Is surgery safe on rabbits?
Surgery may be as safe on rabbits as other animals
Surgery can be as safe on rabbits as on any animal. Unfortunately, the vast majority of veterinarians aren’t experienced with safe rabbit surgery techniques. Don’t allow a veterinarian with little or no experience with rabbits spay or neuter your rabbit. Using isofluorene as the anesthetic and appropriate surgical and after-surgery techniques, spaying and neutering of rabbits is as safe as for any other animal.
At what age should rabbits be spayed or neutered?
Females can be spayed as soon as they sexually mature, usually around 4 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 6 months old, as surgery is riskier on a younger rabbit.
Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, usually around 3-1/2 months of age, but many veterinarians prefer to wait until they are 5 months old.
When is a rabbit too old to be spayed or neutered?
veterinarians will have their own opinions on this, but in general, after a rabbit is 6 years old, anesthetics and surgery become more risky.
It is always a good idea, in a rabbit over 2 years of age, to have a very thorough health check done, including full blood work. This may be more expensive than the surgery, but it will help detect any condition that could make the surgery more risky. This is especially important if anesthetics other than isofluorene are used.
Can you tell if female rabbit has already been spayed?
The probability is very high that she hasn’t.One can shave the tummy and look for a spay scar. However, when veterinarians use certain stitching techniques, there is no scar whatsoever. Hopefully, these veterinarians will tattoo the tummy to indicate the spay has been done, but otherwise, the only way of knowing is to proceed with the surgery.
Spay/Neuter = Win/Win
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Some decisions about caring for your rabbit are difficult to make. This isn’t one of them. This procedure prevents or solves all the most common behavior problems facing rabbits who live with humans. It prevents or cures serious health problems, too. In addition to living longer, happier, and healthier lives, spayed and neutered rabbits do not contribute to the tragic overpopulation problem. According to the Humane Society of the United States, rabbits are now the third most common animal abandoned at animal shelters. Until there are none, adopt one-or two-from animal shelters or rescue groups. How often do you find an option that is the right one for both self-interested and altruistic reasons?
