FAQ - Spay and Neuter

After surgery, keep the environment quiet so the rabbit doesn't startle or panic, don't do anything to encourage acrobatics, but let the rabbit move around at her own pace-- she knows what hurts and what doesn't.

Some veterinarians keep rabbits overnight. If your veterinarian lets you bring your bunny home the first night, note the following:

• Most males come home after being neutered looking for "supper"-- be sure they have pellets, water, and some good hay (good, fresh alfalfa is a good way to tempt them to nibble a bit)
• Most females want to be left alone, are not interested in eating at all, and will sit quietly in a back corner of the cage (or wherever in the house they feel they will be bothered the least) The following morning, or at latest by the next evening, it is important for the rabbit to be nibbling something. It doesn't matter what or how much, as long as she is taking in something, so the digestive tract won't shut down. If she isn't, tempt her with everything possible and contact your veterinarian for further instructions.

Most veterinarians charge somewhere between $60 and $180. Neutering a male is generally less expensive than spaying a female due to the amount of surgery required.

Females can be spayed as soon as they sexually mature, usually around 4 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 6 months old, as surgery is riskier on a younger female rabbit. Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, usually around 3-1/2 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 5 months old.

If you don’t have other bunny owners to get a referral from, you can evaluate any veterinarian by asking the following questions:

• Ask how many rabbits are seen at the clinic each week (or month).
• Ask if they know which antibiotics are dangerous for rabbits (amoxicillin, lincomycin & clindamycin.).
• Casually ask about preventing hairballs. Q: "What's the best way to prevent hairballs?" A: "Provide your rabbit with hay every day, preferably 24 hours a day. Provide daily exercise and brush frequently"
• Ask how many rabbits are spayed or neutered each week (or month).
• Ask if food has to be removed the night before surgery. The answer should be "no". Rabbits should never be fasted.
• What was the success rate? If any were lost, what was the cause? (90% success is way too low. Veterinarians across the country who spay and neuter rabbits for the House Rabbit Society have lost on average less than 1/2 of 1%.)
• What anesthetics are used? (Isofluorene is preferred. Some veterinarians are quite successful with anesthetics other than isofluorene, but the bunny is "hung over" after surgery, which increases the probability that s/he will be slow to start eating again, which can lead to serious problems if not dealt with.)
• You might also want to ask which conferences they've attended lately that had talks about rabbit medicine and what journals they read.

Be careful not to choose the nearest vet without inquiring about their experience with rabbits. Paying money for an inexperienced vet can be very costly both to you and to your pet.

Surgery can be as safe on rabbits as on any animal. Unfortunately, the vast majority of veterinarians aren't experienced with safe rabbit surgery techniques. Don't allow a veterinarian with little or no rabbit experience spay or neuter your rabbit. Using isofluorene as the anesthetic and appropriate surgical and after-surgery techniques, spaying and neutering of rabbits is as safe as for any other animal.

• Altered rabbits are healthier and live longer than unaltered rabbits.
• Altered rabbits make better companion animals.
• Altered rabbits display fewer obnoxious behaviors that humans find annoying or distasteful.
• Altered rabbits won't contribute to the problem of overpopulation of rabbits.
• Altered rabbits can safely have a friend to play with.
• Spaying and neutering for rabbits has become a safe procedure when performed by experienced rabbit veterinarians.

YES! Obviously spaying and neutering your cat cuts down on the overpopulation of pets, but it also has some individual benefits as well. By spaying your female cat, you reduce or eliminate the risk of breast cancer, tumors of the reproductive system, false pregnancies, uterine infections and certain skin conditions related to hormonal imbalances. By neutering your male cat, you may reduce the risk of cancer and other health problems. Also in the case of males, neutering often reduces objectionable behavior such as roaming, fighting and spraying.

It all depends on your particular vet. Some say that kittens must be at least 6 months old before they can be sterilized, although other vets will sterilize as young as 2 months (8 weeks). Veterinary studies done on "juvenile" spaying and neutering (younger than the previously accepted practice of always waiting until 6 months) indicate that there are no medical reasons that a spay or neuter cannot be done at a younger age, but that a specific gas anesthesia must be used. A young growing kitten would tend to heal faster and comes out of anesthesia quicker than an older cat. If you own a male and female kitten, please remember that some cats will become sexually mature before 6 months of age. Keep an eye on the interactions of your own cats to prevent kittens from having kittens!