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Is spaying/neutering your pet rabbit vital to their health?

22 9:45:25

Question
I'm considering adopting a bunny and the one I'm seriously thinking about getting isn't spayed..do you recommend that I have her spayed? If I choose to get a boy instead, is it equally as important to have him neutered or no?

Answer
Dear Briana,

Sorry for the delay.  A series of emergencies and household dramas has finally resolved, and I'm back at AllExperts.  :)

It is vitally important for females to be spayed.   Intact females have a ridiculously high risk of uterine cancer, so it is just not safe for them to keep the uterus.  

If you are afraid her personality will change after her spay, the you might consider a somewhat radical experiment I've been conducting with my own rabbits.  Our vet is removing the uterus (including the cervices/cervixes, to avoid accidentally leaving *any* uterine tissue), but leaving the ovaries.  This helps them stay trim and active.  The downside is that they still have the occasional false pregnancy and some of them still spray and have some degree of sex drive.  But if that doesn't bother you, it might be something to discuss with the vet.

Male rabbits don't have a parallel health risk, though testicular cancer isn't unheard of. It's just much more rare than uterine cancer.   The main reason to neuter a boy is to stop unwanted behaviors such as mounting, spraying, aggression, etc.  And if he's neutered, he can eventually go on some "blind dates" at your local rabbit rescuer's foster home to meet the spayed bunny girl of his dreams.  :)  Two rabbits are actually less trouble than one, since they are less bored (and hence, less destructive) and have companionship when you're not home.

For more information, you could contact your local House Rabbit Society chapter or affiliate:

http://www.rabbit.org/chapters

Hope this helps.

Dana