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Neutering

WillowAndBiscuit

WillowAndBiscuit

Mama Doe
Hey guys,

So, I pride myself on knowing as much as I can about everything there is to know about rabbits and their care but I'm a natural worrier and frequently question myself on information that I already know.

My new bunny is booked in to be neutered on the 7th of January (this coming Thursday) but I am stressing a lot about it. I have heard so many stories about people's bunnies passing away while under anaesthetic and obviously don't want the same to happen to my sweet little Storm. I have only had him two weeks after rescuing him for someone that was unintentionally neglecting him and I've already developed such an amazing bond with him. He is currently living in my bedroom until he is bonded with my other two (after being neutered and his hormones dying down) and when he comes out for play time he shows me so much love. He responds when I call me and always comes up to me, even if he does charge and binky away after I've given him a treat or a nose rub 😜 Today I also laid on the floor to get some proper one on one time with him and he kept climbing on my chest, sniffing my face, giving me kisses and teeth purring..it was the cutest thing!

Anyway, as I was saying, I'm super worried that I might lose him while he's under anaesthetic and just wanted to know what other people's thoughts are on it. Is it as common as I think to lose bunnies while under or is the risk the same as any other animal? It should also be noted that despite really really wanting to take him to a rabbit savvy vet I am unable to as no-one in my immediate family drives so I have to rely on taxis, and as there are no exotic vets near me I am unable to get to one 😞

Any advice or information would be really appreciated as my mind needs reassuring.
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
Hey guys,

So, I pride myself on knowing as much as I can about everything there is to know about rabbits and their care but I'm a natural worrier and frequently question myself on information that I already know.

My new bunny is booked in to be neutered on the 7th of January (this coming Thursday) but I am stressing a lot about it. I have heard so many stories about people's bunnies passing away while under anaesthetic and obviously don't want the same to happen to my sweet little Storm. I have only had him two weeks after rescuing him for someone that was unintentionally neglecting him and I've already developed such an amazing bond with him. He is currently living in my bedroom until he is bonded with my other two (after being neutered and his hormones dying down) and when he comes out for play time he shows me so much love. He responds when I call me and always comes up to me, even if he does charge and binky away after I've given him a treat or a nose rub �� Today I also laid on the floor to get some proper one on one time with him and he kept climbing on my chest, sniffing my face, giving me kisses and teeth purring..it was the cutest thing!

Anyway, as I was saying, I'm super worried that I might lose him while he's under anaesthetic and just wanted to know what other people's thoughts are on it. Is it as common as I think to lose bunnies while under or is the risk the same as any other animal? It should also be noted that despite really really wanting to take him to a rabbit savvy vet I am unable to as no-one in my immediate family drives so I have to rely on taxis, and as there are no exotic vets near me I am unable to get to one ��

Any advice or information would be really appreciated as my mind needs reassuring.
Click to expand...

In the care of a Rabbit Savvy Vet,not necessarily specifically an 'Exotics Specialist', just a Vet who has done a lot of Rabbit Surgery/GAs,the risks of a GA are likely to be minimal. Obviously there is no such thing as a 100% risk free GA, for Rabbits or for any other living being. A castration is a relatively minor and straightforward procedure. My Vet says she could probably do a castration in her sleep, which does make her husband a bit anxious at times !!

As long as your Vet has a good amount of experience with Rabbits and GAs and your Rabbit is in over-all good health the risks of a GA are small. You could ask to have a pre-surgery consultation with the Vet to discuss any specific concerns you have and hopefully the Vet will be able to re-assure you.

Good luck x
 
Jack's-Jane said:
In the care of a Rabbit Savvy Vet,not necessarily specifically an 'Exotics Specialist', just a Vet who has done a lot of Rabbit Surgery/GAs,the risks of a GA are likely to be minimal. Obviously there is no such thing as a 100% risk free GA, for Rabbits or for any other living being. A castration is a relatively minor and straightforward procedure. My Vet says she could probably do a castration in her sleep, which does make her husband a bit anxious at times !!

As long as your Vet has a good amount of experience with Rabbits and GAs and your Rabbit is in over-all good health the risks of a GA are small. You could ask to have a pre-surgery consultation with the Vet to discuss any specific concerns you have and hopefully the Vet will be able to re-assure you.

Good luck x
Click to expand...
I'm not too sure how many rabbit surgeries they have done however when I took him in to have his jabs last week the vet that I saw was very knowledgeable about a variety of rabbit care topics. When one of my other bunnies had GI stasis the vet that I saw was also very very good with her care and informed me of everything I needed to know to get her better (which of course I knew anyway 😉😉)

When the vet checked him last week she said he was in very good health despite being neglected beforehand so that makes me feel slightly better about him. I will definitely ask questions about the surgery and such on the day that I take him in before he has it done though.

Thank you very much x
 
I'm quite a hard person when it comes to my rabbits having GA's now. Mine are all neutered but I have some that need dentals, one being 11 years old, but it needs to be done so I just make myself busy through the day and by the time I've finished they're ready to be picked up. Working/house chores make the time go faster :D

Just wanted to say you'll only really hear the bad and sad stories because people want answers as to why their buns passed away under the GA, I don't think I posted that my boys were fine, just came on asking for help because my 3 females that were spayed were pains/had issues :lol:
 
Ahh ok, I'll have to make sure I keep myself busy throughout the day then so I don't think about it too much.

Oh yeah, I hadn't really thought about it that way to be honest. Now I think about it it would be a bit strange if every time that was a successful castration/spay someone posted about it haha. Thank you, that makes me feel better about it:)
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
Hey guys,

So, I pride myself on knowing as much as I can about everything there is to know about rabbits and their care but I'm a natural worrier and frequently question myself on information that I already know.

My new bunny is booked in to be neutered on the 7th of January (this coming Thursday) but I am stressing a lot about it. I have heard so many stories about people's bunnies passing away while under anaesthetic and obviously don't want the same to happen to my sweet little Storm. I have only had him two weeks after rescuing him for someone that was unintentionally neglecting him and I've already developed such an amazing bond with him. He is currently living in my bedroom until he is bonded with my other two (after being neutered and his hormones dying down) and when he comes out for play time he shows me so much love. He responds when I call me and always comes up to me, even if he does charge and binky away after I've given him a treat or a nose rub 😜 Today I also laid on the floor to get some proper one on one time with him and he kept climbing on my chest, sniffing my face, giving me kisses and teeth purring..it was the cutest thing!

Anyway, as I was saying, I'm super worried that I might lose him while he's under anaesthetic and just wanted to know what other people's thoughts are on it. Is it as common as I think to lose bunnies while under or is the risk the same as any other animal? It should also be noted that despite really really wanting to take him to a rabbit savvy vet I am unable to as no-one in my immediate family drives so I have to rely on taxis, and as there are no exotic vets near me I am unable to get to one 😞

Any advice or information would be really appreciated as my mind needs reassuring.
Click to expand...

It's understandable to be nervous and worried about operations of any kind where our fragile companions are concerned. It's very unlikely that anything will go wrong on the operating table. Make sure you have spoken with the operating vet, and that they have done many rabbit surgeries in the past. They can reassure you of the anaesthetics they will use and how it will affect your rabbit.
This varies from vet to vet and can make a big difference to recovery.

Good luck!
 
MightyMax said:
It's understandable to be nervous and worried about operations of any kind where our fragile companions are concerned. It's very unlikely that anything will go wrong on the operating table. Make sure you have spoken with the operating vet, and that they have done many rabbit surgeries in the past. They can reassure you of the anaesthetics they will use and how it will affect your rabbit.
This varies from vet to vet and can make a big difference to recovery.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
Are there any questions in particular that I should ask other than how many rabbit surgeries that they have done in the past? And thank you!:)
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
Are there any questions in particular that I should ask other than how many rabbit surgeries that they have done in the past? And thank you!:)
Click to expand...

You're welcome :thumb:

I usually ask about the anaesthetics they use, and how long it will take for the rabbit to recover. (Though having dealt with loads of sick bunnies, I just need to reassure myself that they can cope in an emergency!)

What the aftercare would be and whether they would give Metacam (pain relief)

If I don't know the vet particularly well, I ask how many rabbits they have lost to this type of surgery...

If he's bonded, whether you can bring the companion along ...

Hope this helps a bit :D
 
MightyMax said:
You're welcome :thumb:

I usually ask about the anaesthetics they use, and how long it will take for the rabbit to recover. (Though having dealt with loads of sick bunnies, I just need to reassure myself that they can cope in an emergency!)

What the aftercare would be and whether they would give Metacam (pain relief)

If I don't know the vet particularly well, I ask how many rabbits they have lost to this type of surgery...

If he's bonded, whether you can bring the companion along ...

Hope this helps a bit :D
Click to expand...
Ok thank you, that gives me a bit of an idea of what to ask. I'll make sure to post an update once it's been done:)
 
Hi all, unfortunately I had to take Storm to the emergency vets as he developed GI stasis and was clearly in a fair amount of pain. BUT, he has been treated for it and is clearly feeling better as has just started eating some curly kale:) Also..the vet that I saw is also the one that will be operating on him on Thursday! (Providing he's better of course) I spoke to her about my concerns and she has done hundreds of surgeries on rabbits and even does them for the RSPCA as well so I'm definitely feeling a lot for confident now :D
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
Hi all, unfortunately I had to take Storm to the emergency vets as he developed GI stasis and was clearly in a fair amount of pain. BUT, he has been treated for it and is clearly feeling better as has just started eating some curly kale:) Also..the vet that I saw is also the one that will be operating on him on Thursday! (Providing he's better of course) I spoke to her about my concerns and she has done hundreds of surgeries on rabbits and even does them for the RSPCA as well so I'm definitely feeling a lot for confident now :D
Click to expand...

Well not good that you had to take Storm to the emergency vets, but good that you managed to see and sound out the operating vet :thumb:

Glad you're feeling better about the whole thing now :D
 
MightyMax said:
Well not good that you had to take Storm to the emergency vets, but good that you managed to see and sound out the operating vet :thumb:

Glad you're feeling better about the whole thing now :D
Click to expand...
No, I'd much rather he hadn't have got ill..also as it cost £108 for the appointment as it was the emergency! But I'm definitely confident in her ability and that he will be ok in her care 😁
 
He's being a little monster this morning and won't take his medicine as easy as he did at the vets last night. Although I can't really complain as it means he must be feeling better if he is able to fight me off! 😜
He has eaten curly kale and coriander, some pellets, a couple of his favourite treats and even some HAY! Hooray! He never really eats hay so that makes me happy 😁 He was also charging around the living room about 3 hours after we got back from the vets too, which isn't unusual for him but before night time last night he hadn't done it all day because he was feeling poorly. I made the force feeding up to him by a couple of his favourite treats and big cuddles/nose rubs so I think I'm forgiven 😉
 
Glad Storm is getting back to his usual cheeky self :lol:
Sending lots of vibes for a successful neuter xx
 
WillowAndBiscuit said:
He's being a little monster this morning and won't take his medicine as easy as he did at the vets last night. Although I can't really complain as it means he must be feeling better if he is able to fight me off! 😜
He has eaten curly kale and coriander, some pellets, a couple of his favourite treats and even some HAY! Hooray! He never really eats hay so that makes me happy 😁 He was also charging around the living room about 3 hours after we got back from the vets too, which isn't unusual for him but before night time last night he hadn't done it all day because he was feeling poorly. I made the force feeding up to him by a couple of his favourite treats and big cuddles/nose rubs so I think I'm forgiven 😉
Click to expand...

Ah good news! They do try us, don't they? :roll::lol:
 
Have you considered delaying the neutering for a week or two? Neutering is a low risk operation in a fully healthy rabbit, but stasis is a serious condition which may take some time to fully recover from. He should be fully fit, eating well and pooing as normal for at least a few days before he goes in. If he is still on medication, I would have another chat with the vet to discuss what would be in the best interests of the rabbit. I would get him fully over the stasis before putting him through the op. A short wait won't have much impact on bonding with his bunny friends, but would reduce the risk of another episode of stasis.

Well done for spotting his symptoms and getting appropriate treatment for the stasis, and for quizzing the vet about her experience of neutering rabbits - it sounds like he is in good hands.
 
Shimmer said:
Have you considered delaying the neutering for a week or two? Neutering is a low risk operation in a fully healthy rabbit, but stasis is a serious condition which may take some time to fully recover from. He should be fully fit, eating well and pooing as normal for at least a few days before he goes in. If he is still on medication, I would have another chat with the vet to discuss what would be in the best interests of the rabbit. I would get him fully over the stasis before putting him through the op. A short wait won't have much impact on bonding with his bunny friends, but would reduce the risk of another episode of stasis.

Well done for spotting his symptoms and getting appropriate treatment for the stasis, and for quizzing the vet about her experience of neutering rabbits - it sounds like he is in good hands.
Click to expand...
I took him to the vets 4 hours after he first stopped eating/pooing so we caught it really really quick. We actually caught it so quickly that he was doing the odd poo every half an hour ago so he hadn't actually gone fully into stasis. Within two hours of having him home last night he already started eating and pooping and today he has eaten loads and done proper, full sized poops, which I hadn't seen him do since I first got him. Over the course of approximately 5 hours today he had done so many that my floor was covered in them!😂 (he's not litter trained yet) He has also been his usual self all day today, getting excited over his treats and nose rubs. I've already had to stop force feeding him as he point blank refuses it and if I manage to get it in his mouth he just spits it back out at me. I'm still continuing to give him the recovery food though, just in a bowl to drink by himself.

I asked the vet when I was there yesterday though about whether or not he would still be able to have the operation as she said as long as he had recovered by tonight then it would be fine to go ahead with it. :)
 
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