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Spaying? Advice please

toritilla

Young Bun
You'll have to excuse me if this is in the wrong sub-section.

Hi, after posting my rabbit issue on here and getting some wonderful advice I've decided to get my female bunny spayed for the good of her and her male best friend, however I have some questions...

Firstly how long will she be at the vets for? Is it just one night?

And can she be put straight back in with my male once she's home or will she need time to heal without him around? Will they need to be reintroduced or will their bond carry on as before?

You'll have to excuse me if I sound silly its just i got my male neutered before I even got a female so didn't need to worry or think about bonding right then, and since they were bonded around 4 years ago they haven't spend a day apart.

Thanks for any advice [emoji2]
 
:wave: You don't sound silly at all :D Mine go just for the day, so I take them in first thing in the morning where they see a nurse who gives them a check over and books them in for the op. Then I collect them later that afternoon. Some vets will only let them go home once they see them starting to eat and poo so at some practices it is normal to keep them in overnight - it may also depend on where the vet is and whether anyone is there overnight. If they come home, they will need to be indoors overnight if they are usually outdoor bunnies; although it's pretty warm at the moment they can't regulate their body temperature properly after the anaesthetic so need the more consistent overnight temperature indoors until that's through their system.

Personally I would take both your bunnies to the vets together and for them to stay together all day. Obviously they will need to be separated temporarily while she wakes up from the surgery but most vets are happy for a companion to accompany the bunny having their op. Research has shown that bunnies recover much more quickly from their op if they recover with their friend as normal. If they are separated for the day there's also a small risk that it could break their bond - bunnies rely very heavily on smell so if she comes home smelling of the vets, he might not realise it's her, so taking him too means that they both come home with vet smell. By keeping them together you'll just have to be really vigilant to check that you can see that she is eating and pooping, because obviously if food is disappearing and poos appearing it could just be the male if they are together, but if they're indoors afterwards and you're keeping a regular eye on them, you should be able to see how she's doing.

Obviously there are some hospitalisation circumstances where they can't stay together and if he starts to pester her then they may need to be temporarily separated, but I'd say that's the exception rather than the rule. I'd check with your vet that they're happy for your boy to accompany her to the surgery, and indeed if they say that he can't go too, I'd consider whether they're the right surgery to use for the operation. Spaying a female bunny is getting more common now but some vets still don't do many of them so it is also worth reassuring yourself that your vet does lots of bunny spays with good success and checking that she will be given painkiller to come home with to be given over the following few days - some vets still don't do this and it's definitely necessary...not sure I'd fancy having a hysterectomy with just one day's pain relief!

Good luck with your little one :D
 
Okay i had no idea the male could accompany her so that's nice to hear, i shall try to find a vets that would be happy for him to come along too then as it would break my heart to break their bond, thank you very much for the help, you bunny lovers on here really are lovely 😊
 
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