Tackling 3 Common Questions & Concerns About Spaying or Neutering Your Pet Rabbit
Posted on: 9 April 2015
With a playful nature and gentle disposition, rabbits are easily a desirable pet to have. Many breeds, such as the miniature lop-eared bunny and the designer lion-head, are great indoor pets that are intelligent and easily trained.
The only downfall to having rabbits as pets is they reach sexual maturity quickly and breed as much as once every month. Therefore, if you have both males and females, by the end of the first year you could have a whole house full of bunnies.
Many people are unaware that their rabbits can be spayed and neutered by the veterinarian. Here are a few of the most common questions about spaying or neutering rabbits.
1. How old should the bunny be before he or she is spayed or neutered?
This is often a matter of veterinarian preference or opinion. However, most veterinarians do recommend that you wait until the rabbit reaches sexual maturity, which is between three and five months for males and four and six months for females. Some vets will prefer to wait until the rabbit is a little older just because it can lower the risk of problems during the surgery. Older rabbits can also be more at risk for issues, but many vets will still perform the spay or neuter surgery.
2. How much does it cost to have the bunny spayed or neutered?
The procedure for spaying and neutering a rabbit is comparable to performing the procedure on a cat,and therefore, is usually close to the same price. In general, you should expect to pay somewhere between $50 and $75 to have your bunny fixed, at the low end of the spectrum. Yet in some larger areas the procedure can cost you a couple hundred dollars or more.
3. How long will it take the rabbit to recover after surgery is over?
Recovery time after the procedure can vary between bunnies and is related to the age and even the breed. You should expect that your rabbit will be sore and uninterested in food for a few days. They will likely want to be left alone and may sleep quite a bit while they heal. Female rabbits can sometimes take a little longer to heal than males. However, your rabbit should regain its appetite within a few days and start to show signs of recovery.
When it comes down to it, spay and neuter services are a logical thing for pet bunnies. You will see them maintain their gentleness and will be less likely to become obnoxious and hyper when they are near a potential mate. Be sure to talk to local vets at locations like Norwin Veterinary Hospital about any questions you have about the process.
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