Concerns About Unspayed Rabbits

[ParsleyBun]

Posting this here since House Rabbit Q and A doesn’t seem to be working for me.

I have not been on here in a few years, but I have two bonded Lionhead and Jersey Wooly mixes who are 5 years old, 6 in April. I have had them since they were several weeks old and did not get them spayed because I was younger and didn’t fully understand, didn’t have a vet at the time, and didn’t want to risk complications due to my rabbits’ small size. They have been healthy except a couple stasis incidents and one hair blockage. They are so energetic, we spend a lot of time together, and I love them more than almost anything. Recently I read all this stuff about how unspayed females have an 80 percent chance of cancer by the age of 4 to 6 and will die around that age. Needless to say, I am very nervous. I wouldn’t get them spayed now at their age but I wish I had done it when they were young. Is the chance of cancer and early death really that high? Is there anything I can do? Has anyone had an unspayed rabbit live longer?

Any input is greatly appreciated, thank you!

[LBJ10]

Some unspayed rabbits do live longer. The chance of reproductive cancer is high, but that doesn’t mean all unspayed rabbits will die from cancer. You will read different ranges online, and this is due to differences in breeds. Some breeds are more prone to cancer than others so the stats you see are often averages. If you have a good vet now, I would talk to them about the risks and benefits of having them spayed at this age. Older rabbits are spayed at rescues, for example, all the time. So it isn’t like they don’t spay older rabbits. There is a risk with any surgery, of course, so that’s why it would be good to talk to your vet to see what would be best.

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