# I'm freaking out



## Ivythelionhead (Feb 14, 2017)

Hi so I just set up a vet appointment for Saturday morning to get Iris spayed and I'm freaking out, I've just heard all these horror stories about rabbits dying while getting spayed or after coming home there personality is different and they are vicious and or just not the same and I just need people to talk with me about this being a good thing cause I know I should get her spayed because it can prolong her life and keep her from getting cancer and other diseases but I'm just so scared this is my first rabbit I've ever spayed and I have taking my pets to this vet many times and no problems but I'm just worried I guess about what could happen.


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## jelandusn (Feb 14, 2017)

If it helps, when I had my rabbits over 10 years ago, they got spayed and had no problems at all. I'm sure things have only gotten better!


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## katiecrna (Feb 14, 2017)

I had my rabbit spayed 4 weeks ago and I was freaking out too. She did great. But like a lot of bunnies she went into A little GI stasis right after because of the anesthesia and stress and when the vet took me back to teach me how to give her her medication I just started to cry. I thought the worst of course. 

But she did great, I'm just a baby lol. And her personality is as sassy as ever which is what makes her her. 

I am so happy and relieved I did it. It's worth it. But I agree it's a stressful time for you. 

You and your bunny will be fine! ) goodluck and we are here for you.


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 14, 2017)

There is a fairly low risk of an animal not waking up from a spay surgery (almost none if they are healthy!). I'm sure if you look, you will find millions of horror stories, but no one reports the surgeries that went off without a hitch! In my experience, if a rabbit's personality changes after a spay, she becomes LESS aggressive- not more. Often, they do not change (although I've found most do have better litter box habits!). I personally very strongly believe you are doing the right thing by spaying her!


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 14, 2017)

Thanx everyone it helps to hear positive stories, I want to get her spayed I really do I've just always been a very paranoid animal owner and I freak out at the slightest change in my animals behaviour or when they have gone to the vet I'm just worried sick.
Do you know if the vet will give me any medicine for the pain afterward just cause I've heard some rabbits need it cause the pain is so bad and stuff afterward, also how long dose the healing process take....I guess that's a silly question because all rabbits are different....and what should I expect after the spay and signs I should look out for if there's an issue, also can I still let her run around free range right after the spay.


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## stevesmum (Feb 14, 2017)

You have to demand pain medication for after the surgery. A rabbit in pain will not eat and then you invite issues like gut stasis. A good vet will know that. Don't leave there without pain meds!! And no, she cannot be let out for at least 3 days after surgery to run around, or she may do something reckless and hurt herself. Even if she begs just make her stay in her cage. I don't know what you use for bedding but when my first bunny got spayed I had her on an old towel and used soft stuff like newspaper for her litter box. Keep everything as clean as possible and soft so that she doesn't injure the incision. It's also a good idea to have critical care on hand for just in case she doesn't eat on her own. If you don't have any then learn to make a slurry out of moistened pellets. She will need some tlc but should heal up just fine. Inspect the incision daily looking for redness warmth discharge or swelling. Good luck.


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## stevesmum (Feb 14, 2017)

Oh yeah also you should have a hot water bottle or something like that, when they first come home from surgery they get cold and should be kept warm and quiet.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 14, 2017)

Okey I use fleece as a bedding and and my litre box litre is pretty soft already but should I clean her litre box out daily also how much pain meds should I demand??


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## stevesmum (Feb 14, 2017)

I'm sure someone on here can advise on pain meds, I'm not sure how much, but the vet will know. I would clean her litter box daily for sure.


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 15, 2017)

Generally 3-5 days of pain meds are enough. It obviously depends very much on the rabbit, but we do have to keep in mind that silly humans believe they will be in pain and so they are (e.g. if you have a big gash on your body, it's almost like a placebo effect that you are in pain after a certain time). Few rabbits (in my experience) with the combination of IV pain meds given during surgery and the oral meds sent home show signs of pain after 3 days (which doesn't always mean they are pain free, but usually that's sufficient time to prevent most pain). Generally, keeping these guys quiet for 3-5 days is also a good idea (7 if you want to be super technical in terms of suture strength and healing potential of tissue), but complete inactivity leads to stasis, so it's sort of a give and take. It would be best if there were no binkies until after 7 days.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 15, 2017)

Okey so 4 to 5 days of pain meds should be good also she's not a huge binkyer but I'll keep her in her cage for atleast 4 maybe 5 days and keep her as calm as I can so there's no problem, how soon should she eat and drink and stuff after her spay, right away because I know when people have a huge surgery they don't feel like eating right away also can sage eat and drink before surgery?


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## stevesmum (Feb 15, 2017)

Yes they don't fast before surgery. Rabbits can not vomit so there is no risk of her aspirating stomach contents. Rabbits always have to have something in their tummies. She may not feel much like eating after surgery so be sure to keep the hay always fresh and offer wet leafy greens.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 15, 2017)

Okey will do thank you all so much for your help


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## Aki (Feb 15, 2017)

I agree with everything that was said.
All of my rabbits have been neutered / spayed with no problem. The rabbit should eat until just before the operation (bring her with hay and a bit of greens). She probably won't want to eat much when you take her home, as she will be hurting and feeling bad, but should be eating again the day after. This is why Metacam is important (I give it for five days, it's about 0.5 ml for one kilo of rabbit - normally, the vet will have given her an injection for the first night, but let him tell you that it suffice for several days, it's NOT as it lasts only 24h). You'll have to make sure the rabbit doesn't eat her stitches if the vet doesn't bandage her.

About the risks of the operation. The House Rabbit society reports about one death for a thousand rabbits they had neutered / spayed. The risk is very very low. 3 times out of 4, if the vet is good, it means the rabbit had an underlaying heart condition which would probably have killed the rabbit at some point anyway. Bringing a rabbit for an operation is daunting so ask the vet at what time the surgery ends and if you can call to know how it went (generally the vet will want to keep the rabbit 5-6 hours after the operation before you can get her to make sure she woke up fine and ate something). That way, you are only stressing out for 3-4 hours instead of the whole day^^.
About the change of personality... Think about it for one minute. It's a spay. They take out ovaries. It's not a personality transplant. Some people say that their rabbit "changed personality", but I think it's because we generally spay when rabbits are teenagers. A baby's personality won't shine through before the rabbit becomes an adult. I think people like to accuse the operation when it's really just that they don't like their adult rabbit as much as when it was a baby (most rabbits are more independant, don't like to cuddle or be handled as adult). None of my rabbits ever changed personality after a neuter or a spay, except for the fact that they were cleaner and able to cohabitate without trying to hump other rabbits to death.


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## BlackMiniRex (Feb 15, 2017)

when i dropped Andy off to get neutered i also freaked out when the form i had to sign said '...your rabbit could die...' (not exact words) but it was probably just so if anything went wrong i couldn't sue them Lol

I kept Andy in his cage (dog crate, with comfy bedding like towels and fleece) for about a week (he was not happy) he didn't really seem interested in going the bathroom for the first few days, he was just really tired from the surgery. Then gave him his metacam, (i think that's how you spell it) following the instructions they gave me. after the week had past i let him out of his crate for only a few hours a day. this was all back in October, now he's perfectly fine and he's back to his old self  (just without the mounting thankfully :rollseyes )


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## katiecrna (Feb 15, 2017)

Ivythelionhead said:


> Okey I use fleece as a bedding and and my litre box litre is pretty soft already but should I clean her litre box out daily also how much pain meds should I demand??





So I'm paranoid like you... so what I did was clean her cage when she was gone, removed anything that she can jump up in because they shouldn't be jumping it can tear their stitches. 

I also made my pen smaller because I didn't want her to run around and hurt herself.

I cleaned the litter box everyday and any poop I saw in her cage for 2 reasons... one was so when she sat in the litter it was clean, you don't want her to sit in poop/pee and infect her incision. Second was so I can closely keep an eye on how much she was really pooping everyday. Even how much she was pooping within a couple hours. 

A spay is more invasive than a neuter. They are essentially doing a hysterectomy on our rabbits ... so anyway I read and was instructed to keep my rabbit in her cage for 10-14 days and not let her jump on anything. Of course I had to take her out 3x a day to give her her medication but that was Bc she went into stasis.


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## katiecrna (Feb 15, 2017)

So I'm paranoid like you... so what I did was clean her cage when she was gone, removed anything that she can jump up in because they shouldn't be jumping it can tear their stitches. 

I also made my pen smaller because I didn't want her to run around and hurt herself.

I cleaned the litter box everyday and any poop I saw in her cage for 2 reasons... one was so when she sat in the litter it was clean, you don't want her to sit in poop/pee and infect her incision. Second was so I can closely keep an eye on how much she was really pooping everyday. Even how much she was pooping within a couple hours. 

A spay is more invasive than a neuter. They are essentially doing a hysterectomy on our rabbits ... so anyway I read and was instructed to keep my rabbit in her cage for 10-14 days and not let her jump on anything. Of course I had to take her out 3x a day to give her her medication but that was Bc she went into stasis.


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## JBun (Feb 15, 2017)

These are really questions you should be asking the vet before the spay so that you know if your vet is rabbit savvy or not, as getting the wrong answer from them might mean you should be finding a better rabbit vet for the surgery.

Questions to ask the vet are: if you will be sent home with pain meds, which one, and how many days worth. If they don't say they send several days worth of pain meds(usually meloxicam/metacam) home with you I would suggest finding a more rabbit savvy vet who knows that rabbits need to be sent home with pain meds. Ask if you need to fast your rabbit the night before the spay. If the vet says yes, *find a different vet as this one is not rabbit savvy*. The vet should also tell you how long to keep your bun on restricted activity. This should be 1-2 weeks of no running or jumping, as a spay is an invasive surgery and you don't want to risk injury to the incision. 

You will likely get the answers to these questions from the receptionist. Sometimes they are not well informed, so if they answer any of these questions wrong, ask the receptionist to confirm these things directly with the vet. If the vet confirms that you will not receive several days of take home pain meds or that you should fast your rabbit, find a different vet. Any good rabbit vet should know that rabbits need pain medication as rabbits in pain are less likely to want to eat, and that you should never fast a rabbit prior to surgery as rabbits can't vomit and it's also essential to keep their digestive tract moving by continuing to feed them, to help prevent GI stasis setting in.

As for eating after the surgery, a rabbit should be eating well by the next morning, if not then syringe feeding may be necessary. But again, this is something your vet should go over with you either before or after the surgery.

A few other things that can make the surgery and outcome as safe as possible for your bun, though it will also increase the costs of the surgery. Have blood work done prior to the spay to ensure your bun doesn't have any kidney or liver problems, and doesn't have an underlying infection. Make sure your vet intubates for the surgery. This ensures a secure airway during the surgery. Not always necessary, but I did have one rabbit that would have died without this being done. Check or request that your bun has an IV set up for the surgery. This means your bun will have IV fluids and will also be able to more easily receive life saving meds if anything does go wrong. Also having the best and most experienced rabbit vet in your area performing the surgery. None of these things are absolutely necessary for a successful spay for a normal healthy rabbit, but there are always the rare few instances where having these things done can save the life of the rabbit if there does happen to be a problem. But like I said, it will drive up the cost, probably by a few hundred dollars unless it is already included in the current price you were quoted.

You may also want to take a look at this link, as it has some good pre and post spay/neuter info.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/opcare.html


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 15, 2017)

How do you k ow if your rabbit goes into GI Stasis?


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## Aki (Feb 15, 2017)

Ivy, you'll know if your rabbit is in stasis. She won't poop and won't eat, 
staying hunched (like a hen on a nest) or pressing her belly on the ground and not moving around much. It never happened to any of mine after a spay, so it can happen but it's not a fatality .
To avoid it, you need to manage the post-op pain (metacam, leaving her alone, but checking everyday that she hasn't chewed on her stitches and that the wound doesn't look red / infected), make sure she eats hay and wet vegetables, and gently moves around (I know some vets advise to keep the rabbit confined in her cage after a spay, but moving around help the guts to work - your rabbit shouldn't do big jumps for 2 weeks after the spay, but preventing her from moving will stress her and increase the risks of stasis). Check her litter often. As long as she's pooping, everything's fine. You might have a few small poops one day or two after the operation and that's nothing to worry about.

If you think GI stasis is occuring, you'll need to go to your vet again, for a gut stimulant and probably an injection of pain meds (it works better than the oral version, and stasis is often caused by pain). Stasis is generally easy to cure when you do it in the first 24H. So, the important thing is to keep an eye on things, while trying to keep your cool (that's the hard part ^^)


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 15, 2017)

Okey thank you.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 16, 2017)

So one final question I was wondering how people get there rabbits to take the pain meds??


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 16, 2017)

Meloxicam is a little sweet so some rabbits will take it right out of the syringe! Otherwise, you'll have to restrain her and force her to take them.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 16, 2017)

Okey so it will be in a syringe then?


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## Watermelons (Feb 16, 2017)

Ivy these are questions you need to ask the vet.

I see a lot of over reactive responses in this topic.
A lot of rabbits DO NOT go into stasis after they are spayed/neutered. The chances of that happening are actually quite low. 
Not ALL rabbits will need pain meds. Yes it is typically customary to send most animals home with them but honestly a lot of them do not need them. 
So just because your vet does not automatically hand over meds does not mean they are not a suitable rabbit vet. 
You can however ASK your vet before the procedure to send you home with some to have on hand just in case. 
Metacam is a NSAID. It would be like taking advil. In all honestly it is pretty weak pain control given the fact that this is an abdominal surgery. Once again showing that most bunnies come up just fine afterwards.
You do NOT need to go out and buy critical care. If despite the odds you do happen to need to syringe feed a little something, blended pellets and hay dust are great. And it's what your rabbit is already used to, so you're not introducing new food to an upset tummy. 

The more you panic and worry the more you will see little things in your rabbit after and see something wrong when it's not really there.
She should be kept quite for 1.5-2 weeks. Not 2-3 days. Again this is abdominal surgery. There are internal sutures and layers of tissue you want to heal, not just the surface that you see. 


Nobody here can tell you if your vet will put the metacam in a syringe either. Sometimes they dispense it in a syringe, other times they sell you a whole 10ml bottle. Other times they have off brands that seem to taste like chicken. You need to phone your vet. And just because the receptionist gives you 1 answer does not mean that is what the vet will do. 

Take her food with you to the vets so they can offer if to her before and after.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 16, 2017)

Okay well my vet is very busy because he is the one good vet around and so he can not always answer all my questions, which is why I was asking people on here because they have gone through it and I haven't so I was just asking.


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## katiecrna (Feb 17, 2017)

It's good to be prepared and know what to look out for. It also makes you crazy and paranoid lol. There is a lot of good information on this site and different answers. Like the saying goes "there's 100 ways to skin a cat". Meaning, this isn't an exact science. The same thing isn't done to every single rabbit with the same perfect result, because rabbits are different sizes and different breads and they all respond differently to surgery, medication, etc. so just know the basics.

1. Provide warm clean cage after surgery 
2. Keep them in cage for as long as the vet suggests. 1-2weeks more than likely. No jumping on things in cage.
3. Make sure they are eating, drinking, pooping. May take some time right after surgery so don't panic. Ask the vet when you should get worried if they aren't eating/pooping. 
4. Look at stitches daily to make sure it doesn't look infected (red, swollen, pus, drainage).
5. When in doubt... call the vet if you have questions or concerns. 

)


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 17, 2017)

Thank you.


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 17, 2017)

I feel like I should clarify my last post about the 7 days thing- I was tired and not actually communicating what was in my head.  I keep my rabbits in a very small kennel for 7 days after a spay and then for the next 7 days it's cage only and then if everything looks good, they can go back to free roam in my apartment. 

Definitely keep an eye on the stitches as she heals- generally rabbits don't mess with them like cats, but it is possible. 

I personally like to keep Critical Care on hand for any bouts of ileus or illness, regardless of surgery, (it lasts forever in the freezer) but you can also make your own like Watermellons said.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 17, 2017)

My plan is to keep Iris in her xpen for atleast 2 weeks, I'm going to make her xpen smaller so she can't run around and her herself and rip her stitches but still enough room that she's not going to have complete inactivity, I don't wanna change her surroundings to much so she gets scared but I'm gonna spot clean daily and also make sure she has fresh litre so her stitches don't get dirty plus fresh water and food, I'm gonna keep an eye on her stitches and and check them a few times a day. I'm dropping her off tomorrow morning at like 9:00 I'm so nervous still.


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## katiecrna (Feb 18, 2017)

~~thinking about you today!! Sending good vibes )


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 18, 2017)

Keep us updated! Sending our love!!


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 18, 2017)

Dropped her off like an hour ago, I'm trying to keep busy so I won't think about it to much.
When I dropped her off I inquired about pain meds and the woman said she won't need them.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 18, 2017)

So I called my vet and the woman who answered said they don't normally give out pain meds to animals but they can so I got a couple days of pain meds.


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## Preitler (Feb 18, 2017)

Thanks for this thread.

I'm thinking of retiring my oldest doe from breeding, she's 5 years now and an absolute alpha, always humping the doe she lives with. She would so love to be a house bunny again (had her roaming inside for 8 months due to Myxo quarantine, and for a week due to stasis treatment last year).

Best thing would be to get her spayed, but I'm worried, she's my only real pet.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 18, 2017)

So she's home now, and she looks very dopey and she tries to lick and bite it but I tell her no.


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 18, 2017)

Make sure she doesn't lick at it. If you have to do so, you may need to make a collar for her (I usually use a sock that's rolled up and tied, not tightly or anything, around their necks to keep them from biding at wounds). I'm honestly surprised they send her home so fast! Keep a close eye on her. 

Sending our love!


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 18, 2017)

Yeah there were no stitches, I'm it sure how they did it but yeah no stitches, yeah I might get the cone, do you know where I can get a cone for her though?


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## Watermelons (Feb 18, 2017)

Vet clinics sell cones or Petsmart would have the blow up donut ones.
Good vets often do the stitches internal. There is a way to hide them. So they are there, just hidden right below the surface. Or tissue glue was used. You still dont want her licking at it.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 18, 2017)

Yeah no I know that's what I'm trying to keep her from doing it. 
Do I keep the the cone on always?


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Is it normal for her to be like spread out with her hips far apart, I figured it's cause it hurts still so maybe she's trying to not let it touch the floor or something?


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## katiecrna (Feb 19, 2017)

My rabbit did the same thing, she layed weirdly on the floor. I think it feels good to them and takes pressure off Of them or something. I just let my bunny lay how she wanted. 
It's good they didn't use stitches. Mine didn't either and the incision was seamless.
I'm glad to hear she is back and doing well )


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

I haven't seen her drink yet, but she ate some greens and had some hay and she's chewing on her paper towel tube, she moves around occasionally, mostly she just lays down though.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

I think she peed a bit and she pooped but it's all clumped together and mushy is that normal after a spay?


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## katiecrna (Feb 19, 2017)

Yea it takes a little bit for everything to get back to normal. Sounds like she's doing well


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Thanx yeah I think she is,when should I give her some pain meds?


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## Aki (Feb 19, 2017)

Didn't your vet tell you? Normally, the vet does an injection of pain meds after the operation. It lasts 24h. Then you give the metacam once a day.
If you have any doubt about this, call the vet.

If she's eating and eliminating, it's good. It's normal for her to feel bad - I can testify than just a general anesthesia can make you feel pretty ill, so combined with having your belly opened and your ovaries removed, it's completely normal for her to hurt a bit and to want to not move too much for now. Aki stayed hidden under my bed for hours when we came back from the vet and she wouldn't let anyone touch her hindquarter for weeks (even when I put her back with her husbunny, she wouldn't let him anywhere near the area for quite some time).
Just leave her alone while monitoring the food and litterbox as you've been doing, so she can relax, sleep, and get that the experience was a one off. She should be back to normal in a few days.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Okey so I will give her,her meds now.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Yeah my vet gave me two days of pain meds and she seems to be doing really well, she's alert, fairly active, happy, she ate some and poop and peed.


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## katiecrna (Feb 19, 2017)

If she is showing you signs she is in pain, I would give it to her. If she isn't than I wouldn't give it to her.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

I mean she like like it hurts her but she dosnt see to be to bothered by it.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Iris just had some water.


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## katiecrna (Feb 19, 2017)

Yayy!! )


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

She hasn't eaten any pellets but she has eaten sone hay and greens and drank some water.


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## RavenousDragon (Feb 19, 2017)

Hay and greens are most important anyways. It sounds like she's recovering very well!


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 19, 2017)

Yeah I think she's doing pretty good she's eating some,drinking some and she peed once and pooped a bit.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 20, 2017)

She's cleaning herself a lot right now.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 20, 2017)

Yesterday when she pooped it was normal sized and now today I found some and it was tiny.


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## mikenyny (Feb 21, 2017)

Ivythelionhead said:


> Hi so I just set up a vet appointment for Saturday morning to get Iris spayed and I'm freaking out, I've just heard all these horror stories about rabbits dying while getting spayed or after coming home there personality is different and they are vicious and or just not the same and I just need people to talk with me about this being a good thing cause I know I should get her spayed because it can prolong her life and keep her from getting cancer and other diseases but I'm just so scared this is my first rabbit I've ever spayed and I have taking my pets to this vet many times and no problems but I'm just worried I guess about what could happen.


All I know is that I have had 3 male rabbits neutered at the animal hospital I use and it is quite straight forward. They don't "castrate" them, it is more like a vasectomy; it takes less than an hour. However, when I said I wanted a female to be spayed, it was a much bigger deal. They have to take a blood sample - to see if she can undergo the operation, I have to fill in a form of consent for which I won't hold them responsible if she doesn't make it (not needed with the male rabbits), she has to be in overnight and lastly it is twice the cost. In the end, I decided against it. She had one litter when she was a few months old; she is almost 5 years old now and my 3 males are all neutred and she is fine.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 21, 2017)

Iris is doing good, she's eating pellets,greens and hay, she's drinking and chewing on her chew toys, even pushing her fav stuffed cat around and she is pooping and peeing normally and her incision looks good not to red or swollen and she doesn't seem to be in to much pain and she always comes over to whoever comes in the room and I know it's only day three of her 2 weeks of not being able to come out of her cage, but I'm happy with her progress thus far.


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## Kipcha (Feb 21, 2017)

mikenyny said:


> All I know is that I have had 3 male rabbits neutered at the animal hospital I use and it is quite straight forward. They don't "castrate" them, it is more like a vasectomy; it takes less than an hour. However, when I said I wanted a female to be spayed, it was a much bigger deal. They have to take a blood sample - to see if she can undergo the operation, I have to fill in a form of consent for which I won't hold them responsible if she doesn't make it (not needed with the male rabbits), she has to be in overnight and lastly it is twice the cost. In the end, I decided against it. She had one litter when she was a few months old; she is almost 5 years old now and my 3 males are all neutred and she is fine.



Now that is interesting, I have never heard of a clinic not just straight up castrating a rabbit. Wouldn't the males still be hormonal afterwards? Not to mention the threat of testicular cancer is still a risk?

Not to mention when our rabbits are neutered, they're typically in and out of surgery in 10 minutes or so from what I understand, so it's not like it's a lengthy procedure.

Why would they not have you sign a consent form? Are they not actually putting the rabbits under for the operation?


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 22, 2017)

Hi so Iris is still doing good, but I noticed on Tuesday night that she kept closing her eyes and crunching down to rest and before she would spread out, is this normal after a spay, is she in pain?


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## Aki (Feb 22, 2017)

If everything else is normal, a slight change of position is nothing to worry about. Even if she's not really in pain, it's bound to still be a bit uncomfortable especially when pressing on it. I mean, people being operated for the appendicitis or whatever will feel it for at least a week so I doesn't seem weird to me that she's not back to 100% normal after 3-4 days. No infection and eating / pooping means that things are probably healing nicely, so I wouldn't be too concerned.
Do you have a post-op appointment? My vet does it, but some vet don't - I'll admit that I kinda like having the vet giving the 'all clear' statement even if it's a pain to make the trip again.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 22, 2017)

I don't have a follow up appointment and it's not really a big deal getting there my vet is super close, I'm feeling a lot better this morning looking at her and seeing her eat and drink and use her litre box and clean herself.


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## Ivythelionhead (Feb 24, 2017)

Iris is back to her old self again and even though I can't let her out for another week she's doing well eating, drinking,pooping, peeing and playing with her fav toys so I'm over the moon happy, thanx to everyone who helped me and gave me advice.


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## mikenyny (Feb 27, 2017)

Kipcha said:


> Now that is interesting, I have never heard of a clinic not just straight up castrating a rabbit. Wouldn't the males still be hormonal afterwards? Not to mention the threat of testicular cancer is still a risk?
> 
> Not to mention when our rabbits are neutered, they're typically in and out of surgery in 10 minutes or so from what I understand, so it's not like it's a lengthy procedure.
> 
> Why would they not have you sign a consent form? Are they not actually putting the rabbits under for the operation?


1. What happend with the (3) male rabbits - and this is going on what I observed after the operations) was that there was a "cross-shaped" incision on the inside of each testicle; note I said that the testicles were not removed. I had to take each male rabbit back after 1 week for a checkup - which was when I noticed that the testicles were still in situ. The doctor said that they (the testicles) would just gradually disappear - which is what they in fact did do after a few weeks. 
2. The consent form was only for a female rabbit. As I said, I decided not to go through with having my female spayed - for the reasons stated, and the main reason is that I didn't want to risk losing her or her getting ill as a result of the operation. Look back at it now, I am happy with my decision not to go ahead with getting her spayed; she is happy and healthy and her partner is one of my (twin-brothers) neutered males. The other 2 neutered males (father and son - the other twin) live "next door" - divided by a small metal gate: reason being that -although they are neutered the twins fight if they are put directly together.


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## Watermelons (Feb 27, 2017)

mikenyny said:


> 1. What happend with the (3) male rabbits - and this is going on what I observed after the operations) was that there was a "cross-shaped" incision on the inside of each testicle; note I said that the testicles were not removed. I had to take each male rabbit back after 1 week for a checkup - which was when I noticed that the testicles were still in situ. The doctor said that they (the testicles) would just gradually disappear - which is what they in fact did do after a few weeks. .



That means the testicles WERE removed. They dont lop off the scrotum with the testicles inside. They make a small incision and remove the testicles. The scrotum then ends up filling with fluid which would make it appear that the testicles are still there. This then all dissipates after a few weeks and the sack will shrink and vanish.
Your rabbits were neutered properly. The testicles were NOT left in the animals. It just does not work that way. Testicles dont magically vanish.


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## Kipcha (Feb 27, 2017)

mikenyny said:


> 1. What happend with the (3) male rabbits - and this is going on what I observed after the operations) was that there was a "cross-shaped" incision on the inside of each testicle; note I said that the testicles were not removed. I had to take each male rabbit back after 1 week for a checkup - which was when I noticed that the testicles were still in situ. The doctor said that they (the testicles) would just gradually disappear - which is what they in fact did do after a few weeks.
> 2. The consent form was only for a female rabbit. As I said, I decided not to go through with having my female spayed - for the reasons stated, and the main reason is that I didn't want to risk losing her or her getting ill as a result of the operation. Look back at it now, I am happy with my decision not to go ahead with getting her spayed; she is happy and healthy and her partner is one of my (twin-brothers) neutered males. The other 2 neutered males (father and son - the other twin) live "next door" - divided by a small metal gate: reason being that -although they are neutered the twins fight if they are put directly together.



Like Watermelons said, what would have been left behind is the scrotum, not the testicle. They can look like there is still a testicle inside when they fill with fluid after but they will gradually disappear, so the testicle is gone.

What I meant is I was wondering why they would make you sign a consent form for the female but not the males. So then I was wondering if they weren't actually neutering the rabbits and doing "vasectomies" instead, if they weren't putting them under anesthetic, therefore not needing the consent form. But if they would neutered they had to be (Or at least hopefully were) knocked out, so it's just odd they wouldn't ask for a form. That's all I meant.


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## mikenyny (Feb 28, 2017)

Kipcha said:


> Like Watermelons said, what would have been left behind is the scrotum, not the testicle. They can look like there is still a testicle inside when they fill with fluid after but they will gradually disappear, so the testicle is gone.
> 
> What I meant is I was wondering why they would make you sign a consent form for the female but not the males. So then I was wondering if they weren't actually neutering the rabbits and doing "vasectomies" instead, if they weren't putting them under anesthetic, therefore not needing the consent form. But if they would neutered they had to be (Or at least hopefully were) knocked out, so it's just odd they wouldn't ask for a form. That's all I meant.


I'll leave you to sort it out with Watermelon; I need to move on.


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## mikenyny (Feb 28, 2017)

Watermelons said:


> That means the testicles WERE removed. They dont lop off the scrotum with the testicles inside. They make a small incision and remove the testicles. The scrotum then ends up filling with fluid which would make it appear that the testicles are still there. This then all dissipates after a few weeks and the sack will shrink and vanish.
> Your rabbits were neutered properly. The testicles were NOT left in the animals. It just does not work that way. Testicles dont magically vanish.


Have you been a cc all your life?


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