Desexing Rabbits

 

It is common to think about getting your pet cat or dog desexed, however many people are unaware that getting their pet rabbit desexed is an option and an increasingly routine procedure.

Although there is a higher risk of anaesthetic complications in rabbits due to their unique airways and digestive tracts, the risks outweigh the benefits, particularly for female rabbits. At Vets4Pets we are very experienced with rabbit anaesthesia and perform rabbit desexing frequently. 

Rabbits come to the clinic in the morning, stay with us for the day and go home the same afternoon. Rabbits do not need to be starved overnight before anaesthesia - please keep their food and water with them. They are given pain relief injections at the clinic and are sent home with further oral pain relief to be given at home. Full home-care instructions are given to you when your pets are sent home, and we are always happy to answer any questions you may have. We encourage owners to book a free post-operative check-up a few days after surgery to ensure that all is going well and that pain levels are well managed. 

 

There are many reasons to desex your rabbit. Two of the most common reasons people choose to desex their rabbit (aside from preventing breeding) are to prevent unwanted behaviours and to prevent serious disease.

 

Many owners of rabbits will notice that as their bunny reaches sexual maturity (around 5-9 months old depending on breed) their pet’s behaviour will start to change. Rabbits of both genders will often start to show sexual behaviours such as territorial aggression. Two rabbits of the same gender that have grown up together and usually get on well, may suddenly have dangerous fights. Males will often start to urine mark, and rabbits of both genders may show copulatory (sexual) behaviour. Desexing before these behaviours start will often help to prevent them, although sometimes two rabbits of the same gender will not be able to safely live together after maturity even if they are desexed, because of fighting. Most pet rabbits are happiest when kept in a male female pair (with one or both animals desexed to prevent unwanted pregnancies).

 

In female rabbits, cancer of the uterus is a life threatening and extremely common disease. It has been reported that 60% of entire (non-desexed) females over the age of 4, will have uterine cancer and 75% of rabbits over 7 years old will have it. For this reason, if you are keeping a female-male pair of rabbits and only wanting to desex one to prevent mating, it is always best to desex the female, as desexing a female can extend their life significantly.

 

What is involved in desexing surgery for rabbits? 

Females: Surgery involves opening the abdomen and removing the ovaries and uterus. The wound is then closed in multiple layers of stitches.

Surgery for females is more complex so it requires a longer anaesthetic and longer surgery time. For this reason, recovery from surgery is generally slower for females than males; however, most pets are generally feeling well within 24 hours of surgery. Free wound checks are available post-surgery and stitches are removed 10-14 days after surgery.

Males: In male rabbits, the skin is opened over each testicle individually and the testes are then surgically removed. The skin wound is closed with tissue glue. There are no stitches to be removed.