NEWLY FIXED RABBIT

Rabbits Online Forum

Help Support Rabbits Online Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

FunBunMom

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 22, 2022
Messages
118
Reaction score
58
Location
Irvine
Hi guys,
My rabbits just got fixed today. 1 boy, 1 girl, both got it done at the same time.
They were NOT pestering each other.
They are sleeping.
The female’s stitches have blood on them. (is that normal? It isn’t bleeding but Female is NOT Pooping, (although it was done just today)

My parents insist on having them separated, (advice from the vet)
But I’m not sure if what the vet says is good. Here are examples on what the receptionist said:
“Seperate them:
“DON’T give them pain meds, it’s bad for them”
“It’s OKAY if they DON’T EAT for 3 DAYS STRAIGHT???!!!”
No mention of giving them critical care, nor checking on their wounds. I’m going on a trip so I have too bring them with me, I worried tho. (now they are separated)
They are completely bonded (littermates)
 
Last edited:
Oh yea the pain med the receptionist did say they have was ibuprofen, but didn’t give us because she said “no pain meds are ever needed for rabbits, plus pain meds can give rabbits diarrhea”
 
I haven't heard of a vet suggest pain medication is bad for rabbits after surgery--females especially need it, since it's quite a big operation.

Keep in mind, though, that receptionists most often deal with cats and dogs, so their advice doesn't always apply to rabbits. Did you have any recommendations from the actual vet specifically (not the receptionist)?

And did they give you any pain medication (like meloxicam) to take home at all? Or any gut stimulant (can't remember the medical name for it--it's to keep rabbits' guts working until they start eating again properly)? Those two are almost always prescribed after surgery for use at least during the first 1-3 days afterwards. Not sure about the gut stimulant, but you should be able to pick up meloxicam (pain relief) from most vet stores.

I would not separate the rabbits unless they are fighting or harassing each other. If you absolutely must separate them, then make sure they can still see/hear/smell/touch each other, e.g., through the bars of a cage, even if they can't have full contact.

From my understanding and experience getting my girl fixed, a little dried blood around the wound isn't necessarily cause for concern. My girl's stitches were subcutaneous, but I imagine dried blood on the stitches is similarly not cause for alarm if all else looks well (but maybe someone else will correct me). But if the wound is actively bleeding, swollen, or remains red, then you should contact the vet.

The first time my female bunny underwent surgery, the vet neglected to prescribe pain killers, and she took a very long time to recover. After about day 3 when she was still struggling, I insisted they prescribe pain medication, which definitely helped her. But because we had waited so long to give her pain relief (this is what the vet said), the pain had set in so intensely that we had to keep her on pain medication for about a week to ten days. I learnt the hard way--rabbits after an intense surgery (especially females) should always have pain medication on hand!

Apart from all that, she might not start eating and pooping fully normally again until a couple days, but she should start pooping and eating something (even just a nibble on some greens) within the first 12-24 hours. If she's still not eating (or pooping) anything at all after 24 hours, you should call the vet. In my experience, they usually like to start eating greens first (grass, celery leaves, nice soft things like that), then hay and pellets come much later. Try to entice her with fresh hay so it smells super appealing--timothy, or even alfalfa, just to encourage her to eat. You could even try fruit, in small amounts.

If she doesn't eat by about 12 hours, you could (carefully) try syringe-feeding in small amounts. You could mix pellets with water, or even thaw and mush up some frozen blueberries.

Also, make sure to keep them warm. You could run the heat, or even use a hot water bottle (swaddled so they can't chew the rubber). Check their ears to make sure they're not too cold.

How long is your trip, and how far are you going? Trips can be stressful for bunnies. Depending on how your bunnies are with trips, and since you seem prepared to bring them with you, they'll probably be okay if you keep a gentle eye on them--but some bunnies don't handle travel as well as others, so take caution. Also, you might want to remain near enough to go to a vet in case anything flares up, at least for the next five days or so. The first few days after a spay, especially, can be tricky, and I wouldn't want to be unable to call for help if I needed it.

Hopefully that helps. Others will probably be able to pitch in, too, with more helpful information for you. Keep us updated on how they both get on, and I hope they have a speedy, uneventful recovery. 🐇 ;)
 
I haven't heard of a vet suggest pain medication is bad for rabbits after surgery--females especially need it, since it's quite a big operation.

Keep in mind, though, that receptionists most often deal with cats and dogs, so their advice doesn't always apply to rabbits. Did you have any recommendations from the actual vet specifically (not the receptionist)?

And did they give you any pain medication (like meloxicam) to take home at all? Or any gut stimulant (can't remember the medical name for it--it's to keep rabbits' guts working until they start eating again properly)? Those two are almost always prescribed after surgery for use at least during the first 1-3 days afterwards. Not sure about the gut stimulant, but you should be able to pick up meloxicam (pain relief) from most vet stores.

I would not separate the rabbits unless they are fighting or harassing each other. If you absolutely must separate them, then make sure they can still see/hear/smell/touch each other, e.g., through the bars of a cage, even if they can't have full contact.

From my understanding and experience getting my girl fixed, a little dried blood around the wound isn't necessarily cause for concern. My girl's stitches were subcutaneous, but I imagine dried blood on the stitches is similarly not cause for alarm if all else looks well (but maybe someone else will correct me). But if the wound is actively bleeding, swollen, or remains red, then you should contact the vet.

The first time my female bunny underwent surgery, the vet neglected to prescribe pain killers, and she took a very long time to recover. After about day 3 when she was still struggling, I insisted they prescribe pain medication, which definitely helped her. But because we had waited so long to give her pain relief (this is what the vet said), the pain had set in so intensely that we had to keep her on pain medication for about a week to ten days. I learnt the hard way--rabbits after an intense surgery (especially females) should always have pain medication on hand!

Apart from all that, she might not start eating and pooping fully normally again until a couple days, but she should start pooping and eating something (even just a nibble on some greens) within the first 12-24 hours. If she's still not eating (or pooping) anything at all after 24 hours, you should call the vet. In my experience, they usually like to start eating greens first (grass, celery leaves, nice soft things like that), then hay and pellets come much later. Try to entice her with fresh hay so it smells super appealing--timothy, or even alfalfa, just to encourage her to eat. You could even try fruit, in small amounts.

If she doesn't eat by about 12 hours, you could (carefully) try syringe-feeding in small amounts. You could mix pellets with water, or even thaw and mush up some frozen blueberries.

Also, make sure to keep them warm. You could run the heat, or even use a hot water bottle (swaddled so they can't chew the rubber). Check their ears to make sure they're not too cold.

How long is your trip, and how far are you going? Trips can be stressful for bunnies. Depending on how your bunnies are with trips, and since you seem prepared to bring them with you, they'll probably be okay if you keep a gentle eye on them--but some bunnies don't handle travel as well as others, so take caution. Also, you might want to remain near enough to go to a vet in case anything flares up, at least for the next five days or so. The first few days after a spay, especially, can be tricky, and I wouldn't want to be unable to call for help if I needed it.

Hopefully that helps. Others will probably be able to pitch in, too, with more helpful information for you. Keep us updated on how they both get on, and I hope they have a speedy, uneventful recovery. 🐇 ;)
The vet did NOT send me home with any medicine, and my trip is 4 days long. I don’t have many pets stores in my area tho. We are going too big bear (Irvine too Bigbear)
And I did NOT personally talk too the vet (receptionist didn’t let me)
Thanks for the advice!
 
I'm going to hazard a guess that this is most certainly not an experienced rabbit vet like found on the House Rabbit Society's listing for rabbit vets, because all of the info you just shared, dirrectly contradicts every bit of recommended health protocols for rabbits, that even the most basic rabbit vet should know. Not to mention that if they don't have the NSAID meloxicam on hand, which is typically what's prescribed and is considered safe for rabbits, then they most certainly aren't a rabbit vet at all.

Your rabbits absolutely do need pain medication, especially your female rabbit. She basically just had a hysterectomy, a very invasive surgery, and will be in severe pain. And a rabbit in severe pain is a rabbit that won't eat, which could cause GI stasis to set in, which can be life threatening. They absolutely cannot go 3 days without eating, or that could risk full GI stasis, which could prove fatal. Even one day without eating can cause this.

These vets are not knowledgeable rabbit vets, so all their instructions are inadviseable at best, dangerous at worst. My opinion is that their instructions could prove dangerous to the recovery and well being of your rabbits. Every well known and respected rabbit organization, knowledgeable rabbit vet, and rabbit veterinary manual, provides the same information, including HRS, which is the primary pet rabbit organization in the US. And that is, that rabbits need pain medication following any surgery, or it could very well affect their ability to recover, which could cause very serious complications. And if a rabbit isn't eating very well or at all, by the following morning, that they either need to have syringe feeding started, or the rabbit needs to be hospitalized(at a place with a rabbit savvy vet only) for the appropriate pain medication and recovery care.

https://rabbit.org/what-is-pain-2/
https://rabbit.org/the-importance-of-analgesia-pain-control-for-pet-rabbits/
https://rabbit.org/gastrointestinal-stasis-the-silent-killer-2/
Hopefully your rabbits will have an easy recovery and there won't be any complications. There are really no over the counter pain meds that are safe to give rabbits except baby aspirin, but that can't be given if a rabbit has had surgery, could have internal bleeding, and/or has stomach ulcer risks. If your rabbits aren't eating on their own in an adequate amount by morning, try offering any of their usual leafy greens. Try offering hay right to their mouth. But if they still won't eat, the best thing would be to take them to a knowledgeable rabbit vet to get the proper pain medication prescribed(meloxicam dosed at 1mg/kg per day) and a syringe feeding mix to start them on syringe feeds until they are eating again on their own.

If there is no way for this to happen due to your current situation, there is a chance that your rabbits could still recover fine and be ok, but there is also just as much a chance that the pain and lack of eating, sends your female rabbit especially, into full GI stasis, which means her life will be at risk. If nothing else will be done, the last resort would be to start syringe feeds using a mush made from their pellets. Though it's not something I would recommend without getting a vets instruction first, but if it means a rabbit is going to starve itself otherwise following their surgery, I would do it. It just has to be done correctly, carefully, and slowly, giving the rabbit time to chew and swallow each little bit of food, or it could risk aspiration occurring, which is dangerous if it does.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Medicating_your_rabbit
Also, as LolaE mentioned, make sure your rabbits are kept warm(safely, not too hot), as they can get hypothermic following surgery, and a cold rabbit will struggle to recover and is less inclined to start eating. If their ears feel really cold, then it usually means their body temp is too cold. And it's important to check both rabbits to ensure they aren't trying to chew at their stitches,. If they are, then they may need a pet shirt to prevent it, or may need e collars if that doesn't work. If they chew their stitches open, then they will have to be restitched, which is the last thing you need happening. I would also be very careful checking, as it's important that they don't struggle excessively or it could cause injury and/or stitching could be damaged.

https://rabbit.org/post-surgical-aftercare/
https://www.fvawl.org/post-surgical-instructions
I'm not sure why this vet was chosen, but PLEASE PLEASE, NEVER go there again for anything concerning your rabbits, or it could put your rabbits lives at risk, due to their potentially harmful medical practices and advice concerning the care of rabbits.

https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
 
Last edited:
Update:
Smudge (the female) will nibble on apple and pellets when I hand feed her, she had only eaten about 2-3 pellets had the smallest nibble. I am going on a trip and have too bring them with me, I am very worried. Parents insist they are fine.
Male is now with female, they are fine and not harassing each other. If anyone has went on a trip with a Newly Spayed rabbit, please tell me!
 
I would keep them separated for 6 weeks--don't know where in CA you are, but HRS is headquartered in Richmond--I'd call them for advice as I think your Vet's receptionist is way off of her gourd and knows nothing about rabbits. You could check with a local chapter of HRS and get a Vet they approve of.
 
Update:
Smudge (the female) will nibble on apple and pellets when I hand feed her, she had only eaten about 2-3 pellets had the smallest nibble. I am going on a trip and have too bring them with me, I am very worried. Parents insist they are fine.
Male is now with female, they are fine and not harassing each other. If anyone has went on a trip with a Newly Spayed rabbit, please tell me!
I didn't go on an extended trip, but after Drusilla was spayed, we had to have some work done on the house so I took her out for the day a couple days in a row. This was maybe three or four days after she was spayed--she was still recovering, but eating more, and showed definite signs of progress. She hates car trips, but she handled it okay. I found the main thing was to keep the bunnies quiet and covered, so they feel a little safer and can't see the world racing by around them.

Give them lots of fresh hay for the trip so they feel comfortable, maybe even some pellets or whatever they love eating--they probably won't eat driving, though, until they really get settled in at whatever your destination is. Unless you can attach a bottle safely to the cage/carrier, try to take a picnic break at least every couple hours and pour them a bowl of water so they have a chance to drink. Also, make sure to keep them up on the seat or in the back of the car or wherever it's quietest (NOT the floor, since it's so loud down there by the wheels/engine), and keep the heat on so they stay warm, like mentioned in previous posts.

I did go on a five-day trip with both bunnies right before I spayed her (arrived home Monday and she was spayed Tuesday). The same general methods applied. Also, if you can avoid it, try not to relocate houses/hotels/etc. once you arrive at your destination. The bunnies take time to adapt to each new location, and this can affect their stress, but also their eating habits (very important for your girl if she's still not eating much). Some rabbits are okay, but others take a while to adjust: Onyx would eat anywhere, anytime, but Drusilla takes a couple hours after arriving in a new place before she stops being on guard and actually settles down to eat normally again. Just something to be aware of.

How are the bunnies now? I imagine you're already on your trip, but I hope this helps a little, and that they're both recovering better every day. Keep us posted!
 

Latest posts

Back
Top