A few questions re: diet of rabbits

Question
Greetings!

I spoke with a vet today, inquiring about altering our rabbits. She said to make sure they have a very good diet prior to coming in, or you risk the surgery being too hard on them. I was about to inquire further on what's a 'good diet', when she abruptly had to go due to an emergency.

So what's a good diet? They are Netherland Dwarfs, 11 weeks old, and we've been giving them Timothy hay, fresh veggies and an occasional fruit (so far, a banana slice and an apple slice. They act like it's a snake or something), and their pellets.

Speaking of, the two don't eat all that many pellets. I've never had rabbits before, but my guinea pig ate pellets like crazy. These two more or less just nibble on the pellets until I feel bad and put in more hay. Am I doing a bad thing by giving them hay? Aren't the pellets the basis of their diet?

Everything I've found so far online seems to be contradicting, so I'm just gonna ask an expert, you know?

Thanks so much for your time, and have a great day.
~Amanda

Answer
Dear Amanda,

At eleven weeks, the babies are still a bit young to be altered, especially if female.  Males can be neutered as soon as the testicles descend, but I like to let females keep their estrogen pumps until they're at least 8 months old, if possible.  It helps with proper skeletal development and strengthening.

That said, pellets are only a small part of a healthy diet.  The staple should be hay, though babies can get more pellets to help them grow.  You can find an overview of healthy diet here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/diet.html

and all the best information for keeping your rabbits happy and healthy here:

www.rabbit.org/

If you are not sure the vet is experienced with rabbits, you should check the listings here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

to find one who is.

Hope this helps.

Dana