unaltered male dwarf rabbit behaviour

Question
We've a 1+yr old unneutered male dwarf rabbit since last October. Shy at first, he quickly became quite confident and eager for affection. He runs in a rabbit-safe area with a litter box and feeding area. He claimed the space underneath a dresser as his secret place and sometimes gently tugs at my socks when I stand nearby. Lately he's made a couple of lunges at nipped at me. I understand how this is hormonally motivated behaviour, so here's my predicament: He has E. Cunniculi, and my vet said that the stress of undergoing a neutering *could* trigger this, causing  serious and possibly fatal neurological a reaction.
So, can you provide any advice in behavioural molding (rabbit training techniques)as alternatives to the surgery?

Answer
Hi Marina,

to be honest with you, I can't think of anything you can do as most of the behavior changes would be dealt with by neutering your boy.

The vet should be able to prescribe panancur for your rabbit and knock out the e. cuniculi virus.  There is treatment for e. cuniculi.  The reason why most rabbits don't seem to ever get rid of it is often because people do not give their rabbits the entire prescription because they 'look' better and they are left as carriers until a health problem surfaces and the e. cuniculi takes advantage of it.  

The treatment for rabbits with e. cuniculi (at least by American vets) should be panacur for at least two months, as that is what our vet has mentioned in the past.  Possibly longer.  the vet would need to at the end of the two months test his blood (a titer I believe) to see if there are any signs he still has e. cuniculi, and if so, keep him on the panacur another month or two to make sure it's gone.  Now if it is gone he may still have antibodies that show he was recently exposed but that does not mean he still has the virus.

I have had one of my guys on panacur and he suffered no ill side effects that I am aware of.  It did not appear to change his behavior or personality.  If he likes fresh oregano and basil, they are both anti-inflammatory herbs, and oregano has antiviral properties that can help his body work against the e. cuniculi along with the panacur.

Once the virus is knocked out, he should be able to undergo a neuter.  It is a fairly quick procedure and not nearly as dangerous as a spay.  The anesthesia is really the most touchy part, and if your vet doesn't do a lot of rabbit surgeries, perhaps it would be best to find one in your area that does.

You can check: www.rabbit.org/vets/vets.html and see if there are any House Rabbit Society recommended vets around where you live.  

The bottom line is that you really cannot train a rabbit to not do behaviors that are essentially hormonally-driven.   When the hormone levels drop, is where you are able to because the rabbit at that point has enough control of himself/herself to not just go on a hormonal impulse, but to think about things and make a better choice.