To spay or not to spay???

[MaryHoppinsBunBun]

We have a question for all you bunny paw-rents: should I get my 10 month old female half-lop dwarf spayed? My other bun, Mary Hoppins bonded bff, Tippy, came to us already spayed, but my daughter brought Mary Hoppins home as a baby, so she’s not fixed. I’ve had some major heartbreak in the past from not one but TWO bunnies dying from spay/neuter surgeries, so I’m really scared and don’t want to lose Mary. Any advice about the pros and cons about getting her spayed are really appreciated! We’re scared! (Mary Hoppins is female, 10-11 months old, lives in the Dallas area of TX–in case there are vet recs!) We’re all ears! 🐰💖

[Wick & Fable]

To me, reasons to not spay a female are very few. I think if you’re in an area where you cannot find a rabbit-experienced vet who is knowledgeable and competent in spays, this is a big barrier, but aside from that, spaying is very positive for both a rabbit and its owner. I’m really sorry to read about your past losses. I am unsure how long ago these occurred, but spays and neuters are very routine rabbit procedures now, and if you have an experienced rabbit vet who is competent in spays and neuters and a rabbit is healthy, the risk is very minimal. Spays are more invasive than neuters (outside versus inside body parts…), so recovery for spays are typically longer, but the benefits for spaying are much larger than the benefits for neutering.

It’s natural to be scared. I think all rabbit owners are! Something to remember is if you find yourself reading online about spays, remember that people are more likely to post when things go wrong than when things go right. You can definitely find several stories of healthy rabbits not making it, but there are so many stories of successful operations that aren’t posted.

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.

[DanaNM]

There is a very high risk of uterine cancer in unspayed females (75% by age 3, that proportion goes up even more as rabbits get older), so it is important to do it for health reasons. There are behavioral benefits to it as well (litter box habits, reduced territorial aggression), but to me the health reasons are the most important.

I’m very sorry to hear about your past losses, but an experienced vet should have a very high success rate. There should be plenty of vets to choose from in your area.

. . . 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.  

[HipHopBunny]

I’m so sorry you have lost buns to spay. 😥 My heart goes out to you.

Spaying is definitely a good thing for rabbits. Females have an 80% chance of uterine cancer and are susceptible to false pregnancies. My three ladies had those before spay, and they were so stressed out, and oh, so hormonal. 🙁 Spaying has made them happier and healthier buns, and I am so grateful every day, for their spay. 🙂 You said you were planning on bonding her, spaying makes it so you can, otherwise hormones get in the way of a good relationship. It shows you are a very good bun owner asking these questions, after all you’ve been through. She got lucky landing a home with you. 🙂

Could it be that those vets were not rabbit savvy? If you go on to the website called House Rabbit Society it will give you a list of rabbit savvy vets. Some good questions to ask the vet on the phone though is: What is your mortality rate? How many rabbits per week do you spay? A lot of vets do neuter rabbits, alas though, it is harder to find someone to spay. I would ask to speak to the veterinarian if you can, for the techs often don’t know the answers to those questions.

Wishing you luck, and easy thinking! 🙂

[HipHopBunny]

I didn’t see DanaNM, and Wick’s post before I posted, sorry for the repetition! 😆

[MaryHoppinsBunBun]

Thank you all so much for your replies. I love her so much, and she’s already bonded to Tippy (my other spayed female), but I have noticed behavioral things like false pregnancies (building nests frantically and such). Tippy also tries to mount Mary Hoppins from time to time, I guess to show dominance? But for the most part they’re really loving toward each other; cuddling, sharing the food bowl, groomimg, sitting with noses touching for pets, following each other around the house, etc.

My guess is that our bad luck did have to do with the fact we were previously in a small town in upstate NY, and the two different vets up there were possibly not as versed with these surgeries…even though they both assured me otherwise. They were truly devastating losses, it’s how I found out ASPCA has a pet loss bereavement hotline! Which I called! It feels terrible to lose a baby bun this way because you blame yourself…they didn’t just die of illness or old age, it’s because I took them to a doctor myself. And I just keep thinking of seeing them for the last time as they get taken into the back during drop off and my heart breaks all over again…and the thought of this happening to Mary just gives me such pause…which is why I needed the advice from this forum.

And as y’all mention, we are in the Dallas area now, and the vet I think we’ll go with is the vet for the local rabbit rescues, so they told me she does these surgeries every single week. I’m hopeful that this will go well, but had to express my concern somewhere to others who would understand the immense love you can have for these funny little furballs. Thanks again for all your replies, they’ve helped a lot.

[DanaNM]

Yes I def think spaying is even more imporant if you want to have a more stable bond with your other bun. Hormonal fluctuations can cause fights to break out and the dominance displays you mentioned.

Going with the vet that the rescue uses is a great plan , I’m lucky enough to do the same thing in my area! If they aren’t taking new clients, the rescue should also be able to recommend other vets in your area. 🙂

. . . 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.  

[HipHopBunny]

Oh, I’m so sorry. <3 Please, please, do not blame yourself. You had a perfectly good intention on your mind, you were doing the right thing. Alas, we never know when it will be their time to leave us. 😥 When they do, nothing could ever hurt more, but it is okay to open up to the rays of sunshine that come your way. Embrace in the happiness given to you, that is the best way to honor them, and they honor the life they had with you, I’m sure. 🙂 Smile, laugh, be happy.

For false pregnancies, haha, I’ve experienced quite a few. You might want to keep a very close eye on her and her friend. For, this split my ladies up, they tore fur from one another before I had them spayed, so they were all separated. 😥 What you can do it to give extra hay for her and put some cotton in there so she doesn’t tear out any more of her fur, my ladies would come out of the hidey-house where they were building their nest, and just look around for anything else they could put in it. It broke my heart seeing them so stressed and unhappy. Now though, they are the sweetest little things, and I would give up the world for them. 🙂

We are always here for you if you need support, advice, or just a friend to talk to, we are here. 🙂

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