Spaying advice

Hi again.

As I mentioned in my intro I have 2 Californian girls. My husband 'rescued' them as they were being sold as meat rabbits they are 12 weeks old and I would like to get them both spayed asap as my husband said they were all mixed sexes in together.

Are they old enough yet or is it based on weight? They are both a bit chubby.

Also, any ideas how to remove permenant marker from their ears? I keep thinking their ears are bleeding with the big red stripes :shock:

Most vets prefer to wait until they are six months, but some will do it earlier.

Amy104 said:

Most vets prefer to wait until they are six months, but some will do it earlier.

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Ah, right. Thank you

It would also be a good idea to lose their 'chubbyness' before spaying as its easier if the vets don't have to cut through fat. I expect as they were 'meat' rabbits they were overfed but it would be a sensible precaution to get a vet to rule out pregnancy - they can do emergancy spays early if needed.

Amy104 said:

It would also be a good idea to lose their 'chubbyness' before spaying as its easier if the vets don't have to cut through fat. I expect as they were 'meat' rabbits they were overfed but it would be a sensible precaution to get a vet to rule out pregnancy - they can do emergancy spays early if needed.

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Thanks very much. I'll give them another day to settle (my husband came home with them on sunday) then get them checked out. They are on a diet already, much to their dismay and are thoroughly making the most of their new found freedom.

Their diet should consist of at least 80% hay, an eggcup full of pellets and maybe a little veg. No fruit, and carrot sparingly as it is high in sugar. Try to reduce their pellets slowly if you know how much they were getting, as it can cause liver problems.

How lovely of you and your husband to do this for them :wave:

Yes, as you already know, a diet is a must! They're not built to carry extra weight and of course it makes for a safer operation if they're in good health. Where are you? If you're in the UK, I'd suggest getting them vaccinated while you wait for them to be spayed, it's one thing out of the way and you can get it done whilst they have their check up. I would also look around for a good vet, rabbits are classed as exotics and although a lot of vets will treat them, they don't always know enough. If you're in the UK you can ask here for recommendations.

As for the operation itself, it'll be a couple of months away at least but the basic points are:

- Don't starve pre-op
- Make sure they have pain medication for at least seven days
- Make sure they are eating before they come home
- Get it done early week so if any complications arise you won't be paying for an out of hours visit
- Have some supplies ready for when they return (favourite treats, fruit juice, syringes, Critical Care etc)
- Don't use bedding that may stick to the wound, use towels or fleece until it scabs over at least