Nervous about Neutering! Need advice

[Floyd2019]

So random question about neutering my male 8 month old rex/lionhead rabbit.
He went through digestion and cecum disorders when he was younger and only just got back to a healthy state a few months ago. Now that he is healthy he has started eating my carpet and peeing on my bed, it's bad for his health (eatong carpet fibres, but the carpet takes up my whole basement where he free roams) and his pee on my bed is driving me nuts. I'm assuming it's time to get him neutered but I'm worried it won't change his bad habbits and I've heard it's a sketchy procedure for rabbits.... I don't want to compromise his health because he was sick for so long. Any advice?

 

[A & B]

Neutering is probably one of the easiest procedures that can be done on a rabbit actually. Your bunny sounds a lot like mine! I got my boy neutered at 8 months old also and I feel like it didn't help with the bed peeing and carpet chewing. However, it did change his personality. He was a really hyper bun before, he wouldn't even sit still most of the time! Now, he likes to cuddle and relax (but will still run around and binky at least once a day. If you also plan on getting him a friend at some point, neutering is a must.

For the bed peeing, I avoid washing my blankets until absolutely necessary. The reason I do this is because they will have his scent on them and he won't feel the need to mark his scent on them. I also will put one of his blankets on my bed because it has his scent on it. My bun just peed on my pillow (ugh), probably because my female bunny was up on the bed during her playtime.

I moved to a different room of the house because of his carpet chewing. I would cover the carpet with blankets and in the areas he would chew, and I placed something heavy do he couldn't dig up the blanket and chew the carpet. I know that some on this forum recommend using strips of linoleum to cover the carpet, and if you are looking for a long term solution, that's probably your best bet.

 

[Bucktooth]

I brought my bunnies to be neutered yesterday and both of them died under anesthetic. I've had two does spayed and they did fine. My bucks didn't even have the surgery they were just under anesthetic. They must have had something genetically wrong with them. Make sure you take them to a vet that is used to dealing with bunnies and performing surgeries on them. And death is always a risk of anesthesia with any type of animal or human. I would say death is a fairly rare side effect though, really for the amount of surgeries done, not many pets die. Your pet probably has a greater chance or getting reproductive cancer then death. If you asked me Saturday I would say neutering is 100 needed, ask me today and I don't think I would do it again

 

[zuppa]

T

I brought my bunnies to be neutered yesterday and both of them died under anesthetic. I've had two does spayed and they did fine. My bucks didn't even have the surgery they were just under anesthetic. They must have had something genetically wrong with them. Make sure you take them to a vet that is used to dealing with bunnies and performing surgeries on them. And death is always a risk of anesthesia with any type of animal or human. I would say death is a fairly rare side effect though, really for the amount of surgeries done, not many pets die. Your pet probably has a greater chance or getting reproductive cancer then death. If you asked me Saturday I would say neutering is 100 needed, ask me today and I don't think I would do it again

That's really sad I am so sorry for your buns! It is not so uncommon I've just read another member posted today that her absolutely healthy young female rabbit died during spaying that's so bad and I have at least two neuterings in near future almost sorted finance for them but I really don't know now, I don't want to keep them separated for their entire life I already have 4 separate cages and hoping that I can bond my rabbits after they are all neutered/spayed but just see so many comments that people lost their rabbits because of anesthesia I am really scared now. My two males are lionheads, one is mix with dwarf and both are very good rabbits, Fred is unknown age but think maybe one year or less, he was left on a street in a cardboard box in the first days of this new year, he's a very placid rabbit excellent pet very intelligent and great toilet habits, the other one Leo is dwarf mix and I have him from 8 weeks now he's 7 months. He was a very active rabbit and inside his cage is very tidy and excellent toilet habits as well, overall a very clean rabbit and manage his space as he likes, his floor is all very clean he even moves everything to the corners his toys or if there any hay he's fantastic, but since 3,5 months he was very hard to held, rattling his cage and thumping and peeing everywhere on my carpet and spraying urine on the walls and peeing on me everytime I take him, he is very friendly and loves me and loves being handled but he wants to mark me every time. I sleep high so none of my rabbits have access to my bed and can pee on it. He's getting better lately maybe just getting older but still pees on me and all around the place when out of cage, for that reason I just made him a cage extension and rarely let him out and generally spend more time with my girls but he's so happy when I take him or even pet him in his cage, he'd stop eating and just looking so happy poor little thing he's feeling alone there I know so was going to take him to a vet next week for neutering so he can have some company after healing. I am so unsure now I don't want to lose him.

 

[zuppa]

They must have had something genetically wrong with them.

Maybe there was something genetically wrong with vet how two different rabbits can die same time under same circumstances on the same surgery table if they were healthy before neutering.

 

[Bucktooth]

There was nothing wrong with the handling, the anesthetic or the drugs, I was there the entire time. I did the calculations myself, set up the machine myself and tested it, double and triple checked everything and had another RVT triple check every thing after both the vet and I did. I've done multiple surgeries every week for over 11 years and nothing like this has ever happened to me. Do you think I would be less careful with my own pets Poopy Poo? I hand raised these rabbits from 10 days, they were my best little friends and free roam in my house following me every where. After my first bunny died we were devastated and were going to take Curly home, but wtf are the odds of this happening twice in a year let alone the same day?!?! We were like it needs to be done, and with my entire family standing there watching I killed my other rabbit!!!!

 

[zuppa]

That's horrible I still can't understand how that could happen apologise for getting into details I have two healthy rabbits and want to neuter them because don't want to keep them isolated but I am really scared now is there any way they could be tested for anesthetics before the surgery maybe they are individually sensitive or something.

 

[Kristyn]

I'm sorry original poster as I dont have advice be abuse I'm in the same boat too!

Just adopted girl lionhead a month ago and she nees to get spayed and I'm nervous as well! But I dont want her to get uterine CDC cancer and die at 4 yrs either!

And I'm sorry buck tooth. I cant imagine! Ugh.

 

[Hermelin]

You can wait until he’s a little older, neutered my buck when he was over 1 year old. Because of health and his size. So when I was 100% sure he was healthy, I looked after veterinarian in my area that are used with neutering bunnies.

I had 4 places to choice but only 3 was good and one of them where rabbit specialized veterinarian. But I picked the cheaper place instead and they where used with neutering bunnies. If it was a doe I would go with the rabbit specialist instead. (need to save money as much as I can)

Everything went well, late at night my bunny started eating again. He had neutered during the morning.

He stopped with spreading his droppings in bed, couches and he does everything in his litter box.

Before I struggled like hell with him to stop using carpet, clothes, couches and beds as litter boxes. But he never stopped using the bed and couches until he was neutered.

Something that helped with him not peeing on the bed was that I placed a litter box, when I was away from the room on the bed. Making the bed have a place where he could go and do his business.

I also covered my bed with blankets that smelled like him, easier to wash instead of having to wash madras, sheets and so on.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

Very sad to hear both your bunnies died under anesthetic? Multiple surgeries every week for over 11 years and nothing like this ever happened certainly seems worth investigation as to WHY these particular two experienced cardiac arrest or died under anesthesia... Q: Were necropsies done to determine if they had a genetic defect? Why did you have your entire family (children, parents, aunts and uncles) in the surgery room with you? Had you done pre-surgery bloodwork?

 

[TreasuredFriend]

When there's a mystery re: death in surgery, my next move is to request a necropsy for peace of mind. Did you proceed with necropsies?

 

[TreasuredFriend]

What clinic do you perform surgeries at? Are surgeries going to continue at the clinic? Double-checking, triple-checking everything and doing the handling, induction, monitoring are a mystery as to why both your family members would not survive surgery? Double-checking the drugs? Can you explain more about the drugs used, and induction method, handling?

 

[April LD]

I am so very sorry for those who lost their babies during surgery/anesthesia.

I must be completely blessed; I have had 33 rabbits spayed/neutered all made it through. I had one female that began to bleed out a bit because her uterus was down farther and smaller so she had a larger incision and excessive bleeding. I had a few males that took about 2 days to get back to their old self...but all-in-all it was a good choice for me.

Bucktooth - I can't imagine how you must feel. My thoughts are with you...it's very sad to go through all of that and lose your fuzzy family members. I do wonder if they may have had a reaction to the anesthesia and that was why you lost them...but it doesn't make it easier. Of all the surgeries you have done, how many have you lost, I'm sure that ratio is not too bad. This, unfortunately, was a fluke, not your fault, and I doubt it could have been prevented. I'm sure you did everything by the book, unfortunately, sometimes things just happen.

I still feel it's important to spay/neuter but understand the scariness of it; I was quite scared too...but health wise and life expectancy wise it is better for them. Just make sure they are in good health and you take them to a rabbit savvy vet who has performed these surgeries. Don't be scared to ask how many they have lost, if they know how they were lost, etc.

 

[Floyd2019]

Oh my! Haven't checked my account in a while due to writing an essay! I'm so sorry that your bunnies died! I can't imagine the shock.
I have been thinking about this long amd hard and actually consulted a couple rabbit "specialists" or behaviorists, i don't know, they know rabbits basically. And they told me the pros and cons. The biggest advice i got was if you have no intention of getting another rabbit (which i legally can't due to renting) don't bother unless he has behaviour issues that are serious like marking or humping or aggression.
Floyd has none of these issues other than peeing on my bed which i think is just at the fault of me making it a shared territory when he was little. I have recently made the choice to move his xpen to another room, ojt of my bedroom to minimize the pee issue. And now i can't think of a current reason to neuter him.
He isn't necessarily the healthiest or at least i can't guarantee his health being 100% because of his megacolon seeming symptoms that only recently settled after we found a good diet for him. Therefore if i need to neuter gim he will be older and I will take him to another city 2 hrs away from where i live as they have a country wide small animal hospital that is very well versed in rabbits and has won awards.

I do believe if you consult a very savvy vet and go through the proper checkups of your rabbits health your bunny should be safe, but of course there's always a risk and things can happen as we've seen here, no matter the precautions taken. No one to blame, just a sad incident. I would encourage going to a place like a small pet hospital where all they do is these complex little creatures! If its3 available to you

Thank you all for your replies!! Next thing i have to figure out is floyds constant carpet chewing!!! Might make a new post about it!

 

[Floyd2019]

Neutering is probably one of the easiest procedures that can be done on a rabbit actually. Your bunny sounds a lot like mine! I got my boy neutered at 8 months old also and I feel like it didn't help with the bed peeing and carpet chewing. However, it did change his personality. He was a really hyper bun before, he wouldn't even sit still most of the time! Now, he likes to cuddle and relax (but will still run around and binky at least once a day. If you also plan on getting him a friend at some point, neutering is a must.

For the bed peeing, I avoid washing my blankets until absolutely necessary. The reason I do this is because they will have his scent on them and he won't feel the need to mark his scent on them. I also will put one of his blankets on my bed because it has his scent on it. My bun just peed on my pillow (ugh), probably because my female bunny was up on the bed during her playtime.

I moved to a different room of the house because of his carpet chewing. I would cover the carpet with blankets and in the areas he would chew, and I placed something heavy do he couldn't dig up the blanket and chew the carpet. I know that some on this forum recommend using strips of linoleum to cover the carpet, and if you are looking for a long term solution, that's probably your best bet.

The carpet chewing is such a pain because my whole basement is covered in this old seventies style nasty "mini shag" style material. It's really easy for him to pull the fibers out. I cover as many spots as i can that he tends to go to but it's so easy for him to find a new spot! I covered the whole carpet in blankets once and he dug the blankets all out of the way lol! He's a stinker! Might try one of those lemon and lime/vinegar concoctions online that rabbits don't like the smell of and spray it all over? Have a super stinky basement!

 

[Lukaku&Onana]

It scares the hell of me to read that. My two beautiful bucks are due to be neutered next week, and as nearer the date comes as more I think I just don't want to do it. We took them in from a family member who couldn't keep them, when they were five months old (they are eight months now) and they were well bonded and loving with each other. Within a months they started fighting though, so we had to separate them and were advised to have them neutered. I do want them to be back together, I can see how they miss each other and run along the fence to be with each other, but I don't want to risk their lives! Is there no other way to re-bond them? I don't care about spraying or smelling, that's not a problem.