Spay Q's.

[elentari]

My bun hasn't been spayed yet b/c there have never been any vets near, or confident enough to spay her until recently. I called a vet who could confidently spay her, but when I asked if her being 5 would be a complication the vet said there would be no point since she's 5 and rabbits don't normally live long. They said I could still do it if I wanted to though.

I know rabbits can live a lot longer than people think but I am worried that if I get her spayed I will be risking her life for "no point."
Her health is great, she's active, social, and has never been aggressive. I'm worried about uterine cancer, but I'm also worried that she will die under anesthesia.

I going to get another vet's opinion but if anyone has been in a similar situation and has advice or experience, please let me know.

 

[WhiteBunnyEcho]

I had the same concerns. I Neutered my five year old boy last year along with my one year-old boy. I can assure you my five year old did just as well as my one year-old. Recovery was very fast for both of them, though I know Spaying is a little more invasive. Depending on your breed, your rabbit still has a good seven years left. I definitely recommend spaying if you’re comfortable with it. I would recommend asking the vet how many spays they do per year and with the success rate is.

 

[JBun]

I would have my doubts about that vet. 5 is only middle age. Your rabbit could live another 5 plus years, so certainly has the potential to live much longer. If you can, try and find a more experienced rabbit vet, even if you have to travel a bit to do so. It's better and safer to have a good rabbit vet doing surgery, then risk going to an inexperienced vet.

Surgery is a risk, but so is the risk of uterine cancer, especially in older rabbits. Not every unspayed rabbit will get it, but there is a higher risk for older rabbits, especially of certain breeds. So you have to weigh the risk of surgery vs. the risk of your rabbit possibly developing uterine cancer.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html
https://rabbit.org/vet-listings/