Too young to neuter?

[AnnaNutBread]

So, my Mr. Bunz, who I thought was a mere innocent young boy, has let his testicles descend.  

The big question is should I get those snipped off asap?  The vet I chose for him doesn’t have any openings for an appointment until the 24th, could I wait until after the initial checkup or should I try to find him another vet?  

And I leave you with this:

Thank you everyone for your help!

[FrankieFlash]

First off, adorable!

It is okay to wait to neuter. They can do it as soon as the testicles descend but a lot prefer to let them gain some weight. I would have his first checkup with the vet and talk to her about it then. Make sure you like the vet first

I think every rabbit should be spayed and neutered but for the young-ins it’s okay to wait until they have got a few more lbs on them or if their behavior gets wonky. So I would take the appointment for a check-up and go from there.

 EDIT: We waited until Bunjamin was about 8-9 months because he behavior was fine until then and we were nervous nellys lol but I’m glad we did it. 

[AnnaNutBread]

Thank you thank you for your reply!  The reason I’m so antsy is because my poor dachshund was neutered a little too late and the vet told me the ‘testosterone has run through his body’ and has made him a bit too keen on the humping.

If there’s no issue with bunnies, then I will wait until after his vet visit and then make an appointment.

I just picked a vet the House Rabbit Society recommended, since they bring all their bunnies to her for all their needs.  I feel pretty safe in her hands, but I will definitely need to see her first.  Also, she charges $170 for a neuter, but the thing is that she is about 45 minutes away, whereas the other spay/neuter clinic that the House Rabbit Society also recommends is only 2 minutes away and they charge $80.  The money isn’t too big of an issue, as opposed to the time it takes me to get from one place to the other.  Sigh, decisions decisions!  

If his testicles did descend, should I be adding greens/veggies to his diet?  He’s only on alfalfa hay, timothy hay, and alfalfa pellets at the moment!

[FrankieFlash]

How old did you think he is? 12 weeks is when you can start introducing veggies. One at a time in small increments. Watch for a change in poo. My recommendation is romaine or green leaf lettuce. It’s been a staple with most buns I’ve met.

And I paid $160 for Bunji’s after all the meds and stuff. I’ve heard higher prices so I’m okay with that. lol

[AnnaNutBread]

I thought he was around 10 weeks old, but is this too young for his testicles to drop?  That is why I am thinking he is older and if so, to introduce greens in

[FrankieFlash]

He probably is older but not by much. Maybe 14-15 weeks. Just going from my experience with Bunjamin. Not all testicles drop at the same time. You got him from a neighbor right? How long did the neighbor have him? Most baby buns aren’t separated until 8 weeks (if person that had them first was nice).

[AnnaNutBread]

Thanks!  Yes, I did get him from my neighbor, he said he just bought him and kept him for half a day and found out how much a cage/supplies were going to cost him and said it wasn’t worth the ‘hassle’.  If he is indeed 14-15 weeks, I better start incorporating some greens into his diet!

I actually made an appointment for him to get neutered on the 27th.  The receptionist told me to bring him some greens and to not fast.  Anything else you suggest I need to do?  

And hello, what a cute name!!  Bunjamin!!

[FrankieFlash]

His full name is Bunjamin Franklin

But back to the vet. Has she seen him for regular check up first? I would recommend having a regular check up to make sure he is healthy enough for surgery.
Bring his favorite food. No fasting is right. I stocked up on willow leaves since that is Bunjamin ultimate favorite. I think trying a new veggie once a week is okay now- its hard to tell age from that timeline (what a jerk buying something he had no idea how to care for then- er well I’m glad you gave him a good home) I technically started bunjamin before 12 weeks because I didn’t know any better but I did know to watch the poo. And remember baby steps since he is a baby

[Beka27]

Starting greens at 12 weeks isn’t a hard and fast rule. In a good home (where the mama bun gets daily veggies, not just fattening pellets), her babies will start nibbling veggies at 4-5 weeks old. The key is to just introduce the veggies slowly, in small amounts.

[Roberta]

I agree Beka, My Peppers oops babies were into her daily salads fro the second they could eat solids. They are now as healthy as horses. They love parsley and sweet basil.

[AnnaNutBread]

He hasn’t gone in for a regular checkup yet because the vet I chose is super booked.  The neuter/spay clinic told me that they can give him a checkup before the procedure and I can hold off on the vet.  

Yes to the neighbor, good thing he asked me first before he tried to dump it somewhere else.  

Omg, Bunjamin Frankin, too cute!

I will go buy some greens after work today and start introducing them slowly.  I’m thinking we’ll start with parsley first!

[AnnaNutBread]

He actually isn’t a big fan of his alfalfa hay, but he loves Timothy. Is alfalfa required? If not, I’ll stop giving that to him

[Beka27]

Alfalfa is not required. If he likes timothy, don’t force alfalfa on him. It may be better (easier) long-term since you’re not needing to switch to timothy later… and then you have a picky bun who is snubbing the tim hay.

If you have a local spay/neuter clinic who can get him in, I would go that route. That’s what they do all day, everyday, and if you’re comfortable, why not save some money? You can still get set up with the other vet as your “real vet”, but they don’t have to do the neuter. One thing you might want to clarify is if any pain meds are included with the low-cost price. If not, that might be an extra $20 or so, if necessary. Boys do not always requires pain meds. Girls do.

[tanlover14]

Goodness is he a total cutie!

I have to agree with FF. My vet also decided she thought it would be a little better for my bun to gain some weight before neutering him. He was a week shy of 5 months when we did the neuter — we had originally gone in for his neuter when he was 4 months but she wanted him to get some meat on his bones. I wouldn’t be too worried about if it’s done right away or in a month or two. Also, I think them doing a check-up right before the neuter should be fine. My vet did my girls first check-up right before the spay since she also was really booked and it went perfectly. When I went to set up for another check-up she told me she did a full check-up on her right before the spay so it actually saved me a good $54 for a normal check-up. My boy was done for about the same price so I don’t think it’s drastically high at all and what really matters (since you can afford both) is what vet you trust your bunny with more. Honestly, I would definitely pay my vet more money if she asked for a procedure than the others around here simply because I trust my bun buns in her hands. It can be pretty hard to come by a good vet — but if the cheaper one is easier to get to you could take the bun in for a first check-up and see how you like this other vet too!

I luckily did a LOT of research before we made an appt for our buns first check-up and thankfully we knew right away she was the vet we wanted!

And our vet actually suggested we take our buns off the alfalfa and begin switching them when they went for Fleurys first checkup at 4 months so you can definitely switch now! Especially if he’s on the alfalfa pellets then there really is no reason for him to definitely be on alfalfa hay too!

Also, someone correct me if I’m wrong — I believe parsley is one of the veggies you want to give slightly sparingly — as in it should only make up a certain percentage of their salad so don’t go toooo parsley crazy. Cilantro and basil is a favorite in my house!

[Elrohwen]

I would talk to your vet, but many recommend waiting until 5-6 months, even for males, so they can gain a little weight and handle the anesthesia better. However, if the vet doing the procedure is comfortable with his age and size, then I’m sure it will be fine.

[LoveChaCha]

Be sure that the spay/neuter clinic sees rabbits on a regular basis and also sends you home with pain medication

[Roberta]

Hi TL, Parsely’s a cat1 on the food list, which is an essential with all the core vit+min. Volume is OK but they should only be fed one type per day, cat1 foods should not be mixed. Cat2 foods can be fed in a combination. Mine also get wild fennel, which they adore and it can be fed regularly as a staple.

[tanlover14]

Yes! That’s what it is! Thanks, Roberta! I knew it was one of those things to watch out for — so I just give them snipbits of parsley from our plants to fluff up their salads, but never as a core.

[AnnaNutBread]

Thank you everyone! I’m going to call the clinic today and ask if they can take a look at him and let me know if he needs a little more meat on his bones. I know this clinic was highly recommended by the House Rabbit Society that’s located near us and they reassured me that they have a lot of bunnies under their belt and their vet can really ‘get in there’. Not my words =) I can also wait on the neutering it seems, I just wanted to get it out of the way and hopefully find him another bunny pal soon.

Oh good tip about the alfalfa too! I’ll stop buying, it is also so very messy, so this is a good thing!

I totally did not know about the parsley, I sent the boy out to go buy some after work yesterday and he actually had trouble finding it (tells you who does the grocery shopping)

Any other tips, you can just throw my way!

[tanlover14]

Both here, and I know the House Rabbit Society page, has quite a list of acceptable veggies — which ones they can only have one a day of and which ones are treats and so on. I printed out both of them, although, I do believe the House Rabbit Society goes more in depth with it.

[AnnaNutBread]

Great tip!  I’ll print it out too.  And what’s that toy your buns are playing with in your picture?  I am trying to find ways to entertain the bun during the day =)

[tanlover14]

I know the feeling! My buns are quite difficult to entertain! It’s a wicker ball with a bell inside! Ha! They loved tossing it around. We picked it up at PetSmart or Petco (I think they have them at both) for like $3!

[AnnaNutBread]

We went to the vet yesterday and the vet says that our bun is most likely 3 months and is all set for neuter. She trusts the clinic we chose and we’re all set for the neuter on Tuesday!

Thank you everyone for all your help!

[tanlover14]

Ah! Good luck with your neuter and let us all know how he comes out and if you have any questions!

[RabbitPam]

Sounds good – keep us posted!

[AnnaNutBread]

Oh forgot to keep you all posted!

The fur around his eyes looks like there’s gel on them (I did a search on binkybunny already on that!), I wiped it with a wet cloth and he’s been trying to clean it out.

His appetite has been back the day we brought him home, he loves his Oxbow veggie treats, he actually tried chewing through the bag, but I took it away from him before he could actually break off a piece.

I have been checking his incisions and they said they made an incision and then put glue on top? It looks swollen down there, but that hasn’t stopped the bun from walking back and forth and chewing/digging at his cardboard box.

Thanks to everyone again for your help! I actually went to the petstore my neighbor bought him from and the petstore lady was actually offended when I told her that the bun wasn’t a full Holland lop, but actually has some Netherland dwarf in there, not that I care about his breed or the pedigree. =) She also was shocked when I told her the bun had to be 3 months if his testicles have descended. Ohboy

[BinkyBunny]

Wow…that’s wonderful about such a quick recovery. Just be sure to keep him from jumping up on things or becoming too active as he can cause issues with his sutures.Many vets will say keep your bunny from jumping and keep him confined a bit for three days up to a week. (depends on the vet). Did the vet mention this to you?

Also, I wanted to pipe in and say that my bunny Jack wasn’t neutered until he was over a year and 1/2 old and he definitely developed some humping and spraying behaviors that became ingrained. Whether that was due to being neutered later or not, I don’t know.   (He also fathered a litter — all this was before I adopted him from a shelter),. The vet also said he had a bigger jaw that was definitely due to the testosterone. I think though that as long as the neuter is done when they testicles descend and weight is suitable for safe anesthesia then whether it’s done soon after the testicles descend or a couple of months later probably won’t make a huge difference. I am guessing it’s the bigger time gaps that make the real difference.

Continued healing vibes for your adorable bunny,

Keep us updated. 

[AnnaNutBread]

Our vet (Dr. Harvey is pretty awesome, since I see you are from the Bay Area!) told us to just keep him in a confined space for awhile, just like you said, so Mr. Bunz gets half of the hallway.

Thanks a lot for your insight! He hasn’t started spraying or humping yet, so hopefully this won’t happen. He has been running circles around my boyfriend’s feet though and will occasionally dig at his head if he’s lying down with the buns.

I’ll keep you all updated on his behavior as time passes

[tanlover14]

Awwww, I’m so glad he’s doing good! Our vet did the same with the incision and glue. My little boy didn’t stop terrorizing the house either. It was quite the chore to keep him caged so he didn’t open anything. And on the 3rd day, he refused to take his medicine anymore. Such a bratty little boy. But I’m proud of him for doing so well! As I’m sure we all are when our little buns have to go through anything!

[FrankieFlash]

I’m so glad he’s doing okay! That gel on the eyes is so their eyes don’t dry up during surgery. It bugged me seeing bunji’s eyes like that but the vet said he’d groom it off just fine and he did

[AnnaNutBread]

I was checking his incisions today and I felt a bump in his left scrotum. Could there be still testicle in there?? Is that even possible? it’s a little lump and it for sure feels like a bead.

[Roberta]

You could give your vet a call and ask…. It is possibly just a little bit of swelling or some internal suture point.

[BinkyBunny]

I am guessing it is also some normal swelling, but be sure to check with Dr. Harvey with any concerns.  You have a great vet in Dr. Harvey.   BTW – Dr. Harvey is my vet too!   Has been for a long time.  

[AnnaNutBread]

Thanks! Dr. Harvey doesn’t work Sundays-Tuesdays, she actually called my boyfriend today while i was out because he had a question on clicker training and I was like, ‘Why didn’t you check his scrotum and ask about that?!’ I’ll have to wait for at least Tuesday and hopefully it is swelling, he flinched a bit when I inspected it, so there’s probably pain involved. I will continually to be on scrotum patrol!

And BB, do you just see Dr. Harvey once a year for a checkup (assuming your bun doesn’t have any other emergency issues)?

[BinkyBunny]

LOL on the patrol!
You can still call the office and leave a message for her as she may come in on other days for a particular reason, but not see patients. Or if it is more urgent like a concern about healing properly, then the staff may relay the message to her.

Now it’s only once a year and actually I have a check up for Vivian very soon. But before that I think I saw her every few months with my other bunnies throughout the years — Bailey had e.cuniculi hind leg weakness, Rucy had to have her spurs trimmed, Jack had calcium issue and had a stone removed, so he had to have his urine checked, and Jack’s lung cancer etc. So I saw Dr. Harvey regularly over the years. It has been kind of weird this year not having to see her KNOCK ON WOOD! It’s only Vivian now and she’s been a pretty healthy bunny even for a senior. Though I think she might be having an eye or tooth issue lately which is why I am taking her to the vet.

[AnnaNutBread]

Thanks BB! Since you live in the Bay Area, do you have a good place where I could buy Timothy hay in bulk?

I actually did leave a message with For Paws and they told me that the bump is just swelling, I checked his scrotum this morning and it’s gone down. I’m amazed my bun can still tolerate me.

Ohmy! Hopefully no more vet visits for you. Let me know what the verdict is for Vivian, what a cute name.

[BinkyBunny]

Vivian’s name came with her.   She was at the Rabbit Rescue (SaveABunny.org) for two years before I adopted her and she already knew her name, so I didn’t change it. 

As far as hay in bulk, I am not help because I just shop from the binkybunny store.    You can try the House Rabbit Society in Richmond, they may sell hay in bulk there.  

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