To Spay or Not to Spay

I have recently purchased a mini rex rabbit. I believe it is female but am unsure due to it being only 3 months old. I am wondering the pro's and con's of spaying/ neutering. I heard it is very dangerous for rabbits. She/He is to be the only rabbit in our lives, and if it isn't necessary I dont want to lose her due to surgery. Also if I do need to have him/her fixed at what age should this be done?



Thank you,

Welcome to rabbittalk!

If you are absolutely not planning on breeding her, I think spaying may be an excellent choice, female rabbits can get a bit hormonal and cranky. I have never had a spayed rabbit, but I have had a cranky girl!

3 months is more than old enough to be able to tell if your rabbit is a boy or girl. There are many tutorials on the web, even on youtube.com that will teach you how to tell. Your search terms would be "sexing rabbits"...probably with safe search on! There have been cases of rabbits breeding by 3-4 months, though 6-8 months is more common.

I would start shopping around for a reputable vet who familiar with rabbits. If the vet is familiar with rabbits, there is no reason that the surgery should be any more risky for your pet than for a cat.

I think the reason rabbits are commonly considered hard to spay is likely due to the vets unfamiliarity with rabbits, because they do respond differently to medications especially, and as a prey animal they go into shock more easily than a cat or a dog. Look for a vet near a larger city that specializes in "exotics", or just ask around....Your local humane society may have suggestions. Whoever you choose should be willing to talk to you and settle any concerns you may have. If you are uncomfortable for any reason, pick someone else!

Thanks for the advise. I will start looking for a good vet. I'm only nervous because I've had rabbits in the past and never spayed/neutered them and I would hate to lose this member of the family.


I have just checked and she is definately a girl.

Hello Peppers Mom,
I have never had a rabbit spayed or neutered,
but I have heard all the scary and not so scary stories.
If you are not going to have another rabbit in the house, I feel that spay or neuter
is an unnecessary risk to take with your rabbit. Most of the stories you hear about
Rabbits getting/developing ovarian cancer because they were not spayed,
are just that, scary stories with trumped up numbers of how many died etc. and so forth.
Certainly I have had a rabbit or two that were a bit hormonal, but it quickly wore off.
I do feel that what you choose to do with/for your rabbit is your choice.
Yours alone, you are the one who should decide what is best for your rabbit in your situation.
Look at all the alternatives and think about what you are going to do, before you make your final decision.
Know that in many cases rabbits do not respond well to many of the drugs used during operations.
Just think before you make a hasty decision.
Best of luck with whatever road you choose.
Ottersatin. ldtimer:

I would start shopping around for a reputable vet who familiar with rabbits. If the vet is familiar with rabbits, there is no reason that the surgery should be any more risky for your pet than for a cat.

Click to expand...

They are MUCH more sensitive to certain types of anesthesia than dogs and cat, I believe Phenol type drugs in general. A 'Exotics' vet, or 'domestic small animal' specialist is what you should look for,

House Rabbit Society has a list of known rabbit vets.
I would even trust a cat and dog vet, who was willing to learn, and take the time to do the drug research, the problem is when the rabbit is given the same dosage as comparable rabbit or dog, then dies.

For a single rabbit alone... I wouldn't bother UNLESS she was "one of those rabbits" who gets hormonal and simply doesn't stop.

As she matures she'll go through what I call 'the teenage stage'. Some rabbits it last for a day, most about three days, some as long as three months. And then a light clicks in their brain it seems and they settle down. IF you are willing to wait out those three months and realize you'll have a grumpy bunny, then she should do just fine. This means that you continue to pick her up and be "boss bunny" to her less she get too big for her britches... but expect her to complain about it.

She might (if not spayed) get cage aggressive...the general remedy to that is make her cage space bigger or let her run around the house more frequently (in a rabbit friendly area).

Spaying tends to remove cage aggression issues (as they are protecting their space to make ready for littles) and it completely gets rid of the grumpy hormonal bunny stage.

did you ask this in another section?

To Terry,

I did post this in another section beacuse I was unsure where I should post this subject. LOL

Thank god...I thought I was going crazy oh..too late.

LOL

For a doe that you are not planning to breed it is much better to have her fixed. The females are prone to many health issues relating to their reproductive organs than the males are (cancers, etc...) and live longer, healthier lives once spayed. Get in touch with your local Rabbit House Society (as already suggested)and they can point you in the right direction to a reputable vet who is trained in treating rabbits.
Good Luck to you!