Early Neutering / Petco

[tamsin]

I'm looking for information on early neutering and I'm hoping someone here might have some or know where to look. A big pet chain in the UK is planning to start selling young rabbits neutered at 5 weeks and we'd like to know more about the implications.

I believe that Petco used to do the same in the US? Does anyone have rabbits from this scheme - were there long term health implications? Anyone know if any vets or rescue/welfare organisations gathered any data or research on it?

Thanks
Tamsin

 

[LakeCondo]

I don't know, but I'm fairly new to rabbits. At 5 weeks it's often hard to be sure of the sex, isn't it? Honey was an adult when I got her, so have only hearsay information about youngsters.

 

[saidinjester]

Wow, I've never heard of that and I'm no expert, but it sure doesn't seem like a good idea. I mean, I've never heard of a vet who will spay/neuter before 4-6 months so it seems suspicious to me.

 

[Maureen Las]

I doubt whether there have have been any studies done on this , however, the only info I do remember reading came from a European vet , Rami, who posts on a listserve group named Etherbun.

Petco did neuter rabbits very young and as I recall they only did males. Several years ago Petco discontinued selling rabbits nationally and now adopt out shelter rabbits. Petco is moving toward 'rescue" efforts and actuallyI am very much involved as a liason between our shelter and our Petco. I am a volunteer who exercises the shelter rabbits in our Petco store.

This is not a quote but I think that the concern was the possibility that bones would be weaker in arabbit done really young.

Certain hormones circulating thoughout the body of a young rabbit contribute to normal growth and development and if the rabbit is castrated too young it only makes sense that it would affect the entire body of the animal.

I wonder if the huge chain in the UK would ever consider housing rabbits from shelters instead of neutering the babies. It is a horrible horrible practice and I hate to see it start up somewhere else.

Maybe you could get a group of bunny rescue people to talk with the chain.
Petco has an actual protocol on dealing with shelter rabbits.
Good Luck with this one !

 

[tamsin]

Thanks, for the info I'll try and track the vet down and see what info she has.

The daft thing is the stores already have an 'adoption' area where they take in unwanted rabbits from the public (and move unsold rabbits from the normal area). The trouble is the don't neuter first and there have been a few issues with pregnancies etc.

I think the rescue/petco model is a great one, I've had no luck convincing rescues here to try it though - they are very reluctant to work with the petstores

 

[gmas rabbit]

Just checked with my rabbit savey vet as to when I can get
Derby neutered. He is a giant french lop, 16 weeks old and already a really good size. Bigger in fact than most rabbits that are adults. She says not before 5-6 months. Her reasoning is that the surgery itself is more successful and less likely to have complications from the anthesia. I can see in the case of rescue rabbits wanting to do this before release, but I am wondering about the health costs to the actual rabbit. Just my opinion.

 

[SnowyShiloh]

Yikes! That is so, so young. I don't know anything about the issue really, but that just sounds terribly young and like lots of bunnies wouldn't survive. How can they even neuter a bunny whose testicles haven't descended yet? My vet will not neuter until the testicles descend and won't spay until 6 months.

 

[MiniLopHop]

A neuter that young will be the same as a spay because they will have to go into the abdomen. What a stupid policy. Plus they are ignoring the cancer risk.

 

[Paddy Ohara]

It may be the females are harder at the younger age than the males. My flemish was spayed at 5 months butthe incision had to be higher up that with older rabbits because her ovaries were not low enough yet. So I am guessing the policy is that way because the surgery is harder with the ladies. They procedure also costs more for a female than a male, at least where I live.

 

[pla725]

It was Petsmart who tried to sell young rabbits already spayed and neutered. The House Rabbit Society and several other respected rabbit rescues stepped in and got them to stop selling them.

 

[TinksMama]

I'd also like to know how they can neuter a buck who hasn't dropped his testicles. Rabbits that young should still be with their mama, not going through a risky procedure.

 

[Nela]

I'm absolutely shocked by this. Any good vet is aware of the risks and dangers of anesthesia on bunnies, even more so when they are small and young! My vet also would not do it until testicles have descended and would prefer to wait until 6 months of age as well. They shouldn't be anywhere away from their mamas at that age anyway! 5 weeks old, having that kind of surgery?! No way.Heck, they wouldn't neuter puppies for the same reasons! What is wrong with them? I guess what they are trying to achieve is having the blame of the overpopulation removed from them, but that's definitely not the way to go about it.