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Spaying and seperating bonded rabbits?

A

Azucena

Alpha Buck
Hi,

Rose is due to be spayed, and the vet nurse said that she will need to be separated from Humphrey for this, and for a while afterwards. Is this true?

I'm sure I've read somewhere that recovery time is shorter if the rabbits are not separated from their bonded partner (?).

Thanks.
 
She will still need to be kept away from him 6-8 weeks afterwards,she will need to recover and be grumpy from surgery. My girls rebonded themselves after a massive fight before they were spayed. They had to be seperate for surgery and recovery time but now they're back together perfectly happy :D if I'd put them back together straight away I'm sure there would of been fights because they were grumpy so n so's after spaying
 
PrincessPomPom said:
She will still need to be kept away from him 6-8 weeks afterwards,she will need to recover and be grumpy from surgery. My girls rebonded themselves after a massive fight before they were spayed. They had to be seperate for surgery and recovery time but now they're back together perfectly happy :D if I'd put them back together straight away I'm sure there would of been fights because they were grumpy so n so's after spaying
Click to expand...

I'm finding conflicting information on the internet.. Some say there is no reason to split!

She's 5 months old and displays no hormonal behaviours.. I don't see why this would change after a spay? :? I could of course be wrong!
 
it depends on the individual rabbits

with some rabbits you only need to separate until the stitches are safe

others you need to completely rebond and it may need to wait until after the hormones have settled down

some havent been bonded at all yet and you have to wait till the hormones have settled

sooo yeah there is no one fit all answer

id suggest you find out what type of stitches and how long until they are safe
 
NO NO NO! There is no reason to separate a bonded pair after a spay.

I don't usually post on here but feel strongly enough about this to answer.

You are right - studies have shown that rabbits recover quicker and are far less stressed when they have their partners with them - why add to their stress by taking away their partner?
If the vet is suggesting this I would say they are not very experienced with rabbits.

I have been in rabbit rescue for 20 years and have been vet nurse for 8. All the ARC buns come to our surgery (literally 100's) and it has a very good reputation amongst the rabbit community. We even make people go home and get the partner if they don't bring them!

It is possible to monitor eating and faecal output when two rabbits are together (a reason some give to separate).
There should be no sutures for the rabbits to get at - we suture the layers under the skin and then glue on top - this takes surgical skill and time - some vets are not as good at surgery as others or just too lazy to do this. But if this is done the wound is much safer - maybe you could ask how they will close the wound.

He should be with her till she goes to sleep and she should go back in with him as soon as she is awake enough. You are perfectly within your rights to insist they do this, if you trust them.

Best of luck x
 
donna-arc said:
NO NO NO! There is no reason to separate a bonded pair after a spay.

I don't usually post on here but feel strongly enough about this to answer.

You are right - studies have shown that rabbits recover quicker and are far less stressed when they have their partners with them - why add to their stress by taking away their partner?
If the vet is suggesting this I would say they are not very experienced with rabbits.

I have been in rabbit rescue for 20 years and have been vet nurse for 8. All the ARC buns come to our surgery (literally 100's) and it has a very good reputation amongst the rabbit community. We even make people go home and get the partner if they don't bring them!

It is possible to monitor eating and faecal output when two rabbits are together (a reason some give to separate).
There should be no sutures for the rabbits to get at - we suture the layers under the skin and then glue on top - this takes surgical skill and time - some vets are not as good at surgery as others or just too lazy to do this. But if this is done the wound is much safer - maybe you could ask how they will close the wound.

He should be with her till she goes to sleep and she should go back in with him as soon as she is awake enough. You are perfectly within your rights to insist they do this, if you trust them.

Best of luck x
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply! She follows him everywhere and as she is still nervous with people she doesn't know I did think having Humphrey with her would be beneficial.

I do trust the vet, he was very good with a guinea pig of mine who ended up needing an eye removed, and also did Humphrey's neuter.
 
I brought my pair in for a couple of days but kept them together. During the day he free ranged round the downstairs while she recovered. I did the same when she had a mammary tumour removed. He seemed to sense she was poorly and was very gentle with her. I never separated them.
 
If your boy is neutered, there's absolutely no reason to separate them after the initial recovery period from the operation (i.e. until she's fully concious and doing okay).

Having her husband around will help her feel better, more quickly. He should go to the vets with her and only be separated until she's concious. They may need to keep them separated to ensure she's pooping/weeing/eating, but the vets will put her back with him as soon as possible. Definitely no need to split them :)
 
no need to seperate .. just supervise and make sure she rests for the first couple of days . She will recover quicker with her friend .
 
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