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Forum DIET & CARE Spaying appointment – so nervous

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    • bree_bun
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        Hey all!

        My bun, Penelope is going in to be spayed on Friday. I am a NERVOUS wreck  She is about 7-8 months old right now, in good health and has had one litter.

        My vet has done a lot of rabbit spays & neuters. It’s still not comforting. Does anyone have their own experiences or advice to offer?

        How is the aftercare?

        What if she tries to pull her stitches out?!

        Do they wear a E-collar like a dog or a cat would?

        Do they normally send you home with pain meds for them?

        I’m sure my vet will answer all these, but just some reassuring knowledge would be greatly appreciated

        Thanks!

        – Bree


      • CinnabunMom
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          First, take a deep breath! It’s normal to be nervous but if your vet has done a lot of them successfully, you’ve taken the first correct step!

          Aftercare: females take longer to recover than males since it’s an invasive surgery. Chances are, she’ll want to be left alone for the rest of the day. It’s important that she eats by 24 hours after the surgery but don’t stress if you don’t see her eating within a few hours. For example: my female Cinnabun was spayed at 8am, I picked her up at 2pm, and she took a few bites of hay finally at 11pm before bed. Just have fresh hay in case she does want to eat, maybe some greens. In the morning after her surgery, I gave Cinnabun extra greens because she was still sore and didn’t feel like reaching for her water bottle. Let her rest as much as she wants. Don’t be worried if she isn’t up and running around.

          They don’t need E-collars in most cases. And monitor her inspecting her stitches, but Cinnabun left hers alone. You may want to check the area every day just to make sure it’s not red or infected.

          Good luck and let us know how it goes!


        • tanlover14
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            Definitely, calm down!! I had my girl spayed a few months ago when she was almost 5 months old. We used her healing process as a sort of better bonding way with her, since we made her so comfortable and spent so much time with her while she was healing she began to really open up to us.

            She definitely took longer to recover than our boy did but after a few days she was back to normal (but more friendly) self!

            As for stitches, do you know how your vet is stitching her back up? Mine stitched her inside and then just glued the skin together so she had nothing to yank out. Even if you only have stitches on the outside, I would HIGHLY recommend not putting an e-collar on her unless it’s absolutely necessary. Our vet gave us the option to have them or not to have them but they definitely stressed our buns out beyond belief. Not to mention, they were so freaked out by them they tried running and ended up tripping and falling so we just took them off immediately so they wouldn’t hurt themselves. Just make sure you watch her and make sure she’s not picking at the area.

            Make sure you ask for pain meds if they don’t offer them. They made both of our buns MUCH happier and you could tell when the pain meds they had given them during the procedure began to wear off. If the buns in pain, there’s a less likely chance they’ll eat or drink, and after a procedure you definitely want them eating and drinking as soon as possible!

            Good luck with your girl! I cried after mine was spayed, I was such a nervous wreck so believe me… you’re not the first one to be this crazy about it!!!!


          • Kokaneeandkahlua
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              Sending calming vibes

              Clean the litter box and here area the night before, that way you are eliminating bacteria and you will be able to spy her first pee and poop and know she is recovering when you get her home.

              Some vets send you home with a collar, some don’t. They are cheap so I suggest taking one just in case. They usually will leave the stitches alone, but you never know. My cousin had to improvise one as her boy was determined to remove them.

              Many vets don’t send home pain meds, but I suggest you insist. They make them recover so much quicker, and I don’t know about you but I think I’d want them should I find myself in the same situation! They are nicely flavored and not hard at all to give.

              After care is simple-just monitoring the area up to two times a day (I suggest getting a partner with a mirror, then you crouch with bunny between your legs and lift Penelope’s front legs slightly-with a mirror and good lighting you can easily see the stitches to look for any signs of infection or swelling, and this method they usually comply with so you won’t have a dancing fighting bunny on your hands) and you give pain meds for about three days. You monitor for the first 24 to ensure they have started to eat and poop and pee and drink, and other than that, it’s easy.

              Another suggestion is to have her favorite treats and veggies on hand-this will help entice some snacking.

              Let us know how it goes


            • LittlePuffyTail
              Moderator
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                It is very scary having a bunny undergo any surgery.

                I agree with K&K, ask for pain meds. Make sure to have all Penelope’s favourite foods on hand. Most bunnies take a while before eating but fragrant herbs like parsely, mint or cilantro often help stimulate appetite. Would be a good idea to have some Critical Care handy as well, just in case.

                Be prepared for her to look and feel unwell. She will be tired and quite lethargic. Olivia enjoyed laying against a hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket when she came home.

                Check the incision daily. Most incisions heal up without a problem. Olivia developed a bump on her incision about a week after the spay and it turned out to be an infection between the skin folds. It went away with antibiotics so wasn’t a big deal.

                Good luck and (((((Speedy Recovery Vibes))))))!


              • bree_bun
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                  Thanks for all the advice everyone! I’ve calmed down a little bit lol

                  Penelope has been home for about 2 hours now. She started munching on hay when I put her back in her pen. I got her to nibble on some greens too. She is very tired and hasn’t moved off from her bed. Poor baby  When the vet showed me the incision I began to cry. It looks so BIG on her little body
                    

                  @CinnabunMom
                  – good to know that she won’t feel like eating much. I started to freak out a little bit after she stopped eating. She is normally a good eater. I will keep a close eye on her the rest of the night.

                  Of course as soon as I got home and put her in the pen she started pulling at the stitches  They sewed her up on the inside and outside. They are dissolvable stitches and it will take 12-14 days to heal up. They told me to put warm compresses on the incision 2-3 times a day… I really doubt she will let me  They said it will help keep it moist so it doesn’t get too itchy.

                  I asked about pain meds. They said if she looks uncomfortable tomorrow morning they will give them to me. They gave her fluids under the skin and a pain injection during surgery.

                  Oh great idea with the hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket! I’ll do that.

                  Really hoping she leaves the stitches alone! Fingers crossed! I’ll keep you guys updated!

                  Thanks again!!
                    
                  – Bree


                • bree_bun
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                    Thanks for all the advice everyone! I’ve calmed down a little bit lol

                    Penelope has been home for about 2 hours now. She started munching on hay when I put her back in her pen. I got her to nibble on some greens too. She is very tired and hasn’t moved off from her bed. Poor baby 🙁 When the vet showed me the incision I began to cry. It looks so BIG on her little body.

                    @CinnabunMom – good to know that she won’t feel like eating much. I started to freak out a little bit after she stopped eating. She is normally a good eater. I will keep a close eye on her the rest of the night.

                    Of course as soon as I got home and put her in the pen she started pulling at the stitches :-/ They sewed her up on the inside and outside. They are dissolvable stitches and it would take about 12-14 days to heal up. They told me to put warm compresses on the incision 2-3 times a day… I really doubt she will let me. They said it will help keep it moist so it doesn’t get too itchy.

                    I asked about pain meds. They said if she looks uncomfortable tomorrow morning they will give them to me. They gave her fluids under the skin and a pain injection during surgery.

                    Oh great idea with the hot water bottle wrapped in a blanket! I’ll do that.

                    Really hoping she leaves the stitches alone! Fingers crossed! I’ll keep you guys updated!

                    Thanks again!!

                    – Bree


                  • Kokaneeandkahlua
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                      I would definitely get the pain meds no matter what-they make the area more painless so they don’t attempt to chew the stitches. i think that would definitely help. You could try the compress I guess, never heard of it, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a good thing to do if you can’t. Perhaps even a warm wet towel that your bunny might lay on?

                      I totally know what you mean, the incision looks yucky-especially on the first day. You’ll get used to looking at though and it will heal. Can’t see anything on Kahlua and I got really used to seeing it.


                    • bree_bun
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                        I got the pain meds!!

                         

                        Except the dosage the vet gave me seems high… She prescribed Metacam. I’ve used this before when my dog had knee surgery. Penelope weighs 4 lbs. She said to give 0.5ml every day… It seems too high. I’ve read on other forums and threads that for a 6 lb bunny they were giving a dosage of 0.2ml.

                         

                        What is the correct dosage for Penelope’s body weight? Poor baby won’t eat unless I hand feed her greens  Her poop is nice and formed which is good. She hasn’t moved off her bed since this morning.

                         

                        She shares a pen with her baby son, London. He is about 14 weeks old and his testicles still haven’t dropped… My vet had a hard time telling what sex he was. For all I know he could be a she! I haven’t seen any mounting or anything like that. All they do is cuddle  London is very sweet and isn’t rough with her. When could I put them back together? I don’t want to cause more stress by seperating them. I can tell they really want to be in the same pen. Last night I seperated them just to be safe.

                         

                        Also, if she doesn’t take the Metacam right from the syringe is there another way I could give it to her? My vet said mix it with applesauce… I would be scared of causing diarrhea if I did that  Any suggestions would be great!

                         

                        Thanks!!

                         

                        – Bree


                      • bree_bun
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                          So far I gave Penelope 0.2ml of the Metacam, because I’m afraid of giving her too much. There is so much conflicting information online. So just to reiterate the vet said 0.5ml every 24 hours.

                          She is up and moving around a little bit. She almost seems irritated. She is scratching at her bed (just making it comfy?) She was also trying to flip her bowls over  Her appetite still isn’t great. She nibbles on hay here and there and has taken some parsley and carrot tops from me.


                        • bree_bun
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                            Update on Penelope… Her poo is some what mushy. Looks like mushy cecetrophes. She’s eating them as she passes them.
                            She won’t eat unless I feed her… I’m worried.
                            Should I give her more Metacam?
                            When I said to the vet tech that 0.5ml seemed like a lot she just looked at me and didn’t say anything… Hmph


                          • Monkeybun
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                              If she still won’t eat on her own, she is likely in pain. I’d nudge the dose up a smidge. And keep hand feeding her, its better than nothing. Do you have any critical care on hand? That may help as well. Her poo will be off a bit if she isn’t eating hay, so getting her comfy enough to eat will help with that.


                            • LittlePuffyTail
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                                How is Penelope today?


                              • tanlover14
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                                  Haven’t been on here in awhile — but .5mL is fine to give her! that’s what both of my buns had right after theirs.

                                  Also, let us know how she is! I know it’s been a few days but love to hear that she is back to normal and doing okay!

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                              Forum DIET & CARE Spaying appointment – so nervous