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Hi, I have a pet bunny named Peaches that is between 4 and 6 years old (she had 2 owners before I adopted her a few years ago). I know I should have spayed her a long while ago, but I kept talking myself out of it because of the complications and risks it posed. Well, I just lost my female guinea pig, Baby, a few days ago to uterine cancer and heart failure. She had an emergency spay a year ago, but it must have already been spreading prior to her spay because it came back. I never ever want any of my animals to go thru what Baby had to, so I would really like to get Peaches spayed as I now know that both female guinea pigs AND rabbits have a high risk for cancer when they are unaltered. My main concern at this point tho is, is it too late?... It's also worth mentioning that Peaches has had issues with stasis in the past and it is currently being managed. Please help!
 
4-6 is only middle age, so not too late. Though any surgery is a risk, and there is more risk with older age. I would say that if your current vet isn't a really knowledgeable rabbit vet, find the best rabbit vet you can to do the surgery. It can help minimize the possible risks. Also have pre surgical blood work done to make sure kidney and liver function are good.

If you are needing a different vet, though this is a list for rabbit vets, some vets are going to be better rabbit vets than others. Do your research.
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html
 
It is a possibility. If this is a concern you have, I would suggest talking to your vet about it, if they're a good rabbit vet. Or find a good one and discuss all of your concerns with them. The vet can do a pre surgery exam and any necessary or recommended diagnostics to check your buns health.
 
Our Flemish Giant boy was housed in a guinea pig sized housing unit at his former owner's home. Agouti bro and fawn-colored bro. We weren't knowledgeable the end of 2018 on the dangers of sophresh paper bedding with baking soda added for odor control. I deeply regret that I didn't research more in earnest when I saw him drinking more water from his water bowl prior to neuter surgery.

Our savvy DVMs always do CBC/BMP to determiine blood-clotting capability, hydration, anemia, kidney & liver function, et al.

The brothers were spraying urine, and no longer cohabitating in their expanded new quadrant space after transitioning to our home. - Mounting, and aggressive behavior. We separated them immediately at age 7 months. A comment re: hydration was mentioned by DVM (who didn't do the neuters) when agouti boy actively drank more water than his reddish-colored sibling when both boys had their pre-surgery bloodwork done. I was there to mention this at his exam! Agouti boy Jackson was definitely an avid drinker and the more submissive, loving brother..

The worst type of call to get is - your boy had cardiac arrest at the end of his neuter surgery. I was devastated. I requested a necropsy for peace of mind. He had less than 1/4th normal lung function. The baking soda element in his sophresh bedding likely did damge to his lungs in the months prior to transition to our home. His water bottle dripped onto the paper sophresh bedding in former person's home.

Now our DVM will do a lung xray prior to surgeries. The DVM clinic also lost 2 guinea pigs in surgery due to respiration. If you request an xray of heart and lungs that's an extra step to ruling out potential risks.

As JBun mentioned no surgery is risk-free, but all steps taken to ensure the best outcome are beneficial.
 

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Do you if Carefresh bedding has that same issue? And thank you for your suggestions, I will definitely be getting a heart and lung xray prior to the spay if the vet gives us the go ahead.
 

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