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Would you have your Doe spayed? The discussion continues .. 26 May 2017

The figure of 80% came from a very limited number (twelve I think) of related laboratory rabbits and it is very dubious whether it could be duplicated in rabbits living a good life. Given the impact of lifestyle on human cancer rates it is reasonable to assume that it would make a difference to rabbits too. The quality of proof you ask of the vet not doing the op is far higher than the standard used to recommend it.

To me the risk of pregnancy and of difficulty keeping herself clean due to a dewlap preventing her reaching her bottom are better reasons to spey and I have always told people this. Behaviour issues except for extreme cases are not a good enough reason. Unspeyed does are actually easier to bond and the range of behaviours they display are not problematic given the right environment.

I have seen quite a few does with problems caused by speying. They are very prone to adhesions which can cause lifelong gut problems (many unexplained gut issues and problems blamed on teeth may actually be due to this) and I have even seen a speyed doe get very nasty mammary tumors. I never lost one during the opp itself but I have lost two afterwards as they never properly recovered from the anaesthetic and another when she opened herself up again by chewing her stitches and died under the second anaesthetic when she was restitched.

This issue is a genuine concern, please don't just dismiss it.


Thank you doorkeeper, you raise some very interesting and important points. It's an eye opener for me that the study was on such a small group of rabbits. I do agree that a good lifestyle makes a big difference when assessing various health risks.

Adhesions is one of the worst culprits of spaying a doe, and I wish it didn't happen as much as I am hearing that it does.

I'm interested that you find unspayed does easier to bond.

There are definitely two sides to this argument.
 
I would personally disagree with this...my Flo was nice enough prior to her spay, would let me give her head rubs etc...but she would lunge at me if I was in the hutch and bite people who weren't me. Since spaying she is possibly the loveliest rabbit on earth, hasn't lunged or bitten since. I think this is much better for her welfare, she lets me give her medication (she has needed lots) which probably would have been impossible before. She is also very good at the vets now in comparison to before where she used to scream, last year the vet even did a conscious x-ray of her chest! No need for sedation which is better for her.

I was going to bond her with my pair of neutered males (very placid boys) before she was spayed and she tried to beat them up!
Since she was spayed, I had her bonded her with Tubsy she displayed no aggressive behaviour whatsoever!

Concerning problems from spaying, there are risks with any sort of surgery. I'm a vet nurse and I see such complicated surgery all the time, cat brain surgery, dog lung lobe removal...riskier surgeries and more often than not they go home happy!
Adhesions can occur after any abdominal surgery in rabbits, cats, dogs, humans.
Mammary tumours are unlikely to occur if spayed, though may have started prior to spay? Or from uterus stump?
In veterinary anaesthesia, recovery period is always the most riskiest period. Some individuals just have a bad reaction, unfortunately that's just the way it is and cannot be predicted. Flo was induced for anaesthesia the other day for a dental, same drugs as she always has had, she nearly crashed - stopped breathing, went bradycardic, had to be intubated immediately and ventilated as they reversed the drugs. It was random, can't predict that.
Most vets use intradermal stitches now for routine procedures such as spaying, so they dissolve and can't be pulled out.

Not dismissing it...IMO there are a lot more pros than cons, and I'm sure many veterinary professionals would agree. Risks with any surgery/anaesthetic, spay or otherwise.


Thank you for this Flo :)

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the spaying for behavioural issues is a significant consideration. Particularly since rabbits are so often given up to Rescue and are difficult creatures to give a 'life worth living' to at the best of times. If they can live a fulfilling life, but one of the conditions of that is neutering, then it's not to be dismissed, for sure.
 
I somehow missed this entire thread!

I see both sides, I hate GA's but understand that they are a necessary evil. When we got the boys neutered we didn't have a clue about rabbits and went ahead just assuming all would be ok and luckily it was.
If I was faced with it now it would be a different story. I would do it but I wouldn't like it one bit and I'd feel even worse with a doe. However, I know that I'd feel a hundred times worse if I didn't and then she went on to get Uterine Cancer. I can fully understand why people wouldn't want to take the risk though.

To me this is just another big tick for rescuing! Bea came spayed and I didn't have to worry or stress about getting her done :) I will always rescue now and this is one of the many reasons why!
 
I somehow missed this entire thread!

I see both sides, I hate GA's but understand that they are a necessary evil. When we got the boys neutered we didn't have a clue about rabbits and went ahead just assuming all would be ok and luckily it was.
If I was faced with it now it would be a different story. I would do it but I wouldn't like it one bit and I'd feel even worse with a doe. However, I know that I'd feel a hundred times worse if I didn't and then she went on to get Uterine Cancer. I can fully understand why people wouldn't want to take the risk though.

To me this is just another big tick for rescuing! Bea came spayed and I didn't have to worry or stress about getting her done :) I will always rescue now and this is one of the many reasons why!


I agree. I'd say I opt to rescue as much for my sanity as it feels the right thing to do. I've had bunnies for near 25 years & only had to neuter once
 
I somehow missed this entire thread!

I see both sides, I hate GA's but understand that they are a necessary evil. When we got the boys neutered we didn't have a clue about rabbits and went ahead just assuming all would be ok and luckily it was.
If I was faced with it now it would be a different story. I would do it but I wouldn't like it one bit and I'd feel even worse with a doe. However, I know that I'd feel a hundred times worse if I didn't and then she went on to get Uterine Cancer. I can fully understand why people wouldn't want to take the risk though.

To me this is just another big tick for rescuing! Bea came spayed and I didn't have to worry or stress about getting her done :) I will always rescue now and this is one of the many reasons why!


Thanks for your post Roxy :wave:

I just wouldn't consider anything except giving a home to rescue rabbits. I don't want to encourage anyone to breed a rabbit on my behalf - there are too many already. All these neuters and spays are keeping the vets in business, and quite rightly so :)
 
Just thought I would bring this thread back as I have had cause to do some research on behalf of a Forum member and it threw up this interesting article by Vet William Lewis:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2045-0648.2010.tb00135.x?journalCode=tvnj20

Neutering rabbits – is it worth the risk?

It was in the Veterinary Nursing Journal of 2010, and published online in 2014, so not bang up to date. I was thinking of the risks of post surgical adhesions particularly ..

The full article isn't quoted, but some members may be able to gain access :)
 
Just thought I would bring this thread back as I have had cause to do some research on behalf of a Forum member and it threw up this interesting article by Vet William Lewis:

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.2045-0648.2010.tb00135.x?journalCode=tvnj20

Neutering rabbits – is it worth the risk?

It was in the Veterinary Nursing Journal of 2010, and published online in 2014, so not bang up to date. I was thinking of the risks of post surgical adhesions particularly ..

The full article isn't quoted, but some members may be able to gain access :)
That's very interesting, a few people have said to me get boys done, but don't worry about girls, because it's so much more involved for them, but from experience it depends on the bunny... My boy didn't take his well. Also I just realised that's my vet [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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That's very interesting, a few people have said to me get boys done, but don't worry about girls, because it's so much more involved for them, but from experience it depends on the bunny... My boy didn't take his well. Also I just realised that's my vet [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]

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Yes the vet doing the op is crucial. But often we don't find out their limitations until it's too late :(

I'm so sorry you had this experience with your boy
 
Yes the vet doing the op is crucial. But often we don't find out their limitations until it's too late :(

I'm so sorry you had this experience with your boy
It's worse for Atticus I'm sure, bless him. William is a fantastic vet though if it wasn't for him Clementine would've been put down. He's also doing Fleurs spay this Wednesday so hopefully that goes well - I don't think there's any real way of knowing what's going to happen all you can do is find a great vet and hope for the best x

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It's worse for Atticus I'm sure, bless him. William is a fantastic vet though if it wasn't for him Clementine would've been put down. He's also doing Fleurs spay this Wednesday so hopefully that goes well - I don't think there's any real way of knowing what's going to happen all you can do is find a great vet and hope for the best x

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Awesome! How wonderful to have William as your vet :D


Wishing Fleur an uneventful spay and a smooth recovery xx
 
Awesome! How wonderful to have William as your vet :D


Wishing Fleur an uneventful spay and a smooth recovery xx
Thank you :D after Atticus I'm hoping it'll go smoothly and there'll be no issues, not sure I can take anymore problems [emoji23][emoji23]

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I'd want to see more evidence than this before I change what I do with any hypothetical future does....and I'd probably still go for it just on the grounds that Poppy was such a nightmare before she was spayed (due to hormones) that she was a danger to herself and everyone around her!
 
I'd want to see more evidence than this before I change what I do with any hypothetical future does....and I'd probably still go for it just on the grounds that Poppy was such a nightmare before she was spayed (due to hormones) that she was a danger to herself and everyone around her!
Clementine was getting a bit sassy before I had her spayed but nothing too bad? I mean now she's super lovely, it's weird because she was the nightmare and now she's much nicer than my boy who was lovely before his castration, but not after.

My other female Fleur is getting spayed Wednesday but I kinda don't want her to change? I've had a lot of second thoughts about it she's sassy... But loving and not a nightmare like Clementine was. It's meant to be the right thing to do though I guess. Also she does spray Atticus when they're outside together haha which he isn't that impressed about so hopefully that'll stop.

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I'd want to see more evidence than this before I change what I do with any hypothetical future does....and I'd probably still go for it just on the grounds that Poppy was such a nightmare before she was spayed (due to hormones) that she was a danger to herself and everyone around her!


Yes, I don't think I can change now .. spaying and neutering is so ingrained :)
 
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