question about neutering and behavioral changes

Question
QUESTION: will a neutred rabbit be any less aggressive during maturity, or does it only stop them from breeding?
just wanted to know the facts, will it effct the rabbit in any other way after the nutering has happened,
im looking for the answers for both sexes, male and female, what difference does it make for getting it done if they arent living together?
ANSWER: Dear Scott,

Every rabbit is different.  Not all will become aggressive at maturity, though most (both male and female) will show mounting behavior once they reach puberty.

n almost every case, though, a very aggressive rabbit will be calmed by neutering.  It does much more than just prevent breeding, as testosterone fosters aggression in male animals.  

Unspayed females are also often much more aggressive because the "cocktail" of hormones they produce can make them moody--especially if they are not bred.  Sexual frustration is a powerful elicitor of aggression in many species (including our own!).  An unspayed female will also suffer from false pregnancies, which can foster mastitis (infection of the mammary glands).

Very rarely, neutering will not reduce aggression, and I have known of a few cases in which aggression was temporarily *increased* immediately post neuter.  But in those cases, there was something else involved in causing the aggression.

If you have a male rabbit who is not aggressive and not neutered, then the health risks of not having him neutered are minimal.  Testicular cancer does occur, but it is generally seen in older animals and is not particularly common in rabbits.  However, if you ever intend to let a male bunny have a mate--even if she's spayed--he will have to be neutered in order to prevent the constant mounting that will result in fighting and possibly serious injury.  

Unspayed female rabbits have a very high risk of uterine (and a lower, but still very real risk of mammary) cancer, which can be asymptomatic until it is very advanced and life-threatening.  For this reason, House Rabbit Society strongly recommends that all female rabbits be spayed for their health and longevity.  For more information on the importance of spay/neuter in rabbits, go here:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/spay-neuter.html

and please also read:

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

I hope this helps.  

Dana

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

QUESTION: thanks very much for the help, i have 1 female minilop living alone and a male neverland dwarf with a guinea pig which is male, is there an age limit to getting them done, my female is about 1 year old, and my makle 3 months. will the guinea pig need nutering too?
so what your suggesting is that i should get all my rabbits done, how much will this roughly cost?

Answer
Dear Scott,

Your rabbits are still quite young, and it is by no means too late to neuter them.  But be sure you have a good rabbit vet who is experienced so the risk will be minimal.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

I can't say whether or not the guinea pig should be neutered, but be SURE you have a vet who has neutered guinea pigs before with good success.  GPs have an extremely large inguinal canal, and I've known inexperienced vets who have pulled the intestines out along with the internal male "plumbing," killing the GP.  It's also *vital* that the inguinal canal be surgically closed in a guinea pig neuter, for the same reason:  you don't want the intestines leaving through the hole!

Cost varies with location and by veterinarian, so please call around to the local rabbit vets and find out their prices and experience before you make a decision.  (You usually get what you pay for!)

I hope this helps.

Dana