Caring For Your Rabbit After Neutering

When your rabbit is neutered, he may experience a decreased appetite and/or activity level.

It is important to monitor your rabbit for any signs of infection and to provide extra food, water, and attention. A few days before the surgery, reduce your rabbit's food intake and then feed him after the surgery.

Your vet will tell you how much to feed him following the surgery so keep an eye on his weight once he starts eating again.

The rabbit should be kept as quiet as possible following the surgery and should be kept in a dark, quiet place. Avoid exposing your rabbit to bright lights.

A rabbit may also experience an increased appetite after neutering. Patience is important here — try to balance his increased appetite with the amount of food you are feeding him. You will not need to feed your rabbit more than usual following the surgery.

Why Should You Neuter A Rabbit?

There are three reasons why you may want to have your rabbit neutered:

1. The rabbit can make a friend who doesn't need to live in close quarters with you in order to be happy. A single rabbit can live alone without the other rabbits in the home making it less stressful for him.

2. Rabbits, like most animals, can produce too many rabbits to fit comfortably into a home and then the house becomes their entire world.

3. A neutered rabbit is more likely to be a good companion for another animal in the home. Most bunnies are very social and enjoy the companionship of one another.

If you can, have your rabbit neutered before he reaches sexual maturity at about 6 months of age. You'll find that you have fewer behavior problems during his adolescence as a result of neutering him.

Do rabbits change after being neutered?

After neutering, a male rabbit will become calmer and less likely to spray. He is also more likely to be a good companion to another rabbit in the home. Behavior changes following neutering include:

There are no negative behavioral changes that result from neutering a mature rabbit. Following surgery, some rabbits adjust their daily patterns slightly; they may become more active at night or quieter during the day. There are rare reports of increased aggressiveness following surgery, but most veterinarians consider this behavior normal for the circumstances.

What kind of anesthesia is used for this surgery?

Anesthesia is given prior to surgery, but your vet will explain the specific procedure to you so you will know exactly what to expect.

Most veterinarians use an injectable drug called ketamine as general anesthesia during the procedure.

Will my male rabbit calm down after being neutered?

Your rabbit's behavior after surgery will be less active at night and during the day.

He may also act less submissive to other rabbits in the home if you are planning on adding a new companion to your home.

How To Care For A Newly Neutered Rabbit

Welcome to the world of the neutered rabbit. It is not as scary as you may have thought it would be, and you can easily care for a neutered rabbit.

If you were not planning on having your bunny neutered, it might be a good idea to speak with your vet about this surgery for several reasons.

When male rabbits are sexually mature (about six months of age), they do tend to become more aggressive towards their owners and other males that they come in contact with.

There are other benefits to having your rabbit spayed or neutered such as not producing as many babies, calmer, friendlier behavior and less spraying.

Food And Water

If your rabbit is scheduled or a spay or neuter surgery, it is important to reduce the amount of food you are feeding him as soon as you know his surgery date.

Your vet will tell you to stop feeding him completely three or four days prior to the procedure.

After Surgery

You may notice that your rabbit is not eating very much following his surgery. This will be completely normal and it will just take some time for him to start eating again on his own.

Toileting

Some rabbits return to their pre-neutered routine in the time it takes others several weeks. If your rabbit is not using his litter box, you may want to consider different types of litter or even a different litter box until he becomes accustomed to his new circumstances.

Rest And Relaxation

Rabbits need rest and relaxation after surgery. Letting him stay in his cage for at least one week will help to recover from the stress of the surgery.

Comfort And Bonding

Your rabbit will be anesthetized during his surgery. After surgery, the vet will give him fluids and pain medication. It's important to let your rabbit be comfortable after the procedure. Keep your rabbit inside of his cage during this time so that he has a sense of security and safety and can recover from the anesthesia effects.

A neutered rabbit will develop a very strong bond with his new littermate. This is not to say that he will not be able to bond with another rabbit if there are no problems bonding, but it is more likely he will bond with a rabbit of the same sex.

Some rabbits who have been neutered also develop anxiety if there are too many changes and changes in their environment suddenly. To help minimize this anxiety you may want to consider 'pausing' your neuter date until you see how your rabbit reacts over time.

Healing Time

It is normal for your rabbit to have a swollen area after neutering and spaying. This can last for one week or longer. You may notice the area hurting slightly when you pet your rabbit, or he may even be limp. If you notice any swelling in your rabbit's scrotum, you will want to reduce the amount of hard foods that he eats.

Peeing Problems

He might start peeing out of his genitals again but it will not be as frequent as before the surgery.

Anecdotes of rabbits having pain and other issues after their spay or neuter surgeries are mixed and sometimes vary from case to case. There are many different reasons why rabbits may not be able to use their litter box. The most common reasons for this behavior are:

• 1. Pain
• 2. C-section scars or umbilical hernia from a previous pregnancy
• 3. Litter box avoidance
• 4. Changed environment
• 5. Rabbit is sick
• 6. Pregnant
• 7. Not using the litter box because they are stressed
• 8. Eating their feces as a result of either lactose intolerance or poor nutrition, often found when feeding pellets only due to obesity
• 9. Older rabbits won’t go in the box if they have a creaky bone or joint pain

Do female rabbits have periods?

Female rabbits do not have periods. If she is bleeding it is probably a side effect of spaying, or it could be a vaginal infection. Because of this, the frequency of her ovulation cannot be counted on.

When should you separate male and female rabbits?

When you are first introducing a female and male rabbit, keep them separate, let them smell each other’s scent through the cage but don’t allow them to have physical contact.

Don’t put the male in with the female until neutered. The longer they are together before being separated the more difficult it will be for them to get along after they are separated.

Do rabbits change gender?

No, they do not change gender. A male is always a male and a female is always a female, however both males and females have small vestigial organs inside their bodies which are also referred to as gonads.

These are normally differentiated into testes in males and into ovaries in females but sometimes these structures become the opposite or are completely removed.

The expression of the genetic makeup still remains intact which is why some male rabbits can have babies if they get with the right female who will carry it for them.