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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Is Spaying Safe?

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    • Bernard2020
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        Sorry, I probably post questions on here too much 🤪 This is my first rabbit and I worry too much sometimes.
        Anyways, Bernard is getting spayed next week and after doing some reading online, I seen quite a number of people saying their rabbit didn’t make it through the surgery. How safe is it to spay a rabbit? I’m guessing it depends on the vet but I’m not sure how to tell if my vet is a good one. It is on the House Rabbit website as a good vet.


      • DanaNM
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          Spaying is more invasive than neutering, and comes with risks like any surgery, but the risks of uterine cancer are far greater, as reproductive cancers are the number 1 cause of death in unspayed females (life expectancy is typically cut in half).

          It is important to find a vet that is comfortable with the procedure. Spays used to be considered a lot more dangerous because vets were not that experienced with them, but they are becoming much more common and much safer. It is completely fair to ask your vet how many spays they typically do and what their success rate is. If you aren’t happy with the answer, find a new vet that you trust more.  If your vet is listed by the HRS that’s a good start, so asking them a few questions should help ease your mind.

           

          . . . 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
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            It’s important to also remember that people are more likely to post online when something goes wrong than when something goes right. Questioning your vet is one of the best ways to gauge their experience, and you are definitely able to do so, even if the spay is coming up. At the end of the day, if you’re not comfortable with the particular vet, you don’t need to go through with it.

            In addition to asking about frequency, it can be helpful to ask them open-endedly about 1) What can you expect the day they return, in terms of behavior? and 2) What sort of things may you need to prepare and keep in mind to ensure a good recovery? I think a good vet will mention consistent pain management (i.e. pain medication) for the days following the procedure, so if it’s not mentioned, asking if they give pain medication and they say no is a potential flag. There should be some mention about keeping an eye that your rabbit isn’t interacting with the surgery site much and that movement should be somewhat limited so it doesn’t accidentally open up. In short, if they seem to give you a thoughtful answer, that’s a great sign. I am sometimes really shocked by how little some vets tell an owner both at drop-off and pick-up.

            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.


          • LBJ10
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              Also make sure to ask the vet these questions. The receptionist is more likely to give inaccurate information, especially if the office has multiple vets that see different species. I had this happen to me. The receptionist gave the generic info you would receive for a dog or a cat. When I later questioned a vet tech about it, they were like “oh no, you don’t need to fast a rabbit before surgery!”.


            • Bernard2020
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                I checked the reviews and they are almost all 5 stars. There were about 7 reviews specifically about Spay/Neuter for rabbits and everyone said it went well and it said that she has 4 rabbits of her own, which makes me feel better.  But I think I’ll still call tomorrow and ask those questions. Thank you everyone!


              • Bernard2020
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                  Also, I forgot to mention that the vet suspects she may have E. Cuniculi. Is it still safe to do?


                • LBJ10
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                    If she isn’t exhibiting symptoms right now, then it should be OK to spay. How is her eye doing? I remember you mentioning her having uveitis.


                  • Bernard2020
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                      She still doesn’t have any symptoms. She finished the eye drops and her eye isn’t watery anymore, so that’s good. She still has the little white thing but I doubt that will go away. I asked the vet to take another look at it and maybe give her something for it if it need it. So we’ll see how it goes 🤷🏻‍♀️
                      She’s the sweetest little bunny so I guess I might be a little too paranoid. Thanks for all the advice!


                    • Bernard2020
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                        This was the vets response when I emailed her my questions:

                        Hi:  I do 2-4 rabbit spays/neuters per week.  I have done this surgery for 25 years.  There is always a risk of unforeseen death with any anesthesia.   The last unexpected death was about 18 months or longer, in a rescue bunny neuter.

                        We use injectable pain medications and sedatives, then Isofluorane for our anesthetic gas during surgery.  The buns receive SQ fluids post surgery. I have a surgical nurse who monitors the anesthesia and patient vital signs during all procedures.  We use pulse oximeters during anesthesia/surgery for the bunnies that measure oxygen level and heart rate.
                        I do not do routine blood work as it is almost always normal in young, apparently healthy bunnies and it is stressful to draw blood for the patient.

                        All patients receive pain medications via injection as needed while at the clinic and then are sent home with appropriate pain medications for oral use.

                        The possible E. cun. parasite that may be causing the intra ocular problems:  it can go to other areas of the body, brain, spine, kidneys, liver etc. It may be possible to do a CT or MRI of the patient and look for lesions in the organs.  Usually it has not been an issue unless showing signs of organ failure.

                        Let me know if you have any other questions .

                        Dr. McRoberts

                         

                        From what I’ve read online, these answers seem pretty good so I’m not really worried anymore. Thank you, everyone!


                      • DanaNM
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                          Those answers sound good to me. 🙂 You should also ask if they can/will send you home with critical care, and what their instructions are for right before the surgery and the time after.

                          For reference, they should not ask you to fast her before the surgery, and you might need to syringe feed her a bit afterward if she doesn’t start eating on her own by the evening.

                          . . . 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.  


                        • Bernard2020
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                            We still have the formula from when she was sick last so if she doesn’t eat I’ll probably use that. And on the phone they did tell me not to fast her.
                            I dropped her off at 8:30 this morning. I tried looking up how long the operation takes but I couldn’t find any answers. When should I expect them to call me?


                          • Bernard2020
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                              Never mind, they just called and said everything went great and she’s waking up now 😁


                            • DanaNM
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                                Great! 🙂

                                . . . 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.  


                              • Bernard2020
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                                  So we brought her home yesterday and she started eating within about 4 hours. She seemed normal this morning. She’s moving around, eating, and drinking, though she does keep trying to lick. But her droppings are a lot softer and there was one or two that seemed to have mucus on them. Is that normal or should I call the vet?


                                • LBJ10
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                                    Glad everything went well with the spay!

                                    Soft poop is a side effect of the anesthesia. I wouldn’t be worried unless it persists.

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                                Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Is Spaying Safe?