Can a 6 year old rabbit be spayed

[danielles_pets1]

I was wondering if my 6 yer old rabbit, Bugs could be spayed. I am getting my buck neutered soon and id love to bond them. My buck is 8 months old. Or could they be paired when just the buck is fixed? They have met when a cage wall was blocking them and they both layed down next to eachother. Anyway, thanks for your answers!

 

[whiskylollipop]

6 years is a bit old to be undergoing major surgery. The risk of death is higher with older buns. I believe you can get a blood panel done at the vet's to see if she's healthy enough to survive the anaesthesia though.

You could try fixing the buck and bonding them after his hormones have died down. It's a slim chance they'll bond as unfixed females tend to be very territorial, but I have heard of it working for some people. Be very careful never to put them in an area she might regard as her territory though. Clean up her scent spots and rearrange furniture in areas she frequents.

 

[JBun]

6 is getting up there but isn't necessarily too old. I had a rabbit spayed at 7 and she came through alright, but her recovery took a bit longer than a younger buns. There is more risk at that age and as Laura mentioned, it would be good to get a blood panel done to make sure organ function is normal, as well as making sure you find a very good rabbit vet to do the surgery. Spaying would also help remove the risk of her possibly developing uterine cancer.

If you don't feel comfortable taking the risk because of her age, you could try getting him neutered and see if it will be possible to bond them. Her being hormonal could make it difficult though, as the hormones can make females more territorial and aggressive, but that can depend on the rabbit. It is possible though. I have a pair that the female wasn't spayed for the first few years of their bond, and they were fine together, but he is also a very easy going bun and not much bothers him.

After getting your boy bun neutered, you will need to wait 6 weeks for his hormones to fade before attempting to bond though, as the excessive hormonal behavior could lead to fights breaking out. Plus if you don't get her spayed, I don't know if she would be past the age of pregnancy being possible, and that is certainly something you wouldn't want to risk.

 

[majorv]

Do you know if the rabbit has ever been bred? If she has never had a litter then I would think the chances of her getting pregnant now are very slim. Even if she had litters when she was younger the chances of getting pregnant are less likely. If you get your buck neutered then no worries anyway. At her age, she may be like an old woman now and the hormones won't play that much of a part of her behavior.