Should I REALLY get my rabbits spayed?

My girls are penciled in for the summer (I have to wait until Jelly is big enough, as she came to me grossly underweight).

The vet said it's best to do them both at the same time. But my friend who's had several buns said you have to monitor their droppings and eating habits for the first few days. How can I do that if they're in the same cage? (They'll be indoors after the op' as I'm borrowing a cage from my friend). I don't know if I could bring myself to split them up, they become so sad, even when there's just wire between them, they just sit there staring at each other, and sometimes even put their little feet on the mesh to try and touch each other, and they get quite aggressive if it's for more than an hour or so. How do I keep them safe, without upsetting them? Their bond is so strong.

What is the chance of them getting cancer or a cyst? etc. Because I'm debating if this is the right choice. Also, I've heard a lot of stories of rabbits dying during a spay.

I'm really not sure what to do. Apparently it makes them more docile as well... if Mercedes was more docile, she'd be asleep, I've never met a more laid-back animal! :lol:

Also, what actually happens when you go for a spay, from a bunny-owners' point of view? Do they keep the bun in? How long does it take?

And what are the complications/risks?

My rabbits are so teeny tiny... I'm not sure what's best for them :?: :? :?:

Thanks

As they're female, the risks of uterine cancer and things like that is so high when unspayed I just wouldn't risk it.

I'd keep them together and just see who goes in the tray, you can hand feed to check eating.

Spaying is very low risk, you tend to hear more when there is a problem because people don't post 'I had another bun spayed today it was completely uneventful'

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/info-sheets/uterine.htm

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/neutering28.8.07.pdf

Tamsin said:

Spaying is very low risk, you tend to hear more when there is a problem because people don't post 'I had another bun spayed today it was completely uneventful'

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:thumb:

I was very worried when Watson was done but she bounced back so much quicker than Moses did when his bits were done.
If your bun dies from cancer, you wish you had them taken care of. It is a low risk surgery that has the potential to give you many happy years with your buns.

There's some info from the RWAF on spaying here http://www.rabbitwelfare.co.uk/resources/content/leaflet_pdfs/neutering28.8.07.pdf

A very high percentage of unspayed female rabbits will develop uterine cancer by age 5, so it is best to have your girls done.

I have twice had trios of sisters done at the same time. I think it's best to get them done all at once if possible, it's less stressful for them if they are together, plus they are all losing their hormones at the same time, so it keeps everything equal and harmonious.

It does make it more difficult to see who is pooing etc, but you just need to do a bit of extra monitoring. As I said, I've done it for two trios of sisters and didn't have too much difficulty in working out who was pooing what.

Mine were allowed home the same day, but they must be given pain relief to continue at home. Mine had to go back the next day for a check up and then a couple more check ups after that, just to make sure everything was as it should be and healing well. One of my trios were calm and lazy before the spay and are calm and lazy after the spay, so no change! My other trio were nutters before the spay and are still nutters now, so again I didn't really see much change. The nutty lot did used to spray each other, which they stopped doing after the spay. I know some people do see big changes in behaviour, but it depends on the rabbit. Spaying can remove territorial behaviour and it stops them having pseudopregnancies (pulling fur and making nests etc). Prior to spaying my girls would try and make nests, but they never do it now. I did see Nutmeg running round with a mouthful of hay earlier this week, but nothing more came of it.

Sometimes they can take a few days to completely regain their appetite, I had to syringe feed Nutmeg for a couple of days as she was slow to start eating again, but apart from that everything went fine.

Hrm, okay, I think I might get them spayed then. I just worry so much, it's hard to know what's best :?

Imo the high risk of cancer is too great to not spay. I had a 4 year old, sneezy rabbit spayed even though my vet said it would be a higher risk. But I don't need to think about the risk of uterine cancer anymore and she isn't ruled by her hormones.

I think it's now more than 80% of females 5+ being found with uterine cancer. Having them done at the same time will mean you can keep them together so less stress for them and their bond stays in tact.

Pippa is going in next Thursday. Her pre-op health check is at 10.40 and then she will be spayed late morning/early afternoon and come home at about 6. Her partner Dipsy is going in with her. My vet has a rabbit clinic and that is the only animal he works with so I have absolutely no concerns at all, as he is so highly experienced and does numerous ops on bunnies each week. Apparently the risk of a doe developing cancer is over 84% which is very high really isn't it. I am in the same boat in that Pip is an extreme cruelty case almost starved to death, and I have had to wait for her to put weight on, and also make sure that no other health issues appeared. My vet said that out of all the bunnies he spayed last year, which must have been an awful lot, he only lost 1 and that had other health issues going on and so was kind of expected. Dipsy was neutered on January 2nd this year, came home that day, was eating straight away and to be honest no one would have guessed that he had just had an op. I really don't expect Pippa to be any different. The only thing my vet has said so that I didn't worry, was that apparently females can take a bit longer to start eating again. I will be putting her straight back in with Dipsy and just keeping an eye on her. She will have a check up 5 days later. I have got her a newborn t-shirt which the vet suggested to keep her warm because she is such a little bunny, and also so that she can't chew her stitches. I must admit I can't wait for next Thursday lol, as she is such a demanding little diva of a bunny, one minute giving me bunny kisses and totally adorable and the next in a right strop and biting. Dipsy was a nightmare before he was neutered and really aggressive to the point that I was seriously wondering if I could still keep him. My daughter was sat on the floor one day doing some art homework and just looked at him, didn't even touch him, and he just flew at her face and bit her. When I was in hospital my mum had to use a large piece of wood as a screen between her and Dipsy so as to do his food and water etc, as one of the previous times he bit me I needed 5 stitches in my hand, and that was normal daily behaviour for him. I had to wear thick gardening gloves when handling him. I really didn't want to give up on him but to be honest whether he stayed or not depended on if he improved or not after castrate, and I am thrilled to bits to be able to say that he is a fantastic bunny now and hasn't bitten once. All his aggression has gone and he is much friendlier, and is always coming up to me to have a nose rub, and I have really lovely cuddles with him now as well and is really great. Dipsy is the bunny in the picture, and he is such a little cutie now. Just wanted to say that it isn't in my nature to give up on a bunny, and was only considering it if he didn't improve because of how he was attacking my 14yr old daughter. It was one thing him doing it to me, but I couldn't allow it to continue with Katie.

bunnylover1995 said:

My girls are penciled in for the summer (I have to wait until Jelly is big enough, as she came to me grossly underweight).

The vet said it's best to do them both at the same time. But my friend who's had several buns said you have to monitor their droppings and eating habits for the first few days. How can I do that if they're in the same cage? (They'll be indoors after the op' as I'm borrowing a cage from my friend). I don't know if I could bring myself to split them up, they become so sad, even when there's just wire between them, they just sit there staring at each other, and sometimes even put their little feet on the mesh to try and touch each other, and they get quite aggressive if it's for more than an hour or so. How do I keep them safe, without upsetting them? Their bond is so strong.

What is the chance of them getting cancer or a cyst? etc. Because I'm debating if this is the right choice. Also, I've heard a lot of stories of rabbits dying during a spay.

I'm really not sure what to do. Apparently it makes them more docile as well... if Mercedes was more docile, she'd be asleep, I've never met a more laid-back animal! :lol:

Also, what actually happens when you go for a spay, from a bunny-owners' point of view? Do they keep the bun in? How long does it take?

And what are the complications/risks?

My rabbits are so teeny tiny... I'm not sure what's best for them :?: :? :?:

Thanks

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I booked my two Lops in for the same time, and they stayed together, kept their bond strong and they focused on each other and not their healing wounds. I didn't check if both were pooing, but there was plenty poos and they were both eating, so I assumed all was well.

80% of female bunnies will get cancer if left unspayed, personally, that's too high a risk for me to leave any now. The risk of cancer if far higher than the risk of dying during an operation. I've had a male die being neutered, but he was unhealthy in the first place (a case of neglect by previous owners). At the time I said I would never have another done, but I have since realised just how important it is. I've got three spayed females now, and all were fine.

I dropped my girls off at 10.30am in the morning, they phoned about noon to tell me both ops were done and bot bunnies were awake and fine. I chose to let me girls stay at the vet overnight (as my vet is 80 miles away, and I worried that if something went wrong in the first 24 hours after the op, I wouldn't be able to get them back there quick enough). I picked them up about noon the next day, and they were fine. Eating and drinking I took some hay, pellets, veggies and fleecy blankets. Its better for them to be on something soft as hay can be quite scratchy on their wounds.

The only thing you have to do is check their wounds each day, I took a photo to compare to each day to make sure it was healing And its good for sharing to people to let people know what a healthy wound should look like.

Honestly, it really is best for your bunnies I know its scary though, I was so worried!

Hi I had four girls (sisters) done a couple of weeks ago. They're all fine, it is difficult to see who's pooing etc but I could tell if one was looking a bit quieter than the others. I can't believe the difference in their behaviour already, they'd been humping and fighting a bit before (in between snuggling each other!), but have calmed down do much already. I hope everything goes ok, I'm so glad mine are all done now

I can understand how you feel. It is such a worry but I have had lots of buns neutered over the years and not one problem. Bliss my new bun was spayed on Tuesday, came home Wednesday and by mid morning she was moving about with ease and eating really well. I do know it is a worry but having them spayed while they are young they recover quicker too.

I've had two girls spayed and two boys neutered without a problem.

Going to a proper bunny savy vet really decreases the risks.

Both my girls were under a year when they were spayed and both had abnormalities already inside.
Angel had a cyst on her ovary which had been causing hormone fluctuations, and willow had her right ovary adhered to the womb wall and an underdeveloped womb.

So it is really the best option for them, as we can't see what's going on inside.

I have had two girls spayed without issue. Perdy had heart problems too. She took longer to bounce back. Betty just couldnt get on the sofa. She had a good couple of check ups after.

ITs hard not to worry about bunnys and surgery but with a good vet the mortality rate should only be that as for cats and dogs.

I had my 2 spayed together, Bramble took longer to bounce back but they were ok

I wouldnt have risked the huge chance of uterine cancer.