Vet says neutering isn’t necessary!!

[Arloismybunny]

Arlo is 5 months. I’ve had for him 3 months. I recently took him to the vet for his first check up ever. Everything went well and he’s healthy. But when I asked the vet about getting him neutered the vet said it wasn’t necessary unless he starts spraying the house. Is this true? From all the research I did it was my understanding that neutering/spaying a rabbit was super important!

 

[Catlyn]

From what i know, fixing buns is advantageous in terms of litter training, some territorial/hormonal behaviours and some aspects of the rabbit's personality too, usually making them a bit calmer after their op. For females not bred, it is also important to massively prevent reproductive cancers. It is generally required if you ever want to find him a bondmate, so it is a thing to keep in mind.
But if the vet says that neutering isn't nescessary, it makes me wonder if the vet is rabbit-savvy? Because ones around here that aren't really knowledgeable about rabbits, they don't question the owner's descision to fix their pets of any kind.

 

[Preitler]

As long as you keep him single it really doesn't matter if he behaves. My buck is intact, and while alone his litter habbits were perfect, now at some times in spring there is an accident to mop up once or twice a week when he tries to spray Dotty. Without the girl, no problem at all. But he was 2 when I took him in, I'm not sure how it would have been in his puberty - he did spray a lot in his hutch and garden, but there were girls all around and paying visits at his door.
Doing online research is a bit tricky since there were huge campaigns to spay pets in the US, so that narrative became a doctrin, and things like inflated cancer numbers used as deadbeat argument (Cancer is an issue with does, not the numbers repeated all over but still a considerable risk and good reason to spay). For pet does imho it's definitly a good idea for behavioural reasons.
I would consider it for indoor bucks too, especially if you ever plan to get a bondmate, but it's not super important if there aren't issues.

 

[Blue eyes]

Depends on your intentions with the rabbit and whether or not your bun exhibits hormone-driven behaviors.

If you think that you may get him a bondmate in the future, then absolutely have him neutered.

If you intend to keep him single, then neutering depends on his behavior and whether you can tolerate those behaviors. He's still young now, but down the road, he may start exhibiting hormonal behaviors like spraying urine (on you or your walls!) or losing litter habits, or having excessive urine odor, or becoming excessively destructive with chewing or digging, or excessively humping... if he starts doing those things, then you may want to consider neutering him to help temper those behaviors. But not all rabbits go through those hormone-driven behaviors. Some males do just fine without ever being neutered. They don't exhibit any of those annoying behaviors. So if your bun's behavior remains acceptable, then there is no need to get him neutered (if he remains single).

 

[Arloismybunny]

From what i know, fixing buns is advantageous in terms of litter training, some territorial/hormonal behaviours and some aspects of the rabbit's personality too, usually making them a bit calmer after their op. For females not bred, it is also important to massively prevent reproductive cancers. It is generally required if you ever want to find him a bondmate, so it is a thing to keep in mind.
But if the vet says that neutering isn't nescessary, it makes me wonder if the vet is rabbit-savvy? Because ones around here that aren't really knowledgeable about rabbits, they don't question the owner's descision to fix their pets of any kind.

Yes the vet is rabbit-savvy which is why I felt weird when he said that. Thinking about taking him to a different vet and asking their opinion.

 

[Arloismybunny]

Depends on your intentions with the rabbit and whether or not your bun exhibits hormone-driven behaviors.

If you think that you may get him a bondmate in the future, then absolutely have him neutered.

If you intend to keep him single, then neutering depends on his behavior and whether you can tolerate those behaviors. He's still young now, but down the road, he may start exhibiting hormonal behaviors like spraying urine (on you or your walls!) or losing litter habits, or having excessive urine odor, or becoming excessively destructive with chewing or digging, or excessively humping... if he starts doing those things, then you may want to consider neutering him to help temper those behaviors. But not all rabbits go through those hormone-driven behaviors. Some males do just fine without ever being neutered. They don't exhibit any of those annoying behaviors. So if your bun's behavior remains acceptable, then there is no need to get him neutered (if he remains single).

I still live with my mom and I’m only 17 but I think I do want to get another rabbit sometime in the future when I move out. I’m not really sure yet tho since I don’t know what the future holds and how long I’ll be here at home with my mom.

 

[WhiteBunnyEcho]

I would definitely recommend neutering him. I didn’t neuter my boys until they were 5 and 2 and wish I had done it WAY sooner. They stopped marking and their litter habits are now perfect. It’s also so so good for their health to avoid cancers.

 

[Ashrocks92]

I still live with my mom and I’m only 17 but I think I do want to get another rabbit sometime in the future when I move out. I’m not really sure yet tho since I don’t know what the future holds and how long I’ll be here at home with my mom.

I neuter mine at a young age and he doing good not peeing everywhere and is using the litter box allot more he only makes a mess on plastic we put down also sometimes but if u can go somewhere else and get him fixed mine was around 80

 

[Jurisfiction]

Marlowe isn’t neutered (he’s about 5?) and my vet said he doesn’t need to be. He is single, (the rabbit, that is- I don’t know if the vet is single) doesn’t have any spraying or other issues and they say there’s no need for surgery if there aren’t any problems. The clinic is rabbit savvy- they specialize in not the “normal” animals.

 

[Ashrocks92]

Marlowe isn’t neutered (he’s about 5?) and my vet said he doesn’t need to be. He is single, (the rabbit, that is- I don’t know if the vet is single) doesn’t have any spraying or other issues and they say there’s no need for surgery if there aren’t any problems. The clinic is rabbit savvy- they specialize in not the “normal” animals.

But If u get them fixed they live longer

 

[Jurisfiction]

But If u get them fixed they live longer

Maybe. But maybe the vet also considered him too old at that point? The former owner had him for several years (the last year locked in a cage, alone in a room for the most part). When I got him he might have been five. I’m not sure. But the vet said they weren’t in favor of neutering him then unless he had behavior issues. Or we had other rabbits, but we don’t.

 

[Preitler]

But If u get them fixed they live longer

No, not really. That's part of those deadbeat arguments I mentioned. It's not like neutering does only have positive health effects. Apart from the risk of surgery there are occasional things like an inclination to be overweight or bladder sludge (spraying and marking is good, even if they just do it in their litter box).
It may help if there are issues as an indoor pet, but with bucks healthwise things aren't as clear cut.

 

[Ashrocks92]

No, not really. That's part of those deadbeat arguments I mentioned. It's not like neutering does only have positive health effects. Apart from the risk of surgery there are occasional things like an inclination to be overweight or bladder sludge (spraying and marking is good, even if they just do it in their litter box).
It may help if there are issues as an indoor pet, but with bucks healthwise things aren't as clear cut.

He a indoor one and this breed gets cancer so that's why I got him fixed cuz I read about it

 

[Ashrocks92]

Maybe. But maybe the vet also considered him too old at that point? The former owner had him for several years (the last year locked in a cage, alone in a room for the most part). When I got him he might have been five. I’m not sure. But the vet said they weren’t in favor of neutering him then unless he had behavior issues. Or we had other rabbits, but we don’t.

Oh ok mine is still a babie will got him in March

 

[kksdad]

Our vet recommended that Mordecai be neutered because he was cryptorchid which increases the probability of developing testicular cancer. If not for the cryptorchidism we would not have had him neutered as there weren't any behavioral problems.