Worried about spaying rabbit

[Hazelbuny]

I scheduled an appointment to have my rabbit Hazel spayed next week. I rescued her last week and she is 2 years old. I was on the phone and asked them what percentage of rabbits survive getting spayed and they said 20% don’t make it. I know rabbits are difficult to spay but that seems really high, I expected something less than 5%. There are only 2 vets relatively near me that treat rabbits and this one is still an hour away. I called the other vet and they quoted me $400 for the spay and their reviews were terrible. This is the only option I have and I’ve read that unspayed females have an 85% chance of getting cancer but I’m just so worried about her dying during surgery or during recovery. I would feel so guilty if she did. I’ve only had her for a week but I love her so much. Is a 20% failure rate normal for spaying rabbits?

[sarahthegemini]

Wow, no wonder you’re scared, that is stupidly high! And not at all correct unless they meant they have a 20% failure rate?

[meridiian]

20% is in no way normal if the vets are rabbit trained and experienced.

If THEIR failure rate is 20%, give them a wide berth. Really scary stat. Are there better options even if it involves more travelling? Really hope so.

Best of luck both to you and your little girl. You are doing the right thing by her… you don’t deserve to be concerned. xx

[Wick & Fable]

I understand distance is difficult to overcome, but perhaps for the spay, it may be worth it to see places a bit further for a more experienced exotic vet. If that’s not possible, I highly recommend preparing yourself for post op care for spay and asking your very about how long they’ll be keeping her after the spay. Look online for post op tips. Wick’s a boy so I don’t have experience unfortunately, but I’ve read things like keeping her warm with a blanket.

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.

[Luna]

A vet who is savvy in spaying buns will have a failure rate of 1% or less. Luna’s spay was just shy of $300, so $400 sounds high if you live in the suburbs but reasonable if you live in a big city (ie. Chicago). The proper vet is KEY to a successful surgery and quick recovery, so don’t be afraid to take some time to continue shopping around for a vet well versed in bun spays . You could also contact some rabbit rescues in your area to see if they know of some vets you could go to.

[Hazelbuny]

I cancelled that appointment and I will call other vets outside my city after July 4th since most vets will be closed. I would blame myself if she died going to that vet knowing I could’ve done something to prevent it.

[LittlePuffyTail]

I think you def did the right thing cancelling and lookingfor another vet. You want to be comfortable with the vet you choose. While no procedure is without risk, that seems a very high number.

If you want to give your general area (which state if you are in US) we might be able to help you find a rabbit savvy vet in your area.

[Hazelbuny]

I live in Pennsylvania a few hours away from Philadelphia so I think there should be more experienced vets in a big city than my small town. Would my bunny be ok with a 2 hour car ride?

[LittlePuffyTail]

Did you check out the vets listed here? 

http://rabbit.org/vet-listings/

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