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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A my mom refuses to have my rabbit neutered

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    • Fuzzibunni
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         she just doesnt want to spend the money and keeps telling me its not common to have rabbits spayed or neutered so not many vets will be able to perform it. we have stuff for fecal odor in his water but if he starts humping do you think he would go for a webkinz rabbit or a stuffed rabbit nearly twice his size? (he is a dwarf) he is around three months  and im not anticipating a teeneage bunny. the other rabbit we had for years never humped but he was MUCH more laid back than my current rabbit.


      • Beka27
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          This is not an uncommon attitude for people to have. Has she contacted vets to get confirmation that the ones in your area do not do it?

          While neutering males is not as necessary healthwise (females must be spayed because of the high risk of cancer), it truly is best to prevent territorial, aggressive, and marking behaviors. Not all buns experience the horrible teenage behaviors, but if your rabbit does, do you think she would reconsider then?


        • Fuzzibunni
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            nope because she doesnt want to spend that much money on something like that. i think she just sees it as a waste of money because none of our past rabbits ever experienced any negative teenage behaviors.


          • Monkeybun
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              Alot of vets won’t do the procedures because alot of vets don’t know how. Rabbits are an exotic pet, they require different training than your typical cat/dog vet. THAT is hwy it is more expensive, and its harder to find vets.

              Also, adding stuff to his water won’t help fecal smells, as they do not smell. Well, cecals do, but thats typical even for altered buns. Urine smells are the big ones in unaltered rabbits. And boy, does boy bunnies urine smell! Also, adding stuff to water often makes rabbits LESS likely to drink water, which can cause a bunch of issues.


            • Eepster
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                When we talked over neutering with Porky’s vet, he was fine with doing it (he is an experienced exotics vet, we first started seeing him for my iguana) but also saw no reason to push for it. The reasons to neuter, just weren’t that pressing with Porky. The first reason is to avoid baby bunnies, but Porky never gets to be with any female bunnies. The next reason is aggression, but Porky is the most laid back bunny ever. Third there is humping, but Porky has never done that. Forth you have spraying, again Porky doesn’t. Fifth you have territorial fighting, but Porky is a single bunny. Sixth you have improved litter habits, Porky’s are fine. Seventh you have urine odor, while Porky’s pee doesn’t smell like roses, his hay is actually a more noticeable smell in his room than his litter box unless I’ve gotten behind in the cleaning (but then it’s a good reminder to clean.)

                If any of the reasons to neuter actually applied to Porky, I wouldn’t worry about the minor expense. Since we really don’t have any real reason to neuter Porky other than a general belief in neutering pets being a responsible act, I won’t be risking anesthesia until we do have a genuine reason.

                As you can see, the list of reasons I gave for neutering a boy bunny is long indeed. I suspect that Porky is a very unusual bunny, and that almost all male bunnies will have at least one or if not more of the reasons to be neutered apply the them. I don’t know if your boy should be neutered or not. I would look at the reasons that one neuters a boy bunny and as yourself if any really apply. If your boy is an unusually non-hormone driven bunny like Porky, then it may just be best to let your mom have this battle and decide this is not the hill to die on. If you do have specific reason to neuter, then go to your mom with those reasons, and not just a general neutering is good stance.

                Whether or not he is going to be neutered, it is still a good idea to develop a relationship with a bunny knowledgeable vet.


              • BinkyBunny
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                   I’m assuming your mother is not against getting vet care if your bunny gets sick, just that she doesn’t feel neutering is important due to her past experiences, is that right? 

                   
                  One thing that is definitely important that Eepster brought up is that it’s a good idea to develop a relationship with a rabbit savvy vet.  Regardless if you decide to neuter, it’s likely that your bunny will need to see a vet at some point in its life. All you have to do is hang out on this board for a few days and you’ll see how many people have to deal with a situation that requires vet care.  So, I would suggest you just start looking for a rabbit savvy vet and then when you find one start asking questions about neutering to get his/her take on it.   
                   
                  So how do you find a vet that you know may be rabbit-savvy?  The House Rabbit Society has a great page on how to find one — you can look at their list, and/or you can use the screening questions for vets that you are considering but that may not be on the list. http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.htm
                   
                  I would also avoid putting anything in the water that may make him not drink as much.  (As I have heard before that this seems to be the common issue with additives)  Hydration is extremely important to your bunny’s digestive system.   You will have to watch that very closely. 
                   
                  In another thread, you had mentioned that he is not  using his litterbox consistently and that he has been difficult to train. This could also be hormone related as well. Though there are unneutered bunnies that can be trained, it’s a very common problem for bunnies who are not neutered to mark (and even spray) outside of their box. 
                   
                  You can definitely give your bunny a toy buddy to hump.  Just make sure that when you pick out the toy for him, that the fibers don’t easily shed. If they just shed a little, you may want to brush out the toy bunny to get the extra fibers and just make sure that nothing more sheds easily.  Though a determined bunny may hump any size, it would be best to create or buy something that he can actually mount.  If he does get humpy with things and you want him to redirect his attention to the the toy buddy, all you have to do is take the toy and circle it slowly and closely around your bunny.  Your bunny’s instincts will kick in and well…you’ll see. 
                   
                  I know you said you had rabbits for a few years before?  How many?  How long ago and how long was he with you? What happened to him?  Sounds like your mom has some information on rabbits, where does she get her info from? 
                   
                  Oh, one thing I did forget to mention is that even if you are able to lessen the urine smell, one thing that can still be rather pungent is the droppings in unneutered males.  It has nothing to do with the actual poo, but they put a smelly coating on it from their anal glands.  They can also put out a “musky” smell when they are in the mood–something you will notice if your bunny does get humpy. 
                   
                  Do you have any other animals?  If not, this may help keep him settled down, but other animals may trigger the need to mark and mate. 
                   
                  Again, I know you are in a tough situation with trying to educate yourself and do what is right for your bunny while having to respect your mom’s wishes as well.   It’s not an easy place to be in at times. 
                   


                • Brittany-and-Freddie
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                    Your mother is right in the fact that many vets will not perform it. My personal opinion is that rabbits should only be fixed if it is necessary. This could be because of spraying, aggressive behaviour or if you have two bunnies of opposite sexes in the same house.

                    My rabbit is not spayed because I have not had any reason to. With cats and dogs I ALWAYS spay/neuter because I don’t want babies or my dog/cat to cause another dog to get pregnant. But rabbits only see other rabbits when you want them to.

                    My opinion is why spend the money and put your rabbit in surgery unless it is completely necessary for the enjoyment of your pet or to prevent babies.

                     


                  • Tate
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                      Luckily with males, you can sometimes get away without them being neutered. If he does exhibit certain behaviors like humping all. the. time. and spraying, you could point out to your mom that those will be fixed if he gets neutered. With females, they have an 80% chance of getting uterine cancer by the age of 2 and that’s why it’s basically a necessary surgery for them at this point. While you can certainly eliminate testicular cancer in males with neutering, as far as I know it’s much less likely to happen.


                    • MissBunns
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                        If his behavior bothers her enough, would she consider it? Otherwise, is there anyway you could work something out with her. Like, make getting him neutered be considered a birthday/christmas/etc. “present.” My family has done that a lot, and everyone is happy Or is there anyway for you to save up an eventually have it done?

                        If he out grows the teen behavior, then I guess everyone would be happy, but otherwise I hope she will reconsider.


                      • Monkeybun
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                          Posted By Brittany-and-Freddie on 06/04/2011 06:38 PM

                          Your mother is right in the fact that many vets will not perform it. My personal opinion is that rabbits should only be fixed if it is necessary. This could be because of spraying, aggressive behaviour or if you have two bunnies of opposite sexes in the same house.

                          My rabbit is not spayed because I have not had any reason to. With cats and dogs I ALWAYS spay/neuter because I don’t want babies or my dog/cat to cause another dog to get pregnant. But rabbits only see other rabbits when you want them to.

                          My opinion is why spend the money and put your rabbit in surgery unless it is completely necessary for the enjoyment of your pet or to prevent babies.

                           

                           

                          If your bun is female, definitely get it spayed. Unless you think an 80% chance of uterine cancer is a good thing.


                        • Deb'sBuns
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                            I always try to get my buns altered. Male or female, but Mufasa has epilepsy so he can’t go under. He doesn’t hump anything even his girlfriend, he used to when he was younger. He’s around 6 now. And his litter box habits are almost good.

                             

                            I just feel it’s better for the bun. Like testical cancer.


                          • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                              I wanted to ditto the remarks in saying that it’s very important to get a rabbit savy vet and ensure he gets the care he needs.

                              I also want to speak to the humping and litter box habits. For one, either sex (of any animal) of rabbit can and could hump. I wouldn’t look at that as a behavior problem but instead a natural behavior we may not like to see. It’s up to you and your mom how you feel about that, I just wanted to say you could have a female rabbit who does the same thing. Neutering would stop or greatly reduce this behavior. AS others have said, neutering would also improve litter habits. In addition, rabbits cannot get testicular cancer if they do not have testicles. It is a very beneficial surgery.

                              However, knowing parents, espeically difficult ones it doesnt’ sound like it’s your decision to make. What you could do is research and screen vets in your area. Find out who spay/neuters rabbits, and find out the costs. Appraoch your mom with this info and ask. The bottom line is it is her decision since she would be paying the bill (I’m assuming) but you could certainly try. Also, depending on your situation and if you have a job or could earn money (baby sitting, mowing lawns-all kinds of options) you could perhaps save the money and find a vet yourself-that might be a solution!


                            • Brittany-and-Freddie
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                                My rabbit Freddie is male, I used the wrong term I always mix them up. He is not ‘Neutered’.


                              • Stickerbunny
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                                  We spoke to our vet for about 20 minutes after my females spay surgery and asked him about male neuters because our male is not done – he said unless there is a behavioral problem he doesn’t push neutering in males because there is a danger involved and it is surgery and stressful on the rabbit and the risk of testicular cancer is low in males. He doesn’t recommend against it, but did say he thought it was best for our male (who is adult and unknown age, but probably older) to remain intact since he has no behavioral issues.

                                  He’s been treating rabbits for 20 years and he was excellent with my female, he gave us a complete run down on all the drugs he gave her too since I had been quizzing his receptionist on rabbit care before we agreed to use them as a vet. He was actually happy we did our research on the vets.

                                  If your bun has issues with his hormones, your mom might change her mind if he starts peeing all over the house and/or destroying things she has to pay to replace. If he has no issues, the risk of cancer is not that high so he should be ok without the surgery.


                                • Monkeybun
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                                    Personally, I would still neuter boy bunnies too. makes it so they don’t have the urge to mate all the time, and they can relax and be themselves with no worries. And with no worries for us slaves too!


                                  • LoveChaCha
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                                      A false pregnancy is something I do not want to witness


                                    • MissBunns
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                                        A false pregnancy is something I do not want to witness

                                        Before I got Bunny spayed she had one; It was insane. She ripped so much fur out she was bald in certain parts, she started lactating, and she was mean(er than usual). I had no idea what exactly was going on until after I started researching more about rabbits. I feel horrible..it had to be some crazy emotions for her to go through Wish I had known better sooner.


                                      • Brittany-and-Freddie
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                                          Monkeybun: I personally don’t want to put my guy through that as he is the perfect guy, no spraying or mounting (unless other rabbit is around ha!) If this wasn’t the case then yes.


                                        • HoneybunnySara
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                                            When my bun was about 9 months old, his litter habits became terrible, with poo only. His urine was very strong, but as long as I cleaned his litter daily it was controlled. I had checked out rabbit savy vets, there was only one in my area, and got the prices for nuetering. My husband was against getting him neutered, for the same reasons as your mom. Then one day my adorable bun was running circles around my hubby. Sooooo cute! Then he proceeded to FLICK URINE ON MY HUSBAND! I got him nuetered right away If your bun starts having issues, your mother may very well change her mind.


                                          • Beka27
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                                              What will happen if your rabbit becomes aggressive and/or starts spraying urine? You said she won’t neuter because of the cost, but I’m concerned on what the outcome would be if these behaviors become a problem? Will she make you get rid of him, will she make you put him outside? At this point, you probably haven’t discussed this, but very few people will just allow a rabbit to spray inside the house. I’m concerned for his future if neutering is not an option, period.


                                            • HoneybunnySara
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                                                Beak is right. If your rabbit starts exhibiting any of the mentioned negative behaviors, you are going to need to act fast. You need to have that conversation with your mom immediately. Then you can start making arrangements just in case.


                                              • Fuzzibunni
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                                                  I’m assuming your mother is not against getting vet care if your bunny gets sick, just that she doesn’t feel neutering is important due to her past experiences, is that right?

                                                  yeah my mom is kinda against vet care if he is seriously ill and needed surgery. we ARE a bit tight on money so my mom is a bit cheap at the moment and she’s like “rabbits live only about 5 to 8 years anyway thats why we got a dog” (our dog is old, like gonna be 12 this year, and she’s so mellow and a bit afraid of the bunny) regardless of anything negative that might happen i still dont think she’d get him neutered. if it got bad enough i think she would get rid of him.

                                                  this is when i wish i was old enough to be on my own and i can do what i think is best. i hate being only 16… at least im getting a job this summer.


                                                • Stickerbunny
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                                                    If you get a job and save up your money, would your mom let you spend it on his vet care if needed? A part time job seasonally to make a vet savings fund might not be a bad idea if so.

                                                    I guess she considers them disposable pets :s my family was tight on money when I was little too, but my mother would push off a bill to get vet care if my animals needed it, sorry your mom is being so stubborn about your bunny.


                                                  • Monkeybun
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                                                      Tell your mom a friend of mine had a rabbit that lived to be 16. They aren’t pets that “go away” in a couple of years, unless they get sick and aren’t taken to a vet.


                                                    • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                                                        It’s an option to find income at 16, in fact many countries and states allow 14 years olds to work and you can babysit at 11. So would there be an option if you raised the money youself? Are you committed to your rabbit enough to generate some income and work towards a neuter in the next year or so?


                                                      • BinkyBunny
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                                                          Posted By Fuzzibunni on 06/06/2011 05:24 PM

                                                          I’m assuming your mother is not against getting vet care if your bunny gets sick, just that she doesn’t feel neutering is important due to her past experiences, is that right?

                                                          yeah my mom is kinda against vet care if he is seriously ill and needed surgery. we ARE a bit tight on money so my mom is a bit cheap at the moment and she’s like “rabbits live only about 5 to 8 years anyway 

                                                          So does that mean she would get vet care for less serious issues or  basically no vet care…ever?  I think it would be extremely important to clarify with your mom what she will and will not pay for as far as vet care goes. 

                                                          If your rabbit was suffering and in pain, what would she do?   Did she want the bunny or did she get it for you? (It doesn’t matter really because you are a minor and she is legally responsible for any animal you have,  but I am wondering about the motivations of why she did while she’s dealing with such a tight budget)

                                                          Both my rabbits are estimated 9 years old and while Jack is dealing with an illness that we are monitoring closely, Vivian is as spunky as ever and I have seen more and more rabbits over 10 years old….so with better care and more rabbit-savvy vets out there, rabbits are living good long lives. 

                                                          I know you are in an extremely tough spot and I am so happy that you are doing everything you can to get the care your bunny needs. The suggestions about making money yourself to save up for vet care is extremely important or I do fear for what the future may bring.   This forum is filled with posts that discuss health issues and needed vet care.   So it’s a good idea to start planning and save up for the “just in case” times.  


                                                        • MissBunns
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                                                            i hate being only 16… at least im getting a job this summer.

                                                            I totally understand. I only recently turned 17, but I’ve had Bunny since I was 15. So few people are willing to give you a chance. I’m glad you have a job coming up though Will that money be your money? Because if it is, it’s pretty easy to set up a Bun Fund (which I did while I was babysitting, odd jobs, etc) and I just put a portion of what I got in there until I had a rabbit cushion.

                                                            It may make it easier for your mom to let you neuter him if she isn’t paying for it, or seeing a huge loss of income at once. A few dollars in the fund here and there adds up Unfortunately, I had to tap into the backup money when Bunny had to go to the ER vet. A $1500 bill, YIKES. I’m glad it worked out and was only a tiny fraction of that cost..but I’d hate to think of what I would have had to do to find enough money to pay…


                                                          • LoveChaCha
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                                                              A ‘bunny fund’ is great. I have one, I will put in $5 every week that I get paid. I’m not sure what it is at now.


                                                            • RabbitPam
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                                                                Let me add that bunny vet bills can become high quickly depending on the necessary tests and procedures, so usually I wouldn’t recommend this to a teen but I am going to suggest you buy Pet Insurance. It’s only $12 a month for one rabbit (less than the cost of a new CD a month) and you can sign her up for it while she’s still young and healthy, rather than after a major crisis happens. Then, when you need some care, you may need to ask your mom for $ up front, but she will get some or all of it reimbursed with a claim later on. It’s worth looking into at least. (Or discussing with your mom so she knows just how serious and concerned you are about this.) Try VPI pet insurance. I don’t know any other companies that have a good rep.


                                                              • BinkyBunny
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                                                                   Great reminder Pam.  I also forgot that there are some organizations that help people who are tight in the $$.   I know that especially in these times, people who would normally have no problem getting vet care, may be facing some real troubles so here are some resources that may help those that can’t afford  – 

                                                                  • Vet Care and Financial trouble?  Resources to help people who are in a bind:

                                                                  http://www.imom.org/ - An organization that helps people with vet bills

                                                                  -Great HSUS tips on how to pay for vet bills when you are having financial troublel

                                                                  -http://www.aspca.org/about-us/faq/…bills.htmlASPCA resource

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                                                              Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A my mom refuses to have my rabbit neutered