Do you need to get females spayed?

We're getting our mummy and two baby daughter mini rex's next week and I'm just wondered if we need to get them all 'done' and if so when?

Mum is 1, babies will be 9 weeks.

Thanks

T
x

Yes, spaying is very important as it stops uterine cancer and bad behaviour. Females can be spayed from 5-6 months.

I always get my Does spayed. The risk of a Doe getting Uterine cancer by the age of 3 is estimated at 80%. My Vet has seen abnormal Uterus in even younger Does.
A Doe is usually spayed at about 6 months of age. Of course there is always a risk associated with any surgical proceedure but the GA risk is minimal compared to the risk of the Doe getting UC.
Janex

I didn't realise that re. cancer, will def get them done then.

So I should get the mum done as soon as possible then and the babies when they reach 6 months.

How long should I leave mum to settle in before booking her in?

Thanks

T
x

Treacle44 said:

I didn't realise that re. cancer, will def get them done then.

So I should get the mum done as soon as possible then and the babies when they reach 6 months.

How long should I leave mum to settle in before booking her in?

Thanks

T
x

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I'd let Mum settle in for a few weeks and regain her condition after raising her Kits. You just need to be CERTAIN baby Bun is a girlie as you dont want any mishaps should 'she' be a 'he' if you get my drift!! Bucks can become fertile at 3-4 months!! :shock:

Janex

I heard the same thing very various source, that by age 2.5, 80% of the female will suffer from uterus cancer because the organ is not used.

Likewise, same deal w/ a male rabbit if he is not neutered.

as your adult female has had a litter it is not that imperative to have her spayed, as once bred the risk of the cancer is vastly reduced, and as for behavior reasons the litter also takes these away....

i would get the youngsters done tho if you're only keeping them as pets... did they come from a reputable breeder if so you should be safe with the genders as most breeders sex at around 3 weeks when it is much easier to tell the genders than at around 6-20 weeks, i think all the breeders i know (including myself) can sex a rabbit much more effectivly than the vets i know.

Also you'll need to know HOW MANY litters you're older doe has had in her young life, she should only have had one at that age, if she's had three or more, I WOULD NOT get her spayed as her insides will be VERY week and would not cope with the stress.

i have a doe who had 3 litters before she was 8 months old, no vet in their right mind would touch her as there is a 98% chance she'd die under the anecstetic or shortly after, she's a rescue by the way, because i couldn't have her spayed, i had to get my buck done instead as another litter would almost certainly finnish her off.

becki_moorcroft said:

as your adult female has had a litter it is not that imperative to have her spayed, as once bred the risk of the cancer is vastly reduced, and as for behavior reasons the litter also takes these away....

i would get the youngsters done tho if you're only keeping them as pets... did they come from a reputable breeder if so you should be safe with the genders as most breeders sex at around 3 weeks when it is much easier to tell the genders than at around 6-20 weeks, i think all the breeders i know (including myself) can sex a rabbit much more effectivly than the vets i know.

Also you'll need to know HOW MANY litters you're older doe has had in her young life, she should only have had one at that age, if she's had three or more, I WOULD NOT get her spayed as her insides will be VERY week and would not cope with the stress.

i have a doe who had 3 litters before she was 8 months old, no vet in their right mind would touch her as there is a 98% chance she'd die under the anecstetic or shortly after, she's a rescue by the way, because i couldn't have her spayed, i had to get my buck done instead as another litter would almost certainly finnish her off.

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I do not agree.
Research has shown that pregnancies do NOT offer a Doe protection from UC or Mammary Tumours (Breast Cancer)
I have had numerous Ex-Breeding Does (from a rescue) spayed without any problem at all. The risk is not the past pregnancies but the additional fatty deposits in the abdominal cavity of older Does. This applies to both Ex breeding Does and older Does who have never been pregnant.
I would have no concerns at all about my Vet (who is extremely experienced with Rabbit spays) spaying a Doe such as your older one.
Janex

When is the most likely time for them to get cancer if they are a female because our female is 5 months old but I don't really want to get her speyed just yet because I want to get her introduced to the male first for a few months. Do you think it would be okay if I had her done at around 12 months old like I had Binka done or is this too late?

I was told without spaying Sophie, she'd get an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer I didn't want my baby to endure such nastiness in her life .... :roll: :?

Foxy said:

When is the most likely time for them to get cancer if they are a female because our female is 5 months old but I don't really want to get her speyed just yet because I want to get her introduced to the male first for a few months. Do you think it would be okay if I had her done at around 12 months old like I had Binka done or is this too late?

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She is at the best age to be spayed NOW. She is past puberty but will not yet have laid down too much fatty tissue within her abdominal cavity.
BTW I assume your boy Bun is neutered.......

Janex

Yes Binka was neutered about nearly 3 months ago now so its okay they won't be having little bunnies when they meet :lol:

sorry ignore this post - it was a duplicate of my last one - my computer is going really slow today and I didn't know it had posted the first time

i've never lost a doe to UC i spay all pets and non breeding does, and have never had a problem with them, or my breeding does

I'm not sure how much research has been done into pregnancy and the effects on uterine cancer. Trouble is, you need to wait 5+ years to see whether they develop it so I guess studies aren't that common

Spaying any your not breeding from sounds a sensible precaution to me

Trouble is it's something that's not easy to detect until it's too late, I know rescues often find does with uterine cancer when they go in for routine spays before rehoming. If they'd stayed with the owner and hadn't been spayed they would probably have died a few months down the line with the owner none the wiser about why or having written it off to 'old age'.

Tam.

I think it's a policy here of "better safe than sorry". The risk to the doe of a GA is very low if done by an experienced vet, but UC may well be higher. It's surgically easier to spay a doe if she's under 1 year old. My two does, Miffy and China, were spayed at 4 months and 11 months respectively.

AMETHYST

i think vets should offer the choice of PMs more often as it would help people see what rabbits have died from, i often get people ringing me saying my rabbit died yesterday i'm looking for another to replace do you have anything available now? im like well what did it die of... people dont seem to understand about contageous diseases etc its worring really...

i get a pm done on any rabbit that dies suddenly... the only ones i dont is if they've been slowing down and just looking old for a while, as its my biggest fear that something goes unoticed that could affect the other buns

Before I came on here I didnt know much about rabbits and the vte neevr once recommended/mentioned about me getting Esmee spayed so she hasnt been and she is 7yrs old now !

but next doe I get will be spayed, as I think I have just been very lucky with Emsee

I don't know if you've seen this article before, as it's target audience is primarily American breeders. It's a very well done article on uterine cancer in rabbits.
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/1155/UC.html

Here's a couple of interesting snips:

From e-mail conversations with an experienced rabbit vet, I found out he sees an estimated 20% incidence of uterine cancer in his practice and he does most spays at 5 months of age. He also said that he has read several articles that cite incidence rates of between 14%-35%. He also told me that the mortality rate for spay surgeries should be less than 1% and that he has never lost a doe so far. I have read other sources they state a mortality rate should be less than 1%.

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Greene also found that there was a link between pregnancy toxemia and eventual development of uterine cancer (3). Apparently tissue changes and blood chemical alterations were the same in fatal cases of pregnancy toxemia as "mild" cases. All animals experiencing toxemia later developed uterine cancer. This is the link between endometrial hyperplasia and uterine cancer, it always preceded the development of a tumor in the studies.

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Although no one has reported "the" incidence of cancer among the general population of rabbits, pet or breeder, we should pay attention to what the studies are showing us. Adams (1962) made the observation that the incidence of uterine cancer in breeder rabbits and aged virgin rabbits was the same. Many breeders do not keep their does past breeding age and often will not keep does around who have reproduction difficulties, so this may explain why many have not experienced the incidence.

so if a mummy bunny has a litter..shes less likely to get cancer..? how bizar...so basically in bunny world..no wonder they breed like they do..its breed or die in ther lives!!! im deffo looking into spaying