Should I spay my rabbit?

[Samantha Way]

I want to but don’t have the money so i was wondering if she doesn’t get spayed, will she still live around ten years? I know it’s high risk of getting uterine cancer but if she didn’t could she live that long? or would she pass after a few years? When i’m old enough i’m getting a job to try and pay for it.

 

[Hermelin]

She will survive but there’s always a risk. You can wait and save up your money. Different breed have a bigger chance to get it.

Myself neuter and spay because I want my bunnies to not have problem with hormones kicking in and not pee in the bed [emoji23]

So wait until you have money for a good rabbit savy vet ^^

 

[Imbrium]

Unfortunately, the odds of getting reproductive cancer (ovarian, uterine and/or mammary tumors) are scary high for unspayed females.
http://There is very good evidence ...ey reach 6 years, this may be as high as 80%.

There is very good evidence to suggest that it [uterine cancer] is the most common tumour of female rabbits – roughly 60% of entire female rabbits aged over 3 years will have a tumour growing in their uterus, and by the time they reach 6 years, this may be as high as 80%.

[Source]

You might try calling shelters or rescues in your area that handle rabbits to see if they can recommend any low-cost options for you. Maybe if you found it cheaply enough, you could strike a deal with your parents where you could save up a certain amount of your allowance and they'd pay the rest?

The sooner you can get her spayed, the better... but at the end of the day, you're at the mercy of your parents if you're not old enough to get a job yet, so there's only so much you can do. There IS some good news, though. It's not too late to get her spayed unless she gets cancer AND it metastasizes (spreads to other parts of the body). If she develops a localized tumor before you can get her spayed, then removing the affected organ during a spay surgery (uterus, for example) will also remove the tumor.

We've got a rabbit, Alice, who didn't get spayed until she was a little over 4 years old and she came through it just fine, so if you have to wait a couple years there's still a good chance things could work out just fine for your bunny.

 

[John Wick]

Outside the uterine cancer risk, you can also think about behaviors you may encounter long-term as a result of not being spayed, such as false pregnancies and excessive territorial marking. Admittedly I'm not experienced on this because my only rabbit is male, but that is what I've seen people talk about repeatedly with unspayed females.

I also agree that you should call around for different quotes and potential payment options! The absolute priority is getting someone experienced with spaying, and once that's confirmed, asking about payment.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

I think you should save up to get her spayed. I didn't have a ton of money to get my male neutered, but found a spay/neuter facility that does all animals for cheap. It ended up being only $50 for me at the spay/neuter facility, when my friend had paid $300 at a normal vet. There are facilities all over the place that only do spaying and neutering. So, you shouldn't have a hard time finding one.

 

[A & B]

I notice you're from Iowa. As I'm also from Iowa, I'm able to recommend some inexpensive vets and rescues that spay rabbits. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can share what part of Iowa you're from (you can send a private message to me if you don't want to share it directly on the thread) and I can list some.

 

[Imbrium]

Outside the uterine cancer risk, you can also think about behaviors you may encounter long-term as a result of not being spayed, such as false pregnancies and excessive territorial marking. Admittedly I'm not experienced on this because my only rabbit is male, but that is what I've seen people talk about repeatedly with unspayed females.

False pregnancies are an odd thing - some rabbits have them, some don't. Alice didn't for years, then had one right before we got her spayed (perhaps the stress of moving triggered it?). We were told when we picked her up from the spay that she was even lactating a little! With does, the biggest concern is cage aggression/territorial behavior. Alice would box, lunge, charge and even bite whenever someone so much as reached into her enclosure (even just to deliver pellets/hay/fresh water). It took a few weeks post-spay for that behavior to truly stop (near the end, you would see her start to lunge and then check herself). She actually had great litter box habits even unspayed... as opposed to males, who can spray pee 6 feet in the air and like to aim for eyes, or so I've heard from countless sources, lol. Cage aggression, honking, circling, etc. is the main stuff that I always hear about with unspayed females. False pregnancies and/or territorial marking vary from one doe to the next.

There are definitely low-cost options if you know where to look. Alyssa and Bugs isn't much older than you, so she knows what it's like to have to bargain with parents over a rabbit - I'm sure she could be of help if you PM her .

 

[Samantha Way]

I notice you're from Iowa. As I'm also from Iowa, I'm able to recommend some inexpensive vets and rescues that spay rabbits. If you feel comfortable doing so, you can share what part of Iowa you're from (you can send a private message to me if you don't want to share it directly on the thread) and I can list some.

I am from des moines, close to ankeny. I was looking and did some calls and it looks like value vet could be a safe option cause they are cheaper than all the other places i found but they don’t seem sketchy.