Should I neuter my rabbit?

[rabbitlife]

I have a four year old female rabbit, who has a very kind, sweet personality how she's very territorial and aggressive. She will bite, pounce and scratch you however she's occasionally sweet and friendly and so was she when she was a baby.

I have lots of vet surgeries in my area so finding a good vet shouldn't be too hard. Please could you give my your advice on whether to neuter her at the age of four and whether she would benefit from being neutered.

Please only answer if you've had lots of experience with neutering or are a professional as this can be very serious.

Thank you!

 

[danielles_pets1]

Because she is female she would be spayed. Its up to you if you want her spayed or not. If you dont like her being aggresive, then yes get her spayed. The vet should go over the procedure with you. You will get medicine for her too. The vet should walk you through every thing. Make an appointment for the rabbit just to a check up and so you can talk to the vet about everything.

 

[rabbitlife]

Okay I wasn't quite sure if it was spayed or neuter for females😂 Thank you!!

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We have rescued 27 females over the years and they all were neutered after we acquired them.

 

[danielles_pets1]

Okay I wasn't quite sure if it was spayed or neuter for females😂 Thank you!!

Haha yep I think some vets will go about the spay differently, so thats why it might be best to ask them. My buck is going to get nuetered soon. But anyway, i hope my answer before helped!

 

[ladysown]

at four years of age her behaviour might well be engrained. if you can live with her behaviour or moderate it, that might be your best option.

 

[rabbitlife]

It's a hard one.. Now I spend a lot more time then I used to with the bunnies it's getting very stressful for me when she just sits their biting, pouncing and attacking me when my other bunny (the one I'm not planning to spayed) is very cuddley and affectionate.

 

[danielles_pets1]

It's a hard one.. Now I spend a lot more time then I used to with the bunnies it's getting very stressful for me when she just sits their biting, pouncing and attacking me when my other bunny (the one I'm not planning to spayed) is very cuddley and affectionate.

Then you might want to get her spayed. Because of her age, it sounds like that is her permanant personality. But if you spay her, it should get rid of that bad tempermant. Just remember that when she comes home after getting spayed, she will be a bit grumpy for the first day/two days after surgery. Due to her attitude, it just sounds best to get her spayed.

 

[UPguy]

Danielle, that is a gorgeous looking bunny on your signature picture. Would you please tell me if that is a Holland or a mini lop? Nice coloring as well. Any eye or teeth problems? How old? Thanks...he/she is a cutie!

 

[danielles_pets1]

Danielle, that is a gorgeous looking bunny on your signature picture. Would you please tell me if that is a Holland or a mini lop? Nice coloring as well. Any eye or teeth problems? How old? Thanks...he/she is a cutie!

Thank you so much! She is a Holland lop. She is one of my show rabbits. So far she has no eye/teeth problems. Her last litter turned out perfect too. She is 1-2 years old. Her name is Tango

 

[LoveCrumb]

Like the above, I would definitely recommend a spay, though I say this without being able to guarantee that her behaviour will improve significantly. Her temperament should become better after being spayed and recovering. Now, this is important: make sure you go to a vet who has experience doing spays and neuters on rabbits! The anaesthesia is handled differently with rabbits and other exotics than it would be with a dog or cat. Spaying is more invasive surgery than neutering and it requires someone with experience. Second important reason to get her fixed: she will likely live much longer. A large majority of female rabbits that are NOT spayed die of uterine cancer after only a 3-5 years of age, the risk increasing the older they get. If you spay them, their risk of uterine cancer goes away and they can live into their teens. Here's a link for more information: http://www.petmd.com/rabbit/conditions/reproductive/c_rb_uterine_adenocarcinoma

 

[UPguy]

Just an aside, but I cannot help but remember my favorite cartoonist, Gary Larsen, and that one he did with the smug dog hanging out the car door window, saying to a neighbor dog (on the way to the Vet) "Ha ha ha Biff, MY owner is taking ME to get 'tutored.' Hilarious!

 

[bellaarchie]

Hi, I'm not a professional but did a lot of research about the benefits of spaying/spoke to several vets when deciding whether or not to get my doe spayed. I opted for it in the end because the health benefits (I felt) outweighed the risks. The main health benefit of spaying is that it drastically reduces the risk of cancers of the reproductive system, something that in the wild rabbits are protected from by pregnancy. I can't remember the exact statistics, but there is a very high risk of a female rabbit developing one of these cancers if not spayed. This of course does have to be countered with the risk of general anaesthetic in rabbits, which although low risk, is not risk free, however if your rabbit did go onto develop tumours she would need the surgery anyway but would have to have it at a point when she was unwell.

 

[cdc7267]

Hi if ur going to have kits out of her then don't spay her but if u aren't going to do that then I would soo spay her if I were u

 

[rabbitlife]

Thank you for your help! Spaying costs £100 at the vets where I take my dog (they have qualified vets that specialise in small animals too) So if my bunnies have babies then the risk of getting cancer is gone?? My bunnies are four and have never had a health issue!

 

[Azerane]

Thank you for your help! Spaying costs £100 at the vets where I take my dog (they have qualified vets that specialise in small animals too) So if my bunnies have babies then the risk of getting cancer is gone?? My bunnies are four and have never had a health issue!

No, rabbits that are bred are still at risk of getting reproductive cancers, there's just a smaller chance. If your rabbits are four years old and have never been bred, I would definitely not recommend breeding. I believe if a doe isn't bred from in the first year to year and half, then it's recommended not to since the risks of first pregnancy become must higher after that age.