Papaya has starting spraying...

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Mariah

Mariah

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Joined
May 20, 2011
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Location
Dundas, Ontario, Canada
Hi,

Papaya, my 4.5 month old holland fuzzy lop has started spraying. I'm going to have him neutered in the next couple of weeks, but is there anything I can do in the mean time before he's neutered? My
previous neutered holland lop never did this.

I'm worried because he's so young (I usually spay/ neuter my
bunnies at 6 months), that the anesthetic may be hard on him.

He has even sprayed on my spayed doe Kiwi. He is a very smelly young boy...

Will the neutering stop the spraying or could something else be causing this?

Thanks :)
 
I know nothing about what spaying/neutering does to rabbits, BUT I have experience with rabbits spraying urine. Bucks do it to mark their teritory. About the only thing that you can do is keep him in a really small cage (I mean one where he can barley turn around in). That will make it so it is much harder for him to do the jump, twist and spray which I asume he is doing. I know that is not a very humane way to go about it but it does help. (I have a friend that used to house some of her bucks like that so that they did not get all of the bunnies sticky and smelly.) I have personally been sprayed in the MOUTH by one of my old favorite bunnies that I had to give away. (I miss my Freckles). Some bucks will spray and others will not. Just depends on the rabbit. Most will not, but there is always that one who can not help it.
 
I am hoping that the neuter will stop it. I won't put him in a small cage... He dosent spray in his cage, only in his x pen which is right beside Kiwis x pen. I don't have an option to have their pens further apart. The way my basement apt is set up, I don't have room anywhere else.

Can anyone comment on neutering at 4.5-5 months?
 
I think it will be okay to neuter him now... If its really bad, then you don't really have a choice... :rabbithop
 
Papaya isn't terrible. However, because of the spraying and the humping
he does with Kiwi, I do believe it's time...
 
I wouldnt put him in a small cage like that. That's just wrong.

My buck Bugsy sprays every now and again. I would never think about putting him in a cage so small he cant turn around in..

He gets neutered on the 22nd (my birthday!) I'm just dealing with it until then. I clean Oreo and the area that got the spray.

But put him in a inhumane tiny cage just to make my life easier.. never.

I think you're good to get him neutered now. Wishing you the best of luck!
 
My Bun Bun is 5 months old and he got neutered last Wednesday.. He's doing great!! You will have to keep him confined after the surgery so he won't pull out his sutures. It's for his own good, so don't feel guilty. My guy sprayed before I got him fixed, but it was near or on me. I just kept his butt covered up with a towel when he came to sit on my lap. Good luck! I figure if he's old enough to make babies, he's old enough to get neutered!!
 
Derby used to spray, got him neutered just before he turned 6 months. His vet went through the scortum and all his stitches were on the inside so that he couldn't chew them. I would simply hang a tarp or sheet between the area thathe exercises and the other bunnies to catch the pee spray. I wouldn't put him in a smaller cage either.
 
Papaya is scheduled to be neutered on Aug 30th. He will be 5 months by then.
 
It's just the anesthetic that worries me.
Bunnies don't do well under anesthetic.
 
Mariah; I think your bunny will be fine. I just had my bunny neutered today and he is doing wonderfully. He is only about 4.5 months old and weighs 3.5 lbs (Lionhead). I think the most important thing is finding a vet that you really like and trust; make sure that they do all the necessary things to ensure your bunny's surgery goes as smoothly as possible.

I made sure that my bunny got pre-anesthetic bloodwork and fluids during surgery, as well as having a technician monitoring them the whole time. While anesthesia is always a risk, the doctors do everything they can to make it as safe as possible. To be honest, I think my bunny is handling all of this better than my dog did for his neuter. Also, since it is a male, the surgery is much less invasive than a spay and they are not under (or should not be under) for a significant period of time.

If your doctor feels your bunny is healthy enough and large enough, I would get it done to prevent any further hormonal issues. Good luck and I hope the problem gets resolved soon!
 
Ha, I am in the same situation. My vets won't do it until he's at least 6 months of age though. However, other people have had no problem with it being done younger. I have taped plastic tarp around the cage so that any urine he sprays towards the walls is caught. Unfortunately, he is not out as often because I am getting sick from the urine everywhere so for now I have to take him outside more. Hopefully, he can be neutered soon. Just waiting for the other ball to drop so-to-speak.
 
Hey guys,

I am a vet tech and work at a clinic that does bunnies. My vet specializes In them. She is an awesome vet! That being said, it still worries me. I had kiwi spayed here as well. I'm working the day he's going to be done so I'll be here... However, I won't be taking part in his surgery cause i get way to nervous and parnoid...
 
Are you not spaying your two girls? They are much healthier bunnies when they are spayed. If you do end up spaying your girls, the surgery is way more invasive then neutering a boy.
 
I meant all the talk of pee-spraying, lol... surgery isn't as bad for boys, but the pre-surgery behavior is WAY worse!

and yeah, my girls are getting spayed when they're of age. vet said he'll do it at 4 mos but I plan to separate them and try to hold out for five.

it shouldn't be too bad, though, there's a newer tactic that he and many other vets switched to a while back where they only remove the uterus and leave the ovaries in - he says that doesn't put them at risk for ovarian cancer since it's the hormones that cause the cancer and those will be gone, plus it's a lot safer because it's slightly less invasive and requires the bunnies to spend a LOT less time under anesthesia which is where the risk is with bunns.
 
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