Spay Recovery

[Bellamy+Lilah]

Does it seem harder on female buns to recover from spay compared to neutering a male?

I'm in the process of fixing my buns one at a time. I'm planning to do my female last because it will be the most expensive and the most nervewrecking because I am afraid of something bad happening to her if she died I dont know if I could ever get over it. She is the best pet I've ever had in my life and the sweetest.

Does it take longer for female buns to heal and get back to their normal selves? What kind of behaviour should I expect over the duration of her recovery process and how long does it typically last?

 

[Popsicles]

Yes it will take longer as a spay is invasive major abdominal surgery - castrates are much easier and less invasive, so less time under anaesthetic and less pain response. It depends on the individual rabbit how long they take to recover, but you should restrict exercise space for up to a week to prevent her running/jumping too much and breaking stitches etc. Your vet should send her home with pain relief, so hopefully there won’t be too much of a pain response but you can expect her to be slightly quiet and eat less if the pain is bad. Make sure to keep her warm when she first gets home, and offer her favourite tastiest food to get her eating again.

 

[Bellamy+Lilah]

Thank you so much!! Very helpful

 

[April LD]

Also, she may pee a red/orange color, this is normal. I have had 5 females spayed so far and all but one were fine in a day to two. Three went right back in with their babies - not an issue at all.

If she is not eating within a few hours please make sure that you try "freshies": Lettuce, cilantro, Kale, etc. something she LOVES to eat, because you want to keep her gut moving. Maybe have some Critical Care on hand just in case that you can give her.

The one got really aggressive of her space, she peed this red/orange color - scared me - but my vet assured me this was normal and part of the hormones. Thought she would get better about her aggressiveness - she did not, but when she is picked up or outside or running around the house she is super sweet and loves to cuddle. She just doesn't want anyone in her space - other then her now boyfriend Buster.

 

[Bellamy+Lilah]

Was she aggressive about her space before the spay?

My Lilah is super chill and has always got along with other buns great so far even not being spayed yet (she is almost a year old now). The only times I have ever seen her show any kind of "territory enforcement" behaviour at all is if she sees another bunny besides her playing in her playpen. She is fine just so long as she can be inside of it too. She is like a little kid and protective of her playpen.

So is it possible she could get real moody and aggressive while recovering from the spay if that's not her normal behaviour?

 

[April LD]

She was not aggressive before; but I rescued them from a park down the street from me and she was very sick and had to have surgery twice; once to open an abscess under chin for an infection that went into her jaw, and then another to go back in the check everything and spay her at the same time. I had her fixed within a few weeks after rescuing her and she was totally sweet, in fact she was very submissive until the surgery....it was strange.

But she has issues; we just found out she has E. Cuniculi now and she is on meds and doing much better but will probably always have a head tilt from it. It is affecting her inner ear/nervous system...I can't really pick her up to snuggle anymore it sends her into an "alligator roll" due to the vertigo she is getting from the inflammation very sad for her. She is getting around better, eating normal, still likes to snuggle - we snuggle on the bed after her meds. I want to get her outside and see if she enjoys running around again or if she will stay more sedentary.