your rabbits

Starlight · Jun 20, 2009

If this post manages to persuade at least one owner to spay their female, who otherwise wouldn't have, at least Emmy Lou/Sweetpea's life would not have been in vain.

She came into me in a sterotypical small 4ft hutch with her guinea pig friend. I was told she was 3 years. I seperated her from piggy and sent her in for her spay, and they said due to the state of her teeth, she was more likely to be around 7 years. She had the start of a tumour on her ovary, that they could not be sure if it had spread.

I decided to find her a long term foster home thinking no one would willingly take her on knowing she may be on borrowed time.

That's when Liz kindly took her on, and showed her what real love was.
And how it feels to be cared for, unconditionally.

Unfortunately, the tumours had spread, she was in a lot of pain, and today she was PTS, post mortem showing she had tumours on her lungs, one in her stomach and her abdomen was full of fluid.

Please, spay your rabbits.
She would be here if her previous owners had only done so.

yvette · Jun 20, 2009

Oh how sad

Poor girlie.Im ever so sorry for your loss.
Thankfully, My Mrs Bun was speyed at Xmas.I do know a conti that isnt,although Im forever urging the owner to do so.Hes got a young cat that had kittens at Easter.Probably pregnant again by now:evil:

It makes me fume when folk get pets and dont do the right thing by them.
Dont tell me thats the tumour?? I know it is but ugh!!

holidayhutch · Jun 20, 2009

Aaaaaw bless her, that poor poor bun. Binky free sweet little sweetpea

Thank you also though for taking care of her and giving her a chance. At least she was well loved in her final months

Bunnyaddict · Jun 20, 2009

That is so sad

Poor little Emmy Lou

Thank you for rescuing her Kris & thank you to Liz & Steve for giving her a forever home for the time they had her xxx

shelley1977 · Jun 20, 2009

Im getting my little hyzenthlay done and will get my new female done too.Such a shame for your bunny

KarenM · Jun 20, 2009

What a sad story.

Sleep tight Emmy Lou/Sweetpea. xxx

Hugo's There · Jun 20, 2009

Here is a the last picture we have of Emmy, enjoying the sunshine last month.

We thought the cancer had spread to her stomach some weeks ago but had no idea that it had spread to her lungs. This morning was the first time that her breathing had become laboured

she was a beautiful girl and such a cuddly bun, Bertie will be heartbroken without her

kerry-123 · Jun 20, 2009

Poor thing

my Scooch is spayed, and all the girls will be getting done once they are ready no doubt about it. And it hasn't changed Scooch one bit

devoted2buns · Jun 20, 2009

Same thing happened to a 5yr old nethie here. The vets also said they could not tell if the cancer had spread. Angel is in her new home and her new owners know what the future may hold for her and are willing to pay high vets bills when the time comes. They are just happy they can give her a good forever home how ever long it may be. My local RSPCA do not neuter their females and I do not know why. I wish people would just do the best thing for their pets and listen to advice. Spread the word!!

Michelleox · Jun 20, 2009

Well Done for posting this Kris.

I am absolutely dreading Amber's spay next month but it HAS to be done. End of.

One horrible day spent pacing the living room and being a nervous wreck could save your bun's life in the future.

Joh619 · Jun 20, 2009

I got my bunnies from a rescue a couple of weeks ago and the boy has been neutered, but the girl hasn't been spayed. Before I got them I thought I'd get her spayed, but the owner said she hadn't spayed the girl as every one she'd had done had died not long after :S

So I can't really decide what to do. I don't want to put her thorough being spayed if it causes her any problems, but I don't want her to have problems later in life if i don't

Michelleox · Jun 20, 2009

Joh619 said:
I got my bunnies from a rescue a couple of weeks ago and the boy has been neutered, but the girl hasn't been spayed. Before I got them I thought I'd get her spayed, but the owner said she hadn't spayed the girl as every one she'd had done had died not long after :S

So I can't really decide what to do. I don't want to put her thorough being spayed if it causes her any problems, but I don't want her to have problems later in life if i don't

I felt the same as you BUT since coming on here there is no doubt in my mind that having her spayed is the lesser of two evils - worst case senario. You would never forgive yourself if your bun got cancer or any of the other nasty things when you could have given her the best chance possible. If you see peoples posts about what happens when buns get cancer it's really heartbreaking. I know it's scary and i'm terrified but i know it has to be done for HER sake.

Bunnyaddict · Jun 20, 2009

Michelleox said:
I felt the same as you BUT since coming on here there is no doubt in my mind that having her spayed is the lesser of two evils - worst case senario. You would never forgive yourself if your bun got cancer or any of the other nasty things when you could have given her the best chance possible. If you see peoples posts about what happens when buns get cancer it's really heartbreaking. I know it's scary and i'm terrified but i know it has to be done for HER sake.

Absolutely agree with you. We decided not to spey our bridge bun Jemima, who was a british giant because she was 4 1/2 years old when we rescued her. We felt the risk was too great, however, fate intervened & when she had a pyometra in October last year we had no choice but to have an emergency spey

Fortunately she survived the op & we got to spend another 3 months with her. I vowed after that experience, I would never not spey a girlie bun - no matter their age. Had Jemima been speyed very early on, she would never had become so ill last October

elve_mk2 · Jun 20, 2009

I'm sorry this little bunny died, but you really can't say she would be alive still had she been spayed - she was a good age for a rabbit if the vet was right. Rabbits are more likely to die from gut stasis in my opinion, and in 4yrs on the forums I've seen several die from post-spay complications.

Spaying rabbits doesn't guarantee them a long and healthy life - my bunny Maa died of heart disease aged about 7 I think (rescue so not sure) she wasn't spayed. Her 4 daughters are now over 4yrs old and not spayed - they have a good life and seem to be very happy.

The fact is they have to die of something - if you spay them that just rules out one condition they could die from - it doesn't mean they will enjoy good health for ever.

marie_kubiak · Jun 20, 2009

elve_mk2 said:
The fact is they have to die of something - if you spay them that just rules out one condition they could die from - it doesn't mean they will enjoy good health for ever.

This is true, everyone will die at some point. But as uterine neoplasia is a very common condition in entire females and is entirely preventable I can't see any justification in refusing to spay. It's the same as saying "I may as well feed a rubbish diet and not vaccinate the rabbit as they'd only die of something else if I prevented VHD/myxi/dental disease". It's all about what people feel reasonable measures are. Deaths due to spays are very very uncommon now and if you don't feel confident in your vet to do it or have had problems then a change of vet would be a more positive step.

Lspacehopper · Jun 20, 2009

Bless her

I would like to have Angel done, but until her respy issues are more under control, I'm not prepared to put her under a GA. Hopefully in time I can have her done.

Starlight · Jun 20, 2009

marie_kubiak said:
This is true, everyone will die at some point. But as uterine neoplasia is a very common condition in entire females and is entirely preventable I can't see any justification in refusing to spay. It's the same as saying "I may as well feed a rubbish diet and not vaccinate the rabbit as they'd only die of something else if I prevented VHD/myxi/dental disease". It's all about what people feel reasonable measures are. Deaths due to spays are very very uncommon now and if you don't feel confident in your vet to do it or have had problems then a change of vet would be a more positive step.

I completely agree.
Just because they will die of another condition is NO excuse in my mind not to get them done. I would rather take the risk every time, if they are healthy, than watch a rabbit suffer unnecessarily from something that could have been prevented.

Starlight · Jun 20, 2009

Joh619 said:
I got my bunnies from a rescue a couple of weeks ago and the boy has been neutered, but the girl hasn't been spayed. Before I got them I thought I'd get her spayed, but the owner said she hadn't spayed the girl as every one she'd had done had died not long after :S

So I can't really decide what to do. I don't want to put her thorough being spayed if it causes her any problems, but I don't want her to have problems later in life if i don't

Could you pm me what rescue it was?

elve_mk2 · Jun 20, 2009

marie_kubiak said:
This is true, everyone will die at some point. But as uterine neoplasia is a very common condition in entire females and is entirely preventable I can't see any justification in refusing to spay. It's the same as saying "I may as well feed a rubbish diet and not vaccinate the rabbit as they'd only die of something else if I prevented VHD/myxi/dental disease". It's all about what people feel reasonable measures are. Deaths due to spays are very very uncommon now and if you don't feel confident in your vet to do it or have had problems then a change of vet would be a more positive step.

well I believe that stressful visits to the vets, and anaesthetics/surgery generally weaken a rabbit's constitution, so should be avoided. In my opinion rabbits need a good diet, a good run outside a couple of times a day, a fixed routine, and minimal stress - stress is a big killer for them as it weakens their immune system.

rngpwelfare · Jun 20, 2009

We had 2 with tumors in their uterus's in the same day a couple of weeks ago.

One was a 6 year old doe, which you sort of expect at that age, she has been adopted to a lovely couple and now has a neutered male as company.
The second was a 2 year old, and my vet even sent samples away as he'd never seen such a bad case in so young a rabbit.

So yes I'd rather people had their does done than their bucks

SPAY your rabbits

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