Hello!
I'm not sure if this is the right place to talk about spraying or neutering, please tell me if it isn't!
I have a doe that I'm looking to spray. She's just under 7 months and wondering what age she must be to get sprayed? Also, what are the benefits of her being sprayed. Is it worth getting it done?
Thanks!
Hehe, it's spelled 'spayed'! Made me chuckle because one of the negative behavioural problems associated with an 'intact' bunny is them spraying urine at you to mark their territory :mrgreen:
She's definitely old enough to get spayed now. It can be done earlier, but most vets prefer to wait until 6 months because they cope better and it's easier for them.
The most important benefit for a female bunny is the complete removal of the risk of uterine cancer. 80% of un-spayed does will get uterine cancer by around 4-5 years of age, and it's not always curable when they get it. This is one of the main reasons why uneducated rabbit owners only have their bunnies live until about 5 or 6. The bunny slowly dies from uterine cancer
. There are many cases of females being rescued by rescues/sanctuaries and being spayed, only to find massive tumours already grown. Many of these rabbits make it through, but sadly some don't. Removing the uterus obviously prevents all of this from happening!
Spaying gets rid of negative behavioural problems such as spraying, marking territory, difficulty in litter training and territoriality among others.
The other important factor is that a spayed bunny can have a companion. Bunnies are social animals and 99.9% of bunnies need a partner really. Some people have to keep theirs alone for health reasons and a very small amount of bunnies just won't bond with another bun - but mostly, they love company. If it's an outdoor rabbit it's pretty much essential to have company really, as the time an owner can spend with the bun is limited. Even indoor single buns might only have 4 hours a day with their owner - leaving 20 hours of being sat by themselves. Even if you're not in a position to take on another bunny now, at some point you may find your circumstances change (working long hours, new baby taking up all your time) and then you might want to get her a friend. It's easier to have her already spayed at that point
It's definitely worth getting it done. The uterine cancer threat is really scary, so for that reason alone I'd definitely do it. You can save for a few months to do it too, it's not like she's likely to develop cancer overnight before you save! Estimated cost is around £80, although it can be as low as £60 or as high as £100. Bunnies generally recover very well, especially at a young age. My two were running around when I brought them home in the evening, although I had to put them under cage arrest :roll:
Ring around and ask vets about how many rabbits they spay. You'll want to go with a vet who's experienced in this, as some aren't. Here's a list of questions that should help you narrow down a good vet:
http://www.mybunny.org/info/vet_questionnaire.htm. Although do bare in mind that the receptionist might answer the questions and they might be clueless :lol:
EDIT: I've realised some of the questions on that link are a bit bizarre...
Here are some which are a bit better:
http://www.animedvets.co.uk/neutering_rabbits.htm
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html
