Scared to spay

[Cinder and ivy]

Hi I'm scared to spay my 10 month old bunny. i want to spay her but i'm scared she wont make it. She is healthy i just have a bad feeling about it. i don't want to lose her.

 

[Mariam+Theo]

If you go to a vet that has performed a lot of successful spays, then there is no reason to worry since she is in perfect health.

 

[JBun]

When having an experienced rabbit vet perform the surgery, it's a fairly routine safe surgery. But any surgery can have risks with no guaranteed outcome. So you will have to weigh the risk of not having the surgery and your rabbit possibly contracting uterine cancer vs the risks of surgery. Only you can make that choice.

To help minimize the risks, go with the most experienced rabbit vet available(though usually more expensive), have pre operative blood work done to ensure good kidney and liver function. IV access and intubation can also be helpful if an emergency does occur during surgery, though intubation should only be done by a vet very experienced performing the procedure in rabbits. These things will increase costs, but can also provide for a safer outcome.

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

 

[Emmieishappy]

I used an experienced vet clinic recommended by national rabbit forums. My darling little lop died the day after surgery. It was not the vets fault and he offered to do a free necropsy but I declined. He said most spays are successful but some aren't. I would not spay again. I am traumatized.

 

[Morchall]

I am so sorry to hear that. I have never personally known anyone who has had that happen to their rabbit, but of course there are risks with any surgery. It's understandable if you don't think you could go through with it after that experience, I just hope your future rabbits are healthy.
I don't want to sound preachy, so feel free to ignore this, but after our rabbit passed away from an illness, going to a therapist helped to alleviate some of the trauma and self-blame.

 

[Morchall]

Something that helped me feel better about getting our female spayed was finding a vet who specializes in rabbits and does tons of rabbit spay/neuters.
I went to the vet who spays my family friend's giant rabbits, since this person had never lost a rabbit to the procedure. Our rabbit had no complications and recovered just fine (other than being pretty angry about having to be confined/wear a collar)
Maybe asking the vet about their experience with rabbits, how many rabbit spays they do regularly, and their success rate, would be able to alleviate some of the fear/help you decide?

 

[Emmieishappy]

Something that helped me feel better about getting our female spayed was finding a vet who specializes in rabbits and does tons of rabbit spay/neuters.
I went to the vet who spays my family friend's giant rabbits, since this person had never lost a rabbit to the procedure. Our rabbit had no complications and recovered just fine (other than being pretty angry about having to be confined/wear a collar)
Maybe asking the vet about their experience with rabbits, how many rabbit spays they do regularly, and their success rate, would be able to alleviate some of the fear/help you decide?

thanks to both of you above for the good thoughts. The vet was recommended on House Rabbits vet national recommendations and has done a tons of spays. It was just bad bad bad luck I think.

 

[Morchall]

Yeah, bad luck happens unfortunately. :'(
I hope for good luck in your future. stay strong and I hope you are doing ok.

 

[TreasuredFriend]

I likewise hope you are doing okay. We have lost two boys in neuter surgery. The necropsy on our Flemish Giant in December 2018 provided peace of mind. To balance the sadness, our DVM has done sp/euters for years with no complications.

Xrays and blood panels are done prior.