Advice on neutering

Hi Sorry for posting about neutering again but Dexter(male) is old enough to be neutered! I'm terrified of having the surgery done though. Should I do it over the Easter holidays so I can monitor him or is during the school term ok? What should I get for the after care,and for before surgery. Is there anything I should do the days before? Sorry for all of the questions.

Boys are normally fine straight afterwards.

Make sure your vet regularly does rabbit castrations - some don't - they should be confident in the whole procedure.

Feed him normally - make sure he is fit and well, and has eaten on the morning of the op. Rabbits must never be starved. They can't vomit so there is no risk of this during the op, and they need to keep food moving through their guts. Send some of his usual food in with him - pellets, greens, hay, etc as a picnic to get him started again when he comes round.

Our vet normally has pets dropped off around 8.30am for an op. You sign the form and leave them. Ring about 2pm to see how everything went and arrange a pick up time - normally after 4pm, but it depends on when the op was done, how the rabbit is coming round and if they have eaten. They may be syringe fed before going home. You may get some pain relief to take home (eg metacam)- or you may not. They usually have an injection which will last for 24 hours. Ask about the normal routine at your vet.

Keep him indoors for a couple of days if he normally lives outside. He may appreciate a heat pad on the first night. They can't regulate their body temperature very well straight after an op. It is important to make sure he is eating and pooing by the next day or ring and ask for advice. You may need extra meds and / or syringe feed - but I wouldn't expect this normally for a straightforward neuter. Just keep an eye on him.

If there is any swelling or anything else abnormal about the wound site, or he isn't eating or pooing, take him straight back to the vet. I would expect to have a post op check up after a couple of days anyway, just to make sure everything is healing well and there is no infection.

Hormone levels will gradually fall over the next month so you may notice some changes in his behaviour - eg less spraying and humping. He will be fertile for a few weeks, so keep him away from any entire females.

Thank you for the advice,it is very helpful. I've been quite lucky in regards to spraying and humping he sprayed me twice and humped me a couple of times in the one day,it was because I was working with other rabbits and wearing the same clothes. He's kept indoors but I will turn up the radiator to a higher setting though and maybe a self heating pet bed? Should I keep him in his normal x pen? I have a spare 100cm cage that I can use if I need to.

Dylan123 said:

Hi Sorry for posting about neutering again but Dexter(male) is old enough to be neutered! I'm terrified of having the surgery done though. Should I do it over the Easter holidays so I can monitor him or is during the school term ok? What should I get for the after care,and for before surgery. Is there anything I should do the days before? Sorry for all of the questions.

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Hi Dylan :wave:

I'm glad you're thinking of getting Dexter neutered. Really good!

It might be nice to do it over the Easter holidays, if that's when you'll be around more to give him a bit extra attention. Also, the weather might be bit warmer then

You don't have to do anything to prepare him for surgery. He should keep eating right up until the operation, and I always make sure they get a few extra pellets the day before so they have a few reserves of energy for when they come round from the GA.

Males usually recover really well. After any GA and operation, rabbits find it more difficult to regulate their own temperature, so if he isn't an indoor rabbit you could think of bringing him into a cool room for a few nights afterwards if it's cold outside.

Your vet will tell you what to look for if there are any issues afterwards, but basically the hormones should take up to about three months to settle down, although he will be fertile for about a month after the operation (if you are thinking of a female for him )

Edited to add that I've just seen your post that he's kept indoors. I wouldn't necessarily turn the heating up too much, just keep him nice and comfortable

I feel like neutering will give me options in the future to get him a friend,when I have my own house.I'm not allowed to get him a friend while I live in my parents house. Should I take him for a check up before the surgery? At his last check up(a month ago) the vet said he was in good health. I originally planned to keep him with my much older female rabbit,she passed away over Christmas though

Dylan123 said:

I feel like neutering will give me options in the future to get him a friend,when I have my own house.I'm not allowed to get him a friend while I live in my parents house. Should I take him for a check up before the surgery? At his last check up(a month ago) the vet said he was in good health. I originally planned to keep him with my much older female rabbit,she passed away over Christmas though

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If he was only checked up a month ago, I would wait until nearer his operation time to get a further check. Your vet will advise if you need to bring him in prior to the day for a check up. Certainly if there are any sniffles or worrying symptoms, don't go ahead until they have been resolved!

I'm sorry about your female rabbit. Shame he can't have a friend now - two rabbits can sometimes be less trouble than one, as their attention is more taken up with one another

I would love to get him a friend,but my parents say the only way I can get him a friend is if I re-home the guinea pigs which I don't want to do.The two guinea pigs and Dexter get along very well so they provide company through the cage bars. I was hoping to get the neuter booked for the first Monday of my Easter holidays I have 2 1/2 weeks of school until Easter (starting next week,I'm off this week) I can't help but worry about him so I would feel more confident getting a check up first.

Dylan123 said:

I would love to get him a friend,but my parents say the only way I can get him a friend is if I re-home the guinea pigs which I don't want to do.The two guinea pigs and Dexter get along very well so they provide company through the cage bars. I was hoping to get the neuter booked for the first Monday of my Easter holidays I have 2 1/2 weeks of school until Easter (starting next week,I'm off this week) I can't help but worry about him so I would feel more confident getting a check up first.

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He's a lucky rabbit to have such a wonderful and concerned carer

MightyMax said:

He's a lucky rabbit to have such a wonderful and concerned carer

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Thank you

I think everything has been covered already to be honest. I just wanted to offer some reassurance and say that a castration is a really simple procedure and bunnies recover really quickly. I had my buck castrated just over and month ago and I couldn't believe how quickly he recovered. The surgery was done at about 1 o'clock and I picked him up at 5. By 6 o'clock he was already trying to run around like the loon he is! (Which I should add is not allowed straight after surgery so he was less than impressed when I had to confine him to his cage overnight)

My vet said to come back for a check up 3 days after the surgery and 10 days after the surgery so they could check it was healing properly. I also want to add that although my little man has been quite affectionate since I rescued him about 2 months ago, he has got even more affectionate since being 'done' and frequently wants cuddles with me. He is also on his own indoors as he gets ill quite often so I couldn't put him outside with my other two bunnies as it would be impossible to measure his intake/output. Despite this he is a really really happy bunny and gets lots of attention so I certainly don't think that being a single bun is having a bad impact on your bun, providing you give him lots of attention instead

Thank you for all of the replies. In the petshop I did work experience in,it provides a boarding service and someone left their rabbit in straight after the surgery. They use the same vet I'm using,I was talking to them about it and they said the vet was very good which gives me some re-assurance.