Downside to Fixing Female Rabbit?

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Is there any downsides to getting a female rabbit fixed? We are picking up a female 9 week old Lionhead Rex mix, she will be a house bunny and we want to do what's best for her and us. We are considering getting her fixed because I've heard it helps with digging and stops them from becoming aggressive once they hit puberty. Is there any downside? And if not when is the best age to get them fixed?
 
Rabbits don't typically do the stress of anesthesia too well, so that is a downside in and of itself. As far as the digging I can't say, but many of my older intact does are extremely sweet and social rabbits. The doe that has kits now gets frustrated with me because I'm mostly in the cage to check on her kits and not giving her attention, so she shoves her way in the middle of what I'm doing so she gets pets too. <br /><br /> __________ Sat Feb 21, 2015 3:25 pm __________ <br /><br /> I may be biased though as I've never had altered rabbits, so maybe someone else here can provide insight on that side of the topic.
 
Usually a vet will have a weight limit for neutering an animal so that might help determine when. The only downside is the risk of surgery. I've had guinea pigs and rabbits operated on and have only lost one. He wouldn't have survived without surgery either. My bf insisted on trying to save the pig and paying the bill so I went with it even though I knew he was likely dead. We also sedate hedgehogs fairly regularly because they are very difficult to do anything with. Especially if their feet suffer any injury because they can just tuck those up in there and you haven't a chance of getting to them. I think the main thing is finding a knowledgeable vet who has used anesthesia on many smaller animals. Unfortunately the ones trained for and have experience doing it are also rather expensive.
 
I haven't ever had an altered rabbit either.

The only downside is as stated by PSF- rabbits are very sensitive and more of a surgical risk than a dog or cat.

Just be sure to do your research and find a vet who specializes in treating rabbits and other "exotics".
 
I would risk altering a buck because of the spraying, but I have never has any personality issues with my unaltered ladies.
 
I have seen positive changes in does who were spayed - big ones.

I think it's important to remember that sometimes a rabbit who is perfectly sweet when being bred and raising kits can get, um, frustrated when intact and not doing those things, so the breeders may never see those changes, even if they're otherwise breeding really, really SWEET rabbits/for temperament. I'm not saying it's a 100% thing (or close), and I certainly had a female or two who was perfectly sweet even unaltered, but I have definitely had some 'satan spawn' attack bunnies turn into friendly sucks when the reproductive drive and frustration of NOT being bred was removed.

I also think there's some cancer risk with intact females who aren't bred. I think that risk is probably widely overstated by the HRS, and don't doubt they like to downplay how much having kits can being bred can do to limit that risk, but I don't doubt that there is some benefit there as well.

End of day, your call.
 
I think it's important to remember that sometimes a rabbit who is perfectly sweet when being bred and raising kits can get, um, frustrated when intact and not doing those things, so the breeders may never see those changes, even if they're otherwise breeding really, really SWEET rabbits/for temperament.

CPTJack, I love your responses. I definitely feel that you add a valuable counterbalance of opinion and experience.

I don't entirely agree about breeders not knowing what their unbred stock is like though.

Many people do not breed intensively enough to have their stock always pregnant or nursing.
Also, there is a period before any animal is deemed old enough to breed, where it is sexually mature and often quite frustrated.
From my experience, does usually to show their true colors during that "teen phase."

I try to grow out enough does so that I have the luxury of sorting out tempers right there, instead of breeding to "see if they settle."

I do understand that others have different strategies, and does that they are very glad to have taken the time to see if they calmed with breeding.

My guess would be that PSF Angoras probably has really nice stock all the time.

Since, my own experiences with angoras runs along those same lines. Very sweet does even when unbred. :D
The same goes for my v-lop, and any of the nice girls that I've had over the years. I can say with confidence that I know what each of them is like unbred, since we do take breaks from breeding, and I stagger which does I use. I'm happy if each doe gives me 3 litters a year, so long as they do not miss or make mistakes when bred.

I'm of the opinion that MOST hormonal does would settle with time and breeding, but...
It might take one or two breedings, or keeping them bred. (From my experience, breeders will usually be able to tell you exactly which does in their herd need to be constantly bred to stay "nice" ;) )
I dunno. I won't experiment with it, since I really do not want it in my lines.


It's all kind of irrelevant though,
(just me being argumentative)
since pet owners do not typically wish to cycle through animals until they get lucky enough to find one that just-so-happens to be sweet all the time.

Altering a doe would give the option to try and settle the one-and-only rabbit that someone has chosen to be their companion animal. I feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong with that, even with the risk of surgery.

Especially when you think of the possible fate of unaltered "mean" does. Neglect, abuse, maybe abandonment..
 
Really the only risk is surgery, but if you go to a rabbit savvy vet, there's little chance of it happening (her dying). So long as she's healthy when she goes under, all should go well.

There's the price, but again, if you find a rabbit savvy vet, it should be cheaper (my experience so far anyways).

Since there's a risk of uterine cancer, I'd say it's good practice to spay pet does if possible. I don't think it's as high as 80% (the % used by house rabbit society), but there is a risk for it. I'd say most breeders end up culling their does by 5/6, so I don't think most end up having cancer in their does since it's something that happens in older does usually.

Personality wise, their personality shouldn't change much after being spayed, unless their personality seems to be based mostly on hormonal actions (nesting, biting, lunging).

If anything, it'll help litterbox habits and let you get her a friend if you choose. Bonded rabbits are the cutest thing ever and it's part of the reason why I'm keeping a doe just to spay her (she's crippled anyways)

They should be spayed around 5-6 months old, once they hit puberty.
 
I've never had a spayed rabbit, even the old does that became inside rabbits after their breeding days were far behind them. That being said, I don't tolerate aggressive behavior in any stock, so I don't have it when they aren't breeding either. I have had one buyer spay an EL before, she did well but the vet did over 100 spays a year and price was 150 (can't remember exact amount but was close) as provided pain medication/cone as well to keep her from ripping open self.

I would make sure they do a fair number of spays per year and have a good track record (over 5 plus years if possible). Could be too hard on them being spayed and end up passing, not only from going to the vet stress/being put under/but the after as well. If not done correctly, could have issues with internal organs dropping and twisting, this is in a very rare case mind you. Could risk secondary infection as well. Spaying is not a guarantee of no behavior issues, it lessons the likelihood of them due to hormones. I would find the vet way before you want to have her fixed (this could take months of research).
 
As Zass said, my rabbits are friendly all the time, bred or not. The first two and a half years of my rabbitry had been trying to find the most even tempered animals. I am just now working on coat and conformation, and though it is an area that needs considerable improvement, I know that when I go stick my hand in a cage to mess with my rabbits everything is fine. I do get the occasional doe that will lift if I'm trying to groom her when she wants bred and I won't breed her (hard to find space sometimes with only 15 cages), but haven't gotten anything more than that, really.
 
the most important thing to consider when contemplating getting a rabbit fixed, is the skill of the vet, and Vet staff, most pet deaths occur in surgery or within a month or so, of the surgery.

JMHO--I have worked with a lot of both, [intact does, and altered does] neutered does are "usually" a little calmer, but-- it is more about the rabbit and it's personality, then it is about the surgery. [I have worked with some seriously aggressive, man-eating "fixed" does]
Male rabbits are usually the ones that dramatically settle down about a month after neutering . With Does that are occasionally aggressive you can benefit from removing the hormonal cycle.-as far as the cancer risk thing-- it is mostly BS --a lot , if not most ,older rabbits develop cancer if they live long enough.[especially if they get some moldy feed] I have seen a lot more of it in "fixed "rabbits, then I have intact rabbits, as almost all fixed rabbits are pets and are kept around until they die, or are dying of something. So fixed rabbits as a group live longer then unfixed rabbits, because most un-fixed rabbits are breed stock, and are "recycled" when their reproductive age passes. [rant follows] As usual the HRS takes info from research in dogs and cats, and publishes it as definitive rabbit info with no real scientific proof that it applies to rabbits at all. [end of rant] again, JMHO
 
Thanks to everyone for your input! She will just be a little pet but from what i've read i'll wait and see if she ever has any problems before I get her fixed! Thank you everyone!!
 
Demon rabbit and her spawn might have stayed alive if they were spayed but I wasn't going to do it and just kept bucks each generation until I got sane rabbits again. The experiment showed breeding a crazy rabbit like that to try to get sane offspring takes way too many generations. I had a doe who wasn't aggressive but just annoying as hell to not breed. She'd break out of pens, hump everything, pace incessantly... I wanted to give her more breaks but she was not happy and didn't lose condition so I just kept breeding her back to back. I had a few american sables that were a bit annoying and aloof before and between breedings but again nothing truly aggressive. They might have made slightly better pets if spayed.
 
PSFAngoras":zcocg5uy said:
I do get the occasional doe that will lift if I'm trying to groom her when she wants bred and I won't breed her (hard to find space sometimes with only 15 cages)

That... just sounds.... wrong... :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:
 
Syberchick70":11l8entm said:
PSFAngoras":11l8entm said:
I do get the occasional doe that will lift if I'm trying to groom her when she wants bred and I won't breed her (hard to find space sometimes with only 15 cages)

That... just sounds.... wrong... :lol: :lol: :mrgreen:
PSFAngoras":11l8entm said:
Oh... Very funny... I thought this was a family friendly forum! Be careful, there's a long tradition of :pokeeye: on this forum, I'll just have to wait for the opportune moment! :p

:lol: That's no empty threat, Syberchick. Watch your back. ;)

Popcorn, anyone? :popcorn:
 
PSFAngoras":2df23fns said:
Oh... Very funny... I thought this was a family friendly forum! Be careful, there's a long tradition of :pokeeye: on this forum, I'll just have to wait for the opportune moment! :p

:lol: :hobbyhors:
 

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