neutering...

[AquaticRex]

i have an appointment on the 15th at the animal clinic to get my bun "fixed". what sort of care is required for after the surgery?

i swear he knows what neuter means cause when i said it he gave me a look that was like, "i don't think so" lol

 

[Maureen Las]

Most males do quite well after neutering; many clinics use laser surgery and surgical glue rather than stitches.

Make certain that the clinic is rabbit saavy

http://rabbit.org/faq/sections/vet.html


you will not normally ever need to do sitz baths on your rabbit
I have been through 100's of neuters with males from my rescue and usually everything goes fine except possibly an occasional small infection.

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html

 

[AquaticRex]

i have lol, you have no idea how many vets i've sort of "interviewed" lol. i told my mom about it, she laughed and pointed out that i'm not a police officer asking questions about a murder or anything. i'm just so jumpy when it comes to my bun. even when my uncle (who is 90% hunter) jokes about him being food, i get upset.

 

[Nancy McClelland]

it's normal to want the best vet--our bunnies mean a lot to us even if they are rescues. Our vet told us to keep them boys in their hutch for three days and then they could be let out to run and exercise and stitches came out in a week. The girls had to be confined for a week and the stitches came out after ten days.

 

[AquaticRex]

is there anything to do before the surgery?

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

There is not much to do before they go in. Many vets will trim the nails while they are under, but you could do that if you want. A good brushing won't hurt if he is really shedding.

If the cage has levels, you should block them off or remove them (if you can). Jumping up onto the levels isn't good right away. A smaller cage or pen could be used if the cage has many levels.

Make sure you have suitable bedding for after the surgery. Blankets would be great. No shavings or other similar bedding. Newspaper can work, but isn't too comfy. Having enough veggies and other yummy foods does help.

 

[AquaticRex]

ok.

what about food before surgery? some people say yes while some say no. and do the vets usually provide food or do they usually ask you to bring your own? do i bring dante's favorite blanket with him for after the surgery for more of security feeling? the vet is only 3 doors down from my house. plus would the blanket help when bringing him back home in the carrier?

 

[ra7751]

You should not remove food prior to surgery. We do pull pellets first thing in the morning of surgery but they should have access to hay and water at all times. I have seen my rabbits munching on hay on the way into surgery. A familiar blanket gives them comfort. I do not allow sutures for neuters.....spays have internal sutures with a final close with tissue glue. Discuss take home pain meds before the procedure. Many vets will tell you they get a long duration shot (no such thing) or that rabbits don't need pain meds. If the vet tells you that, find a rabbit savvy vet. Metacam is better than nothing but a narcotic aspect such as Buprenorphine or Tramadol is much better. Many vets will also prescribe antibiotics...unless there was a pre-existing testicular infection, there is no need for antibiotics and using them in this fashion can lead to issues in the future. You should plan on restricting activity for about 3 days or so post-op.

Randy

 

[AquaticRex]

ok lol thanks for telling me all this. i'll prolly pull the "don't mess with me" card if a vet does try to lie to me about the shot thing and so on. if someone lies to me, i get very offensive. i'll prolly get really riled up to get them to stop bull-craping me. i hate people who lie >.< it drives me insane

 

[ra7751]

I would suggest discussing the take home pain meds in advance. The injection they give during surgery is usually Buprenorphine which is good for about 12 hours. Some vets still use Butorphenol but it is very short lived in rabbits....couple of hours max. I would caution again being confrontational with your vet. They have to assume that you know absolutely nothing and use the "KISS" protocols....basically keeping things as simple as possible for their clients....but that isn't always in the rabbit's best interests. Real rabbit vets are difficult to find....so if this vet is good, don't do anything to burn a bridge...keep things on a professional level.

Randy

 

[AquaticRex]

yea, i know what you mean lol, what i mostly meant is that if they try to tell me about that shot or what ever i'll prolly just speak up about it. i've always been brought up to speak my mind (though unlike my boyfriend i know what to clamp my mouth shut about). all i meant is that i would prolly voice that i do know that it does not exist (now that i do know that it does not lol).