How to Spay or Neuter Your Rabbit

When rabbits enter puberty at approximately 3 months of age, they are capable of reproducing. Separate male and female rabbits to prevent them from reproducing. It's a good idea to spay female and neuter male rabbits. Both male and female rabbits are susceptible to cancer, which can significantly shorten their lives. House rabbits can live 12 to 15 years or more, if well cared for. Spaying/neutering can prevent cancer. It also helps lessen and, in many cases, completely eliminates the urge to spray for both sexes. Rabbits may begin spraying at puberty. Rabbits can spray up to eight feet, painting your walls and you a sticky butterscotch color. It's safe to spay or neuter rabbits when they are 6 months of age.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Interview several potential veterinarians to locate a competent rabbit vet and bring your rabbit for a check up prior to scheduling the surgery, so you both can get to know the vet.

2. Ask if your rabbit must fast the night before surgery. The answer should be "no" and you should be able to leave food and water with your rabbit up to approximately two hours prior to surgery.

3. Ask what type of anesthesia will be used. The answer is Isoflourane (sometimes referred to as Iso).

4. Ask if the veterinarian will have an anesthesiologist present throughout the surgery to monitor your rabbit. The anesthesiologist may be another vet or one of their technicians.

5. Ask the vet to use a pulse monitor to monitor your rabbit's heartbeat during surgery. These monitors sometimes don't work on rabbits, but it's reassuring to have a vet who will try to use it.

6. Make sure your rabbit will be able to come home within 24 hours, if possible, ask the vet to use dissolvable stitches, and ask for pain medication for the first day or so after surgery. Insist on pain medication, if you must, because many rabbits will refuse to eat when they are in pain and not eating can cause the GI tract to shut down.

7. Visit your rabbit prior to and following surgery to make sure he or she is comfortable and knows that you are there and care. Sometimes rabbits feel abandoned when they awake from surgery and this depresses them and slows their recovery.

8. Make a tape recording of your voice talking to and reassuring your rabbit. As your veterinarian to play this tape for your rabbit prior to, during, and after surgery. Ask the vet about this prior to scheduling the surgery to make sure he or she is comfortable doing this. We've found that this reassurance is very helpful because many animals give up when removed from their human companion and confronted with strangers and the pain of surgery.

9. Keep your rabbit quiet for several days afer the surgery and provide pain medication, according to your veterinarian's instructions.

10. Keep your rabbit in a small, clean area where he or she cannot jump or run, and watch your rabbit closely, checking him or her at least twice daily to make sure the stitches are still in place and that no infection occurs.

Tips & Warnings

• Do not pick up your rabbit while he is recovering because the stitches may tear. If you must lift him to view the stitches, keep him on the floor and try to get him to stand up (but don't excite him) or gently lift his upper body only a few inches, enough to check his stitches and make sure there's no infection.
• At the first sign of infection, take your rabbit to the vet. Do not wait for morning. Get medication and treatment for him right away.

[ittycar]

on 1/16/2009 Well-written article - good information - and great tips, too!

on 6/30/2006 I had my rabbit, Pixie (who is a lionhead, dwarf), spayed yesterday, and she has been avoiding her dry food but is eating spring cabbage. If you are having trouble getting your rabbit to eat, contact your veterinarian straight away! I also recommend getting your rabbit their favorite treats for when they come home to tempt them to eat!

on 11/22/2005 My rabbits have always been kept on clean shredded paper after the spay/neuter operation. This lessens the chance of the post operative wound being punctured by straw and causing infection. If you know somebody who works in an office, you could ask if they use a shredding machine. If they do they will probably have bags of shredded paper available. Failing this, you can usually buy it from a pet store or veterinary practice.

on 11/22/2005 It is important to bring your rabbit home as soon as possible. The sooner it is back in familiar surroundings the better. Also, you know your rabbit better than anyone else, if you take it home, you will be concerned about it and are likely to notice even the smallest change in behavior. You are likely to spend more time tempting it to eat and observing it than the staff at the veterinarians office have time to do.

on 11/22/2005 Did you know that cancer rates in rabbits are very high? Even if you don't plan on mating your bunny, you should have him or her spayed or neutered to avoid the risks of testicular, uterine and ovarian cancers. See the house rabbit society webpage and morfz.com for more information.