# to spay or not to spay?



## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

I was at the vet's today with my rabbit Willow and the vet wants us to get her spayed as we are not planning on breeding her and I know it is better to get it done when she is young! but for some reason i'm really torn about it! it won't be til after I get paid anyways cuz its really expensive but I just wanted to find out what are people views on the spaying? do you think its a good idea? the vet said it could improve her temperament as she's a bit crazy, unpredictable and bites all the time. But (and i know its different with different animals) I had a wee dog that got neutered recently and they said it would help him etc etc and since then all he has done is gain weight despite having his food portions restricted and he's got really lazy and almost depressed- he doesn't want to even go for walks and while he never was a crazy bouncy playful dog he would play the odd time but he just doesn';t any more. I'm just worried that Willow will end up putting on weight and being less playful or something  any advice /experience would be really appreciated as this is my first rabbit xx

btw I added a wee pic of her just so you could put a face to a name  that's my princess Willow  xx


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

I would always recommend spaying female rabbits as 80% of unspayed female rabbits get uterine cancer after the age of 5, and it prevent mammary tumours and can improve temperament. Unspayed rabbits can be territorial and can be aggressive as hormones fly everywhere. 

I would also suggest you get her a neutered male rabbit to bond her with because rabbits are social animals and they do need company of their own kind, as humans will never speak "bunny" language and replace a bunny friend.


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## Kammie (Apr 4, 2009)

Yes spay her! 

Do you want to gamble with the odds that 80% of unspayed females get uterine cancer?


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

im just aware of the dangers of anaesthetic, plus with her being female its a bigger op than for a boy.

Also seven pets i have considered getting her a wee bunny boy, id actually picked one out called jasper- a smooth mini lop- pure white with ruby eyes  he was beautiful but due to unexpected vet bills i couldnt afford him and he is gone 
plus im moving really soon so im going to wait until ive moved , and then also wait til willow is spayed cuz i was already thinking i would get it done i just wanted to see what others thot of it  xx


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## Nicky10 (Jan 11, 2010)

Get her spayed there's far too many health risks to unspayed females. Wait until she's spayed to get a male friend for her


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

Nicky10 said:


> Get her spayed there's far too many health risks to unspayed females. Wait until she's spayed to get a male friend for her


yeh i really dont want any babybunnies as cute as they are haha i was planning on keeping them in separate cages until spayed and neutered and then bond them but aw well  wee jasper is gone x


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

yes get her spayed but it may not stop the biting -I had a doe who was hormonal and had her spayed -she still bit ankles and wrists then I got her a male friend and from the moment she met him it was love and she never ever bit again.
sometimes biting is for attention


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

yeah i think she's just always going to be a handful! Since I got her I've made a massive effort every day to spend lots of time with her, when im not at work or uni im with willow hehe I'm constantly talking to her and stroking her. she hasnt ever bitten me but she has bitten my OH quite a few times and he hasnt the best relationship anymore but meh , shes mine so thats okay hehe 
They said that she had been biting others and all when in [email protected] and when we got her she had an abcess on her leg she had got from fighting so im waiting until i have the money that if i get another rabbit and they dont bond and willow rejects the wee fellow i can afford to have two separately hehe xx


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## SEVEN_PETS (Aug 11, 2009)

lolabloob said:


> yeah i think she's just always going to be a handful! Since I got her I've made a massive effort every day to spend lots of time with her, when im not at work or uni im with willow hehe I'm constantly talking to her and stroking her. she hasnt ever bitten me but she has bitten my OH quite a few times and he hasnt the best relationship anymore but meh , shes mine so thats okay hehe
> They said that she had been biting others and all when in [email protected] and when we got her she had an abcess on her leg she had got from fighting so im waiting until i have the money that if i get another rabbit and they dont bond and willow rejects the wee fellow i can afford to have two separately hehe xx


if you get a rabbit from a rescue, they can usually bond them for you, so you don't run the risk of having two separate rabbits as they come home bonded from the rescue.


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

so do they take in your rabbit you already have to bond them? or do you mean if you pick out two rabbits from the rescue? hehe x


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

lolabloob said:


> so do they take in your rabbit you already have to bond them? or do you mean if you pick out two rabbits from the rescue? hehe x


usually you can take yours in. My rescue centre has taken my bun in for a few days to bond them. So if it doesn't work out then you can take your rabbit back and leave the rescue one there and try again when another suitable one comes along and if it does work you pick up two loved up rabbits! Its much easier than doing it yourself (which i did with Alan and Lottie) has you don't have to go through the trauma of seeing the fur pulling that goes on which can be difficult to watch.

Also if you get a rabbit from rescue he/she is already neutered, vaccinated and you'll be able to spend time with it before you take it home so you'll know its temperment. You will also know if they have any health problems before taking them on. Most rescues ask for a donation of just £40 too -a bargain in my opionion.

Your willow looks a bit like my Alan!


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

i know! i said that to my OH when i first saw alan! willow is an agouti crossbreed and alan is a red agouti so i guess it makes sense haha hes a beautiful rabbit. ill have a wee look around for rescue centres but i dont think i can take on another rabbit just yet, ill wait til willow is spayed and we have moved etc x


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## emzybabe (Jun 30, 2009)

I had Miffy spayed at 2, she was quite groggy with it and i had to take her back to the vets and she spent 2 nights in. 

Females should defiantly be spayed. BUT find a really really good rabbit vet, then there in 0 risk with the anesthetic and get them to keep her in over night. 

Call your nearest rabbit rescue and ask them who they use to spay their rabbits, this is normally a very good rabbit vet who is reasonable too, they may well also offer a donation. or as u are a student the vets may reduce the fees.


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

yeah well the vet that we are using seems to be really good and the vet knows his stuff  hes not snooty like our last one who acted like he was better than us anytime we asked him a question! its our first bunny! ofc we are gonna have questions! especially if shes ill!! hehe idiot! x


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## happysaz133 (Jun 5, 2008)

I have decided not to have my girls done at the moment unless they fight, currently it is too risky for me to have it done. However if you have a vet who really knows rabbits I would recommend it.


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## HoneyFern (Aug 27, 2009)

I think with modern advances spaying is not as risky as it used to be. And the younger your bun is the better. Sadly I had two sisters die 18mths apart after they had different cancers so I will now always make sure any buns I have will be neutered.


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## AmyCruick (Jul 20, 2009)

lolabloob said:


> i know! i said that to my OH when i first saw alan! willow is an agouti crossbreed and alan is a red agouti so i guess it makes sense haha hes a beautiful rabbit. ill have a wee look around for rescue centres but i dont think i can take on another rabbit just yet, ill wait til willow is spayed and we have moved etc x


Ooo is that what he is? I have no idea on breeds. I rescued the little fella from a couple who had bought him for their 2 yr old then she had got bored so they were trying to get rid of him on e-bay! We were going to give him to a rescue to be rehomed properly but that never happened 

Yes it'll be best to wait until willow has fully recovered and is settled in the new home otherwise it might be too much all at once for her


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## crofty (May 2, 2008)

I would never keep a doe unspayed, it would break my heart to see them get cancer of the uterus which is highly likely to happen.

Please spay her, its a routine operation at a good vets, as long as you keep an eye on her after she'll be fine. I think its the responsible thing to do if you have a doe.


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

AmyCruick said:


> Ooo is that what he is? I have no idea on breeds. I rescued the little fella from a couple who had bought him for their 2 yr old then she had got bored so they were trying to get rid of him on e-bay! We were going to give him to a rescue to be rehomed properly but that never happened
> 
> Yes it'll be best to wait until willow has fully recovered and is settled in the new home otherwise it might be too much all at once for her


he certainly looks like a red agouti lop of some kind!
Willow is an agouti cross with a lop and something else haha she is so funny she always has one ear up and one ear down like a lop! there was one morning i came in and couldnt for the life of me figure out why she looked different and realised she had both her ears down and i swear she looked identical to alan apart from being darker hahaha x


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## lolabloob (Mar 30, 2010)

this is a red agouti colouring...
http://www.rabbitgeek.com/gicon_haaskleur_buck_med.JPG


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## tagalong (Jan 28, 2010)

make sure the rescue is a good one if you leave your rabbit to be bonded -I did and got a call from my vet (I was away so the bonding took place as part of boarding ) who was also my boss to say a local vet had rung him and told him my boy was on a drip after the doe had torn half his ear off-- the rescue blamed my boy for mating her yet he was used to does and rarely did but whichever rabbit did what they were clearly not being supervised efficiently-my boss was appalled -thankfully he survived and ended up with another doe
from elsewhere and died at the grand old age of 10.


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