Shock spaying & a nervous owner

So this just happened:
http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?406230-Shock-news!!

Badger is a four month old mini lion lop. S/he weighs 1kg and Blueberry is the brother. They have been together since birth. Blueberry was neutered last week - Badger was booked in too, but as they couldn't find his plums and his size/weight, they advised me to wait a bit.

Blueberry was back for his post op checkup today and as they are bonded and hate being separated, Badger went too. Everything is all hunky dory with Blueberry so I asked when they thought I should bring Badger back for his. (This is a different vet from the one I saw last week) So Badger was scooped out for a poke & prod and compared to Blueberry and it appears Badger may be female :shock:

I was worried about the possibility of them having had a bit of fun, although I have never seen either exhibit any sign of this type of behaviour. That was why I got Blueberry neutered on his 4 month birthday - I didn't want them falling out when hormones kicked in. So the vet advised me to get Badger booked in ASAP for a spay and so s/he is booked in next Tuesday.

I have seen 5 bucks go through neutering, so I am pretty laid back about it (about as laid back as you can be when sending your much loved bun in for surgery) but I have never had a doe spayed before. I love all my bunnies, but Badger and Blueberry hold a very special place in my heart, and Badger especially due to my soul bunny, Dexter. I was looking for something very specific when I decided to get a friend for Slipper this summer, and these two had exactly what I was after. Badger is very similar to Dexter in almost every way (except he is healthy!) and I am SO protective and paranoid about these two as a result of what I went through with Dexy.

So whilst I am aware you are probably repeating yourselves a million times with these types of threads, if anyone can pass on any advice (or soothing words for my nerves!) we would all much appreciate it. I am metaphorically myself already and it's not for another 8 days :shock::shock::shock:

Loads of spay recovery vibes for you little girl lol or neutering vibes for your little boy depending which s/he turns out to be.

I am sure there are loads of people with spayed does who have recovered just fine. Both my bucks were fine after one day.

Good luck relaxing for the next week!

I've had 23 females spayed in the last 3 years and all have been fine. Takes a bit longer for them to come round than the boys but nothing to worry about. We have excellent vet nurses, one has been there for over 30 years so she knows exactly what is needed. Hope your Vets are good as well. Hope your bunny's spay goes perfectly.

:shock: when Apricot and Ginger were spayed I was a nervous wreck but they were fine, and recovered really well. I recommend having lots to do to occupy yourself :lol: I had metacam for at home, they had subcutaneous fluids and a gut stimulant too. They went off hay for a day or so but enjoyed readigrass, handpicked grass, dandelions etc, and their pellets. The vets receptionist said she had never seen such an impressive bunny picnic when I took them in on the day of the op :lol:

Worry not

Don't worry about your little boy or girl.
Rabbits are hardy creatures and most illnesses or nurtured issues can be fixed up fairly easily.
Your rabbit should be okay but at the vets try not to freak out because rabbits are emotional animals
And can sense your fear or worry.

-from RabbitVille

Lots of vibes for you and Badger

Thank you everyone for your replies I'm sure I'm a big worry guts and she will be fine. Wow this will take some getting used to :lol: do you think I should change her name now? Badger seems masculine? Even though it really suits her?

I understand you being nervous. I'm a nervous bunny mummy when it comes to these things too. Iv had two girls spayed and they bounced back quicker than any of the boys though so I think girls are strong !!!

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Try not to worry, although it's a little more invasive in girls and they take a little longer to recover as long as she is looked after we'll postop (which by you of course she will be!) everything will be fine :thumb:

I might be a bit concerned though that your vet didn't realise she was a girl even when searching for plums, and the second vet doesn't seem 100% either :shock: how rabbit savvy are they??

elmoandfern said:

Try not to worry, although it's a little more invasive in girls and they take a little longer to recover as long as she is looked after we'll postop (which by you of course she will be!) everything will be fine :thumb:

I might be a bit concerned though that your vet didn't realise she was a girl even when searching for plums, and the second vet doesn't seem 100% either :shock: how rabbit savvy are they??

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Sorry, the second vet is certain she's a doe. The first vet was having a look, but they were about 10/11 weeks old at this point and are mini lion lops and super floofy! (Overall health check when having injections not considering for neutering at this point). Plus they are indoor bunnies & probably not impressed at coming out from a nice warm house into cold car & vets for poking/prodding. Even Blueberry last week was hiding his and they were unsure whether to operate or not. But they've been chopped off now & he's made a great recovery I do like this vet surgery better than the one my ex used to neuter his bunny as mine have always recovered so much quicker and are almost back to their usual selves the same evening. The next day and they've forgotten

I've never had my other bunnies to a different vet, but I've had nothing to complain about so far and they treated Dexy for EC and Blackavar for stasis when he first came to me plus have injected/neutered my other buns. So I do trust them and not sure what else I should be looking for. Guidance, of course, appreciated :thumb:

And of course Badger will be well cared for, she will be extra spoilt rotten! Nothing too good for my babies

I like the name Badger. I am sure she wont mind!

Update - Badger's a boy again!

Another twist in the tale that is Badger....

So I took her in for spaying today and she saw a different vet who is confused about her sex too. He has seen her before as he operated on Blueberry and had a look at Badger than and decided not to operate on him that day as he was so small and couldn't find his plums. Then came the post op visit where I saw the vet who said Badger was a girl and hence the spay booked today.

This vet was confused as he said the other vet is usually very good and is not normally wrong, but Badger is a boy. I said that I saw a difference myself between Badger and Blueberry last week. This could get a bit *ahem* personal , but Blueberry definitely had a little willy poking out and Badger has a little something poking out, but it had a small hole in the end and Blueberry did not have a hole. This vet, however, managed to find a little plum. He even suggested Badger could be a hermaphrodite! :shock:

In any case, both bunnies came home with me as this vet decided Badger is a boy and the plums are too small to be operated on today.

Which leaves me thinking.......

Should I get Badger done in the New Year when s/he has hopefully grown a bit and it's more obvious what s/he is?

Or.... I have four bunnies - three are neutered males. Badger lives with Blueberry who is a neutered male and his/her brother. The other two don't come into contact with Badger & Blueberry, other than living in the same room. Could I leave Badger un-neutered/spayed?

I'm not sure what to do for the best for my little boy/girl. I know of the importance of neutering/spaying and I don't want his/her hormones kicking in and fighting with Blueberry and needing to be separated as they are a lovely pair, very close and have never been separated. You can't cuddle one without the other or Blueberry sulks & Badger panics. BUT, I don't want the vet deciding on op day, oh she's a girl, open her up to operate and then go oops, she is a boy after all and then go and remove the plums. Because then he's been cut open in two different places, that's two wounds and twice the stress, pain, healing etc etc and I really don't like the idea of them chopping up my baby to see what s/he is

Someone please help!! I don't know what to do for the best

My advice is as long as they are happy together don't do anything until you feel there is definitely a need to.

tonibun said:

My advice is as long as they are happy together don't do anything until you feel there is definitely a need to.

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:thumb: Brilliant! I have never seen Badger (or Blueberry for that matter, but he's been done already) show any sign of hormonal behaviour. I was hoping to be pre emptive and get them done in case they started fighting and the bond broke down, which is penultimate worst case scenario (worst case being Badger died during op or something related to it), but maybe they won't. I feel Blueberry is more dominant anyway, he is more outgoing and curious, a little wriggler during brushing, and scoffs dinner faster than Badger who has to wait until Blueberry has had enough to get the bowl to himself. Badger is happy to lay in my arms being cuddled, and sits still for brushing. The flip side is that Blueberry has more confidence in being picked up than Badger, who runs away, but once it's done, he's happy Blueberry just squirms free going "no mummy, I want to explore!"