How long does a rabbit need to be kept inside after neutering?

[New_member]

Hi, I have a male mini lop who is going to be neutered on the 22nd of this month. He lives outside but I was just wondering how long he needs to be kept inside for after his op? I will ask the vet for advice as well but just want to plan ahead so I have an idea of what to expect in advance.

I also wanted to ask for advice on taking him back outside once he’s recovered? Obviously at this time of year there will be a significant difference between the temperature outside to how it will be in the house. How can I move him back outside safely?

 

[Omi]

Hello and well done for wanting to plan in advance.

What sort of accommodation does your boy live in outside? Does he have a friend he can cuddle up to yet? Could you make the accommodation warmer eg with a heater?

When he is inside you should keep him in an unheated room to minimise the temperature difference.

A lot will depend on the outside temperatures at the time too, which you won't know until much closer to the time.

 

[Orenoko]

Tbh I would keep him inside until it warms up next year, although this is probably OTT!

 

[New_member]

Hi, thanks for your reply . He’s in adapted kids playhouse outside and I do have another rabbit in there with him. At the moment I have a shelter stuffed with straw in there but I have heat pads for when it gets really cold. Happy to put some kind of heater in there but not sure what would be safe for them?

 

[New_member]

Tbh I would keep him inside until it warms up next year, although this is probably OTT!

I’d absolutely love to have them inside full time but we private rent. When we asked our landlords permission to get them he specified that it was ok as long as they were kept outside. I think keeping him inside short term after his op will be ok as the landlord/letting agents won’t know about that but I’d be worried about having them come for inspections of the property and seeing that we’d brought them inside. I haven’t had a property inspection for a while so I suspect one will be due before the weather warms up again!

 

[Omi]

A lot is going to depend on the outside temperature at the time, as I said earlier and also how well and how quickly your bunny recovers from his op. Male neuters are a less invasive procedure than female and mostly they will bounce back really quickly. Obviously a bunny moving around is going to be more able to keep himself warm.

I would do the following. I would ask advice from your vet for a recommended period of time indoors, explaining your set-up and also that you will keep the inside room as cool as possible with no heating. I would take into account just how cold the outside temperature is at that time. Then when you consider he's recovered and fit enough to put him back outside, I would make sure he doesn't have access to outside the playhouse for a day or two, I would use the heat pads and I would fill a small box with straw in the playhouse (straw has more insulating properties than hay).

 

[Cinnabun14]

I hate to be this person, but we once kept birds while renting without the landlord knowing . It was only for a little while, and we were very, very clean (my mom used to rent buildings, so she knew how to keep the house in good standing!). When we got an inspection, we'd put them in the car with their things and go for a little drive, then after the landlord was gone, we'd put them back. Nobody ever found out. Would I recommend doing that again? No, absolutely not, it was wrong, but I was a little kid. In your situation, I think you're right, it's only temporary, and you're not trying to make them live inside. Depending on where you live, they have to give you notice before inspecting, so maybe you'll have a little time to clean up before they come? Just a suggestion, and as a legal disclaimer, use it at your own risk! Otherwise, Omi has a lot of great advice!

 

[tonibun]

You say he lives with another Rabbit. Is this a male or female and are they bonded? As there will be some time during their time apart, you will need to keep a careful eye on them when you re-introduce them as your newly neutered Bunny will still smell of the Vets and some Rabbits react to this, thinking they are a different Bunny. Is the other Rabbit neutered?

 

[Shimmer]

I would look to keeping him indoors in an unheated room for a couple of days after his neuter. It gives time for him to recover from the anaesthetic and for you to be able to keep an eye on his basic functions. After a GA, he won't be able to maintain his temperature as normal (which is why they may need an additional heat source - such as a snugglesafe heatpad - if they are feeling chilly). If his ears still feel cold, he may need an additional heat source in the room.

You also need to check that he's eating normally and that his poo is back to normal before he goes back outside. That is easier if he's on his own, but if he's in a bonded pair, they may be better together - that will have to be your judgement call.

I've had rabbits that were really not happy being indoors, so I had to leave them out in their usual accommodation, but with a lot of extra hay and some heat pads buried in the nest hay. A lot does depend on what the weather is doing during the week of his surgery. If the temperature suddenly drops a few degrees and it's ice / snow, then he may need to be indoors for a week.

My preferred indoor recovery room is the bathroom. It's got no wires to chew, is easy to clean, is the coldest room in my house and it usually has the window open. It's easy to keep an eye on them and for me to keep the indoor cats & dogs away from the rabbit. As there's only me otherwise, it's not too much of an inconvenience for a couple of days and the rabbit is safe.

Girls probably need a longer recovery time (eg a week) as it's a much more serious operation, and they need to be restricted from jumping, etc, so they don't cause any internal damage.

 

[New_member]

You say he lives with another Rabbit. Is this a male or female and are they bonded? As there will be some time during their time apart, you will need to keep a careful eye on them when you re-introduce them as your newly neutered Bunny will still smell of the Vets and some Rabbits react to this, thinking they are a different Bunny. Is the other Rabbit neutered?

Hi, so the other rabbit he lives with is also a boy. We originally thought he was a girl so we booked the neuter about a month ago and then planned to book the spay when we took the first bunny in for his op. When it became clear that they were actually 2 boys, I asked the vet if the second rabbit could also be booked in for neutering on the same day but they didn’t have any more availability. They advised to keep the original appointment to have the first bunny neutered and then the second one can get booked in early January.

I was planning on bringing them both inside during the recovery time so that they wouldn’t be split up but I wasn’t aware that the bunny who is staying at home could react to the smell of the vets. Is it not a good idea to keep them together during the recovery period?

 

[New_member]

I would look to keeping him indoors in an unheated room for a couple of days after his neuter. It gives time for him to recover from the anaesthetic and for you to be able to keep an eye on his basic functions. After a GA, he won't be able to maintain his temperature as normal (which is why they may need an additional heat source - such as a snugglesafe heatpad - if they are feeling chilly). If his ears still feel cold, he may need an additional heat source in the room.

You also need to check that he's eating normally and that his poo is back to normal before he goes back outside. That is easier if he's on his own, but if he's in a bonded pair, they may be better together - that will have to be your judgement call.

I've had rabbits that were really not happy being indoors, so I had to leave them out in their usual accommodation, but with a lot of extra hay and some heat pads buried in the nest hay. A lot does depend on what the weather is doing during the week of his surgery. If the temperature suddenly drops a few degrees and it's ice / snow, then he may need to be indoors for a week.

My preferred indoor recovery room is the bathroom. It's got no wires to chew, is easy to clean, is the coldest room in my house and it usually has the window open. It's easy to keep an eye on them and for me to keep the indoor cats & dogs away from the rabbit. As there's only me otherwise, it's not too much of an inconvenience for a couple of days and the rabbit is safe.

Girls probably need a longer recovery time (eg a week) as it's a much more serious operation, and they need to be restricted from jumping, etc, so they don't cause any internal damage.

Hi, thank you for your reply. I’m now considering bringing both of my rabbits in and just keeping them inside until spring time. It’s not particularly cold outside at the moment so the temperature isn’t that different from inside the house (although I am aware that it could suddenly drop!). This will also allow me to keep an eye on him after his op and also cover the time that my second bunny goes in for his op too.

Unfortunately my bathroom is tiny with hardly any floor space so this wouldn’t be an option for me. I’m thinking about putting a large pen in my living room and letting them out during the day to have free roam of the room. I will obviously have to sort wires etc though!

 

[Orenoko]

Hi, so the other rabbit he lives with is also a boy. We originally thought he was a girl so we booked the neuter about a month ago and then planned to book the spay when we took the first bunny in for his op. When it became clear that they were actually 2 boys, I asked the vet if the second rabbit could also be booked in for neutering on the same day but they didn’t have any more availability. They advised to keep the original appointment to have the first bunny neutered and then the second one can get booked in early January.

I was planning on bringing them both inside during the recovery time so that they wouldn’t be split up but I wasn’t aware that the bunny who is staying at home could react to the smell of the vets. Is it not a good idea to keep them together during the recovery period?

This is a tricky one as if their bond breaks they will fight when you put them back together, and you really need them inside to monitor them. I don't have experience of keeping a neutered male with an unneutered male (appreciate this wasn't your intention). I think your idea of keeping them both inside is a good one, that way you can monitor for any fighting and also keep the second bun indoors as and when he is neutered.

 

[Shimmer]

It also depends on ages. If one or both are young and adolescent, hormones are more likely to spark a scuffle.

Ideally, getting them both done on the same day would be my preference. You never know, there may be a cancellation on the day and No 2 could be squeezed in at the last minute. It's easier for rabbits as they must not be starved beforehand (just the opposite - feed them up to keep their guts going). Castration is also a relatively quick and simple operation. I would be tempted to take them in together and keep fingers crossed, but be prepared to bring one home while the other is done.

 

[New_member]

They will both be 18 weeks at the time of the first castration. That’s a good idea, I’m happy to take them both just in case. If the second one does end up coming back home, are they at risk of fighting if I put them back together straight from the vets?

 

[Shimmer]

The one that has stayed at the vet will smell different and will be still getting the anaesthetic out of his system. I would probably look at keeping them separate for the first night - either in completely different locations, or separated by a secure barrier (including a roof on at least one part). Make sure the neutered one is eating & pooing normally the next morning, then see how they get on together when he is more up to dealing with his friend. The entire one may well have a go at him if he doesn't smell right and isn't acting normally, so he will be treated as a sick intruder and may well get injured, especially as they are both adolescent.

Hormone levels take up to 6 weeks to settle down after neutering, so just keep an eye on them. Hopefully all will be fine. I've always preferred boy bonds with rabbits - it's the girls that scare me.

 

[New_member]

Thanks so much, this is really good advice. I’ve seen them humping each other a lot, is this normal? The originally suspected female seems to hump more often and rabbit that is going to the vets soon moves away. When it’s the other way around, the rabbit being humped just stays still and lets it happen. It doesn’t seem aggressive from either side? I just don’t want any fights!