is it a myth that spaying rabbits prevents uterine cancer?

[helgalush]

Have you totally missed the point of the thread? That's not what I'm talking about.

What I said is basically what the OP's vet said to her, which is why the thread happened in the first place. There is also someone else on the thread who has said this has happened to her as well.
I was making a point that everyone saying "well I would just get a new vet that one must be no good" doesn't address the bigger issue. It is good advice for the OP because she has people on here to ask but that doesn't help all the other people who are less knowledgeable that may be getting told the same thing. I haven't personally experienced it, I am working off what other people have stated they have experienced in this thread. I'm sure there are hundreds of examples on this forum of vets giving the wrong advice, like the vet who told me I should have my sneezing rabbit PTS because he probably had incurable snuffles. He didn't even have snuffles, he had a chest infection.

How can we address the bigger issue?

Isn't that what the RWAF are trying to do by recommending neutering and producing leaflets explaining why. Also something that the PDSA and RSPCA are trying to raise awareness of. How much can we as individuals influence individual vets or individual rabbit owners? So it falls to the larger animal welfare charities (and rescues where they can) to educate both the public and vets, via several different channels. They are trying to counter the "it is not necessary to neuter rabbits" notion that might be being pushed elsewhere.

Unless I have misunderstood what you mean.

 

[blue_vix]

I'm not saying we should be individually doing something about about it although I think we all do our bit on here, I was trying to say imagine it from the point of view that you are just a general rabbit owner, it's not surprising that the issues become confusing and I don't think we should be getting angry at someone because they are confused or not just accepting what they're being told at face value.

I'm saying it is wrong to just dismiss the concerns of the OP although the initial post was a bit unclear.

 

[Sky-O]

Totally missed the point, sorry!

 

[Hugo's There]

I'm not saying we should be individually doing something about about it although I think we all do our bit on here, I was trying to say imagine it from the point of view that you are just a general rabbit owner, it's not surprising that the issues become confusing and I don't think we should be getting angry at someone because they are confused or not just accepting what they're being told at face value.

I'm saying it is wrong to just dismiss the concerns of the OP although the initial post was a bit unclear.

I agree I think as I have found this difficult to follow.

I asked our local rescue why they wouldn't at least consider neutering their male rabbits and they said because rabbits die under GA and that is obviously what their vet told them :roll: This is why I do not use the other vet in town! But i agree that if the unknowledgeable rabbit owner uses a vet like that then they are going to take that vets word for it and not neuter, they wont know to change vet

 

[helgalush]

I think I see what you mean now Blue Vix, I agree that sometimes it does seem like a minefield of information to get take on board relating to rabbits - they are such complicated little things at times, and not just with neutering, but with behaviour and health and other things generally, its easy to get confused and not sure what to believe. And yeah in those circumstances it is not going to help to get angry or guilt-trippy with someone genuinely trying to find out the best information they can for their rabbit, but I guess on the other hand its also frustrating to give what you consider to be good advice in terms of rabbit welfare (ie generally accepted advice) but then people turn a blind eye to it because its a hassle/expense they can not be bothered with, if you see what I mean.

PS I am sure I am just adding to the confusion now! :lol:

 

[oksana.dashwood]

I run a small rescue with a small throughput, probably about a dozen rabbits a year. In 2 years, I lost two does to neutering, in hands of experienced rabbit vets. One from liver failure post-surgery, she went into it right away and and died within two days. Second just now under GA. A five 1/2 y.o. doe, who we had for two month, who did so well with us, coming in malnourished and putting on weight as we needed her to, just died under GA at the end of the procedure. I also had two who went in for their spays to find that they were spayed already. The latest casualty, the elderly doe, wasn't even going for adoption. She was to stay a resident here due to old age and awful teeth. It's probably best for her to have gone, because she had to have monthly dentals. But she was so cheery, fun, inquisitive... I certainly found this very traumatic losing her this unexpectedly and I'm going to most seriously research the actual cancer risk and weigh it against surgery risks in future. I'm seriously contemplating not spaying my females routinely any longer but only if they're young, in sound health and are doing for adoption - all these three factors. I bonded entire females without any problems and never found they needed neutering for behavioural reasons. I mean, you wouldn't do that to yourself only so that your husband didn't have to deal with your PMS moods? I actually came to consider surgery a serious risk.

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[SarahP]

Wow, this is an old thread!

Sorry to hear about your losses. I'm sure others will have lots of views - good to have a healthy debate about these things, I think,

 

[catxx]

*blows cobwebs off thread* anyone have a duster?

The spay surgery is far less risky than the operations when they're further down the line to remove tumours as a result of not being spayed. Like Thimble who arrived at Rabbit Residence aged 7 with three massive tumours in her uterus and dangerously underweight, she was successfully spayed and is now bonded with a loving husbun. Another 7 year old doe who came in with her, Fariyah, was also unspayed and had a massive tumour attached to her uterus and one of her kidneys, it was so large it was displacing other organs. She was successfully spayed and had one kidney removed, she lived happily with her new found husbun for 6 months before the cancer came back and had spread to her other kidney. Would she still be alive if spayed earlier? Probably.

 

[oksana.dashwood]

I'm actually in bits over this, crying all the time, regretting the decision to spay her. She'd just moved in with her - I'm sure first ever - husbun. Also a giant bun like her. They were an elderly couple whose bonding was like, "Ah where have you been all this time? Come here, let's groom." ... Instant. They were both ex-breeding rabbits. She in particular was in dreadful state when she came here, a bag of vibes she was, the biggest of them all and the thinnest of then all. In just 2 months, she put on nearly a kilogramme, and she was still thin. She was such a character and just started to trust us, so loved up for a week with her husbun Rusty and looked after so well. Our vet said it was risky but still recommended we went ahead, for uterine cancer prevention reasons. I should have known she was too old and left out at that, left her to live out her remaining time, loved up with her Rusty and lapping her slop that I made her daily. I should have never sent her for this op! It's so hard to know what the right thing to do is.

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[SarahP]

That's so sad. But we can only take the decision we feel is right at the time, based on the advice we're given. x

 

[Fellie]

I'm so sorry this has happened to you...unfortunately it seems that this decision carries risks whatever we decide and our decisions are only based on what we feel is right for the rabbit at the time. So don't blame yourself - you did the right thing based on the information you had at the time. You gave this girl a wonderful life whilst she was with you and she left you in peace and without pain.

 

[KarenM]

I'm so sorry for your loss Oksana. It must be devastating to lose a bun in that situation and you're bound to think of all the what if's but, for what it's worth, I'm sure you made the right decision. You weren't to know that it would end this way and sadly there is always a risk with a GA.

Lola sends her love btw; she and Alfie are still very loved up and both doing well.

 

[Snowflake-George]

Oksana, I've just realised that your doe is Chestnut from Helicopter Ears. I am very sorry for your loss, she was a very beautiful girl and looked so happy with Rusty.

I can't really add more too what everyone has already said, except that I think you and your team at Helicopter Ears are fabulous. You have taken in some seriously neglected bunnies in the past and give them the respect, the care and especially all the love that they should have had. Without yourself bunnies like Chestnut and Rusty, Teddy, Mr Buttons and Dominic would never have been given the chances you gave them.

 

[oksana.dashwood]

Oksana, I've just realised that your doe is Chestnut from Helicopter Ears. I am very sorry for your loss, she was a very beautiful girl and looked so happy with Rusty.

I can't really add more too what everyone has already said, except that I think you and your team at Helicopter Ears are fabulous. You have taken in some seriously neglected bunnies in the past and give them the respect, the care and especially all the love that they should have had. Without yourself bunnies like Chestnut and Rusty, Teddy, Mr Buttons and Dominic would never have been given the chances you gave them.

Thank you for your kindest words. Xx

 

[halfpenny]

I think if you run a rescue, you are at risk of taking in poorly rabbits to begin with who may well struggle more with an anaesthetic.
I run an animal sanctuary and have had numerous older rabbits spayed who have had tumours in their uterus. In fact I lost a rabbit soon after arrival a few years ago, she was 3.5 and died after passing blood, a post mortem proved she had a uterine tumour. The other rabbit who arrived with her was 7, on neutering she also had a tumour. Neutering also removes the risk of mammary tumours, I've lost 2 rabbits to this too.
We happily neuter dogs and cats for health issues- mammary tumours, uterine tumours and with dogs more commonly pyometras, all things rabbits can get too.
I have never lost a rabbit due to a neutering op, whereas I have lost one and nearly another to a dental op, but I would never stop doing them.

 

[oksana.dashwood]

I think if you run a rescue, you are at risk of taking in poorly rabbits to begin with who may well struggle more with an anaesthetic.
I run an animal sanctuary and have had numerous older rabbits spayed who have had tumours in their uterus. In fact I lost a rabbit soon after arrival a few years ago, she was 3.5 and died after passing blood, a post mortem proved she had a uterine tumour. The other rabbit who arrived with her was 7, on neutering she also had a tumour. Neutering also removes the risk of mammary tumours, I've lost 2 rabbits to this too.
We happily neuter dogs and cats for health issues- mammary tumours, uterine tumours and with dogs more commonly pyometras, all things rabbits can get too.
I have never lost a rabbit due to a neutering op, whereas I have lost one and nearly another to a dental op, but I would never stop doing them.

Thank you for your support. I know it was a right thing to do, meant to be, and all that. I think that's just what I needed to hear. Really thank you. X