Rabbit Spay

[Kbunny48]

Hello all!!



I am having my rabbit, Hershey spayed tomorrow.I'm a bit nervous about what to expectwhen Ibring her home, as in pain management and behavior. She is about 4 months old.



Any advice from those who have been through this?



Thanks!!!

 

[ra7751]

I would suggest reconsidering a spay at this time.  I have had many spays done....and none before 6 months old.  The older they are, the more established their GI system is and the less likely they will have issues post-op.  Spays should be done in non-breeding rabbits to lessen the chance of endometriosis or cancer by the age of 2 years.  This is a major invasive procedure. 

As far as pain management should you have it done....there is no doubt that Buprenorphine (Buprenex) is the way to go.  It is a narcotic.  Many vets tell you this is an injection they give pre-op that is good long term.  It is used pre-op but it is effective for no more than 12 hours.  I always insist on Buprenex at a medium dosing for up to five days....three is usually sufficient if there are no problems....dosed every 12 hours.  It can be administered orally or by injection.  It is absorbed in the membranes of the mouth and does not have to be swallowed. 

Laser is a much easier procedure, but more expensive, than conventional surgery.  While there is debate in the vet world about the benefits of laser surgery....I have no doubts that laser is far superior than conventional.  There is less blood loss especially if there is any endometrial tissue (unlikely in such a young rabbit), the incision is clean and easier to heal and there are no external sutures...final close is by tissue glue.

Randy

*edited for paragraphs/clarity

 

[tonyshuman]

Randy is right, however the current vet standard is that the rabbit should weigh 2 lbs. It's up to you when you want to get her spayed, although new information suggests that it is better to wait until 6 months at least in order to have proper skeletal/body development.

Kudos on getting her spayed. Randy's right again about medicine and laser. The most common drug given to bunnies post-neuter/spay is Metacam (meloxicam) which is orally administered. It may not be strong enough for pain following a spay.

I always have baby gas meds (simethicone) on hand in case there are GI issues after the surgery. Also, a probiotic like Bene-Bac can help. She'll need to be confined to a small cage for 2-3 days, and not allowed to do anything very strenouous or jump for 1-2 weeks. Check the incision site daily. Keep an eye on her input and output, especially immediately following the operation.