Revolution on buns? And ideal neuter age?

[TheMadMarchHare]

Two questions here: my Lionhead/mini Lop, Haigha, is almost 2 years old and about 4lbs. I was waiting to neuter, because I have read research that early spay/neuter on many species, to include dogs and ferrets, can lead to a shorter life span and more health problems. He was also very tiny when he was younger, and I am very paranoid.
I have his neuter set for Monday. Is this an okay age to neuter? Should I wait longer, or have waited less?

And also, when we adopted him at 6 months old, he had a severe ear mite infection, and was treated with Revolution for cats, divided up in to smaller portions.
He has a slight ear mite infection again in one ear, so I was wondering if this is a safe option to use again? And once they're gone, what is a more holistic approach in preventing ear mites?

Thanks.

 

[Aki]

About the earmite problems, I can't help you. My bunnies are "city bunnies" so I never had that problem. I'm letting more knowledgable members answer.

About neutering, we can read all kind of opinions about it. Even vets aren't on the same page and studies give contradictory results. I saw a vet with my dog last month who swore to me that neutering would give him cancer and make his temperament turn bad. Some others neuter dogs around 3 months old and say they never had a problem with it. I read a study some days ago saying that, aside from early-neutered dogs being taller than the others (better to avoid it in giant breeds because of dysplasia issues...) the neutering seem to have no effect at all on their health. It's the result which comes up the most in studies.
Generally, for rabbits it is advised to let the rabbit grow before neutering because anesthesia always comes with risks even if a good rabbit savvy vet will lose very few rabbits to this kind of small procedure. The specialized vets I talked to (best 2 rabbit vets in France) neuter from 6 months of age for small breed rabbits which are mostly grown-up by that age. There is no limit to the age of the rabbit you can neuter but it is better to do it while the rabbit is young because, once again, he has a better chance to wake up from the anesthesia if he is in good shape.
I would be more cautious with a female because the procedure is a lot harder on the body than for males and once tumors begin to apparate, it's harder to operate. Most vets advise to do it between 7 months and 1 year. Honestly, I wouldn't worry too much about your rabbit, I've had all my bunnies spayed and neutered with no problem at all and I've known neutered rabbits who lived pretty old. My oldest is 5 years and a half and she was my first bunny ever.
And the difference is more neutering before the end of the growing process / after the end of the growing process. Neutering him now or a year from now will change nothing about the effect neutering might have on his health. So, better do it now while he is healthy and young!

 

[Watermelons]

Neutering/spaying early does NOT affect the animal, in any species. However waiting until they are too old can. 2 isn't too old, but he should have been done at 6 months (Boys can be done as soon as their testicles drop). Age is more a comfort thing for vets. A qualified confident vet can do it whenever. However as rabbits, like any animals, get older (5+ yrs) anesthesia can become a risk especially if organ issues are present (kidney/liver/heart/lung) problems, and in that case it is best to do a blood panel to ensure everything is in working order before putting the animal under.

Revolution should be given at 18mg/kg. For severe infestations this can be done every 2 weeks for the first month or so. Otherwise 1 dose once a month.
You also need to ensure you deal with the environment otherwise the mites will keep coming back.

 

[whiskylollipop]

Get kitten/puppy Revolution, the dosage is just right for a small bun.

If you can get your bunny out of the house for a couple of weeks, an exterminator spraying out your house should resolve the mite problem. If your bunny lives outdoors though, I'm not sure how to prevent mites.

 

[Bucktooth]

The revolution dosage in canada is 6mg/kg of the cat formula (blue) you just recommended 3 times the dose!!!!

 

[TheMadMarchHare]

I got him approximately at 6 months of age, but his true age is unknown. Seems he just got big these last 6 or so months.

And, he is also an indoor bunny. The previous owner had him outside, so it might have been how the mites got so bad...haven't had a problem with them since until now. I do know they can come from bedding? He is an only bun, and littler is changed frequently. Anything I can put on the ears to help deter mites in the future? I prefer not to use monthly poisons once the problem is fixed.

 

[TheMadMarchHare]

Thank you Aki. I thought so too, about letting them grow and reach maturity first before neutering.

 

[Maureen Las]

Whether the bun is inside or out it is possible for them to develop mites. This can occur when they are susceptible as when the immune system is compromised. I had a Holland lop who had never been outdoors who developed fur mites after having multiple teeth extracted. His immune system was struggling.
There is not a need to use a product like Revolution every month on an indoor bun ...just watch for symptoms and use it accordingly ; using Revolution occasionally will not hurt your bunny.

 

[JBun]

The revolution dosage in canada is 6mg/kg of the cat formula (blue) you just recommended 3 times the dose!!!!

18mg/kg is actually within the normal dosage range for rabbits.
http://medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Parasitic/earmite/Psoroptes.htm

The higher dosage may also be necessary. A study conducted (with regards to fleas at least) showed that higher doses are needed because of the rabbits faster metabolism and elimination, as compared with dogs and cats.
http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/aug10/selamectin83010.html

 

[JBun]

Also, welcome back Maureen! TRULY have missed your input in Health

 

[missyscove]

As far as the age at spay neuter goes, there's a lot of research in dogs that gives conflicting information and unfortunately there aren't enough really great studies on the subject at this point in time. There are some increased risks and other decreased risks. I don't think there are nearly enough studies in any other species to make a truly informed decision on age other than once they're big enough to handle anesthesia well and ideally before they start showing any undesirable behaviors (we know that tom cats and stallions, for example, learn the behaviors and they may not go away after castration if you wait too long).

All in all I'm definitely pro neuter

Revolution dose in rabbits is higher and more frequent than what's listed on the package for dogs and cats. It's my preferred treatment for ear mites but you do have to get it from a veterinarian because it also treats heartworms and therefore isn't available over the counter. There aren't any treatments available that are labeled for rabbits, but revolution is commonly used and I'm not familiar with any real adverse effects to it in rabbits.