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Spaying an agressive doe

Fluffybunny

Warren Scout
Hiya,

I have a doe here, 1 year & two months.

She is, ans has been from 4 months, territorially agressive - grunts, lunges & bites me when I go in her hutch.

She is an English rabbit (around small/medium, if anyone has a dutch/english etc. you will know what size I am getting at). And probably weighs 6lbs.

As a result she will not let me pick her up, but obviously I have to once a week to clean her out. Well it was just this weekend when I noticed how fat she was getting! She is really solid & podgy round the belly!!!

She has also gone through all the phantom pregnancies that a doe can possibly have LOL!!! :lol:

Just a couple quick questions -

1) do does calm down when they have been spayed?
2) will it be risky becuase she is overweight??? so should I slim her before going for the op?
3) what is the procedure - is it a big op & what aftercare should I give her bearing in mind she isn't used to being picked up & may not calm down totally for a few weeks :?:

Cheers
 
Hello Rachel.
spaying her will certainly help to calm her down, so that is well worth thinking about. It would be advisable to slim her down, it makes the operation a lot more complicated as the vet has to go through the fat (sorry folks), and of course this will heighten the risk and lengthen the operation, the pressure on her heart will also be greater due to her weight. I would get her near enough to ideal prior to getting her neutered and just try to work with her until then. Obviously it is important for her to lose weight anyway, as for the increased health risks, and issues with cleaning. Of course a friend will also help keep the weight off as she has a friend to run around with.

annie :D
 
Hello there, are you sure she's just podgy? Jessica has just had a tumour removed which had been left for a few months as her previous owne thought she was just fat. The tumour removed was 1.5 kilos the poor girl is just 2 kilos herself. Fat bunnies will still have a squidgy tummy don't they? Well Monty is a tad podgy and his tummy is squidgy. Solid sounds like there may be something else there?????? Correct me if I am wrong anybody.

Angela
 
Hiya,

Thanks for the advice.

No, she is just fat 8) It's my fault really, but I give her alot of food - more than the others, although it looks the same in the bottom it is a huge bowl as she did used to live with another doe, hence the double bowl.

By solid I meant her body not her belly - I always find at shows that the up eared rabbits are more compact in the body than my lops I'm used to, it is all normal, as I have also had a rabbit with a stomach tumor & it definitley isn't that. :wink:

Don't think giving her a companion will be the best option, as she didn't really like being with the other doe when she was a baby, I only separated her as she got a little too "rowdy" with her as her hormones set in - I'm sure I don't need to go into details :lol:

I agree about slimming her down, have mixed her food half & half now with Exel Lite like my other rabbit is on, and she likes it so may get her on it fully, but of course gradually.

Thanx
 
Phew, glad to hear she's just a tad overweight :lol: bet not many people ever say that! So paranoid since that happened to Jessica, wouldn't want it to happen to anyone else's bunnies.
I think you would need to slim her down a little as the more fat there is the longer it will take to get to her uterus so she will be under for longer. Not sure if you've got the questions to your other questions.
Sophie is a 2ish year old cross breed of some sort with huge ears but very adorable. You may have seen posts about her elsewhere but if you haven't, she was a monster with her previous owner and would nip for no reason and picking her up was a nightmare, she growled more like a dog than rabbit and it was loud and angry. Thankfully she is a lot calmer since coming to me but she still has her moments but i just tell her to stop it and she just looks at me :lol: Anyhoo incase your thinking um whats this got to do with anything?? Sophs sounds a little like your girl and she has calmed a little. I kept Sophs in a indoor bed on some vetbed as I didn't want shaving or anything sticking to her wound. If you don't want to pick her up to check the wound, trying tempting her to stand on her hind legs to get a treat, don't make her stretch too much though and take a peek at her wound. She may be pretty quiet the day of her op, she will be sore and will need some pain medication, she should hepofully be given this before coming home, ask when you pick her up, if they haven't given her ask for some metacam to take home for her and give it as soon as you get home. Some girlies will eat no probs, others don't have probs and tuck in straight away. Give her a hot water bottle wrapped in a towel or heat pad but place it so she has the choice of whether to lie on it or not and leave her for a few hours peace. I kept Sophs in for 2 weeks as there was a chance of adhesions with her, Jessica was only kept in her bed for 5 days max. Gently exercise to start with, no climbing moutains or bunny aerobics. Check the wound once a day if you can. When are planning the big day for?

Angela
 
Hiya,

Thanks for the reply - when the big day comes I will put vet bed in her hutch as I don't suspect she'll be settled coming in the house as she can be quite nervous at times, and with all the hustle & bustle round here she's better off in her familiar place, it's in a shed so won't get too cold, anway I have a heat lamp that attatches to the front if she wants to lie under it.

Don't know when to plan it for - obviously need to slim her down, depends how long it takes.

She did actually let me stroke her today whilst in her hutch, on the head, and half closed her eyes, bless :love: :angel:

Gotten a quote from the vets, at the cheaper vets it's £48, and the more expensive vets it's £75 plus a £20 consultation charge. Guess which one I'm going for lol! Not that I'm bothered about the money as I want someone who knows what they're doing but the cheap vets did give me more advice & I have a rabbit friend who goes there & says they are really good so...

Thought about getting my buck done as well, its £34 for him - then maybe after a few weeks if she's calmed down I may try introducing them :roll: :idea:

Thanx xxx
 
You mentioned your doe did not get on with the other doe you had, this is very common dont let it put you off getting her a friend a castrated male once bonded with her will make for a life long freindship. val
 
Hiya Val,

Yeah, may get her a friend buck yet, although I am going to see if she does calm down after spaying her.

Have got her on Burgress Excel Lite now to slim her down to speed up the process :lol:

xxx
 
Gotten a quote from the vets, at the cheaper vets it's £48, and the more expensive vets it's £75 plus a £20 consultation charge.

What is the average price for a spay then? I asked at my vets yesterday and for a spay it is £43. and an odd pence, That's gone up by about £11 in 7 years.
This is the only vet where I live so I don't have alot of choice, but I've never had any complaints, Whenever I go even if it's just for vacinations they always give my bunny the once over and ask if she's eating Ok etc, and they recommend spaying of doe's in their rabbit leaflet.
 
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