Using a Buster Suit, MPS or Baby Onesie

There are a few options for post op protection including a Buster Suit or an MPS - a Medical Pet Shirt. These are both now available in NZ for rabbits! These suits are great for protecting spay sites but aren’t as effective with neuter sites. For neuter sites - if needed, I prefer to use alternative methods. To read more ideas about how to protect surgery sites visit the Surgery file.

These are designed specifically to fit a rabbit and provide comfortable post op protection etc. They come in a range of sizes from teeny to biiiig!

The MPS

Our friends at Pet Portal (< click this link to visit their website) have very kindly offered a discount to WW followers when ordering. Simply enter 'Westley' in the discount code box to receive a 10% discount off your order.

The Buster Suit

These are available at some clinics - including CareVets Mt Wellington in Auckland and Newstead Vets in Hamilton. You can also purchase them online from VetPost

Another alternative is a baby onesie, however it can be difficult to get these to fit properly.

*Put the onesie on the bun ‘back to front - so with the front on the bun’s back. Put it over their head first, then put each front leg through an arm hole, pull the onesie down the bun’s body and bring the flap with the snaps up underneath and over the bun’s bottom to their lower back/rump and do the snaps up.

*Close the snaps - they will be above the tail, on the bun’s rump.

*Holding bun on your lap so you can see their bum, locate their vent and pull/tent the fabric away from it. Get someone to help you with this so that you don’t snip your bun...

Then carefully snip a slit from just below the vent (nearest the abdomen) and along the tail (you’ll be snipping away from yourself), JUST big enough to get the tail through. Gently flip the tail out and check for fit. Make sure it is not tight and putting pressure on the op site, but don’t make too big as the onesie will stretch a bit over time. If the slit is too long it will open out too wide and allow access to a neuter site.

Sometimes the neck is a bit too wide so you can take a tuck in it at the centre back with a safety pin or a rubber band.

I find this allows normal toileting but covers the neuter (or spay) site really effectively.

Check your rabbits operation site everyday and change the onesie for a fresh one when it becomes soiled.

There are some more ideas to protect surgery sites here - Surgery

Copyright 2019 - Jen Herd/Westley’s World