Spay Help!

[JenniHC]

My two girls are due their spay on Thursday and I need some help!

Is it better for them to be outside in their hutch with newspaper for bedding (bearing in mind their hutch has a ramp - is there a risk of pulling stiches?)

Or better for them to be inside with me in a dog crate for a few days (alot smaller than they need but restricts movement until they can heal - but will there then be the problem of reaclimatising them to the cold outside after being in my warm house with the only chance to stretch their legs being in the eve when i'm from work?)

Can anybody help, because I have no idea what to do!?

 

[kaths101]

:wave: I think it is recommended to have them inside for 48 hours as after an operation they are unable to regulate their temperature so will be cold outside amd also you will need to keep an eye on them! If they are outdoor bunnies could you put them in a cool room - a spare room / utility room without heating. This way they wont get too cold but not too warm either..

A dog crate sounds a good idea as you dont want them to be jumping about too much - place some nice fleecy blankets or towels in - dont let them lay on hay as it may irritate the wound.

You will probably find they wont want to eat but try and tempt them with lots of yummy food - dandelions, banana and herbs did the trick with mine! Anything... just to get them to eat.

Also you should put a bowl of water in (if they usually drink from a bottle) both as mine drank a lot more after their spay but always from the bowl. I think it was too much effort to get to the bottle.

Keep a very close eye to make sure they are eating and pooing - this could take a while - I brought sooty home at 4pm and she didnt start eating until the next day.

Good luck - I hope that helps a little and I hope it goes ok xx

 

[JenniHC]

Fantastic, thank you very much for advise , I read alot of stories on here about vets who don't always give the best advise when it comes to rabbit care, its good to have people who know there stuff to check these things with!

I unfortunately live in a bedsit for the time being, so its just one room and a bathroom but I think they should be OK in the bathroom.. I didn't realise about the temperature control thing!

Well i'm going to buy some old blankes and things from charity shop ASAP, and a waterbowl for them and stock up on lots of veggies!

Do you know how long it should take until they can go back outside on hay and wood shavings (they have been outside bunnies all their lives)? Not that I won't be happy to have them in the house, I just don't want them to be horrifically bored in the dog crate all day!

Thanks xx

 

[VickiP]

I would get them back out about 36 hours after the op assuming all is well and they are healed, I wouldn't allow them the ramp though or anything they can jump up onto etc for 7 days ideally. I would avoid wood shavings anyway personally and use the old towels/cotton quilt covers whatever you have indoors in the outside enclosure aswell for the 7 days, make sure they have lots of hay but, in a rack or bowl or something, a very thin layer of really soft hay on some newspaper in their litter tray will suffice. You are aiming to keep the wound free of irritation and infection so you need to keep their area as smooth and dust/irritant free as possible. It's important to get really soft hay. I got some Bunny Meadow hay from the hayexperts with chamomile as it is really soft. You need to check the wound before they go out for swelling or any fluid/leaking providing it's nice and dry and clean and they are eating, pooping/weeing I would get them as back to normal as soon as possible. Thats my experience with my outdoor doe - she perked up much better back in her shed and her own familiar surroundings, although to my cost I didn't remove the little house in the shed which she jumps onto and that may have contributed to a swelling that occurred which is fluid, she was also stretching a lot after the op though so that could have caused it, anyway it's not infected just fluid and it's going now which is good. Best of luck remember to check the wound everyday for 3 days and then every other day till their post op check at the vets.

 

[kaths101]

as long as the wound is looking ok and you are sure they are eating and pooing they should be fine to go outside in 2/3 days - maybe just be careful with the hay and wood shavings - I would stick to paper and blankets etc for the first week.

I wouldnt worry about keeping them inside as they probably wont like being out of their natural surroundings for too long - when they go back out just check their is nothing they can jump or hurt themselves on..

Im by no means an expert - but have been through it myself and have learnt a lot from here and I have a very good vet!

Glad I have helped

 

[kaths101]

:wave: ahh Vicki has already answered :lol::lol:

I take too long to type!!

 

[VickiP]

:wave: ahh Vicki has already answered :lol::lol:

I take too long to type!!

:lol::lol: No your advice was fab - it's probably best to follow Kaths and aim for 48 hours after the op as the vets advise, mine came home at 5pm on the friday and went back out about 1pm on the Sunday in the end as it was particularly mild that day, if it's chilly go on the side of caution. Her ears were red hot indoors though and she perked up outside in my case, she does like to be outside more than inside. Mind you I slept in the spare room with her so maybe it was me grinding my teeth (which apparently I do sometimes according to OH) that put her off - she probably couldn't handle it:lol:

 

[JenniHC]

Thanks very much guys!! :wave:

Just a couple more questions lol and I promise thats it! Sorry for asking so many!

Should I let them out to exercise in their run (giving nothing they can jump on, just their fabric tunnel) during the first 48hrs at all... maybe for a like 3-4hrs in the evening? its just the dog crate really isn't big at all. I guess that might be feeling so sorry for themselves they won't want to be binkying about.

Also, is it OK to keep them together during recovery - I decided to get them both done at the same time, to minimise one picking on the other while they weren't well (they dont fight, get on well apart from alot of mounting - hence the spay!) - but should they be OK together?

And lastly, before I go to bed and stop asking questions! :roll:

How long should I keep them on painkillers for? Im guessing it'll be Metacam?

Thank you!!!

Also

Mind you I slept in the spare room with her so maybe it was me grinding my teeth (which apparently I do sometimes according to OH) that put her off - she probably couldn't handle it

- my OH does this too, if you are anything as loud as him, no wonder !!

 

[VickiP]

:lol: Kath will probably reply aswell so it will be interesting if we agree - re the medication follow the vets advice, they may not send them home with any some don't - mine don't routinely dispense metacam for rabbits they prefer to see the animal again first and I did have to go back on the Saturday with Ness for subcut fluids, metaclop (gut stimulant inj) and the vet prescribed the metacam - I only needed to give two doses ie Sunday night and late Monday morning because she was back to her old self eating wise and behaviour wise so i kind of figured she was alright.

I would also check with the vets about keeping them together - they will probably say yes but, ask them to do internal sutures as a safeguard against stitches being nibbled. With regards the run I would say no for 24 hours and you should avoid handling apart from checking the wound so assuming you are picking up carefully to check the wound and then putting them in the run it would be fine for say an hour but, I wouldn't till after 48 hours - that would be good way of introducing them back out though on day 3 maybe an hour in the morning and then back into the warm enclosure, then 2 hours day 4 and so on. What you can get is a puppy pen at pets at home or bunny playpen they are called and join this to the dog crate to make it bigger, they are about £35.00 but, so handy to have with rabbits so well worth the money. That would make it a much better size for them I think.

 

[VickiP]

Also - my OH does this too, if you are anything as loud as him, no wonder !!

:lol::lol::lol: