Acahni@Gmail.com
New Kit
Hello all, have a very small bun who has an enlarged heart. Will he ever be a candidate for neuter? He's about six months old and is on daily heart medication. He's just below 3 pounds and a very rude boy these days.
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Unaltered male with heart murmur/ enlarged heart
- Thread starter Acahni@Gmail.com
- Start date
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
It would depend on the exact cardiac problem, how well it is being managed on medication and how competent theVet is with complex Rabbit anaesthesia.
If neutering is not an option has your Vet mentioned the use of a hormone implant to dampen down his ‘rude’ behaviour ?
If neutering is not an option has your Vet mentioned the use of a hormone implant to dampen down his ‘rude’ behaviour ?
Acahni@Gmail.com
New Kit
Vet just said heart murmur. He's been on medication since diagnosis about two or three months ago. No mention of hormone implant. I am very hesitant to stress him. Although, I suppose he is stable on his meds. So I guess my question is if others have has the procedure when there is a known heart problem.
InspectorMorse
Wise Old Thumper
I would be reluctant to put him under GA for a routine castration, he would be a high risk candidate for a GA. I would discuss the possibility of an implant.
https://www.vettimes.co.uk/news/vets-reminded-of-medical-neutering-alternative/
I would talk to your vet and see what they say. You have to weigh up the risks of a short operation to neuter him, versus remaining intact and being v hormonal, and an potentially only rabbit for the rest of his life. Both have risks. It also depends on the experience your vet has with rabbits.
There are degrees of heart murmur. You don't say how he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and what medication he is on. His weight would also be a factor. Most vets prefer a rabbit to be at least 1kg, and he should be a stable weight. There's not much you can do about his genetics, though, and he should be at about his adult weight by 6 months if he's a smaller breed.
You also have the option to ask for a referral to a rabbit specialist - it could initially just be a conversation between your vet and the specialist to define the potential options. I would only consider neutering with a vet with a lot of experience with rabbits, especially in these circumstances. Jane has had rabbits with a hormone implant before, so that is also something to ask about.
I've just lost a 6 month old with no known issues. He didn't come round from the anaesthetic after neutering. There is always a very small risk. He was v hormonal to the point where I was struggling to keep him safe - he was intent on escape, and I couldn't bond him with the others as he was too full-on. I would normally neuter a boy much earlier, but routine neutering wasn't an option under Covid lockdown. It was still the right decision with the information I had. Keeping him intact wasn't a realistic option for us, but I had no reason to expect anything other than a successful outcome from the op.
The decision you have to make needs to be a fully informed one, and one that you can manage the outcomes of.
There are degrees of heart murmur. You don't say how he was diagnosed with an enlarged heart, and what medication he is on. His weight would also be a factor. Most vets prefer a rabbit to be at least 1kg, and he should be a stable weight. There's not much you can do about his genetics, though, and he should be at about his adult weight by 6 months if he's a smaller breed.
You also have the option to ask for a referral to a rabbit specialist - it could initially just be a conversation between your vet and the specialist to define the potential options. I would only consider neutering with a vet with a lot of experience with rabbits, especially in these circumstances. Jane has had rabbits with a hormone implant before, so that is also something to ask about.
I've just lost a 6 month old with no known issues. He didn't come round from the anaesthetic after neutering. There is always a very small risk. He was v hormonal to the point where I was struggling to keep him safe - he was intent on escape, and I couldn't bond him with the others as he was too full-on. I would normally neuter a boy much earlier, but routine neutering wasn't an option under Covid lockdown. It was still the right decision with the information I had. Keeping him intact wasn't a realistic option for us, but I had no reason to expect anything other than a successful outcome from the op.
The decision you have to make needs to be a fully informed one, and one that you can manage the outcomes of.