By Amanda Isbitt
If you own pet rabbits, you might be wondering whether it is a good idea to have them spayed or neutered. The answer is an emphatic yes. This is true even if you only have one rabbit, and there is no chance of your rabbit coming into contact with another rabbit to mate.
There are a number of health and behavioral benefits to spaying or neutering your pet rabbit. These include:
1. A longer and healthier life. Un-spayed female rabbits are at greater risk of ovarian, uterine, and mammary cancers. If you spay your female rabbit, you can almost completely eliminate this risk. Neutered male rabbits are less likely to become injured in fights with other rabbits, since they won't take out sexual aggression by provoking conflict with other rabbits.
2. Better temperament. When you spay or neuter your pet rabbit, they become calmer and more amenable to handling. Once the inclination to mate has been removed, both male and female rabbits are less likely to exhibit destructive behaviors like chewing and digging, or aggressive behaviors like biting, lunging, and growling.
3. Curtailment of offensive behavior. When you spay or neuter your rabbit, male rabbits no longer spray, and both sexes can more easily be litter trained.
4. Avoiding overpopulation. Spaying or neutering your rabbit will eliminate the risk of unwanted offspring. Abandoned rabbits are at risk of starvation, sickness, predators, and other hazards. Even if a rabbit ends up in a shelter, he may not fare much better since animal shelters are crowded, poorly stocked, understaffed, and euthanasia is common. This suffering can be preventing by spaying and neutering pet rabbits.
5. Companionship with other rabbits. If you spay or neuter your pet rabbit, you can safely introduce other rabbits for friendship or play. Unaltered rabbits cannot have friends whether of the same or opposite sex, due to hormonally related sexually aggressive behavior.
At What Age Should I Have My Pet Rabbit Spayed or Neutered?
Female rabbits can be spayed once they reach full sexual maturity. This typically happens around 4 months of age, though some veterinarians prefer to wait until a female rabbit is at least 6 months old to reduce the risk of complications.
Male rabbits can usually be neutered from the age of about 3.5 months, provided the testicles have descended. Again, some veterinarians prefer to delay the procedure until a male rabbit is 5 months of age.
It is important not too wait too long to have your rabbit spayed or neutered, since the risks increase in older rabbits. Many veterinarians recommend that rabbits should not be spayed or neutered after 6 years of age, and it's actually a good idea for any rabbit that's 2 years old or older to have a thorough health check before undergoing the procedure.
Is It Safe to Have My Pet Rabbit Spayed or Neutered?
Spaying or neutering a pet rabbit involves a surgical procedure. While there are some risks involved, these are minimal, especially when the surgery is performed by an experienced rabbit veterinarian. The most risky part of the procedure is administering anesthesia, which causes death in 0.1% or less of cases. The most important thing is to make sure you choose an experienced veterinarian to spay or neuter your pet rabbit.
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