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Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Can cat/dog vets neuter rabbits

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    • Shadow13
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        I live a long ways away from a exotic/rabbit vet and I was wondering if I could take my bunny to get neutered at a cat and dog vet. Is it safe to take them there? Will there be complications? Also my bunny is a Netherland dwarf so he his very small. I just don’t want to take him there if it’s not safe but I also don’t want to drive 3+ hours (I will if I need to). I was also wondering at what age can my male bunny be neutered?


      • Bam
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          You’d have to call the vet and ask. A neuter is a simple procedure, it’s the anesthesia that’s the problem. Bunnies are sensitive and their breathing must be closely monitored during surgery. You want the vet to use isoflurane or sevoflurane. Those anesthetic agents are commonly used with cats and dogs, but you must ask.

          A cat and dog vet might not agree to neuter a rabbit.

          A male rabbit can as a rule be neutered as soon as his testicles drops. Many vets prefer to wait until the bun is 5-6 months old.

          If there is a rabbit rescue or shelter near you you could call them and ask what vet they use for neutering, they need lots of neuterings done.


        • Thekillergreece
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            Anesthesia is the biggest concern you should have. My female rabbit passed away due to anesthesia during spay procedure. There were already risks involved (2.5 year old rabbit and all that) so it was not like the vet did not care about the risks and went ahead with the procedure without my permission.

            Ask your vet if there will be risks involved during procedure just to make sure!


          • sarahthegemini
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              It depends if they know what they’re doing tbh. My vet practise typically sees cats, dogs and rabbits as well as other small animals. The vet that spayed and neutered my bunnies was very knowledgeable and I had no complications.


            • sarahthegemini
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                If the vet tells you to fast your rabbit prior to surgery, go elsewhere. That’s a good indication!


              • tobyluv
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                  You need to ask questions of any vet that you are considering. How many rabbits do they see and treat? How many surgeries have they performed on rabbits?

                  Regarding what sarahthegemini said about fasting – Sometimes a receptionist/office worker will tell you to fast a rabbit before surgery, because they may only be familiar with instructions on dogs and cats. If a vet directly told you to fast a rabbit, then you should go elsewhere.


                • BanditCamp
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                    Rabbits are catorogized as exotic pets in the vet world. Questions you should always ask the vet not the technition (person who works the front) is how many rabbits do they see a year and how confident are they with a small bunny especially if it’s a female since the procedure is more involved. If the answer is less than 2 (three preferavly) go elsewhere but if you feel they are confident it’s up to you


                  • Shadow13
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                      Thanks for all your good replies. I will be asking my vet if they do bunnys. I think they would say yes but I don’t think they see many rabbits a year so I might decide to take him to an exotic vet. I just don’t want to put him at risk for anything. Ive never heard of fasting can anyone explain what it is?


                    • sarahthegemini
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                        Posted By Shadow13 on 4/22/2017 10:45 AM

                        Thanks for all your good replies. I will be asking my vet if they do bunnys. I think they would say yes but I don’t think they see many rabbits a year so I might decide to take him to an exotic vet. I just don’t want to put him at risk for anything. Ive never heard of fasting can anyone explain what it is?

                        Fasting an animal means not allowing him/her to eat for a small period, I.e. Before surgery. This is recommended for cats and dogs but rabbits MUST eat. They must go into surgery with something in their tummy. So do not fast your rabbit. Fasting is done so that there is no risk of vomiting during surgery (I believe) but rabbits are unable to vomit so it’s not necessary to fast them, and in fact it is very dangerous to fast them. 


                      • BanditCamp
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                          OR to better put it think of a rabbit as a never ending push pop. Hay goes in and poop comes out, if there’s a large gap between meals( like a day which is a mandatory vet visit) or there’s a blockage and he’s not pottying ing a day it means his engine is stalled.


                        • BanditCamp
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                            Accidental double post


                          • Bam
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                              Bandit Camp is perfectly correct. The conveyor-belt in the rabbit poop-factory must never stop, so to speak. Most animals including humans mustn’t eat or drink for 12 h before surgery. That’s because of the risk of choking on your vomit. Rabbits have a very narrow passage between their esophagus and stomach, so they’re not capable of vomiting. Most vets prefer to take away food about 30 mins before surgery, so there’s no risk of any food being in the mouth/esophagus when the bun is put under.

                              After surgery, it’s important that the bun starts eating again asap. We’ll be happy to give you more info about after-care when the time comes


                            • Shadow13
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                                Thanks I will definitely make sure NOT to fast my rabbit. I will definitely ask about care afterward when it comes to the time.

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                            Forum HOUSE RABBIT Q & A Can cat/dog vets neuter rabbits