spayed rabbit acting like she’s in heat???

[syl]

sylvia was spayed in early december, making it over 3 months since she’s been spayed. she has been peeing on the bed again lately, acting territorial and angry, and basically just acting completely out of control. she still humps arms, buzzes and circles, and acts aggressive. she is not shy at all, just extremely sassy. she is between the age of 3 and 4 by the way. i get that the digging, eating furtniture, general destruction is fairly normal, but she’s been taking it to an extreme. there has been absolutely no change in her hormonal behavior since the spay by her nipples still enlarging sometimes, and she still goes through phases of peeing territorially. i’m concerned that something is off about her health. is it normal for her hormonal behavior to last this long after the spay? if not, what could this be? any advice/input would be greatly appreciated. thank you!

[DanaNM]

Hmmm, perplexing!

I have heard of neutered males acting hormonal due to adrenal gland issues. Maybe something similar is happening? Or there is a slight possibility of an incomplete spay… but since she is not a baby that seems unlikely.

That said I have heard that in extreme cases it can take a long while for hormones to drain (although I think you are past that window).. there is often a post-spay hormonal craze.

Hopefully some others will chime in!

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[syl]

update: she is now nesting ?? she has had a false pregnancy before, and is nesting in her litter box just like she did last time. i feel like something must be wrong with her spay or her hormones. any help would be appreciated

[Wick & Fable]

It’s unusual for her to be going through this months after the spay. Medically I would suggest at least speaking with the operating vet over the phone, in case there was something memorable about the spay.

Is there any chance you have unfixed rabbits in your home recently? I’ve heard unfixed rabbits can bring out hormonal behaviors in fixed rabbits?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[syl]

no, there are no unfixed rabbits. she has never had another rabbit in the home. i spayed her for health purposes but i’m so worried she has some sort of hormonal problem. thank you so much for your reply! i’ll speak to the vet in the morning

[Asriel and Bombur]

It’s possible her spay was incomplete

[syl]

update: turns out poor girls spay was incomplete. took her back into the vet this morning and they seem to have removed the last bits of ovary. thank you for the replies & helpful input!!

[Bunny House]

It’s sad but some vets are lazy and remove only some but not all of the testes and ovaries, a vet I shadowed at did that a lot. I’m glad you got it fixed, poor girl must have had crazy mood swings! I hope they didn’t charge you for it since it was their fault.

[DanaNM]

Wow, glad they fixed it. But your poor girl, having to go through that twice

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[syl]

they didn’t charge me, thank goodness. she’s not taking it very well though. she’s not eating at all. the only thing she’s eaten voluntarily since before the surgery was 2 bites of banana. been syringe feeding critical care, but i feel like it’s not enough food. i feel so bad for the trauma she’s been through, and i’m really hoping for her to feel better soon. today she had strings of poop the consistency of jell-o stuck to her bottom that i noticed while doing her feeding/checking her stitches which is quite worrisome. i think i’ll call the vet in the morning. thanks everyone for the advice and support !

[DanaNM]

Poor girl

Mucousy poop can happen with stasis and other gut problems. Is she on pain meds? Did she make any normal poops?

Keep syringe feeding her, even if it’s just small amounts. Small amounts frequently….. Also keep offering her very favorites (cilantro, basil, parsley, mint, dandelion… any thing fragrant and yummy). Fresh grass is often craved by poorly buns. You can also offer hay tea:
https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aft/168220/Default.aspx

Can you check her temp? Pain can cause buns temp to fluctuate. If her ears feel cold or her temp is low, you can wrap a hot water bottle in a towel and place it near her for her to cuddle. Or microwave a sock full of rice and do the same thing. When Bun Jovi got very ill over a weekend I placed a blanket over him with a hot bottle under it (he could move away if he wished). I think it may have saved his life, as his temp was low when I checked it.

Do call the vet… it might be that the ordeal has sent her into stasis and she might need motility meds, fluids, or stronger pain meds to get her back to normal.

. . . The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.  

[Bam]

How is your bun doing now?

I’m so sorry she had to go through this twice. It is of course normal for a girl to have poor appetite post surgery, but the mucosy poop is worrisome. Definitely contact your vet again, but I’m assuming you’ve already done that.

Warmth is key, it can help prevent medical shock.

[syl]

she’s doing well! eating everything and pooping. she’s not drinking as much water as usual still, and her behavior isn’t recovering as quickly as last time (she’s been more lethargic than usual, but still plays some), but she eats plenty of wet veggies, hay, and pellets, so i’m hoping she just needs a little more time to get back to normal.

[Author]

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