My neutered rabbit.

Question
QUESTION: Hi Lee,

I got my rabbit neutered yesterday and i was wondering when will the effects kick in? When will he stop spraying or humping my slippers?! Everything i read says neutering is a great thing and has a lot of positive effects, does it take a while for the effects to kick in?

Thanks,
Magie

ANSWER: Hi,

yes, it does take time.  He has existing high levels of hormones in the blood.  His adrenaline gland will still produce smaller amounts of hormones (all things need some hormones).  Over the next 4-6 weeks the hormone levels will vary, but start decreasing.  By the end of six weeks he should be stabilized at his new, lower level of hormones.  Usually people really start noticing behavior changes somewhere in the second week.

Please keep a close ey on him and his surgical area.  If he opens his stitches chances are its itchy because there's a post-op infection there, that would need to have the vet sedate him, flush out and give you stronger antibiotics to give him.  It's critical he gets his pain meds and post op antibiotics, and that he's in his cage the next few days to prevent him from running hard and jumping, which can pop those stitches.  Vets usually recommend a week in the cage.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks Lee,

That does help a ton. I am fairly new to rabbits and am learning more more and about them, but i am a little concerned because my vet didn't give him pain meds and i even asked about it. He also said that he just needs to stay in the cage over night.. Is that okay? I looked at him (my bunny) too see if everything looked okay on his wounds and everything looked fine.. but like i said, i am new at this and don't really know what i am supposed to be looking for.

Thanks,
Magie

Answer
Hi,

You need to look around for a better vet, rabbits are given pain meds after procedures in order to keep them eating.  If they are in too much pain they won't eat or drink and that can cause them to get dehydrated and their gut to shut dow, and to go into shock and die.  If he is eating and drinking normally, and if you don't see him not moving and sitting real tight and doing very loud crunching sounds with his teeth, he's probably not in pain.  What you'd need to be alert for with the stitches is if you see him doing a lot of serious grooming in that area just to be observant he's not pulling the stitches apart.  Sometimes they go after the stitches because they might itch, sometimes they go after that area because there's an infection there and it's bothering them.  Either way you end up back at the vet.

But you need to get a good rabbit vet.  Start looking here:

www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html

to find a House Rabbit Society recommended vet near you.  Also it would be good for you to pick up the books I mention in my profile info.