Many of us who decide to share our lives with a rabbit, we imagine a small "Drum" in our corridor, but then we are surprised to see that little furry being marking territory or biting us when passing by. his side.
To avoid this type of situation, on our site we want to talk about the sterilization of rabbits, its benefits, some tips and the care they require. For coexistence, and for the he alth of our rabbits, sterilization is something that we must assume as necessary.
Why does my rabbit need to be sterilized?
Rabbit
- When he reaches sexual maturity, he begins to show dominance and marking This means that he can become aggressive (riding the legs of owners, biting, hitting the ground repeatedly with their hind legs and emitting those characteristic "puffs" of anger), urinating in every corner of our house, and being more nervous than usual in them.
- At 6 months of age, we usually see some sign that "puberty" has arrived, so it is advisable to perform the operation as soon as possible. After the surgery, the hormones will still take a few weeks to disappear from the blood, so we can keep him on that plan for a while longer than expected. The ideal age for castration would be between 6-8 months
- Rabbits are very sensitive to stress It is common to see fainting after intense exercise or exertion. For example, many breeding males collapse a few seconds after mounting. Keeping our rabbit on constant alert, waiting for an opportunity to reproduce or looking for a fight over territory, does nothing to benefit its stressful nature.
Doe
- Rabbit rabbits suffer (just like female dogs, cats and ferrets) from the inevitable infections of uterus Their reproductive cycle is more like that of cats, with induced ovulation, and just as cumbersome. In addition, of course, to breast tumors, ovarian cysts that cause permanent jealousy and lead to in uterine infections…a whiting that bites its tail.
- They can urinate all over the house when they are in heat, leaving their trail in case an interested male shows up.
- A recommended age to sterilize a rabbit is 6-8 months of age. They begin their reproductive function earlier, but their low weight and other peculiarities make it advisable to wait until they are half a year old.
Previous care
Before surgery you may be asked to have your rabbit take an intestinal motility stimulant. At other times, it will be injected during the procedure, depending on the professional's preferences.
Why do you need a stimulant?
The anesthesia in all species, slows down gastrointestinal transit, but due to the peculiarity of the large intestine of rabbits, attention must be redoubled on its proper functioning.
They will ask us for a fasting of only two hours It is a small animal, and we cannot leave it without eating any longer, besides that, without food intake, there is no intestinal transit… And again a vicious circle. So you must have access to food and water up to two hours before the operation. Let's remember that the basis of their diet is hay.
Pay attention to…
If we have seen sneezing, the presence of secretions in the eyes or any other alteration that does not seem too relevant to us, but if out of the norm, we must communicate it when taking our animal to the clinic. Many diseases of rabbits that are "controlled", or in a way that is called subclinical under normal conditions, can be aggravated by stressful situations (for example, pasteurellosis).
Consult with the specialist any detail that you think is relevant.
Aftercare
After the intervention, it is essential that the rabbit eat again as soon as possible As soon as it is recovered, we will be instructed to offer it food fibrous (hay) and water, and if after a few hours he has refused any food, we will have to "force" him to take something by means of a syringe. Sometimes baby fruit jars are good if there is no other option.
Is there a home trick to encourage them to eat?
An alternative is to add three tablespoons of water to a handful of hay, a few strips of green pepper, and a small piece of unpeeled apple, and mash until the juice is obtained. That liquid contains plenty of fiber and nutrients, and many times the rabbit just needs a little stimulation to work up its appetite and start eating on its own.
Provided in small doses, as if it were our diarrhea serum, it is usually enough to convince them to start eating. Some extra tips are:
- You will be asked to stay in a quiet and safe place, for example, your carrier or crate for a few hours. When recovering from anesthesia they can be clumsy and are prone to injuring themselves by not controlling their movements when awake, so we can imagine if they have traces of sedatives in their body.
- We must avoid excessive light and noise during recovery, and avoid drafts that cool the place. The loss of temperature is something that is closely monitored during surgery, and even if they are already awake when they are picked up, they must continue to be monitored in the hours after.
- In the following hours, we must verify that there is formation of urine, hard stools, and soft stools. Many times we do not see our rabbits ingesting their soft stools, but it is interesting to control it for at least two days after surgery.
- On occasion, we may be prescribed a probiotic. It favors the rapid re-establishment of the intestinal flora and correct motility. They usually find it pleasant to take and they may recommend us to extend it 4 or 5 days after the intervention.
- Rabbits, like their herbivorous colleagues, horses, do not tolerate pain well, so they will prescribe an analgesic during a few days after surgery. They are usually given by mouth, it is complicated to mix a medicine with hay.
Final Tips
- We must not forget that males will remain fertile for a few days,and hormones will be high for a few weeks. So they will continue to show that territorial and sometimes somewhat aggressive behavior for a few more days. If he lives with females, we must separate them until he has relaxed and can no longer impregnate any female.
- Does that show signs of heat at the time of surgery (for example, if they have cysts and are continuously in heat), may continue to attract males for a few days after the operation.
- The substrate in which we have both males and females is important, pressed paper pellets are perhaps the most interesting to avoid that can adhere to the incision of the scrotum (bag in which the testicles are housed), in the case of males, or the abdomen in females. You should never choose to use cat litter, and it is not advisable to use newspaper strips.
- We must check the appearance of the incision every dayn, and notify the veterinarian of any changes we may find: bruising, swelling, redness, hot or sore area…
Once the rabbit is back in his environment, his recovery will be much faster as he leaves behind the stressful, but crucial experience of neutering. These brushstrokes on sterilization in rabbits, their care and some tips, can complement the instructions that your veterinarian will give you for the day chosen for surgery.
