Bonding after spay

[Paisley&Sage]

Hi. I have two lops. They have been bonded since November. The male Paisley is neutered and has been since he was introduced to the intact female Sage. Sage is getting spayed in July. I heard sometimes rabbits need to be rebonded after being spayed or neutered. I heard sometimes the pair will turn on each other after surgery. Either the newly fixed one will turn because of the hormone level change or the other one sometimes does because they can sense a difference in their bond. However, I have also heard that a bond pair should not be separated for too long. I am not sure what I should do when Sage gets spayed. What are your experiences? Have you had to rebond rabbits after getting one fixed?

[DanaNM]

So, this is tricky. One possibility is that they may not have stable bond currently because Sage isn’t spayed, or even if they do, her hormone fluctuations post-spay could trigger fighting. But I’ve also seen cases like this where the buns go right back together no problem.

How do they behave together now? Do you ever see excessive mounting, chasing, fur pulling, or nipping?

Also, are you able to supervise them closely for several weeks after her spay? There can be hormone fluctuations for 4-6 weeks.

If you aren’t able to supervise closely, the safest thing would be to house them side-by-side after her spay for a month or so. You can also do side swaps and even let them interact in neutral territory while supervised (once she’s fully healed). They won’t forget each other that way and will be able to keep each other company, but there won’t be the risk of a fight breaking out. A bad fight could make it harder to re-bond 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.  

[Paisley&Sage]

Hi DanaNM. I believe Sage and Paisley have a solid bond (at the moment). After just several days of meeting each other, the mounting and grooming with fur pulling stopped. Since November, they have been living in harmony. They groom one another, cuddle, and follow one another around.

In your opinion, if I separate them for several weeks after Sage is spayed and keep them in x-pens side-by-side, you don’t think the separation will be detrimental to their bond if they can still see/smell one another? I know fighting is also detrimental to their bond… It is just difficult because I believe they bonded so well and I really don’t want that effected but I also believe spaying Sage is best for her well-being.

[DanaNM]

Its really hard for me to say since every pair is different and I can’t see them for myself, but generally as long as the buns are near each other they won’t forget each other. If they are really solidly bonded now, you could see one bun get depressed, in which case I would put them back together. But a lot of this really depends on how closely you can supervise them and monitor behavior. For example, do you sleep in the same room as them, so you could hear a fight if it broke out? Do you work or have school from home? etc. You could also keep them together when you can supervise, but separate if you have to leave for some reason.

. . . 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.  

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