Rabbits & Neutering
Rabbits reach sexual maturity at 3 months, with large breeds reaching it at 4-5 months. Male/male pairs and male/female pairs should be separated by this point to avoid pregnancy and fighting that can result in death.
Male Rabbits:
Male rabbits can actually be castrated early at 8-12 weeks or 16 weeks for large breeds. The advantage to this is that they do not need to be separated from the group and the surgery is better tolerated at this age, however not all vets are able to do this.
If there is no early castration then 6-10 weeks quarantine is needed to ensure that they cannot impregnate any females as they will still be able to generate sperm. The castration inhibits hormone production and means that the rabbit is infertile. All male rabbits should be neutered and bonded as soon as possible, a lone rabbit will become depressed as they are social animals and NEED a friend.
Male/male groups or pairs need to be separated before they reach sexual maturity because as they come into puberty, fighting can be sudden and males can and will mutilate the others male parts. The later the castration, the more likely that their bond will break meaning that they can never be put back together. Waiting until the first signs of fighting can be fatal.
Benefits:
No babies!
More balanced behavior due to lack of testosterone.
More tolerated within a group.
Easier to litter train as marking/spraying is reduced.
Less chance of behavioral issues such as aggression.
The operation:
Rabbits cannot be sick so food must not be withheld before the operation as this can cause GI Stasis. On the day, lighter foods should be given such as hay, carrot, fennel, apple etc. After, he should be fully conscious, able to maintain his body temperature and sense his surroundings before he comes home. He should have a place in his enclosure or area that he can retreat to so that he can get some privacy, and any bedding should be swapped out for fleece, towels or something soft that isn’t going to irritate the wounds. Heat can be offered using a hot water bottle, snugglesafe or a heat lamp.
He should eat as soon as possible, try treats and favourite foods if he seems uninterested - he may need to be syringe fed for the first day or so. The vet should give you an antibiotic, a painkiller and possibly something to keep the digestive system moving to prevent GI Stasis. The wound should be checked daily.
Female Rabbits:
The neuter of female rabbits is more invasive than that of males and should be carefully considered before going ahead.
For neutering:
“Female rabbits are prone to uterine cancer” (although not 80% as usually cited!)
They do not need their uterus if they are not being bred.
Better for indoor rabbits as spraying and aggressiveness is reduced.
Easier to bond with other rabbits and be in a group (not always true).
Possibly of coming into contact with wild rabbits which could lead to pregnancy.
It is a routine procedure at the vets and is safe.
Females suffer from excessive sex drive as they are unable to carry out their natural urges.
Against neutering:
Just because a disease is ‘common’, an entire organ should not be removed as a precautionary measure. The 80% chance of getting cancer was so far only found in studies where the rabbits were subjected to carcinogenic processes such as x-rays. Only sick or dead animals were used or certain breeding lines with very high cancer rates were chosen as subjects. Other studies concluded that 0 - 5 % of all females are affected by uterine cancer. In fact, the risk of dying under anesthesia during or after surgery is similar to the risk of actually getting the cancer. Summary of studies: www.kaninchen-wuerden-wiese-kaufen.de/tumore.htm
It is a very invasive and large operation which includes long abdominal incisions and a risk of dying under the anesthesia meaning that a young rabbit may die of an unnecessary operation. It may never have gotten cancer and would have lived longer.
Rabbits can die under the anesthetic during or after the operation and the drugs used during the surgery are poorly researched for use on rabbits.
Neutered females can suffer from many side effects:
Increased weight gain which can lead to osteoarthritis and other joint diseases.
Urinary diseases such as bladder infections and stones along with incontinence.
Osteoporosis - brittle bones and teeth.
Indigestion such as constipation or bloating through the displacement of organs by fat.
Surgical wounds can cause adhesions which can cause digestive issues, pain and other symptoms.
The scars left by the surgery are huge compared to the abdominal wall and prevent the abdominal wall from being able to stretch out fully. As a rabbit usually has a very full stomach after feeding, the scar can prevent the skin from expanding meaning that the abdominal wall bulges.
Most forms of cancer in the uterus form later in life (5 years).
Death from uterine cancer can be prevented by looking out for simple signs:
Aggressiveness.
Restlessness.
Common Pseudo-pregnancies (more then 2-3 times a year).
Vaginal discharge.
General signs of illness (drowsiness, low food intake, thin with a swollen stomach or weight gain).
Cervical cancer surgery is often unnecessary in old rabbits as they die of other diseases before the cancer becomes painful or life threatening.
Our view is that the neutering of female rabbits is unnecessary, their lives do not need to be risked now, for the small chance that they may get uterine cancer in the future. On the other hand, the neutering of male rabbits is necessary (with much less risks!) to allow them to live as a social animal and for them to be happy.
However, there are some cases where females may need to be neutered due to excessively frequent mock pregnancies. A mock pregnancy is a hormonal disorder where the rabbit thinks that she is pregnant when she isn’t. Some females are more prone to these pseudo-pregnancies especially if they are living with a male that was not castrated early.
In a pseudo-pregnancy ovulation is triggered by a mating attempt/ failed mating attempt (castrated male) or in some cases by mutual grooming or even temperature fluctuations especially in spring and autumn. Twelve hours after ovulation is triggered, the eggs are released which would usually lead to fertilisation. However, due to the male being castrated, this does not happen but the pregnancy hormone progesterone is still released which causes the rabbit to think that she is pregnant.
Symptoms of a pseudo-pregnancy:
Pulling out fur to build a nest with, using other nesting materials such as straw, hay etc.
Digging a deep burrow or attempting to.
Aggression towards others in the group and towards owners.
Loss of weight, swollen teats and milk can even be produced in rare cases.
Permanent stress and restlessness which can cause them to forget to eat.
Laying down completely exhausted from collecting nesting material.
Lasts 14-18 days, symptoms may only appear towards the end of the pseudo-pregnancy.
Treatment:
Do not destroy the nest! This will stress her out and she will start building the nest all over again. Only remove when she is no longer interested in it.
Add extra feeding and drinking areas into the enclosure to ensure that other group members can keep away from her and the nest.
Herbs such as basil, sage, fennel and lemon balm have a calming effect and should be offered in larger quantities.
Neutering should only be considered if it happens more than four times a year as this can be very stressful.
Having a litter will not prevent more pseudo-pregnancies in the future!
The operation (if necessary):
The operation should not occur during a pseudo-pregnancy as the abdomen of the rabbit is supplied with more blood which increases the surgery risk even further.
Rabbits cannot be sick so food must not be withheld before the operation as this can cause GI Stasis. On the day, lighter foods should be given such as hay, carrot, fennel, apple etc. After, she should be fully conscious, able to maintain her body temperature and sense her surroundings before she comes home. She should have a place in her enclosure or area that she can retreat to so she can get some privacy and any bedding should be swapped out for fleece, towels or something soft that isn’t going to irritate the wounds. Heat can be offered using a hot water bottle, snugglesafe or a heat lamp.
Do not allow her to jump high or chew at the stitches - a sleeve which goes over the body can be worn but this is unpleasant and restricts the rabbit. She should eat as soon as possible, try treats and favourite foods if she seems uninterested - dill is a good appetite stimulant - she may need to be syringe fed for the first day or so. The vet should give you an antibiotic, a painkiller and possibly something to keep the digestive system moving to prevent GI Stasis. She should not be disturbed unless checking the wound which should be checked daily.
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