To spay or not to spay?!

[RabbitGirl101]

I know! They are so negative about this subject!

I, for one, am not negative on the subject. Personal experience has driven me away from the need to alter or suggest altering. I have done my research and I do not personally agree with it. I am I negative because I choose not to alter? No, I'm not so I would appreciate if you would not assume we are all negative. You don't know why I don't prefer altering. It's not because I am a breeder. Please understand, that I once was a wide-eyed and eager new rabbit owner, who just wanted a pet. I have done my fair share of rescuing and fostering. I now breed. I have had the pleasure to learn many things and I just do not think that altering your rabbit is a necessary route that has to be taken.

I also feel now, looking back, that I need to apologize for saying "notice it's all breeders saying this" that was rude of me and I'm sorry. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion I just felt so much negativity, but I'm sorry. I didn't want to start something

Thank you for apologizing, I wasn't being negative just pointing out potential facts but I do appreciate that you apologized for something that I'm sure many of the breeders on this forum would find offense too. At one point we too were all pet owners.

 

[Kipcha]

I, for one, am not negative on the subject. Personal experience has driven me away from the need to alter or suggest altering. I have done my research and I do not personally agree with it. I am I negative because I choose not to alter? No, I'm not so I would appreciate if you would not assume we are all negative. You don't know why I don't prefer altering. It's not because I am a breeder. Please understand, that I once was a wide-eyed and eager new rabbit owner, who just wanted a pet. I have done my fair share of rescuing and fostering. I now breed. I have had the pleasure to learn many things and I just do not think that altering your rabbit is a necessary route that has to be taken.

So why not share any knowledge you've gained through research other then just basically saying "I don't agree with it". They would understand your reasons for not liking it if you said them.

Just because one study wasn't that well conducted doesn't mean that what it was trying to prove wasn't true. I agree the 80% is high, but there have been a lot of rabbits dying younger then they would have if they had been spayed.

If it's a pet, I really see no reason (Unless cost is an issue, I know everyone isn't a millionaire, we sure aren't, or if there is a pre-existing medical condition) to not get them done.

 

[Furry_Paws]

Was I referring to you? Jumping to conclusion much?

 

[RabbitGirl101]

Was I referring to you? Jumping to conclusion much?

Please stop, I am finding your comments very rude. Your were relating your post to breeders, myself being one. This is a place for friendly discussion not pointing fingers and judging one another.

 

[RabbitGirl101]

So why not share any knowledge you've gained through research other then just basically saying "I don't agree with it". They would understand your reasons for not liking it if you said them.

Just because one study wasn't that well conducted doesn't mean that what it was trying to prove wasn't true. I agree the 80% is high, but there have been a lot of rabbits dying younger then they would have if they had been spayed.

If it's a pet, I really see no reason (Unless cost is an issue, I know everyone isn't a millionaire, we sure aren't, or if there is a pre-existing medical condition) to not get them done.

Thats actually a good idea! I'll talk to one of the forum moderators ( I would want to get it approved first as it is a heated topic) but since this is a commonly asked question and there are two different sides, maybe we could start a forum and post our opinions in a friendly discussion. Explaining why we think or don't think the rabbits should be altered. It would help people trying to make the decision on whether or not to alter their rabbit.
I do see where you are coming from. I have all of my cats altered but that is because they are of different genders and we don't want to breed cats (rabbits is definitely too time-consuming to do anything else with breeding hahaXD) If we just had one or two of the same gender they would be left unaltered but to avoid unwanted litters we did alter them as they are free range cats (well inside they aren't allowed outside haha )

 

[Watermelons]

Guys enough of the arguing about this topic.
This topic is posted what at least 50x a month, and its usually the same members replying to it for the OP.
Please state your opinion on the topic with your experience and why. And leave it at that. There's no need to continually come back and berate other members for their point of view.
If this behaviour continues, it will be 1 reply per member - per topic like this (housing, spaying, diet, etc.)

 

[Furry_Paws]

I've posted one comment. @RabbitGirl101

 

[RabbitGirl101]

Guys enough of the arguing about this topic.
This topic is posted what at least 50x a month, and its usually the same members replying to it for the OP.
Please state your opinion on the topic with your experience and why. And leave it at that. There's no need to continually come back and berate other members for their point of view.
If this behaviour continues, it will be 1 reply per member - per topic like this (housing, spaying, diet, etc.)

Sorry, I was quite frustrated with certain replies from a certain member. Didn't mean to cause a shuffle. I was very interested in doing a thread or maybe creating a forum for altering of rabbits it would allow more room to breath as it is a common topic brought up. It would allow new owners to see both views without having the side conversations in between.

 

[kisha.princess]

Could someone tell me how much it costs to get a 6-8 month old female spayed? I want her to have babies but I don't want her to have health complications.

 

[pani]

The cost tends to vary depending on your area and your vet, but I've seen spay costs thrown around as anywhere between $200 - $400 on average, although I saw someone was quoted $700 at the highest. anic:

If you're getting your bunny spayed, make sure you do your research and get a rabbit-savvy vet. Spays are a surgical procedure that involves higher risks than neutering, so you'll want to have a chat with the vet to make sure they're comfortable with the procedure and have performed the same procedure successfully previously.

 

[JBun]

Could someone tell me how much it costs to get a 6-8 month old female spayed? I want her to have babies but I don't want her to have health complications.

If you can find a low cost spay/neuter clinic near you, that also does rabbits, the cost can be under $100. You just want to make sure the vet has a lot of experience with rabbits.

 

[Imbrium]

Yeah, it can be anywhere from < $100 to a few hundred, depending on the vet and whether you can find a low-cost clinic that takes rabbits.

The safety of getting a rabbit spayed depends on the skill/experience of the vet AND on whether there are any underlying conditions (which is why preliminary bloodwork is highly recommended for adult rabbits (as opposed to juveniles)). Calling shelters who take rabbits and rabbit rescues in your area can be a good way to track down a low-cost option where the surgery will be done by a rabbit-savvy vet.

 

[Furry_Paws]

Where I live in Florida, we have what is called the B.U.N.S Program. (Bunnies Unite For Spay and Neuter) It's costs $65 to get fixed. Some rabbit rescues have special programs that help you fix your bun without breaking your bank.

 

[Furry_Paws]

Yeah, it can be anywhere from < $100 to a few hundred, depending on the vet and whether you can find a low-cost clinic that takes rabbits.

The safety of getting a rabbit spayed depends on the skill/experience of the vet AND on whether there are any underlying conditions (which is why preliminary bloodwork is highly recommended for adult rabbits (as opposed to juveniles)). Calling shelters who take rabbits and rabbit rescues in your area can be a good way to track down a low-cost option where the surgery will be done by a rabbit-savvy vet.

When it comes to fixing your rabbit, is neutering safer for males then spaying for females?

 

[Imbrium]

Neutering is a much less invasive procedure... however, the risk of either procedure is minimal *if* the vet is very experienced with spaying/neutering rabbits. If a vet is lacking in experience, then I imagine spaying would be riskier than neutering (though neither is a good idea with an inexperienced vet). HRS has some great info on finding a qualified vet.

 

[Kipcha]

When it comes to fixing your rabbit, is neutering safer for males then spaying for females?

It's a lot less invasive and I'm pretty sure it's a shorter surgery time, so makes sense that it would be safer.

 

[Furry_Paws]

It's a lot less invasive and I'm pretty sure it's a shorter surgery time, so makes sense that it would be safer.

Okay thanks!

 

[Furry_Paws]

Neutering is a much less invasive procedure... however, the risk of either procedure is minimal *if* the vet is very experienced with spaying/neutering rabbits. If a vet is lacking in experience, then I imagine spaying would be riskier than neutering (though neither is a good idea with an inexperienced vet). HRS has some great info on finding a qualified vet.

Thanks!

 

[zombiesue]

Guys enough of the arguing about this topic.
This topic is posted what at least 50x a month, and its usually the same members replying to it for the OP.
Please state your opinion on the topic with your experience and why. And leave it at that. There's no need to continually come back and berate other members for their point of view.
If this behaviour continues, it will be 1 reply per member - per topic like this (housing, spaying, diet, etc.)

LOL let me summarize every thread like this ever:

"All of the breeder type people are going to tell you it's a personal choice and the 80% rule is wrong and the rabbit might die in surgery anyway.

All of the strictly-pet (HRS) type people are going to tell you that you must alter or you're a bad rabbit owner"

That's a little extreme, there are lots of people who are in the middle, too, but that's what it feels like.

Same with diet: Hay isn't important / you must feed hay or you're doing it wrong...

 

[Kipcha]

LOL let me summarize every thread like this ever:

"All of the breeder type people are going to tell you it's a personal choice and the 80% rule is wrong and the rabbit might die in surgery anyway.

All of the strictly-pet (HRS) type people are going to tell you that you must alter or you're a bad rabbit owner"

That's a little extreme, there are lots of people who are in the middle, too, but that's what it feels like.

Same with diet: Hay isn't important / you must feed hay or you're doing it wrong...

Where was it ever stated that you must do it or your a bad owner? It is recommended for pets because it helps with hormonal behaviors (Which is true), prevent's accidental litters (Also true) and prevents reproductive cancer (assuming your vet does it removing the ovaries and the uterus, this is most certainly true).

Not picking a fight, just annoyed as someone who posted in this thread as a pro-rescue person and then having words put in my (As well as some other posters here) mouth.