Hello all! This is my first house rabbit and I have decided to get her spayed. She is just under 2 years old and I am very nervous. I have scheduled her an appointment already , however the receptionist told me not to feed her past midnight which I believe she was just reciting the usual info for cats and dogs as I read you are not to fast them. This has me worried because I want the best for Natalie and to help her recover quickly. Any advice on this, past experiences, words of encouragement are much needed!! Any other information on a spay is greatly appreciated as well. ThAnks all.
rabbit spay
- Thread starter kep12091
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Korr_and_Sophie
Well-Known Member
Call back and ask to speak the to vet, even if they have to call you back when they are free. Sometimes reception doens't know that rabbits should not be fasted, but the vet should. If the vets says to fast, I would find a different vet. Rabbits should also have food when they wake up, so if the vet is fasting them before, they are probably not giving them food right away either.
If you do have doubts, ask lots of questions. Even take your rabbit in for an exam to see how that goes. You can ask more questions in person and even see the facility.
If you do have doubts, ask lots of questions. Even take your rabbit in for an exam to see how that goes. You can ask more questions in person and even see the facility.
Definitely keep feeding your rabbit. The reason that they get cats and dogs to fast is because they can be ill from the anesthetic. Rabbits are incapable of vomiting, so they have no so issues having surgery on a full tummy 
Thanks everyone! I called back and asked the vet to call me back. I have a few other vets I've talked to so I can make the best decision for Natalie! I thought it sounded weird not feed her especially since she might not want to eat after
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
Rabbits are incapable of vomiting, so you should keep her eating all the way to the spay. BUT most importantly, you are going to need to get her gut moving afterwards.
3/4 of my rabbits are unsexed, but I worried every time I dropped them off. Your after care if going to be very, very important. Make sure to packs some pellets and greens to take with you on the day of the spay. My vet would try to feed my rabbits after surgery and let me know how it went when I came to pick up.
3/4 of my rabbits are unsexed, but I worried every time I dropped them off. Your after care if going to be very, very important. Make sure to packs some pellets and greens to take with you on the day of the spay. My vet would try to feed my rabbits after surgery and let me know how it went when I came to pick up.
Thank you bellaterra. I was going to take some pellets and greens with me to the vet. The vet did say he didn't typically send home with pain Meds. I am just very nervous but hopeful... What should I do about making it easier for her to use a litterbox and access to hay and water without hurting her incision ?
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
I can't tell how your bunny will be after the spay, but I can tell you what I did with mine.
First, you are going to want to make sure to get some pain meds from your vet. Metacam is a popular pain med they should be able to provide. There should be no reason they could not provide some pain meds for post-op care. Try to find a vet that uses internal stitches (dissolves over time) and surgical glue to keep the rabbit from chewing its stitches.
When you bring home your bunny, make sure it is going to be comfortable and warm. I would definitely bring it inside if you keep it outdoors during her recovery. If she is free roam, I would limit her activity until she's ready to move around. Some soft blankets and a hidey box is essential.
Food - All of her favorite veggie and fruits. you want to entice her to eat ASAP. A nibble here and nibble there, anything to get her gut going again. little pile of her favorite hays in the box with her and right outside of the box. I also put down some dandelion leaves, parsley, some steamed sweet potato and homemade apple sauce right outside the door to the box. You want to make it as easy as possible for her to eat. Make sure to replace any food that gets old or wilted with fresh green veggies/fruit.
Water - I would recommend putting a shallow bowl of water in the box with her. Her having to work at getting water out of a bottle might discourage her from drinking water. You can also make sure her veggies are wet.
Time & Patience - Remember, she's not going to want to be your cuddly bunny when you bring her home. She's probably going to be sitting hen style, in a corner and in the box for at least the first day. She might venture out to eat/drink, but I wouldn't be expecting her to move around a lot for the first couple of days. Mine started showing signs of recovery after 3 days. Hanging outside the box, using the litter box, eating and pooping normally by the 5-7 day.
Of course, all this applies to a perfect recovery from a spay, but you can run into problems and this can be the most challenging aspect of the whole processes. But one step at a time.
Hope this helps you get mentally prepared for the spay, and contact me if you need help with anything else. Best wishes.
First, you are going to want to make sure to get some pain meds from your vet. Metacam is a popular pain med they should be able to provide. There should be no reason they could not provide some pain meds for post-op care. Try to find a vet that uses internal stitches (dissolves over time) and surgical glue to keep the rabbit from chewing its stitches.
When you bring home your bunny, make sure it is going to be comfortable and warm. I would definitely bring it inside if you keep it outdoors during her recovery. If she is free roam, I would limit her activity until she's ready to move around. Some soft blankets and a hidey box is essential.
Food - All of her favorite veggie and fruits. you want to entice her to eat ASAP. A nibble here and nibble there, anything to get her gut going again. little pile of her favorite hays in the box with her and right outside of the box. I also put down some dandelion leaves, parsley, some steamed sweet potato and homemade apple sauce right outside the door to the box. You want to make it as easy as possible for her to eat. Make sure to replace any food that gets old or wilted with fresh green veggies/fruit.
Water - I would recommend putting a shallow bowl of water in the box with her. Her having to work at getting water out of a bottle might discourage her from drinking water. You can also make sure her veggies are wet.
Time & Patience - Remember, she's not going to want to be your cuddly bunny when you bring her home. She's probably going to be sitting hen style, in a corner and in the box for at least the first day. She might venture out to eat/drink, but I wouldn't be expecting her to move around a lot for the first couple of days. Mine started showing signs of recovery after 3 days. Hanging outside the box, using the litter box, eating and pooping normally by the 5-7 day.
Of course, all this applies to a perfect recovery from a spay, but you can run into problems and this can be the most challenging aspect of the whole processes. But one step at a time.
Hope this helps you get mentally prepared for the spay, and contact me if you need help with anything else. Best wishes.
so should i expect her to be going to the bathroom wherever she is laying in her box as opposed to a litterbox? i ask because i worry it will be to difficult for her to get into a litterbox. should i just add some of her bedding into her box with her maybe? thanks for the advice. i am worried! you're so helpful though. i appreciate it
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
No problem and you're welcome. The #1 thing you need to be worried about is getting her to eat after the spay. Once she gets eating again, recovery should follow shortly. I wouldn't worry too much about her litter habits the first couple of days, but having a litter box with lower wall could help.
I wouldn't add any hay, except for maybe a little for her to eat, in the box. The hay can poke and irritate the surgical site, so I would stick to some soft stuff in the box. Very carefully check the surgical 2x daily for the first 3 days, and then once a day after that. Make sure its clean and intact.
I wouldn't add any hay, except for maybe a little for her to eat, in the box. The hay can poke and irritate the surgical site, so I would stick to some soft stuff in the box. Very carefully check the surgical 2x daily for the first 3 days, and then once a day after that. Make sure its clean and intact.
Thank you! i am sure I will be asking more questions/updating after i get her fixed
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
I know what you are going through. For my first spay, I wasn't a part of RO, and I spent countless hours trying to figure out how to go about it correctly. There isn't a single correct answer that will tell you how your rabbit will react. Their personalities differ just like ours do. All the advice is a guideline, but you might have to improvise depending on your situation.
Hope everything goes well and reach out if you have any other question or concerns. It's better going into it with too much info than less.
Hope everything goes well and reach out if you have any other question or concerns. It's better going into it with too much info than less.
Hey again! Natalie is at the vet now. So after I get her how long should I wait to try and feed her or should I just give her food and let her eat if she wants ?
Hi,
I just brought my 14 month old female home from being spayed. She is in her house and has not eaten or drank yet. Got my make done today too and he is drinking a lot. You do not have to hold back food and water before surgery. I even brought some hay to the vet office today for them to have after surgery but they didn't eat it.
I just brought my 14 month old female home from being spayed. She is in her house and has not eaten or drank yet. Got my make done today too and he is drinking a lot. You do not have to hold back food and water before surgery. I even brought some hay to the vet office today for them to have after surgery but they didn't eat it.
Well so far she hasn't eaten an only drank a little water. And she seems cold and I'm trying to keep warm bottles near her for warmth. I feel so bad and just want her to feel better !
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
Just make sure she has easy access to water and just place her favorite foods around her, within easy reach. I would wait until tomorrow morning before bugging her with food, but monitor her intake during the night. Make sure she will have a clean area, warm blankets (the anesthesia makes them cold) and a hidey box as she will hate you for taking her to that horrible place. A quiet area also so she can relax for tonight.
You don't need to give her pain meds until the following morning. Leave her in peace tonight and tomorrow begins the painful processes of eating her to eat. She's going to be grouchy and wants to be left alone. That's fine for the first 12 hours, but after that I would definitely start bugging her with some food.
You don't need to give her pain meds until the following morning. Leave her in peace tonight and tomorrow begins the painful processes of eating her to eat. She's going to be grouchy and wants to be left alone. That's fine for the first 12 hours, but after that I would definitely start bugging her with some food.
My vet did not give any pain meds to take home. I was surprised. Nibbles has been drinking a little water. She is resting and we brought a little bowl to her cause she doesn't want to get up. I feel bad for her. I had a total hysterectomy and know how it hurts. Hope they both heal well and quickly. I bought the "cone of shame" to prevent chewing on the incision but so far they are not bothering them. I can't imagine a rabbit putting up with one, but I bought a couple, just in case. I'm a nervous momma!
bellaterra214
Bellaterra214
For a spay, I would definitely ask your vet if you could get some Metacam. The medicine also helps to get her eating.
Do they not carry it?
Do they not carry it?
I didn't get pain medicine for Natalie either. And now I'm worried because she still isn't eating, is cold and won't move from the same spot. I dropped her off yesterday morning at 830 and they did the surgery in the afternoon and she came home at 630. Is there something else I should do? Idk if the vet Is open Saturday ..I'm worried
and I feel awful tooHow long has it been since you got her home and since the surgery? Has she eaten/pooped at all. Anaesthetic reduces their ability to regulate their temperature so you do need to keep them warm, cuddle her up with you for a while if it helps and pet her ears. You really need to encourage her to eat and drink as well or she could go into stasis, keep offering food, hay, fresh herbs that she's used to having and just constantly offer different things and even if she only nibbles it's better than nothing. If it's been overnight and she's still not eating, I would definitely recommend taking her back into the vet. Many vets are open on a saturday, but at least here it's often only in the morning until 12-1pm. So either look up the clinic online or ring as early as you can.
Yesterday morning she ate hay and pellets then I gave her parsley, romaine lettuce and her favorite oat and strawberry treat. I dropped her off at 830 am at the vet and then they operated between 12-3 (noon to 3pm) I picked her up at 630 and they said she didn't eat. She hasn't eaten anything and it's now 730 am but she has drank a little waters . She peed and pooped a few tiny poops.ive been covering her with blanket and near warm bottles and tempting her with everything she is just in the hen position under boxes.
