Why should I neuter my rabbit??
Is an anaesthetic required and is it safe?
What does the operation involve?
How do I look after my rabbit after its operation?

Why should I neuter my rabbit?

1. Rabbits are social animals and enjoy company, but within the confines of most domestic situations, competition and fights can occur. Same sex pairs- two males or two females together- result in the biggest problems.
    
2. Keeping male and female rabbits together, results in the obvious problem of a rapidly growing population. The expression “breed like rabbits” says it all!
3. Sadly, entire female rabbits have a very high risk of developing cancer of their uterus, at a relatively young age. They can also develop a potentially fatal infection of their uterus called a pyometra.
4. Behavioural problems are surprisingly common in rabbits. Males and females can be aggressive towards their owners and males in particular have an unpleasant habit of spraying urine towards their owners!
5. Neutering will prevent, eliminate or at least reduce the incidence of all of these issues. A spayed female and castrated male tend to make the best and most problem free companions.

Is an anaesthetic required and is it safe?

Neutering of both sexes has to be performed under a general anaesthetic. Our experience and understanding of anaesthetising rabbits has grown over the years, making a rabbit general anaesthetic far safer. There is always a small risk, but that risk is tiny compared to the risk of problems described above.

Keypoints:

• The anaesthetic we use, SEVOFLURANE, is regarded as the safest for small mammals.
• Setting up an intravenous fluid “drip” is done routinely for spays, greatly enhancing the rabbit’s ability to cope with the anaesthetic and surgery.
• Due to their smaller size, enormous care is taken to provide external warmth and prevent excessive wetting from the surgical preparation.
• Rabbits are prone to an anaesthetic complication called ileus (basically their intestines stop working). We therefore routinely give them an injection to counteract this, as well as very effective painkillers.
• You do NOT need to starve your rabbit before an anaesthetic (unlike dogs, cats and people, they cannot be sick). Infact it is important that they always have access to food right up to and immediately after their anaesthetic.

What does the operation involve?

Males are castrated via two small incisions over their scrotum. It is a relatively quick and simple procedure. There are no stitches requiring removal. Males can remain fertile for up to 6 weeks, after their operation, so keep them separated from females during this time.

Females are spayed through an incision on the underside of her tummy. A complete ovaro-hysterectomy is performed, so it is a major operation, and extra precautions such as setting up an intravenous drip are essential. Stitches are used and these need to be removed after 10 days.

How do I look after my rabbit after its operation?

Provision of warmth, peace and quiet is very important for the first 48 hours. Provide good quality hay and access to fresh grass. Ensure that your rabbit is eating and that fresh droppings are being produced. If not, contact us. Males have no stitches and rarely pay any attention to their wounds. Females also tend to leave their wound well alone, but please check the areas at least twice a day, and contact us if there are any signs of wound inflammation or loss of stitches.