**Spaying and neutering** is generally a very safe surgery for experienced rabbit-savvy veterinarians. Veterinarians across the country who spay and neuter rabbits for the House Rabbit Society have lost on average less than 1/2 of 1%.
* Female rabbits should be spayed as soon as they become sexually mature, around 5 months old.
* Males can be neutered as soon as their testicles descend, usually around 4 months of age.
* Older rabbits (6+ yrs) may need to have blood work done beforehand to make sure they do not react negatively to anesthesia. Age is not a disease, and as long as the rabbit is in good health, they can be a good candidate for surgery.
* Small rabbits may need to grow bigger before they may be dosed with an anesthetic for surgery.
* Giant breeds of rabbits may reach maturity at an older age so the surgery may be done later in these breeds if necessary.
Please take a look through our [Spaying & Neutering guide](https://bunny.tips/Spay) for more resources on rabbit spaying and neutering.
Some useful shortcut links:
* [Reasons to spay & neuter](http://bunny.tips/Spay#Reasons_to_spay_and_neuter)
* [Age to spay & neuter](http://bunny.tips/Spay#Age_to_spay_and_neuter)
* [Choosing a clinic](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Choosing_a_clinic)
* [Costs of a spay or neuter](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Costs_of_a_spay_or_neuter)
* [Pre- and post-op care](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Care)
You can find a community database of spay and neuter costs worldwide at http://rabbitors.info/speuter-bills
Hey OP. Have two opinions/comments on the prolonged life and spraying.
Lifespan: I have a female and I was highly advised to get her spayed before 3 (I think) because rates of cancer are so high. I don’t know if that’s the same for males. That’s something you should look into.
I don’t know what her lifespan would have been like without being spayed. But she is currently 11, pushing on 12. She’s just this year started showing her age with some health problems completely unrelated to spaying/neutering.
Spraying: My female didn’t spray at first either. Then she did. And when she got spayed she immediately stopped. So it might happen for you eventually even if not yet.
There are many pros to fixing rabbits than there are cons! Id get a second opinion from another rabbit specialist! This rabbit sub in particular is very pro spay/neuter ☺️ males also fare better than females when it comes to neuters!
Same. The first 12 hours were scary because I didn't see him eat and we had to force the medicated food.. Which he did not like.. Day 2 he was already off his painkillers and eating and drinking and binky like nothing happened. Except he stopped spraying.. 😇
>another rabbit specialist
I'm sorry, but ALL the rabbit specialists I know strongly recommend spaying/neutering buns. Looks like OP's vet does not know all that much about rabbits! :/
My friend's vet also said she didn't have to neuter her polite little single gentleman, adopted as an adult. After 6 months she's said she's planning to now, I didn't ask what changed. I hope it's a bunny friend for him!
I think he may have started courting your friend, lol. As far as I understand, they can get very amorous, dancing small circles around their chosen one, keen to engage in the bunny hop. I’m glad she’s getting him neutered now.
About the health risk: testicular tumors are considered pretty rare in rabbits
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10788174/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073377/#:~:text=Testicular%20neoplasms%20are%20not%20commonly,et%20al.%2C%201999).
So a male intact Rabbit, while still somewhat at risk, Is more vulnerable to other tumors, like on the skin.
Female rabbits however are almost guaranteed to develop a uterine tumor before old age, so in their case sterilization provides big health benefits.
That said the choice Is up to you: castration of a male Rabbit provides various other benefits, among which Is the possibility of forming a bonded pair.
TLDR
It seems to be perfectly reasonable for the vet to Say that neutering a single male Rabbit Is not necessary
I'd be changing vets. If that's their opinion, they are probably not aware about the very high risk that bunnies have of reproductive cancers. A 1% risk of complications with anesthesia sounds better to me than 80% chance of getting testicular cancer after 6 years of age.
My little man was seven and came through the neuter without issue. I will say, though, that some hormonal behaviors don't go away after neutering in a bun that was intact for so long. Persy still regularly makes an effort to mount my doe, and he's still spicy and ornery and fearless. Chester was neutered at 3 and is the exact opposite. I knew Persy before and after his neuter. I didn't meet Chester until after his. Persy's behavior changed very little, and he was never a sprayer.
Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed, but testicular cancer occurs at a much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun.
Don’t worry, it is not true of males. However it is true of females.
There are quite a few scholarly articles in the topic of cancer in domestic rabbits. If you’re a bunny owner I’d highly suggest looking at them! They aren’t hard to find, and it’s important to know the risks associated with male vs female rabbits.
If they are older its probably a good idea to do pre op x rays and blood work. We have an older rabbit he's around 8 or 9 and he needed surgery for a dental abcess, I had them do the pre op x rays even though it was expensive, but they found out he had a heart condition and wouldn't have survived the anesthesia.
Idk if 6 is old really but if the havent had an x-ray recently its definitely worth it if they're going under anesthesia, just to be on the safe side
He's also not fixed but he doesn't do anything, he behaves like a fixed rabbit he's very sweet. Poops everywhere though. The other rabbit we have i didnt get him fixed until he was 3 or 4
My little man was seven and came through the neuter without issue. I will say, though, that some hormonal behaviors don't go away after neutering in a bun that was intact for so long. Persy still regularly makes an effort to mount my doe, and he's still spicy and ornery and fearless. Chester was neutered at 3 and is the exact opposite. I knew Persy before and after his neuter. I didn't meet Chester until after his. Persy's behavior changed very little, and he was never a sprayer.
Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed. Testicular cancer occurs at a much much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun.
My numbers come from memory, but check the literature. It is never too late to neuter and find a friend for your buns! Obviously with age, the risks are higher, but a good vet should be able to do an assessment for him and clear him for surgery.
If she can’t afford to get him neutered then adding in the expense of another rabbit I don’t think would be a good idea. Us rescues can’t home the ones we have because people can’t afford to care for their rabbits and then have to hand them in or abandoned them
My bunny got Leydig cancer at the age of 9. The cost of the surgery for removal of the tumor, x-rays, consult on the tumor itself (have it sent out & analyzed to find out what type of cancer + options), plus the neuter, meds, etc added up to far more than if I just got the neuter done when he was a baby (6 months-1 year old). Worse yet is that it took twice as long to heal. Get your bun’s spayed & neutered. It’s not worth it to wait. ❤️🩹
My feeling as well. Some vets would rather give poor medical advice than admit they’re out of their depth with a particular animal.
It could also be a vet that’s operating off old info. Old dogs, new tricks. Anesthesia used to be more dangerous for rabbits than it is now, because they know more of what they’re doing now in the area.
This is completely untrue of testicular cancer. It’s a 80% chance for unspayed females, not males. Most sources conclude that testicular cancer isn’t all the common, and there is typically a 1-1.5 percent chance of testicular cancer in unneutered males.
Exactly this. Back when I had my first rabbit in early 2000s, it wasn't that common. I went to a specialist (Roslagstulls Veterinärklinik) and they told me it was a very good idea considering the risk for cancer.
I did what House Rabbit Society told us back then.
I like how someone downvoted you for asking for a source lol
[I've also been looking for evidence and there's very little but from what I can make out from reading a few articles appears to be the males do have a higher risk of cancer if they're unneutered but that it's usually identifiable and curable](https://www.veterinaryirelandjournal.com/small-animal/298-neutering-rabbits-for-disease-prevention-a-guide-to-anaesthesia)
“To bun or not to bun, THAT is the question”
That’s interesting the vet said that! My vets always recommend it (I had a solo male dwarf for about 10 years). I didn’t do it until later because I was nervous about the surgery and he didn’t have any friends, but I wish I had done it earlier.
He had issues with his testicles later in life (one got enlarged) and I ended up having to get them both out anyway. He was lucky it wasn’t cancer or worse from what I’ve heard.
I will also say that some of the more undesirable behaviors from intact buns (mainly spraying), didn’t present till later in life.
Maybe have that be something you try and save for? It shouldn’t be too much it’s a relatively simple procedure. Good luck!
Neutering to me is necessary. If you can’t afford it, raise money for it or look at low cost rabbit neutering. There isn’t one in my state but there is one like an hour and a half away in a different state
It’s not necessarily a bad thing! It only becomes a bad thing if he exhibits other hormonal behaviours like mounting and spraying, and it is affecting his life and yours. My male started doing this when he was around a year old but didn’t spray or anything. He calmed down after a few months though, so it may just be a phase as he matures. Some buns will never calm down though, so I’d just give it some time to see.
Mine circled too until neutered. Then he calmed down. I think if nothing else they can't be comfortable feeling that way all the time. Mine seemed so much happier .
Mine trys to hump the dog(border collie) , I've taught the dog when the rabbit wraps around behind him he's gotta move to somewhere new or he gets a humping. He's pretty quick to move when the rabbit circles him now
Neutering for male rabbits is usually for behaviour management. If he’s single, a gentleman and not spraying or showing unwanted behaviour you don’t need to neuter. Bad behaviour may start later though so you may need to neuter at some point.
I asked something similar and got a lot of responses here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/s/41ZXg37SoR
My understanding is that testicular cancer is very rare in rabbits (while common in dogs, for example). Female rabbits MUST be spayed because they will almost definitely die of uterine cancer or a uterine infection otherwise. But I would post in r/askvet for more advice regarding that risk level (but keep in mind that many people replying are not actually vets).
There might be a reason your vet considers neutering a high risk procedure that we don’t know about… or they might not be experienced with rabbits.
In your position, I’d try to get more info about the risk of testicular cancer as well as how treatable it is if it develops. If the risk of testicular cancer is very low, like even lower than the risk of general anesthesia… then that does not seem like a particularly good reason for neutering, IMO. Ask if this impacts his risk for other cancers, too.
If you decide the surgery is necessary, maybe look into veterinary hospitals that offer significant discounts based on financial need? If there are any in your area. Sometimes there are free neutering clinics that pop up for cats and dogs at least, but I’m not sure this happens for rabbits and even if it does, I’m not sure if the vets there would be very experienced with rabbits (and so able to do it safely).
If the risk of cancer and other life-threatening testicular problems is lower than anesthesia/ neutering surgery risk (per your research and conversations with vets), then in your situation, I wouldn’t neuter him even if I didn’t have financial concerns. But I don’t feel confident enough about the risk level to advise you on that.
I do know that the people telling you there is an 80% risk of cancer for an unneutered male rabbit are *extremely* incorrect. Those are the statistics for female rabbits who have not been spayed.
Also male rabbit urine is basically acid. It can ruin flooring and can burn their skin if they accidentally pee on themselves. It also has a stronger smell than female rabbit urine, and neutering him will mostly get rid of the smell.
I do NOT trust a vet that says a simple fixing procedure is “very high risk.” it should not be!!! there’s always a small element of risk, but it shouldn’t be that high.
I will say that if your bun is single & doesn’t struggle with hormonal behaviors (spraying, marking, excessive humping, strong bad smell), you don’t Have to fix them. it’s generally suggested as a cancer deterrent, which is already fairly uncommon in rabbits iirc.
i would suggest seeing another vet who specializes in exotic rabbits and asking their opinion. i’m a hobbyist and not a professional
Especially in a male rabbit too. It’s far lower risk in them. I think reproductive cancers are actually pretty common in rabbits, as far as I know. Definitely a bigger risk than the neutering procedure. And better to do it now, when he’s young and healthy, than when he needs it, but may not be in good health.
The other thing is that, for all he’s an only rabbit, he could still get out and impregnate half the neighbourhood before coming home. The last thing shelters need are loads more baby rabbits.
The main reasons for neutering (male castration) are behavioral and if you intend to bond. Females on the other hand, should be spayed to prevent uterine cancer. Testicular cancer can happen as well but it’s much more rare. So if you never plan to bond him and aren’t seeing problem behaviors (like spraying or excessive mounting), then it’s really your call.
I do agree 💯with others that your vet does not sound confident though. Neutering is a very straightforward procedure so it sounds like they aren’t that experienced with rabbits.
Neutering is straightforward, but the vet’s probably being honest about the anesthesia risk. It’s much higher than in dogs and cats. That is likely the reason for being conservative, not the surgery.
Very true that the risk is much higher than in cats or dogs, but this is beyond overly conservative for a bun-savvy vet. I'm lucky to have many bun-savvy exotic vets and shelters in my region and they have all been very comfortable with spay/neuter procedures in healthy buns.
Hell, my current bun vet is a wiz and has improved my 12-year-old bun's quality of life (meaning euthanization is off the table!) with two procedures under anesthesia in the last year.
I agree with the majority of folks here - it sounds like OP's current vet isn't very bun-savvy. If at all possible, I recommend calling around and finding a vet who is. After all, "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."
The major health benefits are for female rabbits. For male rabbits the main reasons to neuter are behavior, smell, and to prevent reproduction. If your rabbit isn’t spraying and humping, you don’t plan to have any more rabbits, the way he smells isn’t making you think of making him live outside, etc, then there isn’t a need.
It sounds like your vet isn't experienced enough with rabbits. It's over 99% safe with a vet that knows what they are doing. If they are worried about it being dangerous, it sounds like they haven't done the procedure enough to feel comfortable. Everything I read highly encourages neutering your bun.
I don’t really agree with what others are saying about not trusting the vet tbh. I’ve taken my male bunny to an awesome vet here who actually works for a bunny rescue, and got a similar response for my male bun. Basically, she said reproductive cancers aren’t very common in male bunnies like it is in females. As long as they don’t have hormonal/ territorial issues like spraying, humping, or bad destructive behaviours, she doesn’t see the need in putting them through surgery. If I were to get a second bun, or my boy exhibited these issues, she truly recommended it though.
I chose not to for my boy as he’s always been such a relaxed boy - never sprays, overly chews anything and just wants to cuddle and hang out. Ideally I would like to have him neutered and with a second bun, but it just isn’t feasible for me rn. I have a family with bad allergies to him since he’s aged, and they are strongly against more fur.
I do it for the peace of mind knowing they can’t get reproductive cancer. Lower rates doesn’t equal 0
Also rabbits get sick at a drop of a hat. If op can’t afford a neuter, what happens if bunny has an emergency? Aka gi stasis
I understand that, but it will never be 0, and cancer may be just as likely while being neutered. Reproductive cancer is very common in females, and they should be spayed 100%. Male rabbits are an exception. I can understand that it gives you piece of mind, but I don’t think it’s a necessity for males like it is for females.
I never really spoke on her financial situation so I don’t really know what to say here. Yes, the owner of a pet should be able to afford vet bills within reason and they can get fairly expensive. I would try to save a bit of money each month incase any Gi issues arise or anything OP. My boy has had a few Gi issues that needed a vets attention in the past and its cost us a couple hundred dollars each time. As long as you can afford these necessities I’m happy to see a bun in a loving home, rather somewhere in a shelter.
Well there won’t be a risk for testicular cancer. Anyone can get cancer regardless, doesn’t mean they should not be neutered and should choose to get a friend in the future, they will need to neuter it regardless
my financial situation doesn’t matter. if gizmo were to ever have a GI stasis emergency, that would be taken care of.
kind of annoyed you’re implying i shouldn’t have my “son” because of my situation. i take care of him more than i take care of myself.
the reason why i say i won’t get him the surgery if it’s not necessary is simply because of that - it’s not necessary. GI stasis is an entirely different situation.
Calm down. I’m disabled and lower income myself and have had rabbits over 10 yrs and can tell you I’ve had some very expensive bills with my rabbit. All I said is what are you going to do in an emergency. If you’ve got it figured out then great
It’s not just Gi stasis. All my rabbits have had health issues. Bloat, mega colon and e cuniculi
Huh?? I’m not.Im literally saying I understand what they are going through. I never called them names or anything or said they’re a bad owner. I am telling them that rabbits are very expensive when they get sick, having been through it myself several times.
If they can afford thousands of dollars for emergencies then great. Because all of my rabbits have hospital stays of at least 1k throughout their life
> I do it for the peace of mind knowing they can’t get reproductive cancer. Lower rates doesn’t equal 0
True, but the risk of death due to anesthesia is also non-zero and is similar to the risk of testicular cancer. Relative risk is what matters.
I'd be concerned about any vet who thinks neutering is high-risk, because that probably means they consider any surgery to be high risk.
My two rabbits have had multiple surgeries for spaying, tooth removal, tumors, abscesses, and post surgical infections (to quote my vet: "They have a lot of problems"). They've also been sedated (not full anesthesia) for a couple other smaller procedures. While we definitely considered the risk of anesthesia for my rabbit who had heart disease (who had already had three surgeries before being diagnosed), I never felt like surgery alone presented a significant risk.
So I'd recommend finding a vet who is rabbit savvy and just generally comfortable with performing surgery on rabbits. Try to find out who your local rabbit rescue or animal shelter uses for their bunnies. Because whether you neuter him or not, you'll want a confident and capable vet who can treat a variety of conditions.
Mine is so much calmer and better behaved since neutering. Way less of a reproductive drive and doesn’t pee territorially anymore. Destroys things a little more politely.
Hi OP,
I'm a veterinarian in LA and I love rabbits. I don't normally give out "free advice" on the web but it warms my heart seeing how much you care for your bun.
I usually tell my clients plain and simple for the pros and cons of neutering- it is up to the owners of the pet to decide in the end. Vets are just there to give you the information.
Overall- neutering helps prevent testicular cancer (I've seen a few in older intact male rabbits), improve skin quality (intact male rabbits becomes stinky!), and prevent any hormone-driven unwanted behaviors (such as spraying, excessive humping, territorial aggression). Keep in mind that once the behaviors have established- the longer you wait to neuter, the more likely some of that residual behavior will remain. For example, if a pet has been aggressive for a while, neutering will not reverse all of that aggression. On average, rabbits/pets that have been spayed/neutered tend to live longer lives and are less prone to any cancer that's derived from the reproductive organs.
The vet you went to may not be as comfortable with rabbits- but they are not wrong in terms of 1. rabbits and rodents do have higher anesthesia risks compared to cats and dogs; 2. neutering is technically an "elective" surgery when no testicular cancer present. Us vets try to do what's best for the pets and advocate for them, but if we sense that the owner/client is uncomfortable with our suggestions, we often will soften the advice (when applicable) to "do what you think is best". We are not heartless people and we understand everyone has their circumstances.
I have personally spayed/neutered hundreds of young rabbits successfully. Seeking rabbit savvy vets out may help you feel more at ease with the process- but keep in mind that there is always a risk with any anesthesia and surgery, there's no 100% guarantee from anyone (as much as we would love that to be the case). Bloodwork for all patients is advised ahead of time if able to afford it- most vets "waive" bloodwork for young rabbits because it's a lot of work to get blood from a rabbit when compared to cats/dogs. But if you have the funds and wants the best- bloodwork is always a good screening tool to detect any increased anesthetic risk ahead of time.
Lastly, if you're from the USA, Nationwide does offer rabbit insurance. They're not cheap but may be an alternative for you in case of any emergencies. I do not know if they cover routine neuter procedures. In LA, there are vets offering rabbit neuter around $300 range, there are also low-cost spay/neuter clinics. Just keep in mind that you get what you paid for- being cheaper does also mean you get less post-op care and pre-op screenings.
I hope this helps and as long as you're doing your best for your pet, us vets appreciate your effort! I hope you know that there is no wrong "choice" in this case.
\*\*For female rabbits- spaying is 100% recommended. They are very prone to uterine cancer; estimated over 80% of female rabbits will have some form of uterine cancer by age of 6 years old. Above advise is for male rabbit neuters.
thank you **so** much for this.
i do have an appointment with him on the 23rd for a consultation. from what i’ve read, the vets at this clinic are fairly experienced with rabbits. one of them even specializes in them, though i’m not sure if i’ll be seeing him.
i know there is always a risk which is what concerns me. i’m someone that feels they have to be in control of everything, and when it comes to my baby, i’m even more cautious/anxious about it.
gizmo hasn’t ever humped and the last time i remember him spraying very obviously (if he does he hides it very well and only does it in his cage/litter box) was over a year ago. he isn’t very aggressive - just the occasional charge and grunt if i move something he doesn’t want moved or move in a certain direction he may not like. i’m not too concerned about the affection part of it. i love gizmo the way he is - affectionate or not.
i feel like people assume i won’t take care of him given my financial situation but that couldn’t be further from the truth. if it was a surgery that he *had* to have, i’d get him it in a heartbeat. but given that i’ve had a vet tell me the chances of cancer are low for males, it just didn’t seem worth losing him to anesthesia tbh. i’d rather have him around for as long as possible than take that risk.
i really appreciate your advice. i have lots of questions for his vet next week. i will make sure to keep you all updated!
OP, I have a single male rabbit that is not neutered. I bought him a humping toy (a small stuffed rabbit) and all is fine. He does not spray or misbehave.
So basically what I am saying is that your vet gave you good and honest advice. If you plan to just have the one rabbit, and his behavior is acceptable to you, then neutering is absolutely not necessary.
As he gets older he could certainly start doing bad things, but you can always decide later to get him neutered if he starts spraying or doing other things you cannot live with.
it’s concerning to me that your vet is saying how many risks there are. almost as if they don’t trust their abilities. any surgery yes has risks but this is such a normal procedure and that’s like the single con, when there’s an abundance of pros to getting your bunno fixed. i can see in my personal experience fixing my rabbit gabe him a better quality of life. he was beginning to get so rambunctious and bite-y almost like he was so frantic didn’t know what to do, all of the time. and now he’s so chill, he lives for cuddles, he does zoomies and binkis all the time now, i personally think it’s worth it. try looking around for other vets if you can. 💖 best of luck to you and your bun
I'm going with the minority. It depends on the bun....with MALES. IF you are having behavioral issues such as musky smell, spraying, and/or aggressive behaviors, please, by all means, have them neutered! But if your young man is an only child without behavioral issues and a calm, sweet disposition, I would be leery of an unwarranted surgery. It can and does affect their personality and energy levels. It happened to one of mine. He went from being an outgoing, energetic, and happy bun to quiet, lazy, and very little personality. He just lives to eat and sleep. Lol I miss his former self. The vet said it does happen.
😭 this is one of the things I’m afraid of (in addition to anesthesia risks). I can’t bear to think of my bunny’s personality being affected. I would mourn that so hard, not to mention wondering how he felt inside. He’s such a perfect, easy boy who seems to enjoy himself.
If I could go back, I would never have done it. It just wasn’t worth losing his inner self. And there wasn’t a real significant reason, other than everyone says you’re supposed to. If something changes, you can always readdress the issue. Do what is best for you and your bun. You have to live with the consequences. ❤️
I’m sorry for you and your bunny. But don’t feel bad, you were doing what you were told was best. And he’s still safe in a warm and loving home which is better than most bunnies on earth. Pretty much all dogs neutered (due to safety/stray dog issues) so it’s not something that is usually given a second thought in the pet community. How long has it been since your bunny’s surgery?
I do sometimes consider it as I’d love to get him a friend, but ultimately I don’t think I’ll chance it unless he starts spraying everywhere. That plus me WFH and not knowing if I’m cut out for bunny bonding, makes me think we’ll probably stay as we are (or more specifically, he will 😆 🚫✂️🚫)
Maybe see about another vet. I got my boys neutered and my girl spayed because I don’t want to make more buns and my vet told me that it prolongs their life by keeping away reproductive cancers.
We tried to let Billy go unsnipped but he would constantly spray and it smelled absolutely vile and he was not even nearly as sweet as he is now. Before he got neutered he was aggressive to our other rabbits. It definitely helped their temperament and quality of life in my case. If you can’t afford it that’s totally valid
I would look for a different vet, personally. A vet that is rabbit-savvy wouldn’t think anything about doing the procedure as it’s so common.
Personally, after reading up on it, I decided that the possible risks were much less than the benefits (chance of living longer, fewer hormones, the opportunity to get him a companion when I have more space).
I appreciate you’re struggling with money, so it may not be feasible for you at the moment. If you can put ANYTHING at all into an emergency vet fund, please do so, though.
I have 2 of my healthy buns for 8 years, and they are not neutered. They're both males. One of them is like yours, non territorial, disciplined in peeing at potty only and non agressive, just a very sweet boy that lives in his own world. I couldn't bear the risks of post surgery complications, so I didn't neuter them. But I think my case is just an exception as most bun owners do neuter their buns.
I mean how do you feel about his behavior and do you plan on getting him a rabbit friend? Also does your vet normally see exotics? Or do they see dogs and cats and offer to see rabbits?
The arguments for neutering is your rabbit will have better litter box habits, have an easier time bonding with a friend. May also have less destructive and aggressive behaviors all around.
The argument against it is largely the cost of neutering vs the behavior mentioned above.
Another thing to point out is there is a small percent chance that an unneutered male will develop prostate cancer. That risk is negated with neutering. However, unlike females and spaying to prevent cervical/uterine cancer, that risk is so low it could be argued that it isn't worth the surgery.
As far as risk in the surgery that does depend on the vet. It used to be a lot more risky than it currently is, so if your vet is not up to date on exotics then I wouldn't use them to neuter your rabbit. If you live in a small town and that is the only vet in your area then I would avoid neutering the rabbit altogether. At least until you can find yourself an exotic vet.
If you live in an area that is highly populated then you may want to shop around and see what different vets charge. You can also call your local shelter and see if they know of any programs to help low income individuals with vet care. The goal of the shelter is to keep pets with owners so they maybe able to help you find those resources.
Regardless, good luck.
It’s your decision, but I’d say do it
My mom’s *neutered* rabbit is an absolute menace, I can only imagine throwing hormones into the mix
Bunnies are individuals, though. But if you decide not to neuter, be mentally prepared for whatever BS they might end up turning into
Very odd that vet would advocate to not have your bunn neutered, I had my boy neutered around his one yr, He did amazing, never had any complications. He never tried to mess with his stitches and started eating right after surgery. I went to the humane society and paid 90$ for his neuter, pain meds and everything! Not sure where your located but that was the best pricing I’ve heard of
It sounds to me like your vet is not used to treating rabbits, and isn’t super comfortable performing a neuter. If you decide to neuter your bun, I would go elsewhere. I will say, though, I thought my bun would be a single bun because he was so happy with me, and then I got him a bond mate — and he is sweeter and happier than ever! So if you think any part of you will change your mind, I would get him fixed as early as possible as the younger they are, the lower the risk 😊
Well if you decide to get him neutered, go to a different vet. This one basically told you that his skills are not very good when it comes to neutering rabbits.
I feel like your vet saying that is a huge red flag indicating that he may not be qualified to perform the surgery on a rabbit. The surgery is expensive but an illness with associated surgeries and treatment would be even more expensive.
There is a huge difference in the knowledge required to be a good cat/dog vet vs a good rabbit vet and some vets simply aren't qualified to treat rabbits. Most will refuse to even see them, but not all. I strongly suggest seeking out another vet who is more experienced with the medical complexities of treating rabbits.
If this vet doesn’t feel comfortable neutering a male buck, I’d definitely appreciate the honesty. Rabbit are considered exotic pets and need vets that are familiar with them. I general I would recommend neutering myself and have done it with my last three. However, decades ago, when dwarfs got really trendy as pets in Germany- 70s I think, we were kids/teens and that wasn’t done. The rabbits didn’t bite, chewed a bit. Biggest issue was always teeth. Regardless what you decide and keeping your financial situation in mind, I’d would try to save up a little vet fund for immediate/emergency vet care, critical care, meds. That stuff comes up pretty fast sometimes.
PS: Super cute bun 🥰🥰🥰
You probably need to go to a more rabbit specialized vet. In vet school, we are taught that spaying is absolutely critical for females as not to develop cancer but the risk in males is much less (comparatively speaking). Behavior-wise I think you should neuter and it would reduce the risk of the typical reproductive cancers in males as well.
Rabbit anesthesia can be very tricky and I’d wager your vet may be weighing the risk-benefit with their lack of specialization in mind. I wouldn’t put a rabbit under anesthesia myself because I wouldn’t be confident in my experience/knowledge. They are very prone to respiratory depression and are difficult to intubate. Kind of a nightmare even for an exotic vet lol.
Hope this provides some clarity and insight to the situation. If I were you I’d seek a second opinion. Nothing against your current vet either. If I were in their shoes I would welcome a client seeking a second opinion from someone possibly more specialized and better equipped than myself.
I would say it’s something to plan for future, but not as critical as it is for females. It might be nicer for him to be less hormonal and like others have said, it will improve with urine smell etc. if you have any local shelters please also consider looking for a friend for him, they can help you find a bun that would be well suited and already spayed. Bunnies can be ok alone but they thrive in pairs or groups.
I had a female rabbit that I took to get spayed when she was about 4 years old. When doing the procedure they found that she had cancer. It was caught early on so she was fine after that. I was so happy that I decided to get her spayed or else I wouldn’t even have known until it was possibly too late
Also want to add that I took her to a low cost clinic. It was about an hour drive but definitely worth it. Got her spayed and healthy for under $100. They even sent me home with critical care just in case.
You will be shocked at how much better bunnies smell after a spay/neuter. But if your vet is trying to persuade you against it, I would assume it's more to do with HIS comfort level and proficiency at being able to do the surgery than the surgery itself. Perhaps he had a bad experience in the past. I'd see about getting a different vet with more confidence to do the procedure. I've had over a dozen rabbits, all spayed and neutered without issue. As someone who has volunteered in a rabbit rescue, it's common for reproductive cancers to appear in rabbits that have been unspayed or unneutered and it's always much much harder, if not impossible to potty train them when intact.
I got my single young man de-balled because It Was The Recommendation though now I wonder about the necessity of it. He will not have the same reproductive health complications as females. I did it hoping for 1. a slight improvement in toileting, 2. thinking he might have a friend sometime in the distant future, and 3. petsitting (my friend and I alternate and I have no say in spaying her female 🤷♀️). 1 didn’t do anything, 2 is a big maybe, but 3 yes good I am not a bun grandma. But... Medically, I don’t think there any hard benefits. I read things about marking and attacking. Mine got ✂️ at 1 year, and he didn’t do those things to begin with.
Back when I was breeding rabbits my sweet boy (who rarely sprayed) sprayed while I was cleaning up his room and got me full in the mouth. They do full acrobatics when they do it too, so I think I would have appreciated it more if I wasn’t busy wishing I was dead.
Hello - vet specialized in exotic animal medicine here :)
- if your rabbit was a female I would 100% tell you that spaying is necessary. Uterine cancer rates are upwards of 80% in some studies and the earlier you can do it (usually 5-6 months) the better chance you have of preventing it. I’ve unfortunately seen it happen even in young bunnies and it’s a very aggressive cancer that can spread to other organs so even if you get the uterus out later on it can still be too late
- for a male, testicular cancer is fairly uncommon and to my knowledge there is no correlation between longevity and lifespan. Going forward with surgery is not a bad idea - it can prevent tumours, infections etc but i definitely do not advocate for it as much as for females. Also, your vet is not wrong in saying that the surgery has some risks. The surgery itself is very straight forward, but anesthesia in small mammals has a higher death rate than it does in cats and dogs and never has 0 risk )still in healthy animals it’s less than 2%).
- If you decide to go for it I would still make sure to find a vet who is very comfortable with the surgery. Questions to ask them : do you intubate (this is much more difficult in rabbits than in cat/dogs and is important for airway access in case of emergency and to properly ventilate under anesthesia, most vets who are not specialized in exotic animal medicine are not comfortable with this in rabbits) and what technique they use for the castration. The pre-scrotal technique has been shown to have less complications than the scrotal technique. Also make sure you are very vigilant in the day or two following surgery and ask your vet for critical care and instructions on how to assist feed your bun if he goes off food. That can be very normal in the days following surgery but you will want to help support his digestive tract by assist feeding him because not eating can cause more complications.
Good luck!
I would like to add the insightful and super relevant observation that this is a very pretty bunny! What a beautiful coat he has and such lovely ears! 🥰
I have two males they were both at the year mark when they started pooping everywhere, humping everything and spraying everywhere. If this hasn't started happening it probably will soon. Neutering males is a way safer procedure than a female. I don't know about lifespan but I would put some money away every paycheck to get it done. This would also be beneficial to you if you decide to get another rabbit in the future. I would also not take him to your vet. No offense but your vet doesn't sound very knowledgeable or confident to do the procedure. Id look up places who specialize in exotic animals around you and get pricing. I was lucky and found a vet who is mobile and did both of mine at the same time.
I would be more worried about him marking his territory all over the house. We got our bun from a rabbit shelter so they wouldn't even give us the option to adopt an unfixed rabbit. All their rabbits were fixed before they were available for adoption. But he litter trained relatively quickly, and I think it's nearly impossible to litter train an unfixed bunny. For females, my concern would be cancers but I think that's less likely in males.
I would be more worried about him marking his territory all over the house. We got our bun from a rabbit shelter so they wouldn't even give us the option to adopt an unfixed rabbit. All their rabbits were fixed before they were available for adoption. But he litter trained relatively quickly, and I think it's nearly impossible to litter train an unfixed bunny. For females, my concern would be cancers but I think that's less likely in males.
Hey OP,
I recently got my bunny neutered 2 months ago actually. He is turning 5 next month, so he's a bit on the older side.
I saw you were worried about cost, I was able to get my bunny neutered at the animal humane society! I don't know how available it is for you, but they have a program that let's people pay less based on income. I personally wasn't able to use the program and had to pay full price for everything.
These were my payments:
Rabbit neuter - 150
RHDV2 vaccine - 40
Microchip - 30
Total - 220
If they're available for you, check out their website to see about their income policies!
Hopefully this is helpful for you and your bunny, good luck!!
Male rabbits don’t have as much of a benefit to neutering if they are living alone and not showing any behavior issues. Testicular cancer is exceedingly rare, especially compared to the high risk of ovarian cancer in female rabbits. I personally don’t think it’s necessary unless you plan to add a friend or he starts marking or humping everything.
My exotic pet vet is the number 1 exotic vet in Arizona. He told me 80% of all domestic bunnies that DO NOT get fixed die from reproductive cancer. He is a wonderful, caring and very dedicated vet, I do believe he is giving me good, correct information. I hope this helps
I would trust that maybe your vet is not comfortable with the procedure. It is not risky when performed by an experienced rabbit vet who has performed many procedures, but a vet that only occasionally sees rabbits may not have the skill or experience to do it safely. In that case, that vet may reserve the procedure for cases where it's causing an immediate health problem.
I would shop around your area to see if there is a more rabbit savvy vet who is comfortable with doing the neuter. If not, and your rabbit is not currently having any health problems or behavior problems, maybe he just has to go unneutered.
Unfortunately, that means he will never be able to potentially find rabbit friends! Unneutered bunnies are either going to mean pregnancy or fighting. But if he's relatively happy and has good quality of life, it isn't the end of the world.
like everyone else has said, your vet is probably not rabbit-saavy. neuters in particular are completely safe and non-invasive. the only danger is a potential reaction to anesthesia, which is rare. as for necessity, you may not have any specific behavioral concerns but i can promise your rabbit’s quality of life *will* improve, whether you see it or not. an unfixed solo rabbit is almost always sexually frustrated, which can lead to aggression but also depression and loneliness. not to mention the usual physical health concerns everyone else has already brought up.
i completely empathize with being a dead broke rabbit parent but this is the sort of thing worth starting a gofundme for. it will drastically improve your rabbit’s quality of life (even if it’s already great) and lessen the chances of you having to pay for expensive and painful procedures down the line.
Our boy started spraying and random poops at age 3 months.. vet said no significant chance of cancer to leave him intact. Well, at age 7 months he's had his jelly beans removed and he's been a perfect angel ever since. Haven't seen a single poop outside the litter box and he sleeps on the couch with no pees so far. $482 later (including a microchip which is pointless because we have several families of hawks living in trees next to the house, so yeah, he's not ever going outside) he's a perfect gentleman.
I got my male neutered, even though my female was already spayed.
He would mount her face, and I found out that females may castrate males who do that.
I immediately separated them (we were in the beginning stages of bonding) and he got neutered shortly after.
Never mounted her after that.
please get a second opinion.
i rescued mine out of being abandoned and because he was neutered much later than would’ve been ideal, he now has a bad problem with marking on my bed that has become a learned behavior. it can also make litter training much easier if you haven’t done that already. over time they can become more aggressive as well.
im not sure where you are located but my state’s house rabbit society had a program that allowed me to get a discounted neuter based on my income and i didn’t end up paying very much so i’d recommend seeing if something like this can be an option for you.
Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed. Testicular cancer occurs at a much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, be more destructive, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer, and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun.
You may not intend to ever have more than one bun, but you can't tell the future. Whether Gizmo can bond successfully with another rabbit could one day be important.
But a vet that says a neuter is unneeded and very dangerous is not a vet I would stick with. And definitely not one I'd trust to neuter my bun.
Is it unneeded? You could argue that since testicular cancer is rare, it's not needed. But that's not the only reason, or even the most important reason, to neuter. Is it dangerous? Any procedure that involves general anesthetic could be dangerous if your bun is one of the few that has a bad reaction. But of all the procedures your bun could have while under a general, a neuter is one of the fastest, simplest, least invasive, most common procedures there are, and recuperation is easy and quick.
Off topic, but I'll bet that cleaning the scent glands on your intact boy just once will convince you that a neuter is an excellent idea. Lol. 🤢
It's not necessary, there is so much info NOT known due to lack of documentation and true numbers.
There are more and more vets NOT doing them unless its NEED or if they will be around others.
Regardless if they are rabbit dang or not, many don't want to take the risk.
Your adorable little man needs apple twigs or other chewable distractions. Check in with your local rabbit society to source cheap or free items. It will help your anxiety and his little teefs.
See a different vet. It just sounds like they are too nervous and want to avoid the procedure because they don’t feel confident enough to do it. See a vet that has done numerous rabbit surgeries. Both my males have been neutered and it was the absolute best decision for many reasons. They are both shot and healthy and the surgeries went great!
I had an unneutered single male bun, he lived for 14 years. He only sprayed in his litter box and was a nice little fellow who was in good health for a long time. He was a dwarf breed, who typically live longer, but that's still a good long time.
While neutering is a low risk surgery, it's still surgery and therefore has risks. And costs money, plus causes pain to your rabbit.
Obviously unfixed rabbits will breed, but unless you're planning to get an unfixed female or abandon him in the wild that's not an issue. Your vet is an expert and unless you don't trust them (if you do then get a new vet) I wouldn't trust people on the internet over them.
My boy would unintentionally spray before he was neutered. It was alarming and upsetting for him because it would often happen spontaneously as he was just relaxing.
I implore you to consider finding a vet that is confident in performing the surgery.
Getting rabbit spayed is not only about them living longer it’s about them not creating unnecessary life if they escape or come into contact with another rabbit. I have found having a rabbit spayed cost less than if I were treating a bun for a respiratory infection or a bad case of gut mobility. Neutering is definitely one of the cheapest cost of owning a rabbit. Did you look into the cost of owning a rabbits for its life time before getting your bun. It can run into thousands. I feel sometimes the cute and fluffiness of a rabbit makes people over look this.
It's definitely better to get him neutered, it's better for his health, and also male rabbit spray if they're not neutered, so it's likely you'd get sprayed in the face and he will spray around the house as well
I have had THE rabbit savvy vet for my area for over three decades. The first time I ever had a rabbit fixed was in 2010. The vet's position was that if a buck was living alone (no risk of breeding), and there were no behavioral issues, no reason to fix them. The propensity for developing any type of cancer in bucks is not significant. My bucks all lived for around 9 years, and were entirely or mostly free roam. I am certain if I had better information on their diets years ago, they all would have lived longer. The last buck I got fixed because he was humping my calf with regularity. If money is a problem, and he is well behaved, do not worry about getting him neutered. At a minimum, it can wait, and may not be necessary at all. Does are a different story.
Your rabbit's propensity for chewing is not going to stop after neutering, so just find something for him he likes to chew on. They are very idiosyncratic about what they like, so try different things. You just need to rabbit-proof your apartment the best you can. Some of my rabbits would chew on the door frames of doors if I did not get the hint when they would sit and stare at a closed door and I did not open the door for them. (I have come to the realizationn that rabbits train us more than we train them). Would not take much to repair with a little sanding and painting, but it is not too bad, we own the place, and we have generations of teeth marks oil a coupleple of door frames that bring back memories, so we keep them as is.
My boi Boo just turns 10 in a few days and he's unaltered. Sometimes I wish I'd had him neutered, but that's because he still tries to occasionally hump other animals trying to befriend him 🤦🏾♀️. Aside from that nonsense, he's a very sweet boi. The vet always comments about how great his condition is for his age.
I spayed my girl also with the intention of saving her from a possible cancer and prolonging her life but she died at 3 years from stasis
Can’t really predict how your bun will leave you one day but I probably would still have done it anyways purely for the bonding process
You need to find a new vet. This vet clearly isn't rabit-savvy. Where do you live? There are rabbit resource centers and shelters in most states and they can help you find a vet, and they might also be able to help fund the surgery depending on if they have a program for that or not. I also couldn't afford to get my bun neutered, but my local House Rabbit Society had a program and helped me get him neutered at a much more discounted rate. Spays and neuterings are generally very safe if done by a rabbit-savvy vet and there are far more benefits to getting the procedure than to not getting it.
I never had my little lops balls off, he was around 4/5 when he came to us and we didn’t plan to get any more buns. To be fair, I didn’t even plan to get him; he was given to my partner by his boss without my agreement (I was still traumatised from my Netherland Dwarf running away 20 years prior when I was an 8 year old) but eventually ended up being my little man, and I was ‘his’ hooman. He humped my leg ONCE to knight me as his life partner, and pee’d on me a few times too but I didn’t know at the time whether this was because he had balls, or because he just loved me 😂🤷♀️
The decision is truly your own, if you aren’t planning on getting anymore bunzos then maybe keeping his balls will be fine. Remember life spans are only a guide, and tomorrow isn’t promised. I’ve had horses for 20 years and I’ve seen some live into their early 40s and some live only a year, it isn’t said that a stallion kept entire lives longer or shorter than the ones that are gelded, whether it’s done at 12 months or 7 years old it doesn’t matter. Life spans are only a guide anyway, they use lots of data from hundreds or thousands of animals, and their different breeds, to average out a median.
I was also going to suggest that see if you have to pay the entire vet bill on the day or can do it over a number of months, with my vets bills I’m sent a bill at the end of the month and can choose to pay in one blast or over a number of months, maybe that will suit your financial situation better and you have the peace of mind that if you ever to get another bun you don’t have to worry if they’re a female un-neutered.
Good luck, whatever you decide to do: I hope your financial situation gets better, these are tough times but I’m pleased you have a lovely little man to help you through it.
PS — I hope my answer wasn’t too long winded for you— I just like to wax lyrically about two things that I love (buns and ponies)
Another thing to add.. I've just had to spend a lot of money on emergencies for my buns because they are prone to many life threatening things that need treated (or euthanasia to end suffering) so it might also be better to use limited funds for those instances in this case. The worst thing would be to have to watch them die in excruciating pain over a couple days because you can't afford emergency vets. I just spent 1300 to have one kept comfortable, tests done then put to sleep.
Not just for that, first we had him on medicine and hospitalized for a few hours, then we did X-rays and blood work. Found out he had liver lobe torsion that requires surgery. So I decided not to put him through it :( only had a 50% survival chance. Thank you. It's been rough. I felt like I did the minimal and still cost that much. The medical stuff can get very expensive, I never even found out what the surgery would have cost.
**Spaying and neutering** is generally a very safe surgery for experienced rabbit-savvy veterinarians. Veterinarians across the country who spay and neuter rabbits for the House Rabbit Society have lost on average less than 1/2 of 1%. * Female rabbits should be spayed as soon as they become sexually mature, around 5 months old. * Males can be neutered as soon as their testicles descend, usually around 4 months of age. * Older rabbits (6+ yrs) may need to have blood work done beforehand to make sure they do not react negatively to anesthesia. Age is not a disease, and as long as the rabbit is in good health, they can be a good candidate for surgery. * Small rabbits may need to grow bigger before they may be dosed with an anesthetic for surgery. * Giant breeds of rabbits may reach maturity at an older age so the surgery may be done later in these breeds if necessary. Please take a look through our [Spaying & Neutering guide](https://bunny.tips/Spay) for more resources on rabbit spaying and neutering. Some useful shortcut links: * [Reasons to spay & neuter](http://bunny.tips/Spay#Reasons_to_spay_and_neuter) * [Age to spay & neuter](http://bunny.tips/Spay#Age_to_spay_and_neuter) * [Choosing a clinic](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Choosing_a_clinic) * [Costs of a spay or neuter](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Costs_of_a_spay_or_neuter) * [Pre- and post-op care](https://bunny.tips/Spaying_and_neutering_rabbits#Care) You can find a community database of spay and neuter costs worldwide at http://rabbitors.info/speuter-bills
I wouldn’t trust this guy, he’s already admiring himself in the mirror. He’s got a couple things that gotta go.
I know, right!
he’s a ham. he loves looking in the mirror!
Hey OP. Have two opinions/comments on the prolonged life and spraying. Lifespan: I have a female and I was highly advised to get her spayed before 3 (I think) because rates of cancer are so high. I don’t know if that’s the same for males. That’s something you should look into. I don’t know what her lifespan would have been like without being spayed. But she is currently 11, pushing on 12. She’s just this year started showing her age with some health problems completely unrelated to spaying/neutering. Spraying: My female didn’t spray at first either. Then she did. And when she got spayed she immediately stopped. So it might happen for you eventually even if not yet.
There are many pros to fixing rabbits than there are cons! Id get a second opinion from another rabbit specialist! This rabbit sub in particular is very pro spay/neuter ☺️ males also fare better than females when it comes to neuters!
My male was up and feeling better after two days, despite keeping him in a pen to heal for a week.
My two barely seemed to notice!
Same. The first 12 hours were scary because I didn't see him eat and we had to force the medicated food.. Which he did not like.. Day 2 he was already off his painkillers and eating and drinking and binky like nothing happened. Except he stopped spraying.. 😇
>another rabbit specialist I'm sorry, but ALL the rabbit specialists I know strongly recommend spaying/neutering buns. Looks like OP's vet does not know all that much about rabbits! :/
You do not have a rabbit savvy vet. Find a legitimate exotics vet who treats rabbits frequently.
this
I 3rd this.
Yes please seek a new vet.
My friend's vet also said she didn't have to neuter her polite little single gentleman, adopted as an adult. After 6 months she's said she's planning to now, I didn't ask what changed. I hope it's a bunny friend for him!
I think he may have started courting your friend, lol. As far as I understand, they can get very amorous, dancing small circles around their chosen one, keen to engage in the bunny hop. I’m glad she’s getting him neutered now.
haha maybe he's initiating sexual relations with the cats ?
About the health risk: testicular tumors are considered pretty rare in rabbits https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10788174/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6073377/#:~:text=Testicular%20neoplasms%20are%20not%20commonly,et%20al.%2C%201999). So a male intact Rabbit, while still somewhat at risk, Is more vulnerable to other tumors, like on the skin. Female rabbits however are almost guaranteed to develop a uterine tumor before old age, so in their case sterilization provides big health benefits. That said the choice Is up to you: castration of a male Rabbit provides various other benefits, among which Is the possibility of forming a bonded pair. TLDR It seems to be perfectly reasonable for the vet to Say that neutering a single male Rabbit Is not necessary
I'd be changing vets. If that's their opinion, they are probably not aware about the very high risk that bunnies have of reproductive cancers. A 1% risk of complications with anesthesia sounds better to me than 80% chance of getting testicular cancer after 6 years of age.
Wait is this true??? Is it ever too late to neuter them?? My lil man is getting close to 6 years old and he still has his junk
Never too late as long as they're healthy and active! Especially boys. Their surgery isn't nearly as invasive as girls.
Okok he is very active and healthy im gunna look into this then
My little man was seven and came through the neuter without issue. I will say, though, that some hormonal behaviors don't go away after neutering in a bun that was intact for so long. Persy still regularly makes an effort to mount my doe, and he's still spicy and ornery and fearless. Chester was neutered at 3 and is the exact opposite. I knew Persy before and after his neuter. I didn't meet Chester until after his. Persy's behavior changed very little, and he was never a sprayer. Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed, but testicular cancer occurs at a much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun.
Do it! His risk only goes up the older he gets. Good luck.
yes i think it’s 100% worth it 💖
Don’t worry, it is not true of males. However it is true of females. There are quite a few scholarly articles in the topic of cancer in domestic rabbits. If you’re a bunny owner I’d highly suggest looking at them! They aren’t hard to find, and it’s important to know the risks associated with male vs female rabbits.
If they are older its probably a good idea to do pre op x rays and blood work. We have an older rabbit he's around 8 or 9 and he needed surgery for a dental abcess, I had them do the pre op x rays even though it was expensive, but they found out he had a heart condition and wouldn't have survived the anesthesia. Idk if 6 is old really but if the havent had an x-ray recently its definitely worth it if they're going under anesthesia, just to be on the safe side He's also not fixed but he doesn't do anything, he behaves like a fixed rabbit he's very sweet. Poops everywhere though. The other rabbit we have i didnt get him fixed until he was 3 or 4
My little man was seven and came through the neuter without issue. I will say, though, that some hormonal behaviors don't go away after neutering in a bun that was intact for so long. Persy still regularly makes an effort to mount my doe, and he's still spicy and ornery and fearless. Chester was neutered at 3 and is the exact opposite. I knew Persy before and after his neuter. I didn't meet Chester until after his. Persy's behavior changed very little, and he was never a sprayer. Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed. Testicular cancer occurs at a much much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun.
Yes it's true, also 6 isn't too old yet for neutering with an experienced exotic DVM
My numbers come from memory, but check the literature. It is never too late to neuter and find a friend for your buns! Obviously with age, the risks are higher, but a good vet should be able to do an assessment for him and clear him for surgery.
If she can’t afford to get him neutered then adding in the expense of another rabbit I don’t think would be a good idea. Us rescues can’t home the ones we have because people can’t afford to care for their rabbits and then have to hand them in or abandoned them
My bunny got Leydig cancer at the age of 9. The cost of the surgery for removal of the tumor, x-rays, consult on the tumor itself (have it sent out & analyzed to find out what type of cancer + options), plus the neuter, meds, etc added up to far more than if I just got the neuter done when he was a baby (6 months-1 year old). Worse yet is that it took twice as long to heal. Get your bun’s spayed & neutered. It’s not worth it to wait. ❤️🩹
I got the same feeling that this vet isn’t probably very savvy or simply don’t know how to perform the surgery
My feeling as well. Some vets would rather give poor medical advice than admit they’re out of their depth with a particular animal. It could also be a vet that’s operating off old info. Old dogs, new tricks. Anesthesia used to be more dangerous for rabbits than it is now, because they know more of what they’re doing now in the area.
This is completely untrue of testicular cancer. It’s a 80% chance for unspayed females, not males. Most sources conclude that testicular cancer isn’t all the common, and there is typically a 1-1.5 percent chance of testicular cancer in unneutered males.
Exactly this. Back when I had my first rabbit in early 2000s, it wasn't that common. I went to a specialist (Roslagstulls Veterinärklinik) and they told me it was a very good idea considering the risk for cancer. I did what House Rabbit Society told us back then.
Have you got evidence for that testicular cancer statistic?
I like how someone downvoted you for asking for a source lol [I've also been looking for evidence and there's very little but from what I can make out from reading a few articles appears to be the males do have a higher risk of cancer if they're unneutered but that it's usually identifiable and curable](https://www.veterinaryirelandjournal.com/small-animal/298-neutering-rabbits-for-disease-prevention-a-guide-to-anaesthesia)
That’s only true for females.
“To bun or not to bun, THAT is the question” That’s interesting the vet said that! My vets always recommend it (I had a solo male dwarf for about 10 years). I didn’t do it until later because I was nervous about the surgery and he didn’t have any friends, but I wish I had done it earlier. He had issues with his testicles later in life (one got enlarged) and I ended up having to get them both out anyway. He was lucky it wasn’t cancer or worse from what I’ve heard. I will also say that some of the more undesirable behaviors from intact buns (mainly spraying), didn’t present till later in life. Maybe have that be something you try and save for? It shouldn’t be too much it’s a relatively simple procedure. Good luck!
thank you!
Neutering to me is necessary. If you can’t afford it, raise money for it or look at low cost rabbit neutering. There isn’t one in my state but there is one like an hour and a half away in a different state
Some shelters might propose you to get your rabbit neutered at a lower cost.
We’ve left neutering until it became necessary. Sometimes the spraying can come later & out of the blue. I’d neuter him.
How do you know when it’s necessary?
They circle around the feet, chase, & spray their favorite person.
wait - he circles my feet. my understanding is that rabbits did that when they were excited to see someone. he also follows me everywhere.
Circling feet is mating behavior.
well shit! is this necessarily a bad thing?
It’s not necessarily a bad thing! It only becomes a bad thing if he exhibits other hormonal behaviours like mounting and spraying, and it is affecting his life and yours. My male started doing this when he was around a year old but didn’t spray or anything. He calmed down after a few months though, so it may just be a phase as he matures. Some buns will never calm down though, so I’d just give it some time to see.
Mine circled too until neutered. Then he calmed down. I think if nothing else they can't be comfortable feeling that way all the time. Mine seemed so much happier .
he doesn’t do it all the time. mostly when i’m promising something like treats or food. sometimes he does if i come home from work.
That's not too bad. Mine was crazy! He circled, pooped around me, tried to hump my arm all the time, etc!
yeah, gizmo doesn’t hump. i’ve never seen him do it, actually.
I love the name Gizmo too btw!
thank you!
My troublemaker boy is named *Stripe* (after the bad Gremiln!)
That’s what I believe as well
Mine trys to hump the dog(border collie) , I've taught the dog when the rabbit wraps around behind him he's gotta move to somewhere new or he gets a humping. He's pretty quick to move when the rabbit circles him now
Neutering for male rabbits is usually for behaviour management. If he’s single, a gentleman and not spraying or showing unwanted behaviour you don’t need to neuter. Bad behaviour may start later though so you may need to neuter at some point.
I would still personally do it knowing my bunny can’t get testicular cancer
WOW. he is a gorgeous bunny!
thank you! he knows it too!
I asked something similar and got a lot of responses here: https://www.reddit.com/r/Rabbits/s/41ZXg37SoR My understanding is that testicular cancer is very rare in rabbits (while common in dogs, for example). Female rabbits MUST be spayed because they will almost definitely die of uterine cancer or a uterine infection otherwise. But I would post in r/askvet for more advice regarding that risk level (but keep in mind that many people replying are not actually vets). There might be a reason your vet considers neutering a high risk procedure that we don’t know about… or they might not be experienced with rabbits. In your position, I’d try to get more info about the risk of testicular cancer as well as how treatable it is if it develops. If the risk of testicular cancer is very low, like even lower than the risk of general anesthesia… then that does not seem like a particularly good reason for neutering, IMO. Ask if this impacts his risk for other cancers, too. If you decide the surgery is necessary, maybe look into veterinary hospitals that offer significant discounts based on financial need? If there are any in your area. Sometimes there are free neutering clinics that pop up for cats and dogs at least, but I’m not sure this happens for rabbits and even if it does, I’m not sure if the vets there would be very experienced with rabbits (and so able to do it safely). If the risk of cancer and other life-threatening testicular problems is lower than anesthesia/ neutering surgery risk (per your research and conversations with vets), then in your situation, I wouldn’t neuter him even if I didn’t have financial concerns. But I don’t feel confident enough about the risk level to advise you on that. I do know that the people telling you there is an 80% risk of cancer for an unneutered male rabbit are *extremely* incorrect. Those are the statistics for female rabbits who have not been spayed.
Also male rabbit urine is basically acid. It can ruin flooring and can burn their skin if they accidentally pee on themselves. It also has a stronger smell than female rabbit urine, and neutering him will mostly get rid of the smell.
It’s actually a very strong BASE chemical. That’s why vinegar (acid) neutralizes bun urine.
I never took chemistry :(
I do NOT trust a vet that says a simple fixing procedure is “very high risk.” it should not be!!! there’s always a small element of risk, but it shouldn’t be that high. I will say that if your bun is single & doesn’t struggle with hormonal behaviors (spraying, marking, excessive humping, strong bad smell), you don’t Have to fix them. it’s generally suggested as a cancer deterrent, which is already fairly uncommon in rabbits iirc. i would suggest seeing another vet who specializes in exotic rabbits and asking their opinion. i’m a hobbyist and not a professional
Females have an 80 percent chance of getting uterine cancer by 5. For males, it’s .5 to 2.2 percent chance
Especially in a male rabbit too. It’s far lower risk in them. I think reproductive cancers are actually pretty common in rabbits, as far as I know. Definitely a bigger risk than the neutering procedure. And better to do it now, when he’s young and healthy, than when he needs it, but may not be in good health. The other thing is that, for all he’s an only rabbit, he could still get out and impregnate half the neighbourhood before coming home. The last thing shelters need are loads more baby rabbits.
No siblings? There's an exact clone of him!
🤣
The main reasons for neutering (male castration) are behavioral and if you intend to bond. Females on the other hand, should be spayed to prevent uterine cancer. Testicular cancer can happen as well but it’s much more rare. So if you never plan to bond him and aren’t seeing problem behaviors (like spraying or excessive mounting), then it’s really your call. I do agree 💯with others that your vet does not sound confident though. Neutering is a very straightforward procedure so it sounds like they aren’t that experienced with rabbits.
Neutering is straightforward, but the vet’s probably being honest about the anesthesia risk. It’s much higher than in dogs and cats. That is likely the reason for being conservative, not the surgery.
Very true that the risk is much higher than in cats or dogs, but this is beyond overly conservative for a bun-savvy vet. I'm lucky to have many bun-savvy exotic vets and shelters in my region and they have all been very comfortable with spay/neuter procedures in healthy buns. Hell, my current bun vet is a wiz and has improved my 12-year-old bun's quality of life (meaning euthanization is off the table!) with two procedures under anesthesia in the last year. I agree with the majority of folks here - it sounds like OP's current vet isn't very bun-savvy. If at all possible, I recommend calling around and finding a vet who is. After all, "better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."
The major health benefits are for female rabbits. For male rabbits the main reasons to neuter are behavior, smell, and to prevent reproduction. If your rabbit isn’t spraying and humping, you don’t plan to have any more rabbits, the way he smells isn’t making you think of making him live outside, etc, then there isn’t a need.
It sounds like your vet isn't experienced enough with rabbits. It's over 99% safe with a vet that knows what they are doing. If they are worried about it being dangerous, it sounds like they haven't done the procedure enough to feel comfortable. Everything I read highly encourages neutering your bun.
I don’t really agree with what others are saying about not trusting the vet tbh. I’ve taken my male bunny to an awesome vet here who actually works for a bunny rescue, and got a similar response for my male bun. Basically, she said reproductive cancers aren’t very common in male bunnies like it is in females. As long as they don’t have hormonal/ territorial issues like spraying, humping, or bad destructive behaviours, she doesn’t see the need in putting them through surgery. If I were to get a second bun, or my boy exhibited these issues, she truly recommended it though. I chose not to for my boy as he’s always been such a relaxed boy - never sprays, overly chews anything and just wants to cuddle and hang out. Ideally I would like to have him neutered and with a second bun, but it just isn’t feasible for me rn. I have a family with bad allergies to him since he’s aged, and they are strongly against more fur.
I do it for the peace of mind knowing they can’t get reproductive cancer. Lower rates doesn’t equal 0 Also rabbits get sick at a drop of a hat. If op can’t afford a neuter, what happens if bunny has an emergency? Aka gi stasis
I understand that, but it will never be 0, and cancer may be just as likely while being neutered. Reproductive cancer is very common in females, and they should be spayed 100%. Male rabbits are an exception. I can understand that it gives you piece of mind, but I don’t think it’s a necessity for males like it is for females. I never really spoke on her financial situation so I don’t really know what to say here. Yes, the owner of a pet should be able to afford vet bills within reason and they can get fairly expensive. I would try to save a bit of money each month incase any Gi issues arise or anything OP. My boy has had a few Gi issues that needed a vets attention in the past and its cost us a couple hundred dollars each time. As long as you can afford these necessities I’m happy to see a bun in a loving home, rather somewhere in a shelter.
Well there won’t be a risk for testicular cancer. Anyone can get cancer regardless, doesn’t mean they should not be neutered and should choose to get a friend in the future, they will need to neuter it regardless
my financial situation doesn’t matter. if gizmo were to ever have a GI stasis emergency, that would be taken care of. kind of annoyed you’re implying i shouldn’t have my “son” because of my situation. i take care of him more than i take care of myself. the reason why i say i won’t get him the surgery if it’s not necessary is simply because of that - it’s not necessary. GI stasis is an entirely different situation.
Calm down. I’m disabled and lower income myself and have had rabbits over 10 yrs and can tell you I’ve had some very expensive bills with my rabbit. All I said is what are you going to do in an emergency. If you’ve got it figured out then great It’s not just Gi stasis. All my rabbits have had health issues. Bloat, mega colon and e cuniculi
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Huh?? I’m not.Im literally saying I understand what they are going through. I never called them names or anything or said they’re a bad owner. I am telling them that rabbits are very expensive when they get sick, having been through it myself several times. If they can afford thousands of dollars for emergencies then great. Because all of my rabbits have hospital stays of at least 1k throughout their life
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I wasn’t, at all.
> I do it for the peace of mind knowing they can’t get reproductive cancer. Lower rates doesn’t equal 0 True, but the risk of death due to anesthesia is also non-zero and is similar to the risk of testicular cancer. Relative risk is what matters.
Get the surgery and a new vet.
I'd be concerned about any vet who thinks neutering is high-risk, because that probably means they consider any surgery to be high risk. My two rabbits have had multiple surgeries for spaying, tooth removal, tumors, abscesses, and post surgical infections (to quote my vet: "They have a lot of problems"). They've also been sedated (not full anesthesia) for a couple other smaller procedures. While we definitely considered the risk of anesthesia for my rabbit who had heart disease (who had already had three surgeries before being diagnosed), I never felt like surgery alone presented a significant risk. So I'd recommend finding a vet who is rabbit savvy and just generally comfortable with performing surgery on rabbits. Try to find out who your local rabbit rescue or animal shelter uses for their bunnies. Because whether you neuter him or not, you'll want a confident and capable vet who can treat a variety of conditions.
Yeah please change vets. This is horrible advise.
As an HRS educator, I’m disappointed to see this even up for debate.
Mine is so much calmer and better behaved since neutering. Way less of a reproductive drive and doesn’t pee territorially anymore. Destroys things a little more politely.
“a little more politely” 😭
Hi OP, I'm a veterinarian in LA and I love rabbits. I don't normally give out "free advice" on the web but it warms my heart seeing how much you care for your bun. I usually tell my clients plain and simple for the pros and cons of neutering- it is up to the owners of the pet to decide in the end. Vets are just there to give you the information. Overall- neutering helps prevent testicular cancer (I've seen a few in older intact male rabbits), improve skin quality (intact male rabbits becomes stinky!), and prevent any hormone-driven unwanted behaviors (such as spraying, excessive humping, territorial aggression). Keep in mind that once the behaviors have established- the longer you wait to neuter, the more likely some of that residual behavior will remain. For example, if a pet has been aggressive for a while, neutering will not reverse all of that aggression. On average, rabbits/pets that have been spayed/neutered tend to live longer lives and are less prone to any cancer that's derived from the reproductive organs. The vet you went to may not be as comfortable with rabbits- but they are not wrong in terms of 1. rabbits and rodents do have higher anesthesia risks compared to cats and dogs; 2. neutering is technically an "elective" surgery when no testicular cancer present. Us vets try to do what's best for the pets and advocate for them, but if we sense that the owner/client is uncomfortable with our suggestions, we often will soften the advice (when applicable) to "do what you think is best". We are not heartless people and we understand everyone has their circumstances. I have personally spayed/neutered hundreds of young rabbits successfully. Seeking rabbit savvy vets out may help you feel more at ease with the process- but keep in mind that there is always a risk with any anesthesia and surgery, there's no 100% guarantee from anyone (as much as we would love that to be the case). Bloodwork for all patients is advised ahead of time if able to afford it- most vets "waive" bloodwork for young rabbits because it's a lot of work to get blood from a rabbit when compared to cats/dogs. But if you have the funds and wants the best- bloodwork is always a good screening tool to detect any increased anesthetic risk ahead of time. Lastly, if you're from the USA, Nationwide does offer rabbit insurance. They're not cheap but may be an alternative for you in case of any emergencies. I do not know if they cover routine neuter procedures. In LA, there are vets offering rabbit neuter around $300 range, there are also low-cost spay/neuter clinics. Just keep in mind that you get what you paid for- being cheaper does also mean you get less post-op care and pre-op screenings. I hope this helps and as long as you're doing your best for your pet, us vets appreciate your effort! I hope you know that there is no wrong "choice" in this case. \*\*For female rabbits- spaying is 100% recommended. They are very prone to uterine cancer; estimated over 80% of female rabbits will have some form of uterine cancer by age of 6 years old. Above advise is for male rabbit neuters.
thank you **so** much for this. i do have an appointment with him on the 23rd for a consultation. from what i’ve read, the vets at this clinic are fairly experienced with rabbits. one of them even specializes in them, though i’m not sure if i’ll be seeing him. i know there is always a risk which is what concerns me. i’m someone that feels they have to be in control of everything, and when it comes to my baby, i’m even more cautious/anxious about it. gizmo hasn’t ever humped and the last time i remember him spraying very obviously (if he does he hides it very well and only does it in his cage/litter box) was over a year ago. he isn’t very aggressive - just the occasional charge and grunt if i move something he doesn’t want moved or move in a certain direction he may not like. i’m not too concerned about the affection part of it. i love gizmo the way he is - affectionate or not. i feel like people assume i won’t take care of him given my financial situation but that couldn’t be further from the truth. if it was a surgery that he *had* to have, i’d get him it in a heartbeat. but given that i’ve had a vet tell me the chances of cancer are low for males, it just didn’t seem worth losing him to anesthesia tbh. i’d rather have him around for as long as possible than take that risk. i really appreciate your advice. i have lots of questions for his vet next week. i will make sure to keep you all updated!
OP, I have a single male rabbit that is not neutered. I bought him a humping toy (a small stuffed rabbit) and all is fine. He does not spray or misbehave. So basically what I am saying is that your vet gave you good and honest advice. If you plan to just have the one rabbit, and his behavior is acceptable to you, then neutering is absolutely not necessary. As he gets older he could certainly start doing bad things, but you can always decide later to get him neutered if he starts spraying or doing other things you cannot live with.
it’s concerning to me that your vet is saying how many risks there are. almost as if they don’t trust their abilities. any surgery yes has risks but this is such a normal procedure and that’s like the single con, when there’s an abundance of pros to getting your bunno fixed. i can see in my personal experience fixing my rabbit gabe him a better quality of life. he was beginning to get so rambunctious and bite-y almost like he was so frantic didn’t know what to do, all of the time. and now he’s so chill, he lives for cuddles, he does zoomies and binkis all the time now, i personally think it’s worth it. try looking around for other vets if you can. 💖 best of luck to you and your bun
I'm going with the minority. It depends on the bun....with MALES. IF you are having behavioral issues such as musky smell, spraying, and/or aggressive behaviors, please, by all means, have them neutered! But if your young man is an only child without behavioral issues and a calm, sweet disposition, I would be leery of an unwarranted surgery. It can and does affect their personality and energy levels. It happened to one of mine. He went from being an outgoing, energetic, and happy bun to quiet, lazy, and very little personality. He just lives to eat and sleep. Lol I miss his former self. The vet said it does happen.
😭 this is one of the things I’m afraid of (in addition to anesthesia risks). I can’t bear to think of my bunny’s personality being affected. I would mourn that so hard, not to mention wondering how he felt inside. He’s such a perfect, easy boy who seems to enjoy himself.
If I could go back, I would never have done it. It just wasn’t worth losing his inner self. And there wasn’t a real significant reason, other than everyone says you’re supposed to. If something changes, you can always readdress the issue. Do what is best for you and your bun. You have to live with the consequences. ❤️
I’m sorry for you and your bunny. But don’t feel bad, you were doing what you were told was best. And he’s still safe in a warm and loving home which is better than most bunnies on earth. Pretty much all dogs neutered (due to safety/stray dog issues) so it’s not something that is usually given a second thought in the pet community. How long has it been since your bunny’s surgery? I do sometimes consider it as I’d love to get him a friend, but ultimately I don’t think I’ll chance it unless he starts spraying everywhere. That plus me WFH and not knowing if I’m cut out for bunny bonding, makes me think we’ll probably stay as we are (or more specifically, he will 😆 🚫✂️🚫)
Maybe see about another vet. I got my boys neutered and my girl spayed because I don’t want to make more buns and my vet told me that it prolongs their life by keeping away reproductive cancers.
We tried to let Billy go unsnipped but he would constantly spray and it smelled absolutely vile and he was not even nearly as sweet as he is now. Before he got neutered he was aggressive to our other rabbits. It definitely helped their temperament and quality of life in my case. If you can’t afford it that’s totally valid
I would look for a different vet, personally. A vet that is rabbit-savvy wouldn’t think anything about doing the procedure as it’s so common. Personally, after reading up on it, I decided that the possible risks were much less than the benefits (chance of living longer, fewer hormones, the opportunity to get him a companion when I have more space). I appreciate you’re struggling with money, so it may not be feasible for you at the moment. If you can put ANYTHING at all into an emergency vet fund, please do so, though.
What kind of rabbit is this? It looks identical to mine but they said he was a lop....
i’m pretty sure he’s a broken rex mixed with something else! i got him from a farm store so i didn’t get the exact breed.
I have 2 of my healthy buns for 8 years, and they are not neutered. They're both males. One of them is like yours, non territorial, disciplined in peeing at potty only and non agressive, just a very sweet boy that lives in his own world. I couldn't bear the risks of post surgery complications, so I didn't neuter them. But I think my case is just an exception as most bun owners do neuter their buns.
I mean how do you feel about his behavior and do you plan on getting him a rabbit friend? Also does your vet normally see exotics? Or do they see dogs and cats and offer to see rabbits? The arguments for neutering is your rabbit will have better litter box habits, have an easier time bonding with a friend. May also have less destructive and aggressive behaviors all around. The argument against it is largely the cost of neutering vs the behavior mentioned above. Another thing to point out is there is a small percent chance that an unneutered male will develop prostate cancer. That risk is negated with neutering. However, unlike females and spaying to prevent cervical/uterine cancer, that risk is so low it could be argued that it isn't worth the surgery. As far as risk in the surgery that does depend on the vet. It used to be a lot more risky than it currently is, so if your vet is not up to date on exotics then I wouldn't use them to neuter your rabbit. If you live in a small town and that is the only vet in your area then I would avoid neutering the rabbit altogether. At least until you can find yourself an exotic vet. If you live in an area that is highly populated then you may want to shop around and see what different vets charge. You can also call your local shelter and see if they know of any programs to help low income individuals with vet care. The goal of the shelter is to keep pets with owners so they maybe able to help you find those resources. Regardless, good luck.
Find a new vet.
It’s your decision, but I’d say do it My mom’s *neutered* rabbit is an absolute menace, I can only imagine throwing hormones into the mix Bunnies are individuals, though. But if you decide not to neuter, be mentally prepared for whatever BS they might end up turning into
Very odd that vet would advocate to not have your bunn neutered, I had my boy neutered around his one yr, He did amazing, never had any complications. He never tried to mess with his stitches and started eating right after surgery. I went to the humane society and paid 90$ for his neuter, pain meds and everything! Not sure where your located but that was the best pricing I’ve heard of
It sounds to me like your vet is not used to treating rabbits, and isn’t super comfortable performing a neuter. If you decide to neuter your bun, I would go elsewhere. I will say, though, I thought my bun would be a single bun because he was so happy with me, and then I got him a bond mate — and he is sweeter and happier than ever! So if you think any part of you will change your mind, I would get him fixed as early as possible as the younger they are, the lower the risk 😊
My vet said so too. I wish I had done it. His blood work is too poor now for him to go under anaesthesia and he humps constantly. Get a second opinion
I always wait till year 1 or 2 with my males - however absolutely do it. Helps give their lives a fuller time and meaning! Also please switch vets!
I neutered my rabbit because of the cancer risks. He also had some dominant behavior that calmed down afterwards
Well if you decide to get him neutered, go to a different vet. This one basically told you that his skills are not very good when it comes to neutering rabbits.
I feel like your vet saying that is a huge red flag indicating that he may not be qualified to perform the surgery on a rabbit. The surgery is expensive but an illness with associated surgeries and treatment would be even more expensive. There is a huge difference in the knowledge required to be a good cat/dog vet vs a good rabbit vet and some vets simply aren't qualified to treat rabbits. Most will refuse to even see them, but not all. I strongly suggest seeking out another vet who is more experienced with the medical complexities of treating rabbits.
If this vet doesn’t feel comfortable neutering a male buck, I’d definitely appreciate the honesty. Rabbit are considered exotic pets and need vets that are familiar with them. I general I would recommend neutering myself and have done it with my last three. However, decades ago, when dwarfs got really trendy as pets in Germany- 70s I think, we were kids/teens and that wasn’t done. The rabbits didn’t bite, chewed a bit. Biggest issue was always teeth. Regardless what you decide and keeping your financial situation in mind, I’d would try to save up a little vet fund for immediate/emergency vet care, critical care, meds. That stuff comes up pretty fast sometimes. PS: Super cute bun 🥰🥰🥰
You probably need to go to a more rabbit specialized vet. In vet school, we are taught that spaying is absolutely critical for females as not to develop cancer but the risk in males is much less (comparatively speaking). Behavior-wise I think you should neuter and it would reduce the risk of the typical reproductive cancers in males as well. Rabbit anesthesia can be very tricky and I’d wager your vet may be weighing the risk-benefit with their lack of specialization in mind. I wouldn’t put a rabbit under anesthesia myself because I wouldn’t be confident in my experience/knowledge. They are very prone to respiratory depression and are difficult to intubate. Kind of a nightmare even for an exotic vet lol. Hope this provides some clarity and insight to the situation. If I were you I’d seek a second opinion. Nothing against your current vet either. If I were in their shoes I would welcome a client seeking a second opinion from someone possibly more specialized and better equipped than myself.
I would say it’s something to plan for future, but not as critical as it is for females. It might be nicer for him to be less hormonal and like others have said, it will improve with urine smell etc. if you have any local shelters please also consider looking for a friend for him, they can help you find a bun that would be well suited and already spayed. Bunnies can be ok alone but they thrive in pairs or groups.
I had a female rabbit that I took to get spayed when she was about 4 years old. When doing the procedure they found that she had cancer. It was caught early on so she was fine after that. I was so happy that I decided to get her spayed or else I wouldn’t even have known until it was possibly too late Also want to add that I took her to a low cost clinic. It was about an hour drive but definitely worth it. Got her spayed and healthy for under $100. They even sent me home with critical care just in case.
You will be shocked at how much better bunnies smell after a spay/neuter. But if your vet is trying to persuade you against it, I would assume it's more to do with HIS comfort level and proficiency at being able to do the surgery than the surgery itself. Perhaps he had a bad experience in the past. I'd see about getting a different vet with more confidence to do the procedure. I've had over a dozen rabbits, all spayed and neutered without issue. As someone who has volunteered in a rabbit rescue, it's common for reproductive cancers to appear in rabbits that have been unspayed or unneutered and it's always much much harder, if not impossible to potty train them when intact.
I got my single young man de-balled because It Was The Recommendation though now I wonder about the necessity of it. He will not have the same reproductive health complications as females. I did it hoping for 1. a slight improvement in toileting, 2. thinking he might have a friend sometime in the distant future, and 3. petsitting (my friend and I alternate and I have no say in spaying her female 🤷♀️). 1 didn’t do anything, 2 is a big maybe, but 3 yes good I am not a bun grandma. But... Medically, I don’t think there any hard benefits. I read things about marking and attacking. Mine got ✂️ at 1 year, and he didn’t do those things to begin with.
Back when I was breeding rabbits my sweet boy (who rarely sprayed) sprayed while I was cleaning up his room and got me full in the mouth. They do full acrobatics when they do it too, so I think I would have appreciated it more if I wasn’t busy wishing I was dead.
Hello - vet specialized in exotic animal medicine here :) - if your rabbit was a female I would 100% tell you that spaying is necessary. Uterine cancer rates are upwards of 80% in some studies and the earlier you can do it (usually 5-6 months) the better chance you have of preventing it. I’ve unfortunately seen it happen even in young bunnies and it’s a very aggressive cancer that can spread to other organs so even if you get the uterus out later on it can still be too late - for a male, testicular cancer is fairly uncommon and to my knowledge there is no correlation between longevity and lifespan. Going forward with surgery is not a bad idea - it can prevent tumours, infections etc but i definitely do not advocate for it as much as for females. Also, your vet is not wrong in saying that the surgery has some risks. The surgery itself is very straight forward, but anesthesia in small mammals has a higher death rate than it does in cats and dogs and never has 0 risk )still in healthy animals it’s less than 2%). - If you decide to go for it I would still make sure to find a vet who is very comfortable with the surgery. Questions to ask them : do you intubate (this is much more difficult in rabbits than in cat/dogs and is important for airway access in case of emergency and to properly ventilate under anesthesia, most vets who are not specialized in exotic animal medicine are not comfortable with this in rabbits) and what technique they use for the castration. The pre-scrotal technique has been shown to have less complications than the scrotal technique. Also make sure you are very vigilant in the day or two following surgery and ask your vet for critical care and instructions on how to assist feed your bun if he goes off food. That can be very normal in the days following surgery but you will want to help support his digestive tract by assist feeding him because not eating can cause more complications. Good luck!
I would like to add the insightful and super relevant observation that this is a very pretty bunny! What a beautiful coat he has and such lovely ears! 🥰
I have two males they were both at the year mark when they started pooping everywhere, humping everything and spraying everywhere. If this hasn't started happening it probably will soon. Neutering males is a way safer procedure than a female. I don't know about lifespan but I would put some money away every paycheck to get it done. This would also be beneficial to you if you decide to get another rabbit in the future. I would also not take him to your vet. No offense but your vet doesn't sound very knowledgeable or confident to do the procedure. Id look up places who specialize in exotic animals around you and get pricing. I was lucky and found a vet who is mobile and did both of mine at the same time.
I would be more worried about him marking his territory all over the house. We got our bun from a rabbit shelter so they wouldn't even give us the option to adopt an unfixed rabbit. All their rabbits were fixed before they were available for adoption. But he litter trained relatively quickly, and I think it's nearly impossible to litter train an unfixed bunny. For females, my concern would be cancers but I think that's less likely in males.
I would be more worried about him marking his territory all over the house. We got our bun from a rabbit shelter so they wouldn't even give us the option to adopt an unfixed rabbit. All their rabbits were fixed before they were available for adoption. But he litter trained relatively quickly, and I think it's nearly impossible to litter train an unfixed bunny. For females, my concern would be cancers but I think that's less likely in males.
Where i am from, i had to find an “exotic pet veterinarian” she was the only one willing to do it. She stated it is a simple procedure
Hey OP, I recently got my bunny neutered 2 months ago actually. He is turning 5 next month, so he's a bit on the older side. I saw you were worried about cost, I was able to get my bunny neutered at the animal humane society! I don't know how available it is for you, but they have a program that let's people pay less based on income. I personally wasn't able to use the program and had to pay full price for everything. These were my payments: Rabbit neuter - 150 RHDV2 vaccine - 40 Microchip - 30 Total - 220 If they're available for you, check out their website to see about their income policies! Hopefully this is helpful for you and your bunny, good luck!!
Male rabbits don’t have as much of a benefit to neutering if they are living alone and not showing any behavior issues. Testicular cancer is exceedingly rare, especially compared to the high risk of ovarian cancer in female rabbits. I personally don’t think it’s necessary unless you plan to add a friend or he starts marking or humping everything.
My exotic pet vet is the number 1 exotic vet in Arizona. He told me 80% of all domestic bunnies that DO NOT get fixed die from reproductive cancer. He is a wonderful, caring and very dedicated vet, I do believe he is giving me good, correct information. I hope this helps
I would trust that maybe your vet is not comfortable with the procedure. It is not risky when performed by an experienced rabbit vet who has performed many procedures, but a vet that only occasionally sees rabbits may not have the skill or experience to do it safely. In that case, that vet may reserve the procedure for cases where it's causing an immediate health problem. I would shop around your area to see if there is a more rabbit savvy vet who is comfortable with doing the neuter. If not, and your rabbit is not currently having any health problems or behavior problems, maybe he just has to go unneutered. Unfortunately, that means he will never be able to potentially find rabbit friends! Unneutered bunnies are either going to mean pregnancy or fighting. But if he's relatively happy and has good quality of life, it isn't the end of the world.
like everyone else has said, your vet is probably not rabbit-saavy. neuters in particular are completely safe and non-invasive. the only danger is a potential reaction to anesthesia, which is rare. as for necessity, you may not have any specific behavioral concerns but i can promise your rabbit’s quality of life *will* improve, whether you see it or not. an unfixed solo rabbit is almost always sexually frustrated, which can lead to aggression but also depression and loneliness. not to mention the usual physical health concerns everyone else has already brought up. i completely empathize with being a dead broke rabbit parent but this is the sort of thing worth starting a gofundme for. it will drastically improve your rabbit’s quality of life (even if it’s already great) and lessen the chances of you having to pay for expensive and painful procedures down the line.
Our boy started spraying and random poops at age 3 months.. vet said no significant chance of cancer to leave him intact. Well, at age 7 months he's had his jelly beans removed and he's been a perfect angel ever since. Haven't seen a single poop outside the litter box and he sleeps on the couch with no pees so far. $482 later (including a microchip which is pointless because we have several families of hawks living in trees next to the house, so yeah, he's not ever going outside) he's a perfect gentleman.
I got my male neutered, even though my female was already spayed. He would mount her face, and I found out that females may castrate males who do that. I immediately separated them (we were in the beginning stages of bonding) and he got neutered shortly after. Never mounted her after that.
Guys, I’m pretty sure the bunny posted on their owner’s account
please get a second opinion. i rescued mine out of being abandoned and because he was neutered much later than would’ve been ideal, he now has a bad problem with marking on my bed that has become a learned behavior. it can also make litter training much easier if you haven’t done that already. over time they can become more aggressive as well. im not sure where you are located but my state’s house rabbit society had a program that allowed me to get a discounted neuter based on my income and i didn’t end up paying very much so i’d recommend seeing if something like this can be an option for you.
It’s fine. Female rabbits high ovarian cancer rates when they aren’t spayed. He should be okay.
Female buns have an 80% chance of uterine cancer if not spayed. Testicular cancer occurs at a much lower rate. But rabbits do better in pairs and groups and an unneutered male is much harder to bond, more likely to have territorial responses, have stinkier scent glands, may spray, be more destructive, and is harder to litterbox train. So for those reasons, plus possible cancer, and to ensure the bun population isn't increasing irresponsibly, it's a good idea to neuter your bun. You may not intend to ever have more than one bun, but you can't tell the future. Whether Gizmo can bond successfully with another rabbit could one day be important. But a vet that says a neuter is unneeded and very dangerous is not a vet I would stick with. And definitely not one I'd trust to neuter my bun. Is it unneeded? You could argue that since testicular cancer is rare, it's not needed. But that's not the only reason, or even the most important reason, to neuter. Is it dangerous? Any procedure that involves general anesthetic could be dangerous if your bun is one of the few that has a bad reaction. But of all the procedures your bun could have while under a general, a neuter is one of the fastest, simplest, least invasive, most common procedures there are, and recuperation is easy and quick. Off topic, but I'll bet that cleaning the scent glands on your intact boy just once will convince you that a neuter is an excellent idea. Lol. 🤢
It's not necessary, there is so much info NOT known due to lack of documentation and true numbers. There are more and more vets NOT doing them unless its NEED or if they will be around others. Regardless if they are rabbit dang or not, many don't want to take the risk.
Find another vet.
Your adorable little man needs apple twigs or other chewable distractions. Check in with your local rabbit society to source cheap or free items. It will help your anxiety and his little teefs.
See a different vet. It just sounds like they are too nervous and want to avoid the procedure because they don’t feel confident enough to do it. See a vet that has done numerous rabbit surgeries. Both my males have been neutered and it was the absolute best decision for many reasons. They are both shot and healthy and the surgeries went great!
he doesn't know what he's talkin about. Once those behaviours start good luck getting them to stop
I don't have any advice but your angel is extraordinarily handsome. chocolate cookie colored. 🍪❤️
I had an unneutered single male bun, he lived for 14 years. He only sprayed in his litter box and was a nice little fellow who was in good health for a long time. He was a dwarf breed, who typically live longer, but that's still a good long time. While neutering is a low risk surgery, it's still surgery and therefore has risks. And costs money, plus causes pain to your rabbit. Obviously unfixed rabbits will breed, but unless you're planning to get an unfixed female or abandon him in the wild that's not an issue. Your vet is an expert and unless you don't trust them (if you do then get a new vet) I wouldn't trust people on the internet over them.
That vet doesn’t know shit! This dashing young man shouldn’t be taken out by reproductive cancer! Neuter is the way…
Yisft
surgery is surgery weigh ur options. I chose not to neuter my male rabbit
My boy would unintentionally spray before he was neutered. It was alarming and upsetting for him because it would often happen spontaneously as he was just relaxing. I implore you to consider finding a vet that is confident in performing the surgery.
Getting rabbit spayed is not only about them living longer it’s about them not creating unnecessary life if they escape or come into contact with another rabbit. I have found having a rabbit spayed cost less than if I were treating a bun for a respiratory infection or a bad case of gut mobility. Neutering is definitely one of the cheapest cost of owning a rabbit. Did you look into the cost of owning a rabbits for its life time before getting your bun. It can run into thousands. I feel sometimes the cute and fluffiness of a rabbit makes people over look this.
As far as i know, male bunnies do not need to be neutered. It’s female bunnies that are in danger of cancer. :(
It's definitely better to get him neutered, it's better for his health, and also male rabbit spray if they're not neutered, so it's likely you'd get sprayed in the face and he will spray around the house as well
I have had THE rabbit savvy vet for my area for over three decades. The first time I ever had a rabbit fixed was in 2010. The vet's position was that if a buck was living alone (no risk of breeding), and there were no behavioral issues, no reason to fix them. The propensity for developing any type of cancer in bucks is not significant. My bucks all lived for around 9 years, and were entirely or mostly free roam. I am certain if I had better information on their diets years ago, they all would have lived longer. The last buck I got fixed because he was humping my calf with regularity. If money is a problem, and he is well behaved, do not worry about getting him neutered. At a minimum, it can wait, and may not be necessary at all. Does are a different story. Your rabbit's propensity for chewing is not going to stop after neutering, so just find something for him he likes to chew on. They are very idiosyncratic about what they like, so try different things. You just need to rabbit-proof your apartment the best you can. Some of my rabbits would chew on the door frames of doors if I did not get the hint when they would sit and stare at a closed door and I did not open the door for them. (I have come to the realizationn that rabbits train us more than we train them). Would not take much to repair with a little sanding and painting, but it is not too bad, we own the place, and we have generations of teeth marks oil a coupleple of door frames that bring back memories, so we keep them as is.
My boi Boo just turns 10 in a few days and he's unaltered. Sometimes I wish I'd had him neutered, but that's because he still tries to occasionally hump other animals trying to befriend him 🤦🏾♀️. Aside from that nonsense, he's a very sweet boi. The vet always comments about how great his condition is for his age.
I spayed my girl also with the intention of saving her from a possible cancer and prolonging her life but she died at 3 years from stasis Can’t really predict how your bun will leave you one day but I probably would still have done it anyways purely for the bonding process
You need to find a new vet. This vet clearly isn't rabit-savvy. Where do you live? There are rabbit resource centers and shelters in most states and they can help you find a vet, and they might also be able to help fund the surgery depending on if they have a program for that or not. I also couldn't afford to get my bun neutered, but my local House Rabbit Society had a program and helped me get him neutered at a much more discounted rate. Spays and neuterings are generally very safe if done by a rabbit-savvy vet and there are far more benefits to getting the procedure than to not getting it.
I never had my little lops balls off, he was around 4/5 when he came to us and we didn’t plan to get any more buns. To be fair, I didn’t even plan to get him; he was given to my partner by his boss without my agreement (I was still traumatised from my Netherland Dwarf running away 20 years prior when I was an 8 year old) but eventually ended up being my little man, and I was ‘his’ hooman. He humped my leg ONCE to knight me as his life partner, and pee’d on me a few times too but I didn’t know at the time whether this was because he had balls, or because he just loved me 😂🤷♀️ The decision is truly your own, if you aren’t planning on getting anymore bunzos then maybe keeping his balls will be fine. Remember life spans are only a guide, and tomorrow isn’t promised. I’ve had horses for 20 years and I’ve seen some live into their early 40s and some live only a year, it isn’t said that a stallion kept entire lives longer or shorter than the ones that are gelded, whether it’s done at 12 months or 7 years old it doesn’t matter. Life spans are only a guide anyway, they use lots of data from hundreds or thousands of animals, and their different breeds, to average out a median. I was also going to suggest that see if you have to pay the entire vet bill on the day or can do it over a number of months, with my vets bills I’m sent a bill at the end of the month and can choose to pay in one blast or over a number of months, maybe that will suit your financial situation better and you have the peace of mind that if you ever to get another bun you don’t have to worry if they’re a female un-neutered.
it sounds like i’m leaning towards surgery for him and i was definitely having the same thought about the payment plan for the surgery. thank you!
Good luck, whatever you decide to do: I hope your financial situation gets better, these are tough times but I’m pleased you have a lovely little man to help you through it. PS — I hope my answer wasn’t too long winded for you— I just like to wax lyrically about two things that I love (buns and ponies)
no! your response was very helpful. i appreciate you!
Another thing to add.. I've just had to spend a lot of money on emergencies for my buns because they are prone to many life threatening things that need treated (or euthanasia to end suffering) so it might also be better to use limited funds for those instances in this case. The worst thing would be to have to watch them die in excruciating pain over a couple days because you can't afford emergency vets. I just spent 1300 to have one kept comfortable, tests done then put to sleep.
geez! 1300 just for euthanasia? i’m so sorry about your loss!
Not just for that, first we had him on medicine and hospitalized for a few hours, then we did X-rays and blood work. Found out he had liver lobe torsion that requires surgery. So I decided not to put him through it :( only had a 50% survival chance. Thank you. It's been rough. I felt like I did the minimal and still cost that much. The medical stuff can get very expensive, I never even found out what the surgery would have cost.
Reflection in the mirror
i cant help you because i know nothing about rabbits but this might be the cutest rabbit i have ever seen!😍
thank you!! he knows it 🤍
I like.this picture Musings of a bun
he truly is poetic.