neutering question

Hi

I have just lost Snowy my beautiful bunny to uterine cancer, I have her 2 sisters Poppy and Ebony who are also 6 years old and I am so afraid they will develop this awlful condition. My vet classes them as old and is not recommending neutering. Do you think at their age it is too old? Your opinion would be appreciated.
thanks
June

Hi June

I'm so sorry you lost your bun, it's horrible when you lose them. I guess it depends on how good their health is, whether they are a good weight, any other illnessses such as snuffles etc. If you think that they will get through an anesthetic and the recovery then it is good to have them neutered, it really does depend on how the buns are.

My bunny is just over 5 and she has had 2 operations this year, I was so worried about the anasthetic cos she is an older bun but she breezed through both of them and recovered well afterwards!! The last one was 6 weeks ago. Anaesthetics have improved greatly in last few years, much better.

If your vet won't do them you might want to get a second opinion from a good rabbit vet. Whatever the decision, good luck with your buns It is a big op for any age bun but could give them a good few more years of life. The aftercare is very important. My vets are brill, and they have heat pads and snuggles with the vet nurses after their ops! Def do lots of research before making a decision.

Nicola

I think one of the members here takes her female bunnies in for regular ultrasounds to check that the uterous looks ok, perhaps that is something you could look into.

If your vets not confident with their ability with older rabbits then I would try going to a more experienced rabbit vet. The RWA Tel: 0870 046 5249 might be able to point you in the direction of one.

Best wishes,
Tam

Dear June, I am so sorry to hear about Snowy
I can understand your concern for your other rabbits, and the option to have their uterus scanned regularly is a good one for older rabbits.
I know things have improved with surgery, but rabbits are still very susceptable to shock and stress post op.

I would look at it this way perhaps..an average life span for a rabbit is 5 - 7 years approx, so at 6, your Doe is at the twilight of her years, so you will have to decide whether is it worth subjecting her to a major operation.

We have many elderly Does in the sanctuary, none spayed as at 5-7 years old (when most arrived ) we considered it too late to consider a major op like spaying, but! they are all checked daily by me and a Vet regularly too. We record their weight weekly which is a good indicator of any problems developing as rabbits hide illness so well.

If however you feel your rabbit is very healthy and fit for her age, then as long as your Vet does some pre checks there is no reason why she should not have surgery.

I think you need to carefully consider all the options , taking into account your own rabbits general health,and make the decision you feel most comfortable with.
Best wishes
Adele

I think one of the members here takes her female bunnies in for regular ultrasounds to check that the uterous looks ok, perhaps that is something you could look into.

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I think you are talking about me here... 8) :lol:

My Pippa, now 5 1/2 years old, has been going for ultrasound scans for the last 2 years or so as she is not spayed. I now take her every six months... It will help prevent any problems, but cancer could still develop in between these scans as it can apparently develop within four weeks or so according to my vet. So apart from the scans, I am also extremely vigilant as to any other symptoms (weight loss, vaginal discharge etc.). As soon as there is a problem, the first thing that is done is a scan of the uterus.

Not all vets however can offer ultrasound scans yet. You would need to check. They are also not cheap - I think my vet charges about 50 pounds a time...

If you wanted to get them spayed still (if they are fit and healthy, there is no reason not to really), I would get blood tests done first to make sure that all organs are working alright and will be able to deal with the anaesthetics.

Vera

PS. I have a 5 1/2 year old and a 6 year old bunny and don't consider them old yet. They are still as bouncy and energetic as ever. :wink:

Hi Vera

Do the bunnies have to be sedated for ultrasounds or is it just like you would do a dog or cat? Very interested as my Pippa isn't spayed and she is 5 years old, seems fine tho at mo.

I don't consider my girly old either, in fact she has more energy than a year or so ago

Nicola

No, that's the beauty of ultrasounds, they don't need to be sedated - unless I guess a rabbit can't be handled at all. But my Pippa is very easy to handle and doesn't seem to get stressed much at all by the experience.

Vera

Ah that's cool, I might enquire about that when I next go to the vets. My Pippa is very easy to handle too, when she was last at the vets for an op all the vet nurses loved her and said what a lovely rabbit she is! She doesn't seem to get too stressed at the vets luckily either. What would the ultrasound show if there was any cancer?

Nicola

What would the ultrasound show if there was any cancer?

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I haven't got a clue, I leave the interpretation of the scans and x-rays to my vet... :lol:

Lol yes prob wise! Just interested

Thank you all for your opinions and info, my girls are fit and happy at this time, I'm just a little sensitive just now. I will keep a check on their weight and try to find a bunny vet in the area. Much as I appreciate vets in general there are good and not so good ones , and they can be complacent.

It's good to have you there Bunny Mum's makes me feel much better.
June

LurcherGirl said:

What would the ultrasound show if there was any cancer?

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I haven't got a clue, I leave the interpretation of the scans and x-rays to my vet... :lol:

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If its anything like when they scan for a baby it would be like a black and white picture and so you would be able to see masses. It also requires skill to be able to read them correctly which is probs also why not all vets offer it as a service.

Nice to know thats an option. Thanks for that info!