Some Quick Questions…

[MorleyanBells]

Hey I have some quick questions…

First off, when are bunnies too old to get fixed, if there is such a date? I have asked a couple of vets in my area and niether can seem to agree on an age. One stated that after 2 they shouldnt be fixed and the other said that there wasnt an age limit. Both are reputable vets for Rabbits so I am not sure what to believe. Any ideas would be great! 

Second, Can anyone suggest a good place to go to get their nails trimmed? I am such a baby when it comes to doing it myself and the few times I have tried, Morley bit my hand! Also, does the Pedi Paws thing work? My mom has one for her dogs and I thought maybe it would work on my babies. Again, any ideas or suggestions would be awesome!

Thanks all! 

[Monkeybun]

At my local rabbit rescue here, the only time they won’t fix buns is if theres a health issue. There was one bun that was just rescued recently, almost 6 years old I believe that they neutered after getting, and he’s fine. I can understand if a vet is uncomfortable fixing buns after a certain age if they aren’t experienced with older buns, but I wouldn’t say they SHOULDN’T be fixed after 2.

As for nail trims.. I take my 2 to the vet for their trims. it costs me $12, but I also don’t have to pay in blood lol.

[MorleyanBells]

I will look into the vet option for the nail trims! I will gladly pay $12 to avoid the many bites on my hands! There is one vet that will cost me around $430 for the spay on Bella but they said that they do Human anesthsia, a full exam beforehand and blood work plus full monitoring to make sure that there are no issues. I am not sure if I can afford $430 though! There is also a vet who will do it for $65 at the local shelter, I am not really sure who to go through. I want the best for my girl but cant afford that much!

[Monkeybun]

eek 450? thats crazy. It cost me just over 200 for Monkey, and Moose came neutered. I’m not too sure about Human anesthesia.. is that bunny safe? O.o

[jerseygirl]

If the shelter vet does lots of rabbits – I’d personally going to see them. As for age, I don’t think that being over age 2 is too old. With older rabbits, vets will often do more tests beforehand just to check on the health status before going ahead. Because there is such a high risk of females developing uterine cancer, I think having them spayed at 2 or older is still a good idea as it is complete removal of ovaries and uterus and possibly any tumors that may have formed.  Mature rabbits are also at risk of mammary tumors so the sooner they are spayed, the better.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Pedipaws works but it’s like getting a fisher price hose to wash your car-a real nail dremmel is SOO much better. Find them in the dog grooming aisle

Vets and groomers will do nails and often let you help (by holding) or at least let you be present so you know how they are handled.

There really isn’t in my experience an age limit on fixing-but after 5 or so-they should definitely have a full blood work up first to ensure they are healthy enough for going ‘under’

 

400$ is what I paid for Kahlua’s spay-it’s not out there-and if they are doing good care and great anestetic totally worth it  I was normal ‘mom’ worried but I knew she’d get amazing care. She had a tech one-on-one with her while waking up-and three techs in the operation room with the vets-very worth it. It’s rare that an animal dies in surgery but if the vets take all those precautions it’s even rarer  It was super pricey for me at the time and the economy is even worse now. No shame in asking if they accept payments. And if they don’t -why not pre pay? Like make payments ahead of time and then when it’s paid off they do the surgery Vets, like dentists, have to know we aren’t all sitting around with 1000’s in our pockets and let us make it in payments. ANother option may be scheduling for six months or so from now and saving up?

Welcome btw!

[RabbitPam]

I would call several vets for “exotics” (they treat bunnies) and get some comparative prices. Over 400 is on the steep side, and 65 seems too low.
You want to ask them a trick question – Should you fast your bunny before surgery? (The answer is NO) – and that is a clue about their experience with rabbits. Do not ask their receptionists, however. Some are misinformed.

As for age, with a female, you are primarily preventing cancer, so I think it’s never too old as long as your vet is experienced and comfortable with the procedure.

[BinkyBunny]

 Here’s what the House Rabbit Society has to say about it:

From the article about spaying and neutering: http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/…ml#too-old

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When is a rabbit too old to be spayed or neutered?

veterinarians will have their own opinions on this, but in general, after a rabbit is 6 years old, anesthetics and surgery become more risky.

 

 

 

It is always a good idea, in a rabbit over 2 years of age, to have a very thorough health check done, including full blood work. This may be more expensive than the surgery, but it will help detect any condition that could make the surgery more risky. This is especially important if anesthetics other than isofluorene are used.

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But obviously some vets feel comfortable doing it later in a bunny’s life. It may be because more and more vets out there are racking on years of experienced and are skilled enough to know when an older rabbit will be healthy enough for a spay/neuter. 

 

 

 

[MooBunnay]

One of my bunnies (Grace) was spayed at the age of about 7 (well, around 7, that is how old the lady I adopted her from said she was), I did pay about $350 for her spay, because she was much older, and she is also blind, so I wanted to get the best vet possible in the area I lived in. She did very well, but I can see how there could be an increased risk with surgery when the bunnies are older. In California I used to take bunnies to the vet for spays and neuters, and the prices I was used to seeing was around $140 for a neuter, and $180 for a spay, however, I know it really differs from vet to vet. If it were me, I would contact a local rabbit rescue to see where they have their rabbits spayed and neutered, the rescue usually know the best places to go.

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