# Meaner after neutering!



## theevenstarlight (Mar 5, 2008)

Hello, I have a dwarf hotot buck who is one year and two months old. He was neutered when he was 4 and a half months old.

Prior to the neutering, he was a doll! He would lick everyone and sometimes he would sit and lick my feet for 5 minutes straight.

After he was neutered he started to get really grumpy. He doesn't usually bite, but sometimes he will nip me if I am bothering him. He growls/grunts all the time now, even if I just open his cage door! I understand that it is his terrority and I am invading it, but shouldn't this have stopped after the neutering, and not have STARTED after he was neutered?

He also stopped licking everyone when he was neutered.  My doe was spayed and she still licks my face constantly.

So does anyone else have a buck who got meaner after he was neutered?


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## jcottonl02 (Mar 5, 2008)

That's strange....I haven't heard of that before.

When my boys were neutered they seemed the same or slightly calmer than they were- they were never really aggressive- just like ur bun sounds before he was neutered actually.

Although....I only got Benji after he was neutered (So I got him about 6 months old) cos he was a rescue rabbit, and he always licks my face etc. constantly, like urs used to, so I can only assume he was like that before.
Pippin, however, remained similar, except after he was neutered he began to lick and groom me constantly. 

I have heard that neutered may help make a rabbit less aggressive and calmer, but it is not a guaruntee, but I have never heard of it making a rabbit more aggressive. Or a rabbit that was docile, turn aggressive.

I was going to ask you how long it had been since you had had him neutered, and maybe he still had some hormones if it hadn't been long, but hopefully that would fade as time goes on, but he has been neutered for quite a while, hasn't he?

Maybe someone else with more knowledge on the subject can help? I have only got my two rabbits (I haven't had any before), so I can only compare them to my experience with my little ones. 

Perhaps he has just grown up? I'm not too sure whether that can happen, but maybe as he has matured he has got less......friendly? I am not particularly sure. 

Sorry I couldn't have been more help. 

 Jen


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## Pipp (Mar 6, 2008)

He could have a physical problem... This is in our 'to be added' section of the Library, might be something to show your vet. 

_AEMV forum 

*Diagnostic Endocrinology: Blood Steroid Concentrations in Neutered Male and Female Rabbits* 

Kellie A. Fecteau PhD, Barbara J. Deeb DVM, MS, Jana M. Rickel BS, William J. Kelch DVM, PhD and Jack W. Oliver DVM, PhD _

_Department of Comparative Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA_

_Allpet Veterinary Clinic, Shoreline, WA USA. 

Available online 15 December 2007. 

*Abstract*_

_There is a growing interest in rabbits as pets, and many pet rabbits are neutered to prevent pregnancy and avoid behavioral issues.* Behaviors such as mating and aggression in neutered rabbits may suggest incomplete gonadectomy, adrenal disease, or other conditions.* Information on adrenal steroid concentrations, including progestins and androgens, in neutered rabbits is not readily available in the literature. In this study, we determined concentrations of the adrenal steroids progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogester one, androstenedione, testosterone, and cortisol in 29 neutered rabbits. ... _

_...Steroid hormone concentrations determined in this study are an initial step in gaining more information about endocrine function in rabbits and may be useful in diagnostic evaluation of incomplete gonadectomy and adrenal disease in rabbits. _

It's worth checking out. Hope it helps. 



sas :clover:_
_


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## Little Bay Poo (Mar 6, 2008)

Billy went through a week long phase of being more hyper and more aggressive after being neutered. While he's never bitten, he did throw a lot of bunny tantrums in his cage and was a lot more vocal than he usually is. He was getting out for 5 hours (after he was healed up for a couple days), so there was no reason for him to be so feisty upon being put back in his cage. He looked fine in terms of healing up and everything, but maybe he was experiencing soreness or pain that was making him agitated.

Billy calmed down after about a week. I'm not sure how long it's been for your bunny, but maybe he just needs a little bit of time before he gets back to normal


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## ra7751 (Mar 6, 2008)

This ishappening more and more.One of theactual treatments being tested is a drug called Lupron. It is used in human men for prostate problems, in human female adults for endometriosis and in pre-teen human girls for early puberty. I do have personal experience with this drug and I know the side effects in adult human females are not always good. If Lupron is the fix, it might be worse than the problem.

We have seen this quite a bit in the "Peter's" (Marshall) rabbits. We have several from Petco that couldn't be sold because they were just vicious. One is appropriately named "Thunder". Kinda makes you wonder about that very early neuter they do. While all our other neutered males like that have decided to calm down....Thunder is still a full fledged storm but we hope as he ages that he will be downgraded. We just consider that blue dot a "storm warning" and plan accordingly.

Randy


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## trailsend (Mar 6, 2008)

Randy, this fascinates me. As a female with endo, I have been offered Lupron before but refuse to take it because of the side effects. I am just amazed they are testing this in rabbits. 

It's the same here. Most of our males are just fine, but we have two that are still aggressive after neutering. Although the worst boy who likes to attack like a pit bull from time to time, has calmed down tremendously over the last few months but it's taken time.


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## theevenstarlight (Mar 6, 2008)

Well, like i said, Binky is one year and two months old and he was neutered when he was four and a half months old, so he has had PLENTY of time to calm down.


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## Little Bay Poo (Mar 7, 2008)

Bah! I was working on a response using my friend's laptop and I hit some key and then POOF it disappeared!

Sorry, I didn't catch that your bunny had been neutered so long ago...I guess I just skimmed the original post real quickly :?

The only things I can think of (and these are just pure guesses) are that maybe some rabbits go through a personality change upon entering adulthood, OR his lower hormone levels have caused him to act differently. Perhaps someone with a lot of rabbits has gone through something similar and can help?

The only thing I can suggest is to work with him daily, and gradually get him used to being pet or interacting with people so that he becomes a little less aggressive. I have a really feisty little bunny, and I find his growling, gentle nipping, and strong personality to be so much cuter than a "nice guy" type bunny. I have also found that doing things like crouching down to his level, not overstepping his boundaries too much, and petting him daily, have all helped him to become much more tolerant of interacting with people. It did take some time (8 months or so) for me to notice a difference, and he still is a feisty little guy...but I wouldn't consider him "aggressive" and I really am pleased with they way he's turned out


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