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is it a myth that spaying rabbits prevents uterine cancer?

Regardless of the cancer issue it also prevents accidental litters and unwanted hormone related behaviour which is most definitely real, I have the scars to prove it. I cant believe given the choice of spaying or not spaying anyone would contemplate not spaying a healthy bunny.

Ill be honest I have heard vets say buns shouldn’t be spayed including one my mum used to use but these aren’t vets that I would trust with my rabbits anyway as their specialisms are elsewhere
 
little-laura said:
just looked at some of these websites saying these things and there is NO EVIDENCE its all their own research which they provide no proof or reliable sources.... they actually made me angry with what they were saying...

one of the places I found was this http://www.petrabbitworld.com/myth_busting.html
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Thats a very scary website and IMO shjould be disregarded as a source of advice comments such as Don't feed grass because it causes bloat, are scary although they arent based in the UK.

If you look hard enough on the internet ou can find a website to back up anything you want to say, doesnt mean its true
 
Diamond heart said:
yes this is true and obvious
it doesnt mean that the cancer wouldnt just grow somewhere else instead though.

but what else would people be prepared to cut out if they could because of a fear of cancer?

x
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It's not just a fear though, it's very common. And it's not just with rabbits, as I said pet pigs that aren't being bred from should always be spayed because uterine cancer is very common in them too. I'm guessing it's for the same reason as rabbits, because they're genetically programmed to breed extensively.
 
That site is ridiculous :evil::evil: I'm not surprised she doesn't have anywhere for people to leave comments or contact her.
 
little-laura said:
just looked at some of these websites saying these things and there is NO EVIDENCE its all their own research which they provide no proof or reliable sources.... they actually made me angry with what they were saying...

one of the places I found was this http://www.petrabbitworld.com/myth_busting.html
Click to expand...

i will have a look at it - thanks

i will also see if i can find the vets studies etc but it may be weeks before i can post it as i would need a computer - you prob be quicker to keep digging:)

i am sorry that you read something that made you angry - again, this post is not intended to particularly anger anyone - i have a very high history of cancer in my own family so as i said its not something to be taken lightly.

x
 
Diamond heart said:
yes this is true and obvious
it doesnt mean that the cancer wouldnt just grow somewhere else instead though.

but what else would people be prepared to cut out if they could because of a fear of cancer?

x
Click to expand...

Thats not the point this cancer in particular has a high incidence rate when the bun has not been spayed where the other cancer incidence rates and risk of developing are much lower. We try to prevent the other cancers with proper diets, exercise etc... doesnt mean they wont develop them but its something. If something that is high risk is removable and not needed as you arent going to breed the bun then its the best course of action. ok you can get lung cancer but you cant remove the lungs and still function so you have no choice but to carry on with them you can remove the uterious and they live happily without it and they cant get that cancer.
 
little-laura said:
I agree with everything you have said but the weight thing is a possible side affect some female rabbits have been seen to have put on weight more easilly after a spay something to do with body changes, it can happen in humans too.
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Well the reason for weight gain in humans is increase in appetite and less burning off of energy through the menstrual process. Both of which wouldn't apply to rabbits in the sense that they eat constantly anyway because they food is low in nutritional value and they don't have a menstrual process. I have found however that does I've had before they where spayed would get fatter around the time they where experiencing phantom pregnancy. I don't know any scientific evidence though.
 
William said:
It's not just a fear though, it's very common. And it's not just with rabbits, as I said pet pigs that aren't being bred from should always be spayed because uterine cancer is very common in them too. I'm guessing it's for the same reason as rabbits, because they're genetically programmed to breed extensively.
Click to expand...

thanks for this -

it does seem very logical to me- i would like to brush up my knowledge on this to see any counter-arguments are.

do you know why this wouldnt apply to human women? or does it? guessing the amounts of children a rabbit is supposed to have - hormones etc- as you said.

x
 
The other flaw with any research is that traditionally rabbits where kept for meat so never got old enough for these problems to show up, or because of the poor understanding of their needs they where only expected to have a lifespan of around 5 years anyway. Rabbits living to 10+ years is a relatively new phenomenon with improvements in rabbit welfare. ETA plus there isn't great data on death rates and reasons for death because rabbit owners who don't neuter or vaccinate may just assume a rabbits of 5 or 6 has died of old age and bury it, there wouldn't be post mortem etc.


It's like when I was little I had two guinea pigs. We where told they live 4-6 years but one lived till 10 and the other was 12. They actually have a very good healthy life with us more by accident than anything else. As I had a horse we would bring a bale home and they had that as bedding. They got greens everyday because my mum used to do a roast dinner with veg nearly every day.
 
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Diamond heart said:
yes this is true and obvious
it doesnt mean that the cancer wouldnt just grow somewhere else instead though.

but what else would people be prepared to cut out if they could because of a fear of cancer?

x
Click to expand...

The cancer is a hormonal kind of cancer, so removing the uterus and hormones will stop the cancer, it wont just grow else where (although yes there is a chance of other cancers forming)
We dont just spay because of the cancer risk, it also stops the hormones, keeps rabbits litter trained, their behaviour should improve and they can be bonded
 
Diamond heart said:
thanks for this -

it does seem very logical to me- i would like to brush up my knowledge on this to see any counter-arguments are.

do you know why this wouldnt apply to human women? or does it? guessing the amounts of children a rabbit is supposed to have - hormones etc- as you said.

x
Click to expand...

Interestingly in humans, they never found a case of cervical cancer in a virgin. Phantom pregnancies and use of hormone related contraception is linked to increased risk in humans.
 
blue_vix said:
Interestingly in humans, they never found a case of cervical cancer in a virgin. Phantom pregnancies and use of hormone related contraception is linked to increased risk in humans.
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Cervical cancer is thought to be caused by a virus which is transmited via sex (hence the HPV jab or what ever it was) which would be why there was no cases in virgins :wave:
 
I would like to see the RWA set up a national database for the recording of incidences of illnesses in rabbits and contributing factors. Similar to the audit research being undertaken for human ailments. For example, they could have a database a vet can log on to to record rabbit death, age, cause and vaccination/neutering status. This simple information if collected on a vast scale would give a clear indicator of any trends.
 
webble said:
Regardless of the cancer issue it also prevents accidental litters and unwanted hormone related behaviour which is most definitely real, I have the scars to prove it. I cant believe given the choice of spaying or not spaying anyone would contemplate not spaying a healthy bunny.

Ill be honest I have heard vets say buns shouldn’t be spayed including one my mum used to use but these aren’t vets that I would trust with my rabbits anyway as their specialisms are elsewhere
Click to expand...

i think a lot of us have come across a vet or heard of one through a friend or relative who have a different practice other than factory farming all rabbits that hop through their office through the neutering programme -

i respect what you are saying and making your decision that these are opinions you do not share - and you went to a vet who thought neutering a good decision.

i thought a really good idea would be the next time any of us comes across these views in a surgery if we could politely ask for his/her research on the subject and why - as a vet - he/she would lose out on paying customers by recommending the bunny not be neutered. ?

x
 
Ok lets think, what is cancer in the first place? Cancer is where cells reproduce abnormal/damaged cells. All cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control, do not die like normal cells and they invade other cells and tissue.
The reason small animals only live for shorter periods of time (Like how a hamster lives for 3-4 years) is because smaller animals reproduce their cells much faster then us humans. Now the chances of having cancer within, lets say 5 years, is much higher because they reproduce cells much quicker then us. So a higher chance of getting a damaged cell very early on.
Rabbits are designed to breed like wildfire. And if they are not being bred from then that causes hormonal problems and to the cells in the reproductive organs.


I actually have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to why the cancer appears in the uterus but that is my un-educated guess on it :lol:

And not to forget an unspayed rabbit is like owning a piranha :roll:
 
Diamond heart said:
i think a lot of us have come across a vet or heard of one through a friend or relative who have a different practice other than factory farming all rabbits that hop through their office through the neutering programme -

i respect what you are saying and making your decision that these are opinions you do not share - and you went to a vet who thought neutering a good decision.

i thought a really good idea would be the next time any of us comes across these views in a surgery if we could politely ask for his/her research on the subject and why - as a vet - he/she would lose out on paying customers by recommending the bunny not be neutered. ?

x
Click to expand...

The only time I have ever heard this was from a vet didn't see enough rabbits to be confident enough to carry out a spay, or who had not done one at all.

(Of course we also hear vets who have said in the past they they don't recommend vaccinating for VHD because they have never seen a case in their area - that just doesn't stack up either.)

Some vets are just not bunny savvy and don't have any interest in becoming more so either - that will be one very big reason for a vet to not recommend neutering in my opinion. I work at a vets so have a broad spectrum of veterinary people to consider. Luckily for me even our non bunny savvy colleagues will still recommend neutering but simply suggest one of the more bunny savvy vets to carry out the procedure.
 
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LittleEskimo said:
Ok lets think, what is cancer in the first place? Cancer is where cells reproduce abnormal/damaged cells. All cancers start because abnormal cells grow out of control, do not die like normal cells and they invade other cells and tissue.
The reason small animals only live for shorter periods of time (Like how a hamster lives for 3-4 years) is because smaller animals reproduce their cells much faster then us humans. Now the chances of having cancer within, lets say 5 years, is much higher because they reproduce cells much quicker then us. So a higher chance of getting a damaged cell very early on.
Rabbits are designed to breed like wildfire. And if they are not being bred from then that causes hormonal problems and to the cells in the reproductive organs.


I actually have no idea what I am talking about when it comes to why the cancer appears in the uterus but that is my un-educated guess on it :lol:

And not to forget an unspayed rabbit is like owning a piranha :roll:
Click to expand...

This exactly - check this out - an unspayed female of 3 years old that I took in last week https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=412216568822076&set=a.411534775556922.96557.224203434290058&type=3&theater
 
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