Shall I follow vet advice?

[Maria]

Hey guys. My buns had their spay on Tuesday and are doing really well. I’ve now got to try and bond them again. I was going to wait a month until I tried but when I took them to the vet for a check up today, he suggested keeping them together straight away. The reason he said this was because they were grooming each other whilst at the vets. He said to take them for a car ride and then supervise them together when I got home I have done this but have limited them to the bathroom where we are sitting together now. Umi is licking mizu and when umi asks for a lick, mizu quickly gives her one. Shall I call it a day or let them out in the rest of the flat? The last time they were allowed out together was over a month ago before they were spayed and they attacked each other. I would really apreciate any advice.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Are they both female? If one is male and one is female it’s a must to wait a month because a male stores sperm and is still fertile. The other reason is for horomones to calm down.

I doooo agree with your vet hesitantly though. You have to be CAREFUL that they don’t pull the others stitches out or anything like that (If you don’t have an after hours emergency number for your vet, or a 24 vet clinic in the area, don’t risk it).

But if they are grooming, then I’d roll the dice and take em for a car ride and see how they do together.

[Sarita]

I think it would be okay to have them together but only supervised to ensure they don’t have fights. If he thinks it’s fine to start bonding them know then I would follow his advise.

[Sarita]

But if they were both altered then there is no chance of pregnancy even if it’s a male/female so there’s no risk there.

[Maria]

Thanks for the replies. Yes their both girls. My vet is open 24 hours and I asked about the stitches and he didn’t seem to think they could pull the wound apart as it was healing nicely. They are very interested in each other and laying next to each other at the mo. My problem is that they have always been fine together since the fighting started in neutral space, like the car and the bathroom (which they aren’t usually allowed in). Shall I just open the door and see what happens? What about their cages, shall I allow them in each others, or merge the cage right away, cleaning out the smell of each other? Sorry lots of questions!

[Sarita]

I think that I would start the bonding over like you would any and see how they react to each other. Your idea to switch their cages is good as well…not cleaning them. Let them out together like you are for supervised visits and see how it goes. I would not merge their cages until you are confident they can be together.

[jerseygirl]

I’m just piping up to say I’m an interested observer. It’s interesting they are taking comfort from one another post-op. You vet seems to know a thing or two about rabbits.

[QueSará]

Personally, I would be a little concerned initially.  A spay is a much more invasive surgery than a neuter, so I would think the rabbits could use some time to recover.  And I’ve heard lots of stories of stitches getting pulled out, and that’s quite a risk to take.  If it were me, I’d put them in separate cages, but where they could still see each other and interact.  That would maintain the bond, but give them both time to heal more completely.

But that’s just my opinion.  I hope your girls are recovering well. =)

[BinkyBunny]

It makes me a little nervous too. I think that if one starts chasing then before you could stop it, some damage could be done so just be VERY careful moving forward if you do decide to step up the bonding.

[Beka27]

This is a tricky situation. GENERALLY… if there is an *existing* bond Pre-spay/neuter, you would want to try and keep them together immediately after. They were spayed on Tuesday, it’s possible they are still feeling groggy from that and pain meds… I’d hate for them to suddenly “snap out of it” and think, “What the heck is THAT BUNNY doing here?!” And then they could go after each other. I guess I’m just worried that their calm behavior RIGHT NOW is not indicative of how they’ll be in another few days when they start to feel more like themselves. Does that make sense?

Neutral and non-neutral territory is also difficult. Some buns can be the best of friends in a bathroom or unused bedroom, but when they enter their turf… fights can happen. You’ll want to do neutral bonding sessions for at least a week or a couple weeks and see how they react there, your next step is semi-neutral territory… You have to re-introduce them to their area very, very carefully.

[RabbitPam]

I would err on the side of caution and not let them out just yet. I think another 2-3 weeks of supervised sessions in neutral areas will keep the bonding going. Bathroom, car rides, and cages within view are all going to reinforce the bond in a controlled setting. You can take them both into the bathroom together several times a day rather than just once, to increase their interaction. But still keep the means to separate them fast handy, ie. squirt bottle of water and gloves. If they are loose in a larger space and a fight breaks out, you may not be able to get to where they are under cover or behind something and it will be too late.

It’s great that the procedure went well and they are grooming.

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