I brought a very small mixed dwarf breed bunny home last night from the shelter ..she is schedueled for a spay tomorrow. I really have not handled this bun a lot as we have a lot right now but after I looked her over I started to feel sort of worried. She is somewhere between 2-3 months old and I think that she looks too young to be spayed. They will look at her in the AM at the clinicand I will express my concerns but I only half trust the clinic that alters our bunnies. Did you guys ever hear of having a bun done this young? If not I will try to get the shelter to replace this one with an older one.
Concern about spaying young shelter female
- Thread starter Maureen Las
- Start date
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missyscove
Christina - Moderator
I know at my shelter, they spay/neuter at 2months or 2 lbs. This is based on the idea that if they hold off, it won't get done by the new owners. You can't trust the public to do these kinds of things. The only reason they defer surgery is if the animal is sick. You can try, but I would guess they'd be doing it anyway.
lucylocket
Well-Known Member
I THINK I CAN REMEMBER LUCY
WAS ABOUT 7 MONTHS
3 MONTHS SEeMS ABIT EARLY to me
varna xxxxz
WAS ABOUT 7 MONTHS
3 MONTHS SEeMS ABIT EARLY to me
varna xxxxz
lalena2148
Well-Known Member
The youngest I've seen for a spay/neuter is 5 months, however, my vet and my shelter close to me makes you wait until 6 months.
thanks everyone...at least your bunnies made it through that young..I'll let you know what happens...
Hello , I am new on these boards but can offer you this advice on the spaying of a female bunny . The important thing is to always and I repeat always use only a Rabbit Saavvy Vet for this procedure . If that means driving past fifty Vet parcatice for two hours to get to that Vet do so . You will be glad you did. Secondly every Rabbit Savvy the truly knows their spay procedures will usually require a full panel blood workup prior to the surgery . You can trust them when they say this is not just to make extra money. I spoke with a Vet not that long ago in Massachusets who hold specialty degrees in exoitics with a focus on rabbits. She will not perform the spay or neuter unless a full blood work up is done. Should the blood work show something, this will not automatically cancel the surgery. Depending on what it shows she may opt for a different anesthesia setup thano riginally planned. The blood workup is money well spent . In the past when it was passed on sadly it may have meant the demise of those bunnies. Also if their are no rabbit savvt DVM's in the area try to get to one of the Vet Teaching Schools . They do on campus surgeries and are usually very very good. When looking for a Vet do not be afraid to ask how many spays they do on bunnies and what their mortality rate is.These are very valid questions that deserve answers.
So Again in Brief,
Prior to spay
1. full blood workup cbc etc.
2 . ask questions how many spays per month or year ,mortality rate, You may also
ask if they have a coding procedure in place for rabbits. Should something go
wrong advise them that your bun is to be coded and all possible action
taken (CPR, Epi etch). You would be surprised how many do not code
exotics.
3. If for any reason you do not get the answers you want don't be shy and move
on to the next Vet. Were talking your rabbits life so that means you must
be direct and proceed with caution. Spaying the female bunny is no simple
process yet many will attempt it that should not . In the end these are the
stories we read about on other board ,the ones that ended in tragedy.
Best Wishes for a safe surgery and a quick recovery . I should also mention that
many of the real good Vets will not leave the bunny come home until it has urinated ,
deficated and has eaten. If their will to let it go sooner ( Caution Flag )
Take Care
So Again in Brief,
Prior to spay
1. full blood workup cbc etc.
2 . ask questions how many spays per month or year ,mortality rate, You may also
ask if they have a coding procedure in place for rabbits. Should something go
wrong advise them that your bun is to be coded and all possible action
taken (CPR, Epi etch). You would be surprised how many do not code
exotics.
3. If for any reason you do not get the answers you want don't be shy and move
on to the next Vet. Were talking your rabbits life so that means you must
be direct and proceed with caution. Spaying the female bunny is no simple
process yet many will attempt it that should not . In the end these are the
stories we read about on other board ,the ones that ended in tragedy.
Best Wishes for a safe surgery and a quick recovery . I should also mention that
many of the real good Vets will not leave the bunny come home until it has urinated ,
deficated and has eaten. If their will to let it go sooner ( Caution Flag )
Take Care
Arrius as it turns out he vet thought she was too young also. I agree with everything that you said, however , I am a volunteer for the humane society who contracts with one veterinary clinic with about 4-5 doctors who do our rabbits for 1/2 the price. So far we have never lost a bunny. I have no conrol over this and have to go along with whatever the humane society decides. With my own bunnies I would do everything that you listed Thanks a lot .
My pleasure AngieLuv. Six year ago when I purchased Casey my female lopp all the talk then was how easy it was to loose a bun under sedation. The talk scared me half to death ,even one of the local Vets at that time said the same thing. So I said now way and I never had her spayed. Now here we are six years later and so far all is okay but I keep watch. I realize she is prone to develop uterine cancer by not having been spayed. Given this I take her in for full body radiographs and bloodwork. I had several others tell me on another website that I should just take her in now. I admit I gave it some thought but now after six years I know I could do it if the rediographs showed the start of anything but that is probably the only way.
My hat is tipped and off to the shelter you work for . I think it is great that they spay and neuter before the pet is adopted. I say this as on the other rabbit board we had a thread on that topic. I live in a very large town in which the local animal shelter is the SPCA. They have a very sizable operating budget yet do not spay any animal prior to adoption . They never say but I would gues they don't want the job of taking care of the pre-ops .This is also a kill shelter so they won't invest in spaying or neutering in case they should find no home for the pet ,they would euthanize it . I think this is a poor policy though ,if the animal were already spayed or neutered it may get a new home based on this alone. I also feel it is a poor policy given that a lot of pets at shelters have been abused or may feel like they have been thrown away . Suddenly someone comes along takes them home , all is well or so it seems. Suddenly not long after during what should be a bonding time ,a good time , the new owner then take the pet and leaves it for a traumatic surgical procedure. I was surprised to hear on the other board that many other SPCA's also avoid spaying and neutering and instead force the new parent to have it done on the pet. Some give certificates so that it can be done free but even then it breaks the bonding period somewhat and may create a bit of mistrust for awhile in the new relationship.
It sound as if the Vet who does the bunnies at your Shelter knows what their doing. We had a thread on the other board (which by the way has lousy policies) about how Vets feel bad when a loss occurs.One member wrote in to say that his Vet had never lost a Bun until she did his buns spay. The bunny did not make it and he said she felt real bad. I was kind of shocked when he said she felt equally bad when he took a second bun in and she lost that one during a spay as well. By the time I read this far into the post I thought to myself perhaps she had done no bun spays except his which would explain her perfect record up to that point ??? Seems odd ,no losses then two buns month apart both belonging to the same person. If I were that owner I don't think I would try for three,number three would go elsewhere. I can say this though ,in the future should I ever provide a home for new buns I will travel out of my area to adopt from a shelter who has already spayed and neutered. Im a pretty tough guy but when my pets goin for anything I worry and Casey happens to be the numero uno in the flock though I love them all ( 2 dogs , 3 cats , 2 birds 2 rabbits )this count does not include Abbigail my 14.2 year old chocolate Dalmation who passed this year in may or Cotton my 7 year old Neth. Dwarf who passed this year in September. I miss them each and everyday,my wife takes these losses much better than I do. I know though that someday I will be with them all again. I have them each cremated which is how I to will go in the end . Of all I have in life, successful business ,good life ,nice home ,many cars and plenty to live on, my pets have and always will sit above it all. Given this in the end they will be take out of their beautiful picture frame urns and put with me to be thrown in the air on a beautiful spring breeze. As we drif ttogather once again we will know that to part will never happen again .Someday soon I will log in and tell the story of Cotton and the rainbow. Mere days after he passed away he sent a sign back that even other could not believe . I told them that nothing surprised me with Cotton .I n life I always called him my little magic man and in the end hereached back in a big way.
Take Care & Have a Good Night
My hat is tipped and off to the shelter you work for . I think it is great that they spay and neuter before the pet is adopted. I say this as on the other rabbit board we had a thread on that topic. I live in a very large town in which the local animal shelter is the SPCA. They have a very sizable operating budget yet do not spay any animal prior to adoption . They never say but I would gues they don't want the job of taking care of the pre-ops .This is also a kill shelter so they won't invest in spaying or neutering in case they should find no home for the pet ,they would euthanize it . I think this is a poor policy though ,if the animal were already spayed or neutered it may get a new home based on this alone. I also feel it is a poor policy given that a lot of pets at shelters have been abused or may feel like they have been thrown away . Suddenly someone comes along takes them home , all is well or so it seems. Suddenly not long after during what should be a bonding time ,a good time , the new owner then take the pet and leaves it for a traumatic surgical procedure. I was surprised to hear on the other board that many other SPCA's also avoid spaying and neutering and instead force the new parent to have it done on the pet. Some give certificates so that it can be done free but even then it breaks the bonding period somewhat and may create a bit of mistrust for awhile in the new relationship.
It sound as if the Vet who does the bunnies at your Shelter knows what their doing. We had a thread on the other board (which by the way has lousy policies) about how Vets feel bad when a loss occurs.One member wrote in to say that his Vet had never lost a Bun until she did his buns spay. The bunny did not make it and he said she felt real bad. I was kind of shocked when he said she felt equally bad when he took a second bun in and she lost that one during a spay as well. By the time I read this far into the post I thought to myself perhaps she had done no bun spays except his which would explain her perfect record up to that point ??? Seems odd ,no losses then two buns month apart both belonging to the same person. If I were that owner I don't think I would try for three,number three would go elsewhere. I can say this though ,in the future should I ever provide a home for new buns I will travel out of my area to adopt from a shelter who has already spayed and neutered. Im a pretty tough guy but when my pets goin for anything I worry and Casey happens to be the numero uno in the flock though I love them all ( 2 dogs , 3 cats , 2 birds 2 rabbits )this count does not include Abbigail my 14.2 year old chocolate Dalmation who passed this year in may or Cotton my 7 year old Neth. Dwarf who passed this year in September. I miss them each and everyday,my wife takes these losses much better than I do. I know though that someday I will be with them all again. I have them each cremated which is how I to will go in the end . Of all I have in life, successful business ,good life ,nice home ,many cars and plenty to live on, my pets have and always will sit above it all. Given this in the end they will be take out of their beautiful picture frame urns and put with me to be thrown in the air on a beautiful spring breeze. As we drif ttogather once again we will know that to part will never happen again .Someday soon I will log in and tell the story of Cotton and the rainbow. Mere days after he passed away he sent a sign back that even other could not believe . I told them that nothing surprised me with Cotton .I n life I always called him my little magic man and in the end hereached back in a big way.
Take Care & Have a Good Night
