Why spay rabbits

When is a rabbit too old to be spayed or neutered? It is always a good idea, in a rabbit over 2 years of age, to have a very thorough health check done, including full blood work. This may be more expensive than the surgery, but it will help detect any condition that could make the surgery more risky.

This is especially important if anesthetics other than isofluorene are used. Can you tell if female rabbit has already been spayed? One can shave the tummy and look for a spay scar. However, when veterinarians use certain stitching techniques, there is no scar whatsoever.

Hopefully, these veterinarians will tattoo the tummy to indicate the spay has been done, but otherwise, the only way of knowing is to proceed with the surgery. What does the surgery cost? Colby, an area veterinarian experienced in rabbit care has started a low cost spay and neuter program. How can I find a veterinarian that can do the surgery safely? You can start by checking out our page Area Vets for a list of rabbit experienced vets in the Atlanta area. The National House Rabbit Society also offers an article on tips to find a good rabbit vet.

The article includes tips on how to interview a potential vet, questions to ask, and things not to do. What kinds of questions should I ask the vet? Has the veterinarian said you should withhold food and water prior to surgery your rabbit's surgery? Absolutely, do not do this and be sure to question the veterinarian. The reason they would suggest this is because they aren't familiar enough with rabbit anatomy and they assume the rabbit would aspirate or vomit recently eaten food.

About how many rabbit clients do you veterinarian see in a year? What was the success rate? Every doctor, whether for animals or humans will occasionally lose a patient, usually because of an undiagnosed problem. If any were lost, what was the cause? Rabbit pregnancies are short — around 31 days — and there are several kits to each litter. Even 10 years ago, rabbit surgery was regarded as high risk and many vets were reluctant to perform planned surgery on rabbits.

Nowadays there are far safer anaesthetics available, anaesthetic techniques have advanced enormously and veterinary training is more available, so rabbit neutering operations are much safer. Surgery on any animal can have unexpected complications, including a small risk of death, but for most rabbits the benefits of neutering far outweigh the very small risk.

Older rabbits and those in poor health are more difficult to neuter safely. Like any other specialist field, vets vary in their interests and expertise in rabbit medicine. Check our choosing a good vet pages. If you already use a veterinary practice, ask whether they neuter rabbits. Most small animal vets are happy to neuter both male and female rabbits these days, but some practices do still refer rabbit surgery — especially spays, or higher-risk rabbits — to specialist exotics practices.

The cost of having rabbits neutered varies from one veterinary practice to another. Spaying a female is always more expensive than neutering a male because it is takes longer and is a more complex operation. Ask vets for quotes, but if you can afford to do so, choose your vet based on their rabbit expertise and track record in rabbit anaesthesia and surgery, not on their price-list.

Take your rabbit to the vet well before the operation date for a health check and to discuss the procedure. Ask whether any pre-operative blood tests are advised. They should be offered food and water right up to the time of surgery and as soon as they wake up.

Your rabbit should be awake, alert and preferably eating when you collect it after surgery. Remember to check:. Neutering — Castration and Spaying. Vital for bonding If you have a mixed-sex pair of rabbits, they both need to be neutered so that they can live together happily.

It is also important to remember that spaying and neutering may not be an instantaneous fix, especially if the procedure is being done to address problem behaviors. Hormone levels can take a while to stabilize, so less than desirable behavior patterns may continue for several weeks to a couple of months after the procedure. If your furry friend was altered well after reaching sexual maturity, some dominant behaviors hair pulling, humping, circling, etc.

While spaying or neutering your rabbit is not the key to eternal life most regrettably , it has been proven to significantly increase overall health and longevity.

These surgeries also often have the added benefit of making your rabbit a more affectionate companion and reducing problem behaviors. Though every surgical procedure comes with a certain level of risk, as a dedicated and knowledgeable pet parent, you can help decrease the risks by choosing a rabbit-savvy veterinary team that can answer all your questions and has a high surgical success rate.

Rabbit Life Stages. Curbside Veterinary Care for Small Mammals. Back to Blog Home. What Questions Should I Ask? How long have you been seeing exotics animals, specifically rabbits? How many rabbits do you see in your office annually? What is your success rate? Have you ever lost a rabbit during surgery? If so, what was the cause? Should my rabbit fast before surgery? Doing so could cause your bunny to go into gastrointestinal stasis making the entire situation much riskier.

What are your anesthetic protocols? What precautions and supportive measures do you have in place before, during, and after surgery? Can you please describe the surgery?