Getting worried about the newter

[Benthebunny]

Ive been researching on here and s,eone had a bunny pass because something happened during the newter. Is it ok if my,bunny is 3? Im really scared. Can he just go i to and get newtered or do we have to take tests first? will it cost extra money? im nervous. 

[Theodorusrex]

Is he booked in for his neuter already? A neuter on a male rabbit is really a minor procedure and it would be very uncommon to have serious complications. And at 3, he’s still a young bunny really. Ben will be fine – presumably you’re with a rabbit savvy vet? I know some vets do blood work on rabbits before neutering them but Theo never had any blood work prior to his – although he was 8 months when he was neutered – hopefully someone else can offer some more advice about this. Typically you’ll have a few check ups post-op to check the wound etc.

When he comes out of surgery keep him warm and limit his space so he can’t jump up on things/run around too much which could damage his stitches. Keep an eye to make sure he pees and poops. With a little love and attention he’ll be back to his old self in no time. Don’t worry, although I know it’s natural to worry sometimes in these situations.

Neuters are relatively cheap here in Northern Ireland compared to other places I think, Theo’s cost £60. I’m not sure how much it would come to in Canada.

[Benthebunny]

I am taking him to a very rabbit savvy vet

its really far away, but it is rated 4.9 stars so that is the one i am taking him to.

[Bam]

There are some blood-tests that can be done, f ex to check the liver function of the rabbit, to get an idea about how well he’d cope with anesthesia. It is often recommended when the bun is more mature, like Ben is. It costs extra and it isn’t a guarantee that the bun will make it, but some known risk-factors can be detected.
A neuter is a simple procedure, so the main risk is the anesthesia. We have had cases here where rabbits haven’t been cleared for surgery after having had blood work done.

[Benthebunny]

what does the anesthesia do? how do i know how my bunny is going to react? Im really scared  i dont want to loose my baby 

[Benthebunny]

It says on a website is a rabbit is older than 3. Does that mean 3 and up or just 4. Ben just turned 3.

[Theodorusrex]

Can you have a chat to your vet? See if they usually recommend bloods be done pre-op for slightly older buns such as Ben? Maybe having a chat with the vet about the procedure etc would help to put your mind at ease. They can advise on costings etc if that is an issue for you guys.

[MrBun&Daisy]

I’ve read that older buns (everything I saw said 5-ish) should have blood work done prior to any surgery. have you had ben since he was a baby? do you know of any health problems? if not I wouldn’t worry too much about it other than the general worrying! our vet didn’t do any tests on our boy since he isn’t even a year old yet and has never had any other problems. But honestly if its concerning you that much you can always request that the vet do some tests just to ease your mind. of course it will be an extra cost but if its something you can afford it would help you breath a little better. I know for females its VERY important to test older buns since a spay is more invasive and generally a longer procedure but with the males its a quick surgery so as long as he hasn’t had any previous health issues he should be fine. talk to your vet about all your concerns just like you would your doctor.

[Benthebunny]

ui have had ben since he was 1 and my cousin had him since 8 weeks. no healthh problems.

[Benthebunny]

Guys, if there is a complication what could it possibly be?

[MrBun&Daisy]

okay, I really think you are freaking yourself out (I did the same thing). I work in the medical field and the answer to your question is just like people. ANYTHING can happen. when my boy was neutered they asked me to sign a form stating whether or not I wanted them to do everything possible to get him back if something happens (I checked yes) but just like a person it could mean brain damage and other complications of “bringing someone back” but just like a person they are legally required to tell you those types of things. with a bun the most complicated part is the anesthesia since they are so small. really the only thing that will happen with that is brain damage. of course the severity ranges. but as long as your boy is healthy (and you’ve already said he is) there shouldn’t be a problem. the only things you have to watch for after the surgery is GI stasis (just make sure he eats and drinks) and wound problems (don’t let him pick at the site too much and change his litter more frequently so it doesn’t get infected). So yes, anything can happen, but that’s the case with anything. unless its a bun that is in very poor health neuters are usually very simple. talk to your vet so you feel comfortable. you’ll be more of a wreck than ben will trust me! my boy was back to his normal self in less than a day all while his mommy sat and stared at him for hours.

[Bam]

Mr Bun and Daisy is right. Anesthesia has risks for all animals, humans as well. Nowadays the risk for a rabbit is very low since the procedure is quick and the anesthetic agents used are bunny-safe.
My vets didn’t suggest blood-work for my Bam, and he wasn’t young when he was neutered, he was at least 2 but probably older.

[Benthebunny]

You guys made me feel much better. i would definitely check the box to bring him back. brain damage or not, i will lov him the same 

[MrBun&Daisy]

that’s what I said too. So when you fill out the forms just remember its a legal thing-they have to make you aware of all the risks. We dropped our boy off at 830am and picked him up at 130. now the surgery doesn’t take that long but they have to get him ready and make sure he eats directly before the surgery. he hadn’t eaten when we picked him up but he was so stressed out (he had never been out of the house before) the vet said since he was drinking and as long as we promised to make sure he ate by a certain time we could take him home to minimize his stress. he drank lots immediately but took about 3ish hours for him to really eat anything. luckily for us he was eating almost normally by bedtime or I would have been up all night making sure he ate soon! we gave him pain meds for 2 days after the surgery and he did great! little rascal even wanted to jump up on the bed the day after and gave mommy a good thump when I wouldn’t let him! your vet will tell you what to watch for. ben will probably want to just be left alone right after the surgery for a couple hours. My boy wanted to lay next to daisy but wanted nothing to do with mom or dad. It will be a month since his neuter this Thursday and he is back to his normal self just without the territory marking and constant thumping! ben will do great!!

[Benthebunny]

is it nessasary to get a check up before the surgery? i dont do yearly checkups ( money thing) 

[MrBun&Daisy]

we didn’t. well, he had his nails trimmed a couple weeks prior but I doubt they did anything other than check him out while they held him. have you talked to this vet before? the only thing I would say is maybe talking with them before his surgery would make you feel comfortable. we talked to our vet about how many surgeries she had done and stuff like that just to put our minds at ease. Plus she said that morning they would check him over and if something seemed off they wouldn’t do the surgery. so I would say no its not necessary since he’s a healthy bun and isn’t really that old (I consider 3 still a young bun). We don’t do yearly check ups either (money thing too!) but have a monthly checklist. we check their teeth, give them an extra good rub down to make sure there’s no new lumps or bumps, check his ears & nails. our boy has a bump along his jaw that has been there since he was a baby and the vet isn’t concerned (said its like a skin tag) so we just check to make sure it doesn’t get bigger. just make sure ben is in his normal state of health and he should be fine!

[Benthebunny]

Wow! twinsies! i have not talked to this vet before, but it is rated 4.9 stars and on the website it says they have exotic animal care. they even have a bring your rabbit in if list!

[MrBun&Daisy]

sounds like they are well experienced with buns! our vet used to practice in a big city. we live in a small town so it was super hard to find a rabbit vet. the website didn’t say much about buns so we weren’t so comfy but she made us feel better by telling us about her work at her previous office. he doesn’t like to let us cut his nails so if its been a while and he still won’t let me then we take him to her (he’s an angel when she does it!) its only $15 dollars when the only other rabbit vet in town wanted to charge us $56!!! We will be getting daisy spayed when she’s big enough and will be using the same vet. She told us its usually an age thing (12 weeks) but she feels it is safer to go by weight to minimize the probability of problems since a spay is a lot more invasive than a neuter. basically she made us feel really confident in her which I appreciated. I’ve learned a TON from this site and she gave us her phone# and said to call if we think there’s a problem. its all about finding a good vet to care for our kids!

[Benthebunny]

Your vet sound amazing too! i live in a town, a little bit away from a big city. Its easy to find vets here. Infact i have two five star vets within thirty minutes!  I am getting the neuter for my bday, me and my rabbit have the same birthday, so i gave up my birthday present to get him neutered before its to late.

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