Pet Information > ASK Experts > Exotic Pets > Rabbits > Neutering/Spaying at a young age

Neutering/Spaying at a young age

22 9:51:42

Question
What is your view on neutering a bunny (male and female) at the age of 2-3 months? I was wondering because most breeders and shelters neuter kittens at the age of 12 weeks now (where I'm from), and I would think that an early neuter would benefit bondings. But are there are physical backdrafts to it that you know of?

Answer
Dear Ursula,

Males can be safely neutered as soon as the testicles descend, and there do not appear to be any developmental problems related to early neuter in males.

Females, on the other hand, should not be spayed younger than 6 months, if at all possible, and I prefer to wait a year if there is no risk of pregnancy.  Estrogen performs a very important function in skeletal development, and as soon as a bunny is spayed, bone loss can begin, even if very slowly.  Over the years, this can cause problems from molar misalignment to osteoporosis.

If you have an opposite sex pair, it is fine to neuter the male and then introduce them.  A young female will not likely be too sex-crazed, at least for a while.  If she becomes unmanageable at a relatively young age, you can then make the decision about an early spay without the fear of unwanted pregnancy.

Hope that helps.

Dana