To Spay or Not to Spay

[Pepper's Mom]

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,

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

As an only rabbit, leave it be. If it turns out to be a girl and gets hormonally aggressive then consider spaying-- but most mini-Rex are quite the snugglers. My MR girls were never hormonal, can't say that about the NZxs!!! If you do decide to spay, FIND a vet specializing in rabbits.

 

[akane]

If the rabbit is to be a house rabbit that runs loose a lot I suggest neutering. They will be much easier to litter train because they won't be trying to mark up the house as their territory. Females especially come out a lot calmer after neutering. If the rabbit is caged most of the time except while being handled then I would not neuter unless they started to display aggressive behavior.

 

[Anntann]

First off...find a rabbit vet. They tend to be kind of rare in some areas. You don't want the good old doggie vet doing a spay on your rabbit unless they've had experience with it (my opinion, but it's shared by my vet)

You can also check with the local house rabbit organization in your area. (i'm pretty sure you can find one close by) Be aware that the House Rabbit folks REALLY REALLY want you to spay/neuter. So take what they say with a grain of salt..but if you decide for yourself to go ahead...they're a good resource.

Personally, I don't like putting an animal through an unnecessary surgery. It's stressful, and as you said, there's the chance you can lose them.