Should I neuter my bunny?

[Cookie'sOwner]

Hi everyone!

I am the proud owner of an amazing holland lop rabbit named Cookie. He is around 1 1/2 years old, and he has such a great personality. My question: Should I neuter him? I know that a lot of people are probably going to say YES YES YES ABSOLUTELY! But I am kind of on the fence about it because I know that some rabbits never wake up (after they’re put under amnesia) and that just breaks my heart  I’ve also heard that neutering/spaying can help rabbits to live longer. By the way, I don’t plan on getting more rabbits, but you never know. I would greatly appreciate some advice! 

Thank you!

-Greta

[{Alli}]

Obviously, that’s the best choice. My bunny isn’t neutered as he’s almost 3 and I know that’s still young but the older they get, the riskier it is. If your vet is a good one, they’ll do a health check and if there’s an obvious sign your bun won’t do well under anesthetics, they won’t recommend you to neuter your bunny.

[Megabunny]

Well, they say it isn’t as critical with males as w/ females to be neutered. It does tend to make them better about litter training and such, but if that isn’t a problem, you probably don’t have to rush into it. I didn’t one male right away. He ended up with a testicle that was, like, dragging on the ground and we got him neutered and he lived to be 11. He would most certainly have to be neutered if you got another, as his hormone behavior would likely kick in

[Shannon]

Hey so here are a few things we have noticed since getting our rabbit goose fixed.

Before being fixed goose was a chewer. He chewed my trim, his cage, our fences, If it was made of wood goose chewed it. since being fixed this behavior has decreased drastically (he only chews items in his way). I think this has been the best improvement.

Before we got goose fixed he would pee every where and was constantly marking with droppings. We had some success with his litterbox but he still sprayed outside of the cage. We had to put down dog pads which constantly needed to be changed. Since getting fixed Goose consistently uses the his box. He rarely misses (although now that i’ve put that in type he will probably come out here and prove me wrong!).

You could also tell Goose was getting frustrated. I don’t really know how to specifically explain it but he seemed hyped up ALL the time. We did get goose as a baby however. A 1.5 year old bunny should have grown into his adult personality.

These two things were more than enough for me to say I would do it again and I would recommend it to people keeping even a solo bunny. Our vet was very good and did a health check ahead of time.

[Flopsie]

there is always a risk with any procedure, its never going to be 100% risk free. However, that being said, if you have a bunny savy vet that has done the procedure countless times, the risk is minimal.

As far as benefits, compared to females, it is not as critical, however, it will help with behavior which in turn, may be a better quality of life for you and your bun.

[emm_renn]

I would ask around different societies about which vet is the best at fixing rabbits. I believe the House Rabbit Society has a list of rabbit savvy vets located near you. A lot of people say their rabbits have changed in personality after they are fixed, but honestly, I haven’t detected much change in my little girl. I will say she doesn’t chew as much. But she still is a little aggressive and standoff-ish. She is sweeter around the evening time. It just depends on your bunny. I do know the males tend to spray and can have an oder to them when they are not fixed. So if that is bothering you, I’d say to go ahead and fix your bunny.

[LoveChaCha]

If you have a reputable vet that has never lost a rabbit, I would go along with the procedure. I second what emm_renn said. House Rabbit Society has great list of recommended vets. I have a female, so it is essential, and if I had a male, I would have him fixed as well. My girl got more calmer, but she is still a bossy diva.

[Eepster]

Porky isn’t neutered, and it mostly works out fine.

Basically there are some benefits to neutering and some risks. Unlike spaying, there really isn’t a major health benefit to the rabbit, so the risk vs benefits are less clear cut for males. The risk is very very small, so for many males it is the way to go. However, that doesn’t mean it is always worth it, b/c for some rabbits the benefits are negligible. With male rabbits it comes down to the individual circumstances.

Here are the benefits of neutering a male, to consider if they apply to your male.

1. Prevent pregnancy. If your bunny will never be around females, this does not apply to him.
2. Reduce humping behavior. If your bunny only humps things that are OK for him to hump, like his stuffed animals, this does not apply to him.
3. Lower territorial behavior. If your bunny will always be single, this does not apply to him.
4. Prevent spraying. Does he or doesn’t he.
5. Help litter training, especially stop territorial marking. Does he have good habits anyway.
6. Reduce smell. Male rabbits can make a very musky smell when they feel a need.

[Beka27]

It isn’t absolutely necessary to neuter a male rabbit for all the reasons stated above. So, it’s really your choice. If there is any question on if you will want to introduce a second rabbit in the future though, I would go ahead with the procedure while he’s still young, just in case. We get posts from people from time to time who decide to get a second rabbit and they already have an older unfixed bunny. The older the rabbit, the riskier the surgery becomes. If you’re committed to keeping him as a single bunny for the duration of his life (10-12+ years), and there are no behavioral issues that compel you to go through with it, then you don’t have to.

[Cookie'sOwner]

Thank you so much to everyone that responded! I have decided that I will neuter him in the near future

[Author]

Messages