Rabbit Health Care - Spaying and Neutering

Many breeds of rabbit attain their sexual maturity at approximately six months. To avoid unwanted breeding and other rabbit illnesses, it is important that your rabbit is de-sexed. This is a surgical procedure that involves the removal of the reproductive organs. Females are spayed meaning that their mature sexual organs are removed. Males are neutered which means the testes, but not the penis, is removed. This is not the same as a complete castration.

Benefits and disadvantages exist for both procedures.

Rabbit illnesses such as false pregnancy, is eliminated by spaying. The body believes it is pregnant, causing unnecessary hormonal and behavioral changes. A rabbit afflicted with a false pregnancy may act with hostility and exhibit nesting behavior. Spaying ensures that a rabbit will not suffer from this complaint.

Female rabbits also often develop uterine tumors so the uterus is regularly removed to stem the possibility of cancer.

However, as with dogs, this procedure results in a drop in estrogen which is linked with tumors in other parts of the body. Without the uterus the body reacts by lowering the amount of estrogen it produces.

As the testes are removed during neutering, the risk of testicular cancer is eliminated. Testosterone flow is lowered, lessening incidences of aggression when in the company of a female. The prospect of tumors in other parts of the body are also decreased, though not to the same extent as in a female.

Marking behavior in both male and female rabbits is often, though not always, eliminated when they are spayed or neutered. To assert its territory a rabbit may urinate (and occasionally defecate) to stake a claim and keep others away. This can lead to furniture and carpet staining, the rabbit neglecting to use a litter box and other behavioral troubles.

Despite the many positives, disadvantages to spaying and neutering also have to be considered.

As with any surgery, there are some risks involved. Finding a vet experienced in treating rabbits is harder than finding one for a pet dog or cat. While multitudes of spaying and neutering surgeries are carried out annually, your regular vet may have never performed one.

Your regular vet may be capable of treating your rabbit in general, but they may not have the practical knowledge needed to spay or neuter your pet. While the surgery is alike that which would be performed on a cat, you may want to consider having the operation performed by a vet with more practical experience in this type of operation, even though many people prefer to use their regular vet for all their veterinary needs.

Of course, if you want to breed your rabbit, spaying and neutering is not an option. Breeding can be quite difficult and is often only carried out by those with an understanding of the process, but if it is something you are considering, removal of the sex organs is not feasible.

Make research a high priority as your would for yourself or anyone you cared about when it came to a health care decision. The more knowledge and information you gather regarding the procedures, the more options you have when choosing how to proceed.

         

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