Neutering questions

[kwhigam]

Ok, so Effie is now almost 10 months old and I am thinking it's about time to get this done. I have heard that it is better for the rabbit as they get less diseases, also reduced aggression.

I keep putting it off, I almost want to cry when I think about it. I am afraid to take him to get neutered because I heard that some rabbits don't survive (although mortality rates are pretty low), the anesthesia may cause loss of appetite (the memory of that month of force feedings is still fresh in my mind) and I also worry about if he'll be in pain.

I guess I need some reassurances and guidance as far as what to expect and how this done.

Thanks!

 

[slavetoabunny]

Males do much better than females. It's a far less invasive surgery. I have only had a few problems with my girls and none with the boys. They bounce back super fast!

 

[kwhigam]

slavetoabunny wrote:

Males do much better than females. It's a far less invasive surgery. I have only had a few problems with my girls and none with the boys. They bounce back super fast!

Well that's good to hear! Do they have appetite problems at all? What about right after the surgery, is it painful if you pick them up?

 

[slavetoabunny]

kwhigam wrote:

slavetoabunny wrote:

Males do much better than females. It's a far less invasive surgery. I have only had a few problems with my girls and none with the boys. They bounce back super fast!

Well that's good to hear! Do they have appetite problems at all? What about right after the surgery, is it painful if you pick them up?

The boys seem to get their appetites back a lot better than the girls. I handle them all VERY carefully after surgery. Insist on pain meds if they don't offer them to you. I usually keep a rabbit on pain meds for 2-3 days depending on how they are acting. As I said, boys seem to recover very quickly. I've had some girls that I had problems with that I have kept on paid meds for up to a week.

 

[Flash Gordon]

i lost the most precious bun during her spay surgery but she had a birth defect that i didnt know about...that was my first bunny as hard as it was for me ,i still spayed and neutered 14 more buns after her and all came out of it no prob..i fixed them cuz i KNOW its important for them to have healthy long lives.it was a freak thing that happened with my Redrum..
just like already stated male buns have wayyy less probs .my males were very active the next day and they didnt seem to be in pain like my females...Effie will be fine..isnt he bugging u yet with his courting and grunting??

 

[tonyshuman]

Most bunnies will do fine. Make sure the vet knows what they're doing and answers the questions right. Sutures should be used internally and wound glue should be used externally. The rabbit should not be fasted before the surgery. He should be sent home with pain meds. I'm sure you know these things, just wanted to throw it out there.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We have had 37 done total, 17 of which were males. We only had one that was off his feed and that did not last more than 4 hours and he was fine. The most important thing is that you find a Vet that knows bunnies and has performed the surgery with some frequency. Good luck and goodbye hormones.

 

[Tweetiepy]

Mine wasn't eating very much so held him down while my son force fed him Critical care (now I can't pick him up anymore - I think he's scared of me). However, the vet told me that as long as he was nibbling something, even if the quantities were small this was still considered eating and he should have been left alone - had I known, I could have saved the force feeding. I was told to keep Peaches in a small cage but as soon as he got away from me he ran into his condo and I left him there even though he had to jump up 6" to get to his next level - he sprang back quickly after the first day (he was on pain meds (metacam)for 6 days total)

 

[FelipesMommy]

Felipe had his done about 3 weeks ago and he did great. He was eating right away and you would never know anything had happened.

 

[TOBYnPANCAKES]

What is a good age to get a male neutered?

 

[slavetoabunny]

They can be neutered as soon as the testicles drop. It's generally around 4 months of age. That is the guideline we use in rescue.

 

[BrittanyandFruFru]

I recently had my rabbit neutered and it was the best thing I could have done for my rabbit. He was eating the same day and was wanting to play. Just make sure that your vet is qualified, the House Rabbit Society has a recommendation list by state and has very good information on the process but all and all FrouFrou is a much happier boy with better litter habits.

Good Luckray:

 

[slavetoabunny]

My foster, Drake, just got neutered today. You would never even know it. He's acting totally normal and eating like a champ!