Opinions on neutering at young age?

[Minty]

I know this topic was brought up in another thread, however, it didn’t go very in depth. I am wondering about peoples’ opinions on neutering bunnies at 3 months? I have a rabbit savvy vet who is comfortable doing the surgery, I just wonder if there have been any cases of increased complication during surgery or possible problems with bone development later down the road. Frankie’s testes have dropped and I would like to get the surgery done asap, preferably before the nasty teen behaviours start. 

eta: I found this article on the HRS Chicago website:

“The best age to neuter is shortly after sexual maturity. Depending on the breed, this could range from 4 to 6 months and with giant breeds up to possibly 9 months. If the rabbit is neutered much younger than 4 months of age, not only is the surgery more difficult due to the immature condition of the reproductive organs (in males the testicles might not even be descended into the scrotal sacs prior to three months) but we do not know what the long term effect is on the endocrine system of the body. The reproductive organs are part of an interconnecting system of hormone producing organs including the thyroid, pituitary, pancreas and adrenal. If we remove a large “chunk” of the endocrine system before it is done developing, we suspect there could be long term effects on the health of the rabbit. This has been studied in mice and rats where ill effects have been found with early neutering, but as yet has not been researched in rabbits. For the pet rabbit, there is really no good reason to neuter your rabbit before it is mature.”

I guess this answers my question?

[Beka27]

This is sort of up in the air, like that excerpt says. There’s no research saying absolutely not to do it, but we simply don’t know the long-term effects.

“For the pet rabbit, there is really no good reason to neuter your rabbit before it is mature.”

Yes and no. Ideally, both rabbits would already be altered when brought into the house. This is why we advocate adoption of altered rescue rabbits. You can begin bonding the next day. And this is the major drawback when you purchase a baby bunny.

You can wait to neuter until 6-12 months, but you are prolonging the separation and bonding process, and this can potentially make it more difficult b/c their individual “turfs” will be more firmly established.

This makes me wonder if (in some cases) rescue rabbits might end up being healthier in the long-run, since many of them do not get surrendered to shelters until that 6-12 month age group. This means they are already grown when they are spay/neutered…

Food for thought…

[Deleted User]

I don’t agree with prepubescent sterilizations at all. I can see, though, that there is a reason why people would want it done, like Sully’s posted. It would eliminate the bunny-gone-nutty stage altogether.
It is ironic that this has not been studied on rabbits — it is such a slap in the face for bunnies that they are being turned into laboratory experiements for other species’ benefits in large numbers and yet, hardly anything gets studied for their own well-being.
— Sully, I would just wait this extra month.

[LizzieKnittyBun]

Yeah, I have to agree with Petzy. Everything I’ve read, plus the advice from my own vet who is very well-respected with regard to exotics, has urged bunny owners to wait until at least four months. Not only will you not have to worry about any long-term issues, but it’s safer for the bunny. My vet said it really had nothing to do with size… that they had sterilized mice and squirrels with no problems. It’s all about the age of the bunnies and how their young bodies will react to the procedure.

Chances are you won’t have that much trouble in just one month, and even if you do it’s worth it to ensure your bunny’s safety. I waited until at least four months with both of my buns, and had no trouble. The most that Remy did was circle us constantly, showing that he wanted some luuuuuuv.

And if your bun does get aggressive, at least that behavior won’t stay with him long after the operation, and you will feel better later on knowing that you made the safe choice for your little one.

[Minty]

Thanks for the replies everyone, I really appreciate it! You’ve all given me a lot of insight and I agree. It is only another month I have to wait, and Frankie’s health is way more valuable than trying to bypass some naughty behaviours. Thanks again for the help!

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