After spay care

[Cocoa]

My bunnies are being spayed in two days and I’m really nervous. I know I shouldn’t be worried but they are my first bunnies. I want to make sure they are comfortable after being spayed and i have everything they will need. Can someone please tell me how to care for them after and what all i need? Thanks everyone

[Mikey]

Small area so they cant really run around or binky too much. Soft warm flooring, but make sure their stitches cant get caught or pulled. Offer safe heating pads or warm towels. Check their temps often (you can kind of tell by petting their ears). Make sure they get pain killers!

[Cocoa]

Their cage has wire as the flooring. Can I just cover that with fleece and towels? So just put towels in the drier for a few minutes so it’s warm? I will make sure to get pain killers

[Bam]

You can cover the flooring with fleece. You should actually always keep it covered with something, because wire can hurt bunny feet. Tossing the fleece in the dryer for a few minutes to warm it up is not a bad idea, but the bun must have room enough to move away rom the heat if she doesn’t want it. The same goes for the use of a heating pad/warm water bottle/handwarmers wrapped in fleece – if the bun feels cold, she’ll like to snuggle up to the heat source, but she must be able to choose.

The main issue when your bun gets home after a spay is to get her to eat. A newly spayed girl can be very difficult to entice with food, so you should have one or two feeding syringes and ideally Critical care powder on hand. If you can’t get Critical Care, you can let pellets soak in water and give that to her in the syringe. You can mix in a bit of banana or baby fruit/berry puree with the CC/pellet mush. Fresh fragrant herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill or mint might interest her. You probably know what her favorites are. It’s really important that she gets food in her tummy before you go to bed for the night the day she comes home.

Water can be served in a bowl if you have one that isn’t easily tipped over. It’s easier for a bun to drink from a bowl than a bottle. She’ll be getting fluids at the vet’s, so she might not want to drink a lot her first day at home.

Once you get her to eat, the rest is just normal care. She’ll need 2 weeks to fully heal and shouldn’t be doing a lot of jumping etc until then, but she can have playtime out of the cage after 5-7 days if she seems up to it. Some buns get rather impatient with cage rest.

Please keep us posted on how she does, and ask all questions that might pop up.

[Bam]

You can cover the flooring with fleece. You should actually always keep it covered with something, because wire can hurt bunny feet. Tossing the fleece in the dryer for a few minutes to warm it up is not a bad idea, but the bun must have room enough to move away rom the heat if she doesn’t want it. The same goes for the use of a heating pad/warm water bottle/handwarmers wrapped in fleece – if the bun feels cold, she’ll like to snuggle up to the heat source, but she must be able to choose.

The main issue when your bun gets home after a spay is to get her to eat. A newly spayed girl can be very difficult to entice with food, so you should have one or two feeding syringes and ideally Critical care powder on hand. If you can’t get Critical Care, you can let pellets soak in water and give that to her in the syringe. You can mix in a bit of banana or baby fruit/berry puree with the CC/pellet mush. Fresh fragrant herbs like cilantro, parsley, dill or mint might interest her. You probably know what her favorites are. It’s really important that she gets food in her tummy before you go to bed for the night the day she comes home.

Water can be served in a bowl if you have one that isn’t easily tipped over. It’s easier for a bun to drink from a bowl than a bottle. She’ll be getting fluids at the vet’s, so she might not want to drink a lot her first day at home.

Once you get her to eat, the rest is just normal care. She’ll need 2 weeks to fully heal and shouldn’t be doing a lot of jumping etc until then, but she can have playtime out of the cage after 5-7 days if she seems up to it. Some buns get rather impatient with cage rest.

Please keep us posted on how she does, and ask all questions that might pop up.

[Cocoa]

There are always multiple spots in the cage that they can lay on. They just push blankets to the back of the cage and lay on the wire. What about the bowls that can hook to the side of the cage so it isn’t tipped over? So even if Lily is acting energetic she has to stay in the cage for 5-7 days? Lily is the more wild bunny. After a few days can Cocoa come out of the cage if she’s feeling okay? She is really calm and is fine with just sitting next to me on the couch. She never freaks out if she hears a loud noise. To post updates about them, should I still use this thread or start a new one?

[Rain]

Yes, just use this thread!
Even if they are energetic or not energetic, it is best to keep them in an enclosed, quiet, personal area so that they can’t open up their stitches. Also, you should keep them seperate from each other. It seems in your profile pic that they are together. They could do anything to each other’s stitches if they were together. It’s best to keep them seperate and enclosed for a week. It takes two weeks for their wounds to heal.
It’s also important to contact your vet if the bun still does not eat or poop after twelve hours. The poos will be a little funky at first, though, but that’s normal. Just try to get them to eat anything that they love.
The water bowls mentioned should be fine. Those are actually really great!
The problem with wire is that it can cause a painful conditon in rabbits called sore hocks, and it really ruins their little feetsies. I highly recommend getting those kitchen mat things that have the rubber on the bottom so that it doesn’t slide on the wiring and that the buns can’t push it. Although they may want to be on wire, remember, they are just like children. A child may want to eat ice cream when they have a sore throat (hmmmm, I definitely did not ever do that) but it doesn’t mean they should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9aSqG45o4
Watch this awesome video on post spay/neuter care. She covers pretty much everything you need to know about how to care for a bunny after they get spayed or neutered. Hope this helped!

[Rain]

Yes, just use this thread!
Even if they are energetic or not energetic, it is best to keep them in an enclosed, quiet, personal area so that they can’t open up their stitches. Also, you should keep them seperate from each other. It seems in your profile pic that they are together. They could do anything to each other’s stitches if they were together. It’s best to keep them seperate and enclosed for a week. It takes two weeks for their wounds to heal.
It’s also important to contact your vet if the bun still does not eat or poop after twelve hours. The poos will be a little funky at first, though, but that’s normal. Just try to get them to eat anything that they love.
The water bowls mentioned should be fine. Those are actually really great!
The problem with wire is that it can cause a painful conditon in rabbits called sore hocks, and it really ruins their little feetsies. I highly recommend getting those kitchen mat things that have the rubber on the bottom so that it doesn’t slide on the wiring and that the buns can’t push it. Although they may want to be on wire, remember, they are just like children. A child may want to eat ice cream when they have a sore throat (hmmmm, I definitely did not ever do that) but it doesn’t mean they should.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oC9aSqG45o4
Watch this awesome video on post spay/neuter care. She covers pretty much everything you need to know about how to care for a bunny after they get spayed or neutered. Hope this helped!

If the link doesn’t work, you can go to Youtube and type in Lennon the Bunny Post Spay/Neuter care!

[Cocoa]

That pic is from when they were 12 weeks old. Thank you!

[Cocoa]

I know bunnies don’t normally want to eat after being spayed. Do i need to feed them with a syringe until then? Cocoa is eating on her own but Lily wont eat anything. The vet gave them a shot of pain meds that lasts 24 hours. It will wear off around 1 pm tomorrow

[alltheprettybunnies]

Did you try giving her her favorite greens? That’s all my rabbit would eat when she came home from her spay. Lettuce, cilantro and lots and lots of water.

Also, if they’re sharing a crate I would keep a VERY close eye on them. My sister has 2 male rabbits one of whom was injured and had to have a toe amputated. (It got caught in the hardware cloth making up the outside of his hutch) She came in to check on him to see that Doc was licking and chewing his stitches!

[Rain]

I think you may want to take Lily to a vet (preferably one that is not the same one that spayed your rabbits because they don’t seem like they know much at all about rabbit anatomy and things.) Either something isn’t right with Lily, or Cocoa is just more quicker to move forward. Didn’t you say there was another vet clinic nearby? You might want to take her to them if you are worried. Have you tried giving her all the tastiest foods you can find for her? And all of her favorites?

[Cocoa]

Yes. I offered her everything she always eats. Every fruit and veggie I had, pellets, mash, hay, and water. They are separated right now. Should I just keep trying to feed her with the syringe? I tried to feed her with the syringe earlier but it didn’t work. She wouldn’t let the syringe near her mouth.

[Cocoa]

I will if she still hasn’t eaten tomorrow. I gave Lily all of her favorites. She loves oranges but she wouldn’t touch them. Cocoa would eat but no solid foods, only the very wet mash. She didn’t eat her veggies either. They said they trimmed their teeth? They didn’t ask us before doing that, I wonder if their teeth are hurting.

[Rain]

They should definitely have asked you about that before just going ahead and doing it! Especially before or after a spay! I’m afraid that this vet clinic isn’t very knowledgeable at all about rabbits. Their teeth are probably hurting. You should probably get them checked by the other vet.

[Cocoa]

If Lily hasn’t eaten by tomorrow morning, we are. They shouldn’t have done that without permission

[Nutmeg]

hows everything going today Cocoa? Did you end up going to the vet?
I’ve been following your thread.

[Wick & Fable]

See here for a very long thread also on the topic, with more recent updates: https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/165758/afpg/4/afpg/4/Default.aspx

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Cocoa]

We did not go to the vet. We will this afternoon if they still aren’t eating. Lily is doing good with syringe feeding today. I can only get Cocoa to eat a mashed banana with a tiny bit of mash mixed in through a syringe today. I’m really worried about her

[Rain]

How are they doing now Cocoa? Have you taken her to a vet yet?

[Cocoa]

Yes today we went to the vet. Cocoa is back to normal but is still eating mash. Lily had to go to the vet for pain meds. It was a different vet. She is now eating again and doing good. Cocoa watches me constantly. She wants to come out of the cage for play time. Lily has spent a lot of time sleeping next to her stuffed animal. We will either report the vet or post a review on yelp about the first vet. I ended up spending an extra $65 for pain meds that were supposed to be included with the spay

[Rain]

I think you should report that vet. Did he do the procedure right at least? Do the stitches and wound look okay and not infected? The vet was already supposed to give you pain meds. It seems that this vet is better though. Does she seem more experienced and trustworthy? I’m so glad that atleast she’s eating again and that everything is fine. It seems they are getting back to normal. And a little antsy. But it’s important to keep them in limited space for at least a week to avoid them opening up their wounds. I’m very glad that everything went well!

[Cocoa]

Yes he did the procedure correct and it isn’t infected. I will talk to my parents about reporting him. The new vet seems very experienced with rabbits and actually charged us half the original exam price. I think the meds he gave us were morphine? I’m not sure but it was something like that.

[Cocoa]

Lily is eating pellets and veggies but not hay. Is this okay for now? I know she needs to eat hay but since she is eating pellets on her own is she fine for the next few days? Cocoa seems like she really wants out of her cage. Can i set up her x pen on the back porch so she isn’t in the grass? I can block off part of it so she doesn’t have too much space but she can have some time out of her cage

[DanaNM]

Hi Cocoa,

Just catching up on all this now. I would ask your original vet (the one that did the spays) why they trimmed Lily’s teeth (or was it both bunnies)?

I do recall in another thread, one of your bunnies wasn’t eating hay? Was it Lily? Maybe she actually needed a molar trim and that’s why she wasn’t eating her hay?

It would be good to speak to the vet and see whether they trimmed molars or incisors. They definitely should have asked you, but, in the vet’s defense, molar trims are easy for experienced vets, and the most complicated part is the anesthesia. It’s also impossible to view the back molars unless the rabbit is under anesthesia. So, I’m wondering if your vet did a dental exam since she was already asleep (many vets use this opportunity to do things like this), and noticed they had some spurs on them?

If she did have molar spurs, then it is something to keep an eye on in the future, as she may need them ground down again.

It sucks that the vet did not send you home with pain meds, but trying to give them the benefit of the doubt here.

If they trimmed the incisors, you can check those yourself. This video shows how about half way through: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIVzNTlAGwY

Here’s a nice video about dental trimming and whether it’s necessary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-_IW5wYLgA

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Wick & Fable]

Dana unsure which post it was under, but Cocoa mentioned the trim was so the rabbit didn’t chew it’s stitches

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[Cocoa]

Both bunnies were spayed. Lily wasn’t eating hay but it was because I was feeding her too much fruit. The vet tech told us they trimmed the teeth so they wouldn’t chew their stitches. The stitches were on the inside so they couldn’t chew on them any ways. I was able to use the tip of a syringe to lift up her lip. One of her bottom teeth looks uneven and shorter than the other.

[Rain]

That’s not good if the teeth are uneven. Did you ask the new vet about it? They could have just put a cone on the bunnies instead of putting them through more pain and possibly harming their teeth. Can you ask them exactly how they trimmed the teeth?

[Cocoa]

I forgot to ask the new vet. The stitches were on the inside so they couldn’t chew on them even if they wanted to. I will call tomorrow

[Rain]

That’s good. It’s great that you are being so responsible. It can be tough when you have to rely on parents who don’t exactly understand (cough cough understatement of the year) especially at such a young age I’m thirteen and boy is it hard to care for just ONE rabbit. You’re doing two!

[Cocoa]

I called the new vet today and they said that that was weird that they said that. its hard when your parents make you pay for vet visits. Cocoa can see her treats and starts trying to break the cage when she goes two seconds without a treat lol

[Cocoa]

Parents that don’t understand really is an understatement

[GarfyTheLop]

I’m just catching up with this, and I’m not really experienced enough to give you advice but I just wanted to say to great it is that at the age of 12 you’re doing all of this for your bunnies! I can’t even imagine doing so much at 12 – so good on you! You should be really proud of yourself for how you’re going about with this situation

[Cocoa]

Thank you Garfy! Your bunny is so cute in your profile picture

[Deleted User]

My power has been down, but I caught up on this thread this morning. How are the girls today?

[Cocoa]

Cocoa won’t eat her pellets. I have been feeding her mash but yesterday I went back to pellets. She is eating hay and veggies. I’m staying home for spring break so I can take care of them. One of them will be staying in the x pen on the back porch. Lily is doing good. I am starting to see a difference in her personality. She is becoming a lot more friendly.

[Deleted User]

I think that’s a good idea. It could be that Cocoa’s teeth are still hurting her, so you might need to give her the mash a little longer. Veggies are soft on the teeth, and she can pick out the softest pieces of hay, so that’s why she’s still eating those. It’s good Lily is mellowing out Both of them could have hormonal spikes for the next 2 months, so don’t be to sad if either one of them act loving one minute and a complete monster the next. Its all a part of the process. Keep us updated

[Cocoa]

I will give her more mash but also keep pellets available. Lily is greeting me at the front of the cage now. Before she would come to the front until I opened the door and then she would run to the back of the cage. Cocoa has always been sweet. She likes throwing my shoes around and climbing on my computer though. I have been replacing the towels in their cage as needed. They both prefer sleeping on wire than towels though. They push towels off of their favorite spot and sleep on the wire. Lily is eating really well and I cut back on the fruits and veggies since I had been feeding them too much.

[DanaNM]

The vet tech told us they trimmed the teeth so they wouldn’t chew their stitches. The stitches were on the inside so they couldn’t chew on them any ways. I was able to use the tip of a syringe to lift up her lip. One of her bottom teeth looks uneven and shorter than the other.

Oh my…. wow. How terrible 

Well, very glad you went to a new vet, and I’m glad the surgery went more or less OK, despite the weirdness with the teeth and lack of pain meds. And very glad the bunnies are improving. Dealing with one bunny post spay is stressful enough, let alone two! 

Once the front teeth grow out, they should wear down to be even on their own, since she didn’t have misaligned teeth before. Just check on them as they continue to grow out, they should be OK. 

My guinea pig once broke her front tooth (she had developed a habit of chewing her cage bars as a way to beg), and they grew back just fine in about a week or two. I just had to chop her veggies into little pieces for her.  

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Cocoa]

I will have to be careful with that. Cocoa bites the cage bars when I put her away after play time. I will keep checking both of their teeth. How long do I need to wait before pre bonding?

[DanaNM]

You’ll want to wait until their surgeries are totally healed and they are back in tip top shape to start cage-swaps, etc.

The normal guideline is to wait 10 -14 days until you allow normal exercise, so I would go with that guideline.

If they still aren’t back to 100% (with eating, pooping, etc), after that time, wait longer (and check with your vet, since they should be back to normal by then).

Keep in mind their hormones need several weeks to several months to settle, and you don’t want to start the official pre-bonding “clock” until their hormones are drained. I’ve heard varying amounts of time for hormones to drain, the minimum I’ve read the most is 4-6 weeks. Some people say as long as 6 months though…. You should know whether their hormones have settled when you see a drop in hormonal behaviors, but there can be fluctuations during the settling period.

So, let them heal for 2 weeks, then wait 4-6 weeks to start “officially” pre-bonding (or longer, if they are still acting hormonal), then do official pre-bonding for 1 month. Whether you do cage swaps during the hormone settling time is your decision, but having the girls housed next to each other will be good for them.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Cocoa]

I wont be able to have cages right next to each other. One cage is raised off the ground. Cocoa’s teeth look uneven from the trim. Do i need to wait until her teeth become even to do pre bonding? I know she is in pain from the trim so I wasn’t sure

[DanaNM]

Usually after a trim they aren’t in too much pain after a few days… so if she seems like they are still hurting her you should ask your new vet about it.

A bit uneven shouldn’t be too much of a problem, as once they get long enough to meet they should wear down to become even again.

For pre-bonding I think if she is eating normally again once her spay heals, then it is OK, even if they are still not perfectly even. Just check them periodically to ensure they are wearing down properly (since they were good before, they should be fine).

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Cocoa]

Okay thanks

[Author]

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