neutering my bunny

[mocha200]

my bunny (mocha) is geting neutered tomarrow ( dec. 21 ) and i am wondering what i should and shouldn’t do after surgery? like should i not let him run arround ar should i keep a close eye on him?

 

 

[MooBunnay]

I’m glad to hear that Mocha is getting neutered!

Yes, there are a couple things you should keep in mind when he is recovering. First, try to limit his activity. Keep him confined to his cage, and to just the first level of his cage, you don’t want him jumping up and down. Second, you’ll need to check to see how he is healing once a day to make sure that the wound isn’t getting infected, and that the swelling is gradually reducing. Do this by gently picking him up and cradling him in your arms. If he is hard to pick up, get down on the ground and hold a treat up so he’ll stand up for you and you can look to see how he is healing.

For my bunnies, I was concerned that they were going to hurt themselves jumping in and out of their litterbox, so I let them use their carrier as a litterbox for the first week of their healing. I just took the door off, and put litter on the bottom, that way they could just walk in and out of the litterbox rather than try to jump over the side.

[mocha200]

we are going to keep him inside afterwords (because he is normaly in the garage) but our cage that we can bring inside my other bunny is in it i have an x pen and a pretty big cat carrier what should i keep him in?

[Beka27]

The xpen is fine since it’s all one level. You can lay some towels down for him. A pet carrier won’t be big enough for the length of time he needs to be confined. Keep us posted on how he does!

Healing vibes Mocha!

[mocha200]

well, he is bleeding a lot, is that normal?

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

No no no Not Normal

Call your vet and get him in this second please!!!

[BinkyBunny]

I ditto this – The incision itself might have a little dried blood, but he shouldn’t be bleeding. Call your vet ASAP! I’m so sorry Mocha, I know you must be very worried. Please keep us updated with what your vet says. I’m figuring they will have you come in to make sure to fix this.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, Mocha200,
We have time zone differences, so I’m not sure if you wrote this a few minutes ago or a few hours.
Either way, please let us know what the vet is doing for you and how he is.

Sending {{{{{{{{{{healing vibes}}}}}}}}} to Mocha.

[KatnipCrzy]

bruising could possibly be normal-  bleeding is NOT normal- please call your vet or emergency vet ASAP!

[mocha200]

i just called the vet and he told me to come in so i took him in and he gave him a few stiches and he is going to keep him over night. i am sooooo worried. he said he should be fine but i am still so nervous i don’t think i will sleep tonight. Its 5:45 here.

[wendyzski]

Glad you were able to take him back – it sounds like he pulled or groomed his stitches, and callingthe vet was the right move.  They’ll keep him overnight to monitor him, and hopefully he’ll be just fine.  I’m sure you are a wreck, but you did right.

[Balefulregards]

Yeah – You shouldn’t see blood. Swelling, yes. Blood no. He must have gotten to his stiches QUICK. Thank goodness he is back at the vets. They may suggest a collar/cone so he won’t pick at the sutures for a day or two.

How scary for you and Him.

[mocha200]

yeah it was gushing out it got all over the floor luckily it was mostly on a sheet. we get to pick him up tomorrow morning. i am not sure were we are going to keep him when he gets back i guess it depends how well he is feeling.i might keep him in my room but our new kitten is in their right now so i don’t now

[mocha200]

he just got home from the vet at about 10:15 and he hasn’t eaten yet is he ok?

[mocha200]

i got him to eat about two pieces of his food but when i put my hand buy him he keeps on attacking it! could he still be nervous from his surgery because when we took him back he had to have more stitches when he was awake. do you think he will be back to normal soon?

[corpathina]

he probably just wants to be alone because he doesn’t feel well. i would just leave him alone for a while but continue to check on him and try to get him to eat a little something every now and then. he probably won’t eat a lot at once, but nibbling anything at all will be good. be sure that he is confined to a level area and can’t strain himself and pull his stitches again.

i just had my bun neutered last monday and it didn’t take him long to get back to normal. just make sure he’s comfortable and try to get him to eat without bothering him too much. he might’ve been given some pain medication and that usually takes a while to wear off but leaves them feeling really loopy until then.

good luck and keep us posted! =)

[mocha200]

yeah ok, he has had a pretty hard time yesterday afternoon when we brought him home he had chewed or something and his stitches came out because he was bleeding every were it got all over everything so we called the vet and he told us to bring him in, so when we got there my dad had to hold him when the vet gave him stitches i went in the waiting room though because i didn’t want to watch. So we have to take him back in a couple oh weeks to get his stitches out because he chewed the dissolving ones. i feel so bad for him

[BinkyBunny]

Oh…whew. Keep us updated. I hope he doesn’t pull out these. Did the vet put a collar on him this time?

[Monkeybun]

I hope he has a collar this time… silly bun!

[mocha200]

no he didn’t i think he ripped them out because he is so active. he has his stitches out in on Jan. 5 i think. i am saving up to spay Lulu but it cost 160 dollars and mocha’s only cost 60 i have130 dollars right now so hopefully i will have enough by spring. is there a certain age i should have her spayed by? i herd that females get really aggressive if they are not spayed and they can get cancer is that right?

[RabbitPam]

Yes, they can get cancer, but you can wait to have her done until after she’s about 6 months old or more.
My vet decided by looking at Samantha’s size when she felt comfortable doing her. It’s a slightly more difficult operation, so see what you vet prefers in terms of age and size.

[mocha200]

oh ok we are still looking for a vet for her because the one who fixed Mocha only does boys but i think i know the one i want to go to because they specializes in bunny’s but i don’t have enough money yet. she is about 7 months old.

[BinkyBunny]

You’re smart to look for the right vet to do the spay. That is very important.

How’s Mocha doing now?

Oh, and just a side note – you may already know this, but even though he was neutered, don’t let him near LuLu even if she get along with him. It is actually possible for a newly neutered bunny to get an unspayed female pregnant (so keep them away from each other for a month)

Keep us updated.

[mocha200]

um…. Mocha doing fine. i am going to try to call the vet tomorrow and see if i can make an appointment. i am a little nervous about them taking out the stitches but i don’t think i should be worried about it i think that’s pretty easy and safe.

[BinkyBunny]

Oh good, it’s good to know he is fine with this second round of stitches. I’m sure they won’t take them out unless the incision is healed enough so try not to worry.

[mocha200]

ok

[i~luv~frappichino&sammy]

60$!!!thts alot!i can get my bunny fixed for $25!$40for female

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By i~luv~frappichino on 12/28/2009 09:31 PM
60$!!!thts alot!i can get my bunny fixed for $25!$40for female

 

Holy Bunny Cow – $25 – $40?    i~luv~frappichino, that is nutty cheap. That really is uncommon.  Glad you could find something so inexpensive, but always make sure it’s a rabbit-savvy vet.  Low low prices worry me. Not that a rabbit-savvy vet won’t do it for that price but I definitely would want to make sure that if someone chooses a vet that is the “lowest” price that the vet is actually experienced in exotics/rabbits.  Reason being is rabbits react differently to anethesia than cats and dogs do, and rabbits in general are considered “exotic” just because of how they react to certain meds, anesthesia, gi tract differences, etc, and so just by their nature they can cost a bit more.

 

 

 

[Monkeybun]

If my vet told me gettign Monkey spayed would only cost me $40.. I’d turn around and find another vet! Low prices get me worried, what kind of anesthesia do they use. Do they use pain meds. What kind of stitches, are they using butter knives or scalpel…

[mocha200]

before we got mocha neutered we asked how many he had done and if any had died and stuff like that, i don’t remember how many he had done but he said that he had never had one die on him before. he was really nice he didn’t charge us anything for the extra stitches and staying over night. our vet that we go to for our cats they would have probably charged us for that.

[mocha200]

i called the vet that i am going to get Lulu spayed at and they said it would cost 180 dollars i so i should be able to get her spayed by Jan. because i still need 50 more dollars. How long after Lulus surgery until i can put a stunt double in Mocha’s and Lulus cadges?

[Al2]

I was looking for a vet that would do it in my area and cheapest one i trust is going to charge 125 when I take my bun to get neutered in a week. Its so expensive here. The vet that I WANTED to go to wanted 250… Yikes.

[BinkyBunny]

Posted By mocha200 on 12/29/2009 07:13 PM
i called the vet that i am going to get Lulu spayed at and they said it would cost 180 dollars i so i should be able to get her spayed by Jan. because i still need 50 more dollars. How long after Lulus surgery until i can put a stunt double in Mocha’s and Lulus cadges?

Good for you for saving up – that’s great!   You don’t have to wait to put stunt doubles in at all, UNLESS either of them show aggression towards it and if she is healing from surgery and attacking a stunt double or it is stressing her out, then you’d want to hold off.  But other than that shouldn’t be a problem.  

As far as hormones go though, it will take her about a month or so for her hormones to die down, so will want to wait to put the “real” bunnies together.  Also, IF you feel that the stunt doubles are causing aggression prior to her calming down, then just wait until about month to see how she reacts to the “stunt doubles” then.  You can just play it by ear with the toys before the REAL introduction begin. 

Good luck!

[mocha200]

oh OK, is their anything different i have to watch out for after her surgery.

[mocha200]

I am so confused. my sisters friend (the person i got Lulu from) said that it is really dangerous to get your bunny spayed and that i should never get her spayed. and my sister said that she had a friend that was in 4-h that yous to to keep her bunny’s inside and she got her bunny spayed and it died because it wouldn’t eat. i am sooooooooooooo confused. what should i do?

[Monkeybun]

Monkey was spayed back in November. She’s totally fine. If your bun isn’t eating soon after the surgery, you take her back tot he vet: somethign tells me your sisters friend neglected to do so.

Get your bun spayed, if you keep an eye on her, she’ll be fine.

[mocha200]

i am so stressed out! Now my sisters friend mom ( the one who gave me Lulu) is going to give me “a talk” on why i shouldn’t spay Lulu, i have saved up all my money to get her spayed and now i might not be able to, but i wanted to soooo bad.

[Sarita]

My suggestion to you is to talk to a vet about spaying and let the vet explain why you should do it and what the procedure is. I’m sorry you are being pulled in so many directions concerning this.

[Bunnies Galore]

I honestly don’t think it’s necessary to be spaying your bunny. I did spay one of my females (she died a few years ago from other reasons), but otherwise, I have three un-spayed females that are just fine. They aren’t at all aggressive and are all over 2 years old (Taz is 7 1/2 years old!). And $180!!!! Yikes!! That is way too much money to spay a rabbit. My vet does it for $75. I also love my girls to much to risk them in surgery!

But if you do decide to go ahead with the surgery, please talk to your vet first and ask his opinion on this whole situation. Also ask him what the success rate is for the surgery. 90% success is way too low. If he says that he hasn’t done many bunnies, I’d say just walk away. $180 is way to much for an inexperienced surgeon.

The morning after the surgery is complete, make SURE your bunny is eating or at leat nibbling on a few things! If she doesn’t eat that morning, then call your vet!!!

It’s your choice whether or not you get your bunny spayed. You are the rightful owner now, so you don’t have to take the advice from your bunny’s previous owner, though don’t ignore her (she probably has experience with bunnies also). But there ARE DEFINENTLY risks you need to consider and talk about with your vet. I also think you should maybe find somewhere else that does it cheaper. The price should never be that high!

So yeah, that’s what I think. Spaying isn’t necessary and your bunny probably won’t become agressive. Mine are fine. But don’t let the previous owner sway your decison.

[Sarita]

I highly recommend spaying…most importantly spaying prevents uterine cancer. Most of our forum members advocate spaying and neutering. So I disagree that spaying isn’t necessary but I do recommend that you talk to your vet and make sure that your vet has experience spaying rabbits.

[BinkyBunny]

  I’m so sorry Mocha you are feeling stressed. I can see how this could be very frustrating and scary when you don’t know what to do. As you have experienced  there can be completely different thoughts about this, and so of course, in the end it will be your decision, but Iam an advocate for spaying. I completely agree with Sarita.  This site and in this forum (the leaders and many members) will advocate spaying.   Though you will hear differing opinions in this forum too, it’s just weighed more toward spaying because of the benefits we not only post about but that we have experienced first hand.   

Most of our members here have their bunnies spayed without a problem. Mine have all been spayed.

It is VERY important to find a rabbit-savvy vet.   (It’s good to have one anyway as it’s not just surgery/anethesia that they have to know how to use with a rabbit, but just general care and what meds to use, etc etc.)  

Though of course there will be people who have had no problems – no cancer problem with their rabbits, as the cancer rate is not 100%, but it is high enough (and only gets higher with age) that I wouldn’t want to put my rabbit through that and would prefer to have a few days of discomfort from a surgery performed by a rabbit-savvy vet (who can also offer some pain meds), than deal with the shortened life and possible suffering my bunny would go through with cancer.

My quote thing isn’t working but you said:

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I am so confused. my sisters friend (the person i got Lulu from) said that it is really dangerous to get your bunny spayed and that i should never get her spayed. and my sister said that she had a friend that was in 4-h that yous to to keep her bunny’s inside and she got her bunny spayed and it died because it wouldn’t eat. i am sooooooooooooo confused. what should i do? 

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I’m sorry for the loss of the friends bunny.  A bunny’s appetite (especially a females) will be suppressed right after, but if a bunny does not eat by the next day(at least nibbling), then the bunny should be taken to the vet right away to make sure it gets the proper care to get the digestive tract moving again.  Pain meds are also recommended so that a bunny will feel more comfortable and will be more likely to get their appetite back.   Again that is why it is very important to have a rabbit savvy vet and know exactly what to expect in post care.  

 

[KatnipCrzy]

There are very differing views on house bunnies and outside/hutch bunnies- most house bunnies owners are able to interact with their bunnies more and notice any abnormal behavior much quicker- not eating, sitting hunched, etc.  Most people spend more time indoors around their rabbits then outside by the hutches- when you consider hours per day.

I realize that this could be a controversial topic but I love my bunnies AND my dogs and cats too much to NOT spay/neuter them.  I have worked at the local Humane Society, work at a vet  clinic now, volunteer for Australian Shepherd Rescue in Michigan- and I do no think you will find ANYONE that is that experienced with animal care, animal medical care, and pet overpopulation that will tell you NOT to spay or neuter your pet.  That attitude really dates back to animals as “livestock” mentality- and in my house they are not animals they are my best friends!

Most people start with one bunny- fall in love- and get another bunny friend- and that is where all the trouble starts.  So unless someone is only going to have ONE bunny and is willing to take the chances with the hormonal behavior, reproductive cancer (in females AND males)- that is likely the only house bunny situation that might work out.

[mocha200]

well, i am not worried about them not being inexperienced because the vet i would go to specializes in rabbits.

[mocha200]

i still don’t know what i want to do. I want to really bad, but if it is dangerous i don’t want to do it.

[Monkeybun]

In my opinion, it is more dangerous NOT to spay. The 80-85% chance of uterine cancer just can’t be ignored, and even my Monkey has settled down after her spay, she isn’t QUITE as ornery now as she used to be. Not to mention there isn’t any chance of a surprise litter of bunnies after as well. The benefits outweigh the cons in my opinion, and if you go to a good vet, and follow their after care instructions, the risk is minimal.

[mocha200]

i don’t think she would die from not eating after surgery because she eats a lot as soon as i put greens in their their gone in a minuet

[Monkeybun]

Monkey ate very little her first 24 hours after, although she couldn’t resist a bit of raisin or cilantro. By the 2nd morning, she was back to eating like its going out of style Don’t worry about what your sister’s friend is saying, do what you think is best.

[RabbitPam]

I think you’ve clearly stated what you want to do, which is go with the spay, and are trusting other people’s opinions more than your own intuition. There will always be some reasons on either side of the coin, but the different people you talk to will have an opinion primarily based on their own experience, often with only one rabbit, rather than based on information from a much greater number. The reason the BB forum leaders unanimously support spaying is because we have had access to many scenarios of both good, successful spays, and the sad alternatives for many, many bunnies who did not get it done.

One thing about medical science for humans and animals is that-as with most things-they all get better with practice. What may have been a dangerous operation ten years ago has been done by the hundreds and thousands by most exotic vets who routinely work with rabbits. You can ask your vet how many surgeries they have performed, something you can do with any doctor you may see for yourself as well. Experience is a good basis for confidence. There is risk in everything, but even the anesthesia and stitches have come a long way to make it safe and improved. I was absolutely astonished at the anesthesia my vet used that didn’t even make Samantha groggy that day – she was eating within hours. And the stitches disolved so she didn’t need a follow up appointment as long as she healed well. She came through it easily and safely from start to finish. I don’t think I was lucky so much as I had a good, experienced vet. She was doing binkies in a week. Now I have the peace of mind that I can have her meet any bunny without fear of pregnancy, and hope to have her many years cancer-free.

If you really really want to do it, just do it. We will provide you with information, support, and answers to your question. More importantly you are only a phone call away from answers to you every question the whole time. Call your vet. It’s part of the procedure.

[amygabrielle]

I’ve had three girl buns and all were spayed and lived long long lives with no problems. I think your lulu will live a happier and healthier life spayed. Good luck!

[mocha200]

i have decided to wait till spring and decide then whether or not to spay her i am pretty sure i will spay her but my mom just wants me to make sure i want to before i do it because 180 dollars is a lot of money.

[Monkeybun]

Just remember: 180 is nothing compared to how much an unexpected litter and possible cancer will cost

[mocha200]

yeah ok. i have the money now so if i get her spayed (witch i probably will) it will be in March or April because it is pretty cold here right now and my mom wants to make sure i want to do it.

[Elrohwen]

I want to jump in with the others and highly advocate spaying for all of the reasons they’ve stated. Another reason that I don’t think the mods mentioned is that you will have an almost impossible time bonding her with your other bun if you don’t have her spayed. Female bunnies are typically more territorial than males, and an unspayed female is unlikely to bond with another bun after she goes through puberty. It sounds like you really want to bond her with your boy, and getting her spayed is the only way she’ll be able to live a happy stress-free life with her husbun.

I also want to add that $180 is a pretty good price, so I wouldn’t listen to the people who say it is far to expensive to spend on a bun. My vet charges $300+ for neutering and I don’t even want to know what they would charge for a spay. Sure $180 isn’t cheap, but so worth it as it could prolong your bun’s life by 8 years! And allow her to live happily with your other bunny. Good for you for saving up money to keep your bunnies happy and healthy!

[mocha200]

Mocha got his stitches out yesterday morning and he is doing great! when they took them out he didn’t move at all. ( I am so proud of you Mocha!) I am going to get Lulu spayed for sure unless the person who had her before says “if your going to get her spayed i want her back” then we would just keep her and not spay her.

if i got Lulu spayed would the vet keep her over night?

[Elrohwen]

I depends on the vet. My vet kept my bun over night and wouldn’t send him home until he was eating and pooping normally. However, I don’t think this is something every vet does. Maybe you can ask if they will for a little extra money? As a first time bun owner, it gave me a lot of peace of mind to know that professionals were taking care of my bun for the first night.

And I’m glad you plan to get her spayed! Even if the previous owners tell you that you can’t, she’s your bunny now and you’re doing what’s best for her health. They can’t take her away from you.

[Sarita]

I’m not sure why you would even have to tell the previous owner your intentions either since she’s now your rabbit.

Some vets do keep them overnight – it depends on the vet so you’ll want to make sure to discuss this at the examination.

[RabbitPam]

Glad to hear Mocha came through well.
I agree with Sarita – plus getting a bunny spayed to protect her health is not valid cause for demanding a bunny back. If Lulu is yours now, she’s yours, and not only you but your mother (if you are not legal adult age yet) is responsible for her health and well being.

[Monkeybun]

Yes, I’m not sure why you’d even tell the previous owner.. she’s your bunbun now, not theirs! Its up to you what you want to do with her medically.

[mocha200]

yeah my mom said that she might not, but its kind of hard for them not to find out because my sister is her daughters friend.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Glad Mocha is doing well.

I dont’ think you should care whether the previous owner knows or not-the rabbit is yours now. As long as your mom is on board-your friend cannot ask for the rabbit back Also it’s not like the rabbit is gone for a week or anything-and there isn’t anything visible after the fact-this is an easy thing to hide

and spaying-I’ll jump on that boat-it’s a must. I do hope you decide to do it.

[Author]

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