Desexing

PLEASE SPAY AND NEUTER YOUR RABBITS.

Does are usually desexed at 5-6 months. The price varies hugely between clinics and should not be your first consideration - which should be using a rabbit savvy vet. On average the price ranges from around $180 - $450 and may be affected by the weight of the rabbit.

Bucks can be desexed once their testes drop from around 10-14 weeks. Again, there’s a big variation in price but it’s usually a bit cheaper than a spay, at around $130 - $350.

Why you should desex your rabbits
Prevention of Pregnancy - This is the most common reason that rabbits are neutered, particularly if there are both male and female rabbits living together in a household. There are certainly enough rabbits in the world and too many are neglected or abandoned. One should not consider breeding these pets just for fun or education. Be a responsible pet owner and do not breed your pet unless you are well educated on the topic and are prepared to take on all the responsibilities such activity entails.
Prevention of Uterine Cancer - This is the most compelling medical reason to neuter female rabbits. In some rabbit populations the rate of uterine adenocarcinoma (a malignant uterine cancer) can approach 80% of the females. It is believed that the incidence may be related to the rabbit’s genetic makeup. Since we usually don't know the genetic background of most of our rabbits, it is best to have the surgery done as a preventative for this cancer. Uterine adenocarcinoma can spread rapidly to other organs of the body such as the liver, lungs and even the skin and it is not treatable once it metastasises outside of the uterus. Rabbits under two years of age rarely develop this disease so it is best to get your female spayed before this age.

The following link from Highcroft Rabbit, Small Mammal and Exotic Vets illustrates uterine cancers in an unspayed Does -
An example of Uterine Cancer in an entire Doe

An example of a Testicular tumour - credit Martin Earles

Prevention of other Uterine Disease - Although cancer is the most common disease of the rabbit uterus, there are other uterine disease such as pyometra (infected uterus full of pus), uterine aneurism (uterus full of blood) and endometritis (inflamed uterine lining). Like uterine cancer, these conditions are all more common in female rabbits over two years of age.
Prevention of False Pregnancies - Female rabbits can go into a hormonal state triggered by their ovaries where the body acts as if it is pregnant but there is in fact no pregnancy. Although this is not medically harmful, it can be stressful for the rabbit who goes through all the activities of being pregnant including nest building, milk production and aggressive protection of her territory. This aggression can be taken out on the caretakers and cage mates and can make the pet difficult to handle during this period. Some rabbits experiencing false pregnancy will develop a decreased appetite and have gastrointestinal disturbances as well.
More on this below in ‘Further Reading’
Prevention of Mammary Gland (Breast) Disease – Mammary gland cancer is not common in female rabbits, but when it occurs it can spread rapidly and be difficult to treat. It is preventable if the pet is neutered before two years of age. It is interesting to note that the most common type of mammary cancer is a malignant form called mammary carcinoma and it is almost always associated with uterine cancer. The other common mammary gland disease is mammary dysplasia or cystic mammary glands. This is a benign condition, where the mammary glands fill with a cystic material. It can be uncomfortable to the pet. Neutering a female rabbit before two years of age will prevent both of these diseases.
Prevention of Aggressive Behaviour - Both male and female rabbits can display aggressive behaviour when they are sexually mature. Many rabbits are sweet and easy to handle as little babies, but when the teenage years hit at around four to twelve months of age...watch out! They can become little Frankensteins almost overnight! They don't want to be touched or picked up and they act like they want to destroy everything in sight. This is their way of learning to protect themselves, their territory and potential future families and to establish their social position in the big wide rabbit world. However, they can often take out their aggression on you or their cage mates. There may be more biting, striking, lunging and chasing. It is best to neuter just before or shortly after sexual maturity to keep this behaviour to a minimum.
Prevention of Urine Spraying - Both male and female rabbits can spray urine on vertical surfaces to mark their territory. Intact mature males do this at least 10 times more frequently than females. In addition, the urine from a sexually mature male rabbit can have a strong odour that is unpleasant to many humans. If this behaviour is allowed to continue for a long period of time, it may be impossible to completely stop it. Therefore, it is best to nip it in the bud and get the little guys neutered just prior to or shortly after sexual maturity.
Prevention of Testicular Disease - Disease of the testicle is uncommon in the male rabbit, but it can occur. Most common are abscesses (usually the result of bite wounds from other rabbits), hematomas (blood filled areas) and cancer.

Selecting a Veterinarian
It is wise to check that the vet you are considering to do a spay or neuter on your rabbit is rabbit savvy/experienced. You can check this by asking the following question - but when making calls to select a veterinarian, keep in mind that front office staff will most likely be the ones to answer your questions. They frequently are not aware of procedures unique to rabbits, especially if not many are seen at their clinic. They may need to ask a veterinary technician or the veterinarian for the answers to your questions. Questions you might want to ask - with desirable answers in italics include:

What type of anaesthesia is used?
Injected sedation followed by gas anaesthesia is the best choice. Isoflurane is the most commonly used gas.
Martin Earles - one of Rabbit Advice and Support New Zealand's rabbit savvy vets explains this for us in detail here - “Rabbits don't respond well to gas induction - they will hold their breath and not inhale the anaesthetic. Also they become very stressed with this and are susceptible to heart arrhythmias which can cause death. We give a pre-medicant which contains pain relief and something to relax the bunny and reduce stress and anxiety. This is followed by an injectable induction agent to get them asleep. From there we use oxygen +/- isoflurane (gas anaesthetic) to keep them asleep.”
Are fluids given during and after the surgery?
IV fluids during and in the period after surgery can make an enormous difference to the speed of recovery for your rabbit and is highly recommended.
What type of suture material will be used – internal or external? Will you need to return for suture removal?
Internal, dissolvable stitches + glue are the best options.
Are pain medications readily used? Are they sent home and how are they administered?
Your rabbit should be administered pain medication at the time of surgery and also be sent home with 3-4 days (neuter) and 4-5 days (spey) pain medication, to be administered every 12 hours. Rabbits metabolise medications faster than cats and dogs so the commonly used ‘48 hour pain jab’ will not be sufficient for your rabbit and it may need more pain relief as soon as 12 hours after surgery.
Does the vet ask that water and/or food be restricted (fasting) prior to or following surgery?
Your rabbit needs to eat and drink up to an hour or so before their surgery.
Is your rabbit kept overnight following surgery?
If at all possible it is best for your rabbit to come home on the day of surgery to reduce stress. Make sure you are prepared with emergency supplies on hand to force feed if necessary.
Are antibiotics given during or after surgery?
This is not normally needed with rabbits post desexing.
How often does the vet do this type of surgery?
Ideally the vet successfully performs rabbit desex operations regularly.

PAIN RELIEF PROTOCOLS FOR RABBITS
In New Zealand that sad truth is that many veterinarians are not sufficiently trained or experienced enough in regard to recognising and treating pain in rabbits. The consequences of this are that far too many rabbits suffer severe and unnecessary pain following procedures such as desexing due to woefully inadequate levels of analgesia.

Rabbit specialist vet Martin Earles recommends a dose rate of 0.3mls/kg of Dog Metacam (1.5mg/ml), twice a day post desex.

World renown Rabbit Veterinarian Molly Varga has addressed Rabbit Analgesia in the following article which considers the recognition and treatment of distress and pain in this species -
Analgesia and pain management in rabbits - Molly Varga (2016) Analgesia and pain management in rabbits, Veterinary Nursing Journal, 31:5, 149-153, DOI: 10.1080/17415349.2016.1164449
Article Link: https://doi.org/10.1080/17415349.2016.1164449
Supported by current research which investigates the dose and dosing intervals of the use of Meloxicam in rabbits (per Carpenter, Pollock, Koch, & Hunter, 2009; Cooper, Metcalf-Pate, Barat, Cook, & Scorpio, 2009; Delk, Carpenter, KuKanich, Nietfeld, & Kohles, 2014; Fredholm, Carpenter, KuKanich, & Kohles, 2013) Ms Varga states -
"Rabbits require a much higher dose than a dog of the same weight (approximately eight times the dose) and require this more often (twice daily rather than once daily dosing)."
Ms Varga concludes -
"Recognition of pain and implementation of appropriate pain relief can significantly improve both the welfare and the clinical outcome of our rabbit patients."

Dr Sophie Jenkins: BVetMed PgC EAS CertExAP MRCVS, Advanced Practitioner in Zoological Medicine, has presented a webinar (2023) on the Webinar Vet website which highlights that pain relief doses for rabbits are constantly being reviewed by experienced rabbit vets.
Pain Management in Rabbits - More than just Meloxicom.
The chart below; sourced from the webinar, illustrates how much the recommended doses has changed recently and how vital it is to use the correct dose.

Preparing for Surgery
When scheduling non-emergency surgery, select a time when you will be available to more closely observe and care for your rabbit. Keep in mind your vet’s office may not be open on weekends or holidays should you have any questions or complications arise. Clarify if any emergency phone numbers you are given reach your vet directly or if they are referrals to emergency clinics. Emergency clinics frequently do not have veterinarians familiar with rabbit medicine.

Do not withhold food (fast) or water prior to surgery. Because this practice is important with dogs and cats, it is a common misconception regarding rabbits. Dogs and cats can vomit under anaesthesia and if any is aspirated (breathed into the lungs), a serious medical condition can result. Rabbits are physically unable to vomit, which is why hairballs are so dangerous. Therefore, withholding food is unnecessary. Rabbits can however, experience nausea from anaesthetic agents. Prior to surgery, just feed normally.

If your veterinarian’s staff gives you instructions to fast or withhold water prior to (or after) surgery it would be a good idea to clarify if this is their standard pre-surgery instruction for rabbits. Ask the staff to check with the veterinarian if this is a recommendation and if it is, you may wish to reconsider your vet’s familiarity with rabbits.

Rabbits are fast healers and may act and feel normal after only a day or two. However, it is a good idea to keep your rabbit confined for up to a week to prevent excessive running and jumping, especially if abdominal surgery was performed. Internal tissues need adequate time to heal.

By using an experienced rabbit veterinarian, most rabbits will not experience any complications due to surgery. Knowing how to prepare your rabbit prior to surgery and what to do for your rabbit’s post-surgery care, gives your rabbit the best possible chance for a non-eventful recovery.

An example of a post operative recovery set up.

Post Op Care - What to Expect
You should provide a clean cage with soft bedding in a warm, darkened environment. A secure pen or an XXL dog crate work well.
A self heating mat and/or a heat source - SnuggleSafe, hottie etc, is good to use for the first 24 hours as rabbits cannot regulate their body temperature for the first 24 hours after anaesthesia.
Minimum length of confinement time needed is 5-7 days post neuter and 7-10 days post spay.
If your rabbit’s cage is normally in an area with a lot of activity, you may want to move it to a calmer area for a few days. If your rabbit is normally uncaged, you will probably want to keep him confined to prohibit over activity.
Confining your rabbit also allows you to more easily monitor eating and pooping.
Your rabbit will be feeling the effects of anaesthesia as well as discomfort and will not be his usual self.
Try not to lift or handle your rabbit except to check sutures or provide necessary care as instructed by your vet.

It's also a good idea to have the following ready in case it is needed:
- 1ml syringes to forcefeed
- Critical Care or Burgess DualCare
- A baby Onesie or MPS in the right size. You can fit and prepare it beforehand so that if it is needed you aren’t handling your post-op rabbit more than necessary. There’s more info in the ‘Using a MPS or Baby Onesie Post Op’ file. There are more ideas/alternatives below if needed.

It's best to bring bun home on the day of their operation
Unless our rabbits require day(s) of ongoing post-surgery veterinary care you are unable to provide ourselves, it’s best to bring them home the evening after surgery. Most Veterinarians do not have 24-hour staffing. Therefore, animals left overnight at a clinic will go 8-10 hours without any care or monitoring until staff arrives the next morning. Bringing your rabbit home alleviates the stress of being in a strange environment and allows you to monitor their condition during the important first post-op day.

Bun needs to start eating as soon as possible
After most surgeries it is desirable to get a rabbit eating as soon as possible to prevent a shutdown of the digestive system (gut stasis). Fresh greens - weeds and long grass, hay, and pellets should be made available upon return home.
Some suggestions to help entice your post op bun to eat:
- Alfalfa is handy since it is a rich, high fibre treat that may induce an otherwise reluctant rabbit to eat.
- Aromatic herbs like Parsley, Fennel, Basil and Dill are good too.
- Many buns will go for fresh long grass or weeds such as Puha, Herb Robert or Dandelion.

The sooner bun eats, the faster the recovery
Rabbits who begin eating soon after surgery usually have the quickest recovery. Your rabbit may not resume her normal eating habits for several days. As long as some food consumption begins within 12-24 hours, this is okay. Often it is a good idea to give a syringe feed right before you go to bed. This wiull help get your bun through the night.
If your rabbit has not eaten anything by the morning after the surgery, your veterinarian needs to be consulted and you will need to begin force-feeding. Two products developed as a complete balanced food for force-feeding are Critical Care and Burgess DualCare. You may want to obtain some in case syringe feeding is required.

Hydration is vital
Provide a bowl of water even if your rabbit usually drinks from a bottle. It is important your rabbit re-hydrate herself following surgery. A rabbit will often consume more from a bowl since it takes less effort then lapping at a bottle. Using an electrolyte product, particularly the flavoured varieties, may help induce a reluctant rabbit to drink, but it is not essential.

Keep a close eye on your rabbit - A rabbit in pain is less likely to eat or drink adequately, thereby slowing down or severely impairing their recovery. A rabbit in severe pain may go into shock and die.
Monitor your rabbit’s body language. The following can indicate that your rabbit is in pain:
- Grinding teeth
- Unusual body position
- Decreased responsiveness
- Refusal to eat or drink
Your rabbit may show these signs later in the evening after surgery, once the effects of anaesthesia fully wear off. Many rabbits who undergo surgery usually show some signs the first night. Administer as necessary the pain medications you have previously discussed with your vet.
Most rabbits will require pain medication every 12 hours for the day(s) after surgery depending upon the type of surgery and your individual rabbit. Rabbits, like people, are individuals and that pain thresholds can vary considerably. One standard does not fit all.

Keep close watch on your rabbit’s food and water consumption, as well as output, until back to normal. If you are still syringe feeding and normal eating or drinking does not return after a few days consult your vet. Also, if your rabbit’s eating begins to return to normal then lessens, consult your vet immediately. This can be a sign of infection, hernia or adhesion formation, and needs prompt medical intervention. Check the incision daily for a week or until non-dissolvable sutures/staples - if used, are removed. When your rabbit was discharged you should have been provided with information on incision care as any unusual redness, swelling, warmth, discharge or odor needs to be brought to the vet’s attention. If intradermal sutures were used, you may notice small lumps under the skin. These are probably the normal suture knots and will dissolve over several weeks. If your rabbit licks excessively, to the point of opening up the incision, your vet may need to put the rabbit under anaesthesia and re-close the area. If intradermal sutures were not used the first time, ask your vet to use them when re-suturing. Some vets will use an Elizabethan collar (e-collar) to prevent further irritation of the area. Rabbits do not tolerate these collars well and may refuse to eat while they are on. In order for your rabbit to eat, you may need to remove the collar for a while, in which case you will need to monitor your rabbit constantly. There are alternate ways of keeping a rabbit from excessively licking its incision – some have used tube socks rolled up and fastened around the neck or cut pantyhose legs or socks to form a tube-like body stocking over the rabbit torso and abdomen or use a baby onesie (see below).

Your veterinarian may have given a dose of antibiotics during surgery to prevent infection during the procedure. We do not recommend antibiotics after routine surgeries (such as a spay or neuter) unless infection or other medical conditions warrant. Use of antibiotics can negatively affect gut flora at a time when your rabbit is not eating properly and can lead to complications.

Rabbits are fast healers and may act and feel normal after only a day or two. However, it is a good idea to keep your rabbit confined for up to a week to prevent excessive running and jumping, especially if abdominal surgery was performed. Internal tissues need adequate time to heal.

By using a knowledgeable rabbit veterinarian, most rabbits will not experience any complications due to surgery. Knowing how to prepare your rabbit prior to surgery and what to do for your rabbit’s post-surgery care, gives your rabbit the best possible chance for a non-eventful recovery.

Edited content based on and shared with permission from the HRRN Surgery page - Rabbit Resource - Surgery Considerations

Further reading:
This paper makes for rather sobering reading ...
Attitudes towards perception and management of pain in rabbits and guinea pigs by a sample of veterinarians in New Zealand
Desexing info
To Breed or not to Breed - by Dana Kremples
Spay or Neuter my Rabbit - Dana Krempels
Why Spay or Neuter my rabbit? Some Scary Numbers...- Dana Kremples
Hormonally Driven Behaviour
Pseudopregnancy: hay gathering and fur plucking behavior - MediRabbit
Hormonal Behaviour in Desexed Rabbits - RWAF
A paper discussing a neutered male, crossbreed domestic rabbit, of unknown age, was presented for chronic weight loss and persistent sexual behaviour.
Adrenal gland disease in rabbits - Vet Times.
Surgery / Pre and Post Operative Care
Pre- and Post-operative care of Rabbits - Dana Krempels
Surgery - Special Bunny
Spaying, Neutering & Aftercare for Rabbits - Special Bunny

A cautionary tale ...
“In rescue we hear many reasons why owners don't spay or neuter their rabbits. Even though we explain that their odds of getting uterine or testicular cancer are very high if they don't do the surgery it's often disregarded.

Here's my PSA on spaying and neutering your rabbit. Charlotte came to our shelter 2 weeks ago as an owner surrender. She was supposedly an intact male. Her nails were at least an inch long and she had a large mat of feces on her rear end. The morning following her surrender shelter staff walked in to find blood on her cage floor and all over her fur. A vet visit determined the blood source when her bladder was expressed. We decided to try antibiotics, pain meds and critical care and fluids but after a few days she became increasingly unwilling to eat and a world class fighter for force feeding. This time her vet visit included abdominal films which showed a large inoperable mass. After conferring with our regional vet expert in Columbus we all agreed the humane thing to do would be to euthanize her.

This rabbit wasn't even 2 years old and would've been easily adoptable. I wish I could say she was the youngest I've seen with uterine cancer but another female we took in when she was abandoned in a park, Brie (Holland Lop), was 6 months old. She lived the remainder of her life with me which was about 6 more months after her spay. Both of these rabbits deserved long, loving lives and could've had that with a simple spay surgery."

by Debbie Braunschweiger from The House Rabbit society

ALTERNATIVES TO AN ELIZABETHAN COLLAR FOR THE POST OP PERIOD

**The Mae West Collar**

A Mae West collar is a long tube positioned around a bunny’s neck, fastened like a necktie with tape instead of a knot. **This bunny’s feet are not wrapped.** What you are seeing is the ends of a long tube made out of cloth and vet wrap. The Mae West keeps the bunny from reaching and pulling at her incision scar (and the staples or stitches holding it together for healing). Note that the bunny can still reach her cecal pellets adn can groom in other areas.
Surgery - Special Bunny

The Sock Option

Tricia Bingham recommends using a sock - Cut the toe off a longish sock and a triangular wedge out near the other end leaving the top end of the sock intact. The elastic at the non toe end goes round the buns neck and the hole made by the wedge is for their front paws to go down. Roll the sock down the length of the body.

You could perhaps also leave the toe on and cut leg holes for the back legs, roll the sock on from the bottom up and once in place, carefully a cut a slit for the vent and pop the tail out.

Tricia Bingham

Photo source - Special Bunny

The T-Shirt Option

Superior Post-surgical Feline & Canine Appliance. (Or: Dump the Cone!) - Instructables

Soft E-Collar for Rabbits

I really like this option for rabbits who are super difficult to manage post desex …

… especially if it is a neuter surgery that is hard to cover up using other methods. The rabbit can still eat and drink normally and I find they accept this collar really well. You need to change the collar every day as it will get cecos caught in/on it. I use an old sock and a piece of Polar fleece rolled up inside it. The pollar fleece is light but bulky enough to be effective. You need to make the collar a really firm fit so that the rabbit cannot get its feet caught in it.

Baby Onesie or MPS (Medical Pet Shirt)

Many also have good success using a baby onesie. Buy a size that fits your bun snuggly and cut a hole just big enough to flip the tail through and for the vent to be accessible. You can read more about this in the ‘Using a Baby Onesie or M MPS Post Op’ file.

Vet Wrap Body Bandage

Dental Issues

Desexing Info Pack