Besides behavioral, what are the health benefits of neutering?

[bunnnnnnie!]

I’m going to the the proud first-time bunny owner of a little intact Holland Lop buck today!  I’m very excited, and trying to learn all I can.

I’m planning on getting him neutered, but I was wondering what benefits there are to neutering BESIDES improving the rabbit’s behavior?  Are there any health risks to leaving a male rabbit intact, like there is in female rabbits?  I know cancer is a big issue with unspayed female rabbits, but do males have similar risks?

[Elrohwen]

I believe there is some risk of cancer for the boys too, but not nearly at the level it is for females.

The main thing, I think, is that it makes them far more happy. It wouldn’t be fun to be driven to mate all the time, and neutering takes away that drive and lets them enjoy other things. So it might not help physical health, but I think it has a lot to do with emotional health.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By Elrohwen on 05/07/2010 10:39 AM
I believe there is some risk of cancer for the boys too, but not nearly at the level it is for females.

The main thing, I think, is that it makes them far more happy. It wouldn’t be fun to be driven to mate all the time, and neutering takes away that drive and lets them enjoy other things. So it might not help physical health, but I think it has a lot to do with emotional health.

That’s true, I never thought of the emotional health aspect of neutering.  Good point!
 

[kralspace]

That’s true, less stressful for the bun, and the stuffed toys, the house slippers, the cat, your ankles, throw pillows, the dog and everything else the manly bunny tries to hump 😉

[Monkeybun]

It also makes him less smelly, intact boys can be somewhat pungent… Their litter can be quite smelly if not changed every day >.< And spraying. They won't spray as much, if at all after being neutered.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Same as all our pets-prostate and testicular cancer. The big one-big one-is behavioral. Humping, shredding, destructive behavior, biting and pooping all over is enough for me but the health is a big one too. I also think people should consider-leaving an animal intact allows them to have ‘needs’ -they have these needs and no way to satisfy them and I don’t think that’s fair at all(definitely not saying breed them )-I think besides all the medical advantages and behavioral-we have to think about their mental wellbeing too-neuter is definitely the best way to go

[BinkyBunny]

On the same note as Monkeybun… When I used to volunteer at the rabbit rescue, you could ALWAYS tell when a newbie unneutered bunny was amongst the group. And I would be around 30 plus cages and pens, so the fact I could pinpoint THE rabbit is telling. The whole section where he was housed was very pungent. (of course, he would be neutered soon, but in the meantime…Peeehhuu!) I mean, there is rabbit urine…a little amoniaish, but then there is unneutered rabbit urine! Could take the paint off the walls. Now with that said, the unneutered bunny was around a bunch of other bunnies that would make him mark and spray more, so he may be more smelly than a single, but still, the urine itself — something is definitely different. So though it’s not a health risk for the bunny, it’s just one of those nice little aromatic additions that can come with unaltered bunnies.

[RabbitPam]

I have to speak from experience about having an unneutered male. I am sad to learn after the fact that my vets when Spockie was younger were not as savvy about neutering as they should have been, and one even talked me out of it once. I think now it was because of their lack of skill, not his needs.

He was a content, social bunny for 8 years. Could he have lived longer if neutered? I can’t know, but would have done it if there was any possibility.

He was alone with me, so directed his affections to me. I worried that he would have liked a mate, but was in no position to own a second bun. I hadn’t found this site yet, either. He seemed very happy throughout his life, but if I had it to do over, I would definitely have neutered him.

And a little aside: I did not wear shorts for 8 years. He LOVED TO HUMP MY ANKLES! I sleep in long pajamas, lived in jeans, put on socks. Now, that was fine until we moved to Florida LOL. I realized when shopping last week that I could start to wear shorts again around my spayed, female Samantha.

[BinkyBunny]

Awe…Spockie loved you! I’m sorry though for your loss. I doubt his lifespan was cut short due to not being neutered.

I know that your new gal is a female, (spayed), but did you notice the smell difference? Or was Spockie just more content to hump rather than spray, etc.

[RabbitPam]

I haven’t noticed a smell difference – in fact, I had to use Carefresh (the expensive white kind) because he had sensitive feet and I had mild allergies, so it actually smelled better. Mini Rex feet.

His cecals were strong, but so are hers. I think she eats hers sooner, though.

He didn’t spray much at all. Hardly ever. I actually wasn’t sure what others were talking about when they complained about spraying, so maybe he passed through that phase quickly, or it was a phase not a lifetime habit. And he didn’t have to hump something – would just sit on his platform in his cage and just start to do it in the air until he was done and felt better. His little sacks were very flat and shriveled after a few years, so maybe his hormones just got lower levels naturally?

In all my encounters of bunnies on line, I think he was unusually sweet and good natured. He didn’t snuggle, but he let me pick him up several times a day. And he was totally social and friendly with other people. Just a love bunny. I do miss him.

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