Help! I'm new and need advice re spaying aftercare please!!

Hi,

I have been hovering around this site for a few days, but I really need some advice.

I have brought my gorgeous lionhead bun home from the vets about 3 1/2 hours ago after being spayed and she is just nestled right in the corner of her cage shaking like a mad thing! She won't eat and is so unlike her usual self! I know that it takes a bit of time to recover, but she seems to be a lot more anxious than her brother was when he came home, and she is usually the more outgoing of the two.

The buns are in separate hutches, as I have a big double hutch and have cordoned off the top level, and I have put Bob in on a supervised visit to let he know he was about but even that has not cheered her up!

She is just over a year old, and I have had her spayed as she was constantly nest building and annoying her poor brother with unwanted advances.

Is this normal behaviour?

Thanks in advance,

Mand x :?

Firstly, welcome to RU! :wave:

From what I've read on here I think that would be considered normal behaviour for a doe who's just been spayed. Although I'm not 100% certain, I'm sure someone with more knowledge will reply soon

Thanks,

your reply is much appreciated!

Amanda x

Hiya!
Spaying is a much more invasive operation than a neuter. When I had my male done he recovered very quickly but my female took time. You need to make sure she is as comfortable and as calm as possible.
The most important thing is to get her to drink something once she has settled, this will help flush the anesthetic out of her system as well as keep her dydrated. Once she has settled she should nibble on some veggies, and other food. If not try to tempt her with her favorite treats. She might still be recovering from the anesthetic right now so just keep an eye on her and make sure she is calm.
Also keep an eye on her wound, make sure she doesn't pick at her stitches and make sure this area is kept clean. Maybe give her something soft to sleep on so it doesn't irritate her tummy.
I remember that Gypsy took a couple of days to settle down properly, she was so nervous when she came home. You will have to make sure your bunny eats something, if not tonight then tomorrow, it's important to keep the gut moving or it will become sluggish and make her even more poorly.
I'm not too sure about the shaking :? maybe someone with more knowledge will be able to help you on that one

aawww im sure she will be back to her normal self in a few days.
I had to syringe feed my girlie after she was spayed as she wouldnt eat.. i used her normal pellet food and mushed it up with some warm water then sucked some up in a syringe. Once she took some she soon found her appetite and started munching on things.
If she normally has water in a bottle in her hutch you could put a bowl of water in as she might drink from that better than a bottle whilst she is not feeling too comfortable.
As suggested.. a nice soft towel or blanket would probably be nice for her to sit on, rather than straw/hay/shavings. At least you dont have to worry too much about her being cold in this weather

I have just been out to check on her again, and she still seems very anxious and trembly

I have lined her hutch with shredded newspaper as advised by the vet, and she has a large corner litter tray which is lined with torn up newspaper, which she has flopped down in. I have put a small amount of bugess excel pellets and dried fruit in a bowl next to her, and also a bowl of water, and will put a vetbed in with her tonight. I would bring her in but my buns prefer to be outside and get more stressed in surroundings they are not overly used to.

The wound looks o.k but obviously where she is sore and doesn't want to move about too much she has weed and not 'hovered' and her bottom is a bit stained. Should I attempt to clean her now or leave it for a little while?

Her hutch is protected with a scratch and newton insulated cover and bye bye fly screen.

Thanks for your replies so far x

From what others have said previously I think she should be inside- no matter that its very warm at the moment.

Hiya

Welcome to RU
Your Bun needs to be INDOORS tonight. Her friend can be with her if he doesnt pester her. If they normally live together seperating them will be very stressful.
You need to make sure your Doe has a clean dry towel or something similar to lie on. A bowl of water is often prefered by buns recovering from a GA. You can also provide her with some finely diced Veggies, the ones she is used to. Gratted carrot is often a good Veg to start a Bun eating. Keep a check on her ear temperature. If they feel very cold you will need to provide some extra warmth for her. In this weather a clean towel placed over her should suffice.
It is very important that she has pooped and wee'd by first thing tomorrow morning. If not you need to contact your Vet as your Doe will need a gut motility stimulant and more pain relief.
Hopefully by the morning she will be on the mend but she does need to be INDOORS tonight.

Janex

Thanks everyone....she is safely indoors in the kitchen, with a vetbed and a large sheet over the tiles along with her litter tray, bowl of water, bowl of food and her toys.

Although i know to keep her warm, she actually seems to prefer lying with her tummy on the tiles...maybe its soothing??

I have decided to keep her brother separate tonight as he does have a habit of lying on her and I don't want him to accidentally hurt her. She seems a little better, and is drinking fine now and has weed, so hopefully she will have eaten by morning. If not, i'll give the vets a call.

Thanks again, your advice has been invaluable...i'll keep you all posted

The 2 inch wound will take 2 week to heal, she has to keep indoor during this time frame and the spot she sits on has to be clean so no infection can enter the wound.

She won't eat anything tonight, it's normal for her not to eat anything after the first 24 hr.

She needs to induce eating via treats. If she likes carrots, get her some, or veggies. Her diet would be gradual back to normal w/i a few days.

THe most important trick is to make sure she won't lick that wound. If she tries, moves her head w/ your hand. In short, you have to monitor her as much as possible for the next no. of days until the wound is healed.