Bunnies are being neutered tomorrow! Any advice?

[Annabel93]

SO! The big day has finally arrived and I'm dropping all 3 of my boys off at the vet toorrow morning. Do you have any advice for me? I don't have a pet carrier so i'm just going to put some towels in a big plastic box with some hay and a couple of greens for them.

How will they be when they return from their op? I assume drowsy? How long does it take for them to get back to normal?

What i'm most interested to know is how long it takes after their op for their hormonal behaviours to stop? I want them to be free range and allowed on my bed without marking it, but I know it doesn't happen straight away.

Please share some of your experiences and any tips you may have

[Rufus]

My advice is to have lots of their favourite food around. You want to be able to encourage them to eat as soon as possible after the surgery. They will probably go more for veges than pellets.
I found that my bun wasn’t nearly as drowsy as I expected and was pretty much hopping around when I picked him up that evening (the vets had kept him there until he was eating though just in case). He was a little sleepy that evening compared to usual and I just kept checking that he was eating a little but gave him a bit more time to himself to recover. Some people suggest keeping them a little more confined the first few days to stop them doing themselves any injuries.
I will say this, Rufus went completely nuts about the second day after his neuter. He had a huge hormonal surge and was tearing around like crazy. He was even humping his stuffed rabbit in a frenzy (I would have thought he would be too tender). His hormonal behaviours got way worse before they got better. I didn’t know that could happen and it was completely unexpected! I think after about ten days they started to drop down a bit and were mostly gone after 3 and a half weeks. I know it’s recommended to wait a full month before letting a neutered male near a female because they can still impregnate.

Good luck! I’m sure everything will go great!

[Annabel93]

OK, I’ve bought them basil, parsley, kale, spring greens, a big tomato to share and picked loads of dandelion leaves for them, so the food is all sorted! Although not once have I seen them turn down food so I’ll believe that when I see it!

Mine get closed off in half of my room when I’m asleep/out so I think I’ll just keep them in there (there’s lots of binky space and things they love to jump on) until I know they’re fine to come out. I’ll be intrigued to see how their behaviour changes after it tbh. They only seem to have gotten bad with nipping and digging in the past week. and other than that they’ve been fine. Like I say, really the only thing I want to solve is the peeing/pooping on my bed. They don’t have any lady bunnies around so that’s not an issue either.

Thank yooou!

[Roberta]

Keeping them warm is very important immediately after the surgery and for a couple of days they will be very susceptible to the cold.. Pascal was done last Friday and last night was very chilly.. When I went out to the loungeroom this morning he had bunrito’d himself in the baby blankets… Very cosy he was
I second Rufus on the separation… My Angora Piglet was neutered a couple of weeks prior to the arrival of the oops litter, I thought a fortnight was long enough…. It wasn’t the second oops litter arrive about 6 weeks later.
All 3 of my boys (yes Guys, looks like Starsky is staying) were good withing 24 hrs of the surgery… The way my vet does it is very tidy though… Only pin hole incisions that are glued, aside from a tiny dot at the end of each testicle sac you could not tell they had been done till they slowly disappeared from view as they shrank.

[foundbunny]

May I ask where you are getting them neutered. I had just found a bunny outside and had taken him in .. good luck tomorro (:

[foundbunny]

Roberta I had just found a bunny outside of my new apartment. May I please ask for some advice I had called a few places and they wanted 250- 400 dollars. Is that the average rate? any tips would be appreciated thank you in advance 

[Kayota]

My bun will be $100 for a spay.

[Bam]

Regarding keeping warm: I put a hot-water-bottle wrapped in a (fleece) blanket in Bam’s cage when he was neutered, he snuggled up next to it. But make sure there’s room enough for the bunny to move away from the warmth too. If you normally use a water-bottle, add a bowl of water because otherwise they may not bother with drinking.

I have two bunnies, both neutered males.
Bam was pretty miserable after his neuter, I had to syringe-feed him mushed pellets the next day. But after that he was fine. His more evident hormonal behaviours (marking the sofa, chasing the dog with the intent to start a family) stopped after about 2 weeks.

Yohio started eating the minute he came home and was in a very good shape, although the day or the next day after he growled at me and lunged, so perhaps he was in pain or perhaps it was his hormones surging. His one manifest hormonal behaviour, urine spraying on the wall above his litter-box, didn’t stop until after several months but it’s gone now (he was neutered in May).

[Roberta]

Hi Foundbunny,

I responded via PM to your mailbox.

[Annabel93]

Ok, thanks for the tips I don’t own a hot water bottle but i’ll make sure my windows are closed and i’ll give them my fluffy dressing gown which they like nestling in. They tend to huddle up next to each other so they should be fine.

I love how you guys call accidental litters oops litters haha. My bunnies were an oops litter! But like I say there’s no girly buns round here so that’s not an issue thankfully!

I just dropped them off now anyway, they seemed so freaked out D: and I had to sign consent forms about the risk of anasthesia on bunnies etc, which made me all tearful on the way home imagining the worst case scenario. To add to that I found a little dove on my drive which looks like it’s been attacked by a cat! I’ve put it in a box on a towel with some seeds and a plate of water and left him in the dark garage as I know that helps them recover from shock. poor thing!

[Bam]

I hope the dove will be allright, good of you to help him/her!

There’s always a slight risk with anesthesia, for anybody being put under, people too. I too worried when my buns were being fixed. It’s inevitable. Please keep us posted on how they’re doing when you get them back =)

[CheriB603]

Let us know how it goes! Will be having my boys done together once they’re old enough and will be anxiously watching your story.
(((Good vibes)))

[Annabel93]

Got my babies back! It all went well They told me Bill was done last so he’ll be mega drowsy. Because of that I placed him in the run and left the door open while I went to get the other two (assuming he’d just sit and go to sleep), but nooo! He darted out the room and has gone and fallen asleep in the spare room under the bed, so I’m just going to have to keep checking on him until he wakes up and I can tempt him out haha.

Ted hasn’t really moved from the towel he’s sat on, but I put a pile of dandelion leaves next to him and he’s been munching through them. Rufus seems the livliest and is inspecting everything (I had a clear out and rearranged my room while they were gone). So all 3 are eating, and Rufus has peed and pooped. All good signs! I’m very happy!

[Annabel93]

Do different bunnies react differently to the anesthesia? Bill is as lively as ever, Rufus is moderately lively (he’s chilling out right now but that’s usual for the time of day), but Ted is being reeeeally dosey. He was done first as well so i’d expect him to be perkier. He’s just been half asleep in his litter tray for ages. He keeps doing massive flops and I freak out every time I see him thinking he might have died, haha. hopefully i’m just being paranoid! He is eating and going to the loo after all.

[Rufus]

I think it’s pretty normal for individual bunnies to have different reactions, especially in the first 24 hours. It sounds like they’re doing great! Give them a day or two and keep an eye on them. The worst part is definitely over!

My Rufus is very happy to hear that your Rufus is doing well! (as well as Ted and Bill)

[Annabel93]

Haha, well thankyou Rufus

They’re all incredibly perky and hungry today anyway. All is good!

[Author]

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