To spay or not to spay?!

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AwesomeBunnyBlossom

AwesomeBunnyBlossom

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Hi, I'm not sure whether I should get blossom spayed or not. She is only 10 weeks old at the moment so it would still be a while yet but just wondering what the pros and cons are. I only have one rabbit so I do not have to worry about her getting pregnant. The breeder I got her from said I didn't need to but I have heard their can be health benefits.

Advice would be appreciated,
Thank you in advice,
Chelsea & Blossom. :)
 
For a female bunny - absolutely get her spayed!

It helps calming down their hormonal behaviour, along with less potty accidents everywhere!

In females, spaying also significantly reduces their chances of getting cancer.

You can read more here and here. :wave:
 
It's crucial for their health to get females spayed (unless, of course, they're part of a breeding program). The average lifespan of an unspayed female is about HALF that of a spayed female because of their proclivity for cancers of the reproductive system. I can't remember where exactly, but I recently read (from a reputable source) that around 80% of unspayed females (that aren't bred) develop cancer or pre-cancerous growths by age 4.

This site has great info about the benefits of spaying: http://rabbit.org/faq-spaying-and-neutering/

Pani beat me to it, hehe... didn't refresh the thread before posting and it was open in another tab for a bit :p
 
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Like everyone one has said so far spaying is the way to go! I had a very dominant Dutch girl named Daisy. She would hump and mark and try to mate with me and everything else and was just super crazy! As soon as it came time to spay I did it and it was the best choice ever. She still was very dominant but in a less dramatic way and calmed down a lot and loved to snuggle with me. She also stopped marking everywhere, and the super musty sent she had also left. And like mentioned above it reduces the risk of cancer :) It's a very wise choice in my opinion :)
 
i would have to wonder about that 80% figure. I've had numerous rabbits over the years (and I breed as well) so female rabbits are in large supply here. I've not seen cancer yet. Asking around to people I know.. ONE person has had a rabbit get cancer and she was over 6 years old when she contracted it. So one rabbit out of 100's. really makes a body wonder on the 80% figure.

Cancer happens in life to older animals. (just like with people). the older you are the more the chances rise that it will happen.

  • Having surgery reduces the risk (depending on how the surgery is one) of getting cancer.
  • DOES NOT guarantee a calm quiet bunny throughout life.
  • Is a risk... I have had two people this year get their rabbit neutered/spayed only to have them die on the table. You have to ask yourself... is that a risk you are willing to take?
  • Most hormonal behaviours in rabbits can be managed without the need for surgery ....sometimes it takes some creative thinking on your part though.
 
I assume you want all viewpoints, so I personally don't consider it crucial to get a female spayed unless you're having big problems with her that spaying would solve, or you just feel the need to do it. Three of the females we've petted out died on the table, and the owners were devastated. I know there are plenty here who didn't have a problem, but it IS a risk you can't ignore. Rabbits are sensitive to anesthesia and having a rabbit savy vet do the procedure helps, but it doesn't eliminate the risk. We've personally had several unspayed does go 5+ years that were healthy. I, too, question the 80% rate.
 
ladysown said:
i would have to wonder about that 80% figure. I've had numerous rabbits over the years (and I breed as well) so female rabbits are in large supply here. I've not seen cancer yet. Asking around to people I know.. ONE person has had a rabbit get cancer and she was over 6 years old when she contracted it. So one rabbit out of 100's. really makes a body wonder on the 80% figure.

Cancer happens in life to older animals. (just like with people). the older you are the more the chances rise that it will happen.

  • Having surgery reduces the risk (depending on how the surgery is one) of getting cancer.
  • DOES NOT guarantee a calm quiet bunny throughout life.
  • Is a risk... I have had two people this year get their rabbit neutered/spayed only to have them die on the table. You have to ask yourself... is that a risk you are willing to take?
  • Most hormonal behaviours in rabbits can be managed without the need for surgery ....sometimes it takes some creative thinking on your part though.
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majorv said:
I assume you want all viewpoints, so I personally don't consider it crucial to get a female spayed unless you're having big problems with her that spaying would solve, or you just feel the need to do it. Three of the females we've petted out died on the table, and the owners were devastated. I know there are plenty here who didn't have a problem, but it IS a risk you can't ignore. Rabbits are sensitive to anesthesia and having a rabbit savy vet do the procedure helps, but it doesn't eliminate the risk. We've personally had several unspayed does go 5+ years that were healthy. I, too, question the 80% rate.
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I couldn't agree more. I believe a user on here before mentioned that the study was inconclusive, it was used on a small amount of rabbits, in one area, on a similar diet. I do not believe that the 80% rate is an accurate percentage. I too breed rabbits, but I also have some that are strictly pets only(female and male) My doe's do not have cancer and they are perfectly happy being unaltered they have no personality issues from their "hormones". Really how your rabbit acts varies on how much time you spend with them and genetics. I've never had a real aggresive rabbit, maybe one. The only time my females tend to be more "aggressive" is the 1st week after they kindled then their back to being a ball of give me kisses and give me kisses now lol;) I personality never recommend altering because, I too, know pet owners who had their rabbits die on their table. It is a risking surgery even if it is an experienced vet preforming the surgery.
 
A rabbits reproductive system has evolved for frequent and almost constant breeding. In the wild, they would pretty much have a litter or be pregnant most of the time. They tend to not last very long, so cancer isn't much of a worry.
Pet rabbits and even breeding rabbits are different. Breeding ones do get bred, but not as much as their wild counterparts would be (at least I hope most aren't). Pets are generally not bred at all. If even good care, they can live 5 years or longer, some into their teens. A reproductive system that has evolved to be in regular use and is not used can develop problems and that can lead to cancer. A longer life can also open up to more changes simply because it is longer and age can play a role.

Fact is, rabbits do get cancer. Not all will and not all left intact will. With females, by the time you may see signs, it can be too late to do anything about it. Even males can be 9 or 10 before the might develop testicular cancer and at that point it is more risky to do surgery. Unless you are doing a necrospy on every rabbit that dies, you really don't know if they had cancer or not.

The rescue I work with had a rabbit pass a few days ago. We didn't really know her age or any history on her, but guessed she was a bit older. She was on the thin side, but otherwise seemed pretty healthy. A necrospy was done and it turns out she had fairly advanced cancer and died suddenly (pretty much had food her in mouth). She was booked to be spayed next week, but based on what was found, she would not have survived the surgery on way or another.
 
Notice it's all breeders who are saying this. There is a risk in doing the surgery and a risk in not doing it. It's up to you. I for one am going to try deleting my account because it's amazing how people start to critique others opinions who are just trying to help one another she asked for an opinion not for people to try to prove others wrong. I thought this was a place for help not trying to out prove one another. It's whatever you feel most comfortable with. Just like they have had rabbits die on the table others have seen rabbits die of cancer.
 
Don't care who says what. Mine are all rescues and all have been neutered--makes them less hormonal and all around better pets and companions. I wouldn't delete my account, but if anyone is getting verbally abusive, report them to the mods and they will be dealt with. Just like with Mr Robertson and A&E, I don't agree with him, but as long as everyone is civil, I'll defend his right to have his "own" opinion. I would suggest he read his bible a little more carefully as it was Jesu that said "love the sinner, hate the sin and judge not lest ye be judged".
 
My lop was aggressive and severely hormonal only at 4 months old. She needed to be spayed, her behavior definitely became better and it prevented cancers and sicknesses. :) Your choice though.
 
gigi777 said:
Notice it's all breeders who are saying this. There is a risk in doing the surgery and a risk in not doing it. It's up to you. I for one am going to try deleting my account because it's amazing how people start to critique others opinions who are just trying to help one another she asked for an opinion not for people to try to prove others wrong. I thought this was a place for help not trying to out prove one another. It's whatever you feel most comfortable with. Just like they have had rabbits die on the table others have seen rabbits die of cancer.
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I know! They are so negative about this subject!
 
My personal opinion is that yes you should spay. I have seen many rabbits (and babies) come in and out of shelters. So many also waiting for homes. Many more across the world euthanized because their home didn't come soon enough.

I believe this is true with dogs, cats and rabbits. Way to many out there looking for homes.

I am not bashing any breeders for I think that being an actual breeder (breeding for a purpose/goal) vs just breeding "for fun" (and accidental litters) are two completely different things. So please don't take offense to my post.
 
I also feel now, looking back, that I need to apologize for saying "notice it's all breeders saying this" that was rude of me and I'm sorry. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion I just felt so much negativity, but I'm sorry. I didn't want to start something
 
So far this has been a mostly civil discussion. Let's please keep it that way. All opinions are welcome, but bashing anothers opinion isn't. Breeders and pet owners may have a different point of view based on their own personal experiences, it doesn't necessarily make one person right or wrong. It's good to have lots of info and experiences shared, then the OP and others considering this same question, will be better informed and can make the best possible choice for them and their rabbit.

I agree that the high cancer rate may have come from the pet population and that breeding rabbits weren't taken into account, because of the fact that it isn't as much of an issue with them because breeding does greatly reduce that possibility. But since the rabbit in question is a pet rabbit, the possibility of cancer is a serious consideration.

As has been pointed out, there is risk with any surgery. The more experienced the vet is with doing spays, the risk will be decreased. There is also the slight risk of a rabbits personality changing from being spayed. I have read of some accounts of a very sweet rabbit, turning into an aggressive rabbit. But a spay can also improve behavior. It will often improve litter habits, reduce smell and marking behaviors, eliminate hormonal humping(but not dominance humping), and can help improve some aggression problems. But these are just possibilities. There are never any guarantees, unfortunately. Generally speaking, spaying usually does help with these things, but nothing is certain. You just have to weigh the risks against the benefits and decide what is going to be the best thing to do.
 
I say it's up to you! If you have a rabbit savvy vet that you trust. I would say if you don't plan on breeding/and if you have behavior issues Yes I would say spay! Mine isn't neutered at this time, due to the fact that we are showing our boy this coming 2014. You also might want to take that into consideration. We haven't had a doe yet so I can't say all the different personalities and if it would help.I have one animal in my house that is fixed. One male cat that is indoor/outdoor. The others aren't fixed. But I keep them undersupervision. And my female cats are indoors. My dog isn't fixed due to a breeder contract. Later I might but he's still a good age to be bred. So in the end just weigh what feels right for you!
 
Yes basically it's your pet & it's up to you.

Each to their own!
 
Spaying is the way to go, in my opinion.

So many people use the defense "Well, I haven't had cancer yet in my rabbit/s..." but so far I have dealt with two separate cases. One that we managed to save through spaying and the other we didn't. They had something in common and that is NO symptoms. Didn't even know about it until the spay procedure.

The one we lost died just a few days ago in her foster home on Christmas Day. Now, it was not just reproductive cancer (She had a lot wrong in her chest cavity/abdomen) but it was still there and a contributing factor in her death. We don't know an age on her but she was an older rabbit. If she had been spayed sooner, a lot may have been prevented, but unfortunately none of her previous families got her spayed.

The one we saved was around 3.5 years old when she was spayed and she had the early stages of Uterine Cancer.

Not only does it eliminate the risk for Uterine/Ovarian cancer, it also prevents any possibility of accidental litters. It will also prevent/usually fix most behaviours that are normally caused by hormones (Grunting/Lunging/Territorial) and improve litter habits. These behaviours usually start around 5 months so you would not see them in your bunny yet. From my experience, with having over 30 females spayed, they have always been calmer/friendlier rabbits after their spay, including ones that were aggressive beforehand.

I would highly recommend getting a good, rabbit savvy vet and getting her spayed around 5-6 months.
 
Honestly, I spay/neuter any dog/cat/rabbit that comes into my household. My pets will never reproduce, ever. It's mostly for behavior and for all the reasons I can't think of. A perfect example is when Humma jumped a 36" high wall to get to Faith. I had no idea he could have done it. If they hadn't been fixed I might have had an oops litter. Also if I suddenly became mortally ill and could no longer keep my pets, none will ever make babies. And Faith went from peeing everywhere to 100% pee trained directly after the surgery. I had her spayed about a month after Trillian died during her spay. It can happen but that will never stop me from getting one of my pets fixed (male or female). I also had a female bunny (Honey) years ago that already had an abnormal uterus at 1 year old (no symptoms). Fortunately the spay surgery cured her (that's when it was found).

Having said that, it's easy for me to fix my pets because I have budgeted the money to do so. For most people it's a matter of cost. I'm a nerd that does a cost analysis before taking on another pet. Spay/neuter surgery factors into it. It's just my way, not everyone's way. It's expensive, no doubt. So that's a factor too. Good luck with your decision 😊
 
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