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To Spay or Not To Spay
Candace Hersey-Benner, DVM
Roaring Brook Veterinary Hospital, Canton, CT
As with dogs and cats, there are many benefits to spaying and neutering rabbits. Altering your fuzzy long-eared friend will help ensure they live a long and healthy life.
The single most important medical benefit is the complete elimination of reproductive cancers in female rabbits, of which uterine, mammary, and ovarian cancers are the most common. Uterine adenocarcinoma is a very aggressive type of cancer which has the potential to spread throughout the body very quickly. While the incidence of male reproductive cancers is much lower, the procedure is still an added safeguard in the overall health of a male rabbit.
Aside from the pronounced medical benefits of neutering and spaying a rabbit, several unwanted behaviors can be eliminated or significantly reduced by removing the hormonal influence. Spayed females and neutered males tend to be calmer, amenable to handling, and are more easily trained to use the litter box. Female rabbits can be protective of their cages and environments and are more prone to bite, growl, and box if left intact. Intact males can spray urine and have a tendency to fight with other males.
As the Easter holiday approaches it is also important to mention the socio-economic benefits to performing the surgery. Each spring, a significant number of rabbits are bred specifically to be sold during Easter. As with dogs and cats, the number of unwanted rabbits in shelters is quite high. If shelters cannot be found or are not utilized, discarded rabbits are abandoned in fields, city parks, woods, or even boxes in the street. These rabbits are not wild and do not know how to fend for themselves and eventually succumb to starvation, sickness, or predation.
Rabbits are very social animals and benefit from having a buddy. By spaying and neutering rabbits of the opposite sex, they can be housed together without the fear of an unwanted litter.
Spaying or neutering should be performed at the onset of sexual maturity, although there is no specific age at which this can be performed. The earliest it should be performed safely is 5-6 months of age. There are some added risks of surgical complications as any pet ages, but these risks can be assessed by an experienced rabbit veterinarian prior to surgery.
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