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Spaying
Rabbits become sexually mature at around 4-5 months old however
sometimes they can be late and when that is the case things trigger off
hormonal behavior like recently getting a new rabbit. Or anyone living
near you getting a new rabbit.
Once 6 months old getting him neutered would be a good idea, it may
reduce or stop hormonal behavior such as aggression, digging,
eliminates reproductive cancers and humping. You may be able to litter
train him easier. You also may be able to bond her.
Vets usually take the rabbits in the morning and like to release them in
the evening when they are suitably recovered from the operation. If your
rabbit lives outside or in outdoor housing I suggest you bring them
inside for the next few days. Primarily because their body temperature
drops so they need to be kept in a quite warm room. Also you can keep a
closer eye on your rabbit. When you bring your rabbit home he may be
really sleepy and can hardly walk a few steps, don’t worry this is normal
and over the next few days your rabbit will start to hop around more. (It
may take a month for your rabbit to be playing as normal) After about 3
maybe 4 days I would put your rabbit back in its original housing as
when your rabbit is in familiar surroundings your rabbit is likely to
recover quicker.
Your rabbit may not want to eat or drink for a few days how ever you
must encourage your rabbit to eat and drink as much as possible. You
may do this by giving your rabbit washed parsley and a bit of banana.
Remember that your rabbit should always have access to grass hay to
nibble on this also keeps the teeth down and eliminates digestive
problems. Veggies like cucumber are full of water so if you notice your
rabbit not drinking then offering some cucumber and other such veggies
will re-hydrate your rabbit. Remember under 6 months veggies should
not be given to your rabbit and introduced a week – 10 days in between
every veggie. However after the opp you do need to make sure that your
rabbit starts to eat properly so offering a VERY small amount would be okay.
You vet is likely to use dissolvable stitches so you are unlikely to have
to go back for them to be taken out.
Remember that you mustn’t starve your rabbit before the operation
because they physically can’t vomit. Words of encouragement though
for most vets it is a routine thing and my rabbits have all recovered fast.
If you are worried about the recovery of your rabbit then talk to you vet
about it. If you don’t think your rabbit is recovering at all then visit your
vet, remember a few bites of hay is progress.
This website goes into a lot of detail in spaying.
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html
In my opinion rabbits are very happy when bonded. Especially if they
are home alone a lot so I have included some useful websites
Useful websites include
Bonding
http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/bond.shtml
http://www.rabbit.org/behavior/index.html all the links under the title
‘Socialization’
http://www.muridae.com/rabbits/rabbittalk.html
Litter training
http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/litter.html
Different litter
http://www.rabbit.org/chapters/san-diego/b...er_compare.html
Ideal litter pan
http://www.petsmart.com/small_animal/shopp...es/products/000
*This article was written by Dream Lopz from our pet forum and may
not be copied or reproduced without her written permission.
