Neutering Male Rabbits

Neutering Male Rabbits – An Animal Welfare Issue

In our consultations, we repeatedly see just how important this topic is.

When two unneutered male rabbits are first brought home, they are often the best of friends. They cuddle, get along wonderfully and seem inseparable. Their owners can hardly imagine that the two rabbits could ever hurt each other.

When these owners are advised to have both males neutered as soon as possible, the recommendation may seem exaggerated or extreme. And that is understandable: when two young rabbits are affectionate and peaceful with each other, it is difficult to imagine that they may later bite each other’s scrotums and even fight to the death.

The Problem With Unneutered Male Rabbits

  • Fights can break out suddenly, usually when the males reach puberty.  In the worst case, one rabbit may suffer severe bites to the genital area overnight and can even bleed to death.
  • The later male rabbits are neutered, the more likely they are to become completely incompatible with one another once they reach puberty.
  • It is not enough to wait until the first signs of aggression appear before having them neutered: Once male rabbits have begun fighting and biting each other, they can become so severely traumatized that later bonding attempts often fail. Keeping rabbits alone is not an option, which means owners may suddenly have to keep two separate groups or rehome one of the rabbits.

The result: Once they reach puberty, many male rabbits are written off as “aggressive” or “bad” rabbits and end up being kept alone. This should never happen.

What happens when unneutered male rabbits reach puberty — in around 90% of cases, so it is very likely:

 

For a veterinarian experienced in rabbit medicine, neutering a male rabbit is a relatively minor routine procedure that does not require opening the abdominal cavity.

Some men worry that neutering will “take away their rabbit’s masculinity.” But consider this: would you rather spend your entire life completely alone, without any social contact, or live in the company of females and accept being neutered?

According to the observations of many rabbit owners, neutered males still enjoy the company of females and retain enough hormonal activity to continue showing sexual behavior.

Early Neutering: Yes or No?

Male rabbits that are neutered early tend to be better socialized because they grow up as part of a group. As a result, they are generally more compatible with other rabbits later in life, and serious fights and biting incidents occur less frequently.

Early neutering is performed before 12 weeks of age, before sexual maturity, usually at around 11 weeks.

Anesthetic Risk

Whenever an animal is placed under anesthesia, there is a certain degree of risk. In healthy rabbits undergoing a minor routine procedure such as neutering, however, the anesthetic risk is relatively low when the procedure is performed by an experienced veterinarian who is knowledgeable about rabbits.

The risk is higher in rabbits that are ill, for example those with heart disease, as well as in rabbits that are weak or in poor general condition. The level of risk can also vary depending on the type of surgery.

The type of anesthesia used and the veterinarian’s experience with anesthetizing and operating on rabbits also have an important influence on anesthetic safety.

Anesthetic Risk According to Brodbelt et al. (2008)

According to Brodbelt et al. (2008), approximately 1 in 137 healthy rabbits undergoing neutering dies in connection with anesthesia.

Good anesthetic management can significantly reduce this risk.

Checklist for Safe Anesthesia

  • Assess the anesthetic risk before surgery: A thorough general examination and blood tests should be carried out before the procedure, including liver and kidney values, electrolytes, and other relevant parameters. Blood testing is essential for older rabbits, rabbits with a positive E. cuniculi titer, overweight rabbits, rabbits that have recently lost weight, rabbits with bladder sludge, and rabbits that are dehydrated or have a low body temperature. This allows the anesthetic risk to be assessed more accurately and, depending on the reason for surgery, helps determine whether the risk is acceptable. The surgical and anesthetic approach can also be adjusted accordingly, for example by using different dosages or anesthetic agents if liver values are abnormal.ASA classification:
    ASA 1: Healthy rabbit, e.g. undergoing neutering — low anesthetic risk (0.7 per 100 rabbits)
    ASA 2: Rabbit with mild systemic disease
    ASA 3: Rabbit with severe systemic disease — intravenous fluids before surgery are essential; anesthetic risk is approximately 10 times higher
    ASA 4: Rabbit with severe systemic disease that poses a constant threat to life — intravenous fluids before surgery are essential; anesthetic risk is approximately 10 times higher
    ASA 5: Critically ill rabbit that is unlikely to survive until the following day without surgery — intravenous fluids before surgery are essential; anesthetic risk is approximately 10 times higher
    E: Acutely ill rabbit requiring emergency treatment, e.g. ileus or liver lobe torsion — intravenous fluids before surgery are essential; anesthetic risk is approximately 10 times higher
  • Low-stress preparation for anesthesia: Many anesthetic complications occur when a rabbit is highly stressed and then anesthetized without being given enough time to settle. The more stress a rabbit experiences, the more anesthetic medication may be required, which can significantly increase the anesthetic risk. Rabbits should therefore be given time to settle before surgery and should be housed in a quiet area away from predators such as dogs and cats. Ideally, they should be provided with a specially prepared enclosure and receive pain relief early so that they can undergo anesthesia as calmly and with as little stress as possible.
  • Use an appropriate and safe anesthetic protocol: Rabbits are very sensitive to anesthesia, and the anesthetic protocol can have a major influence on safety. Inhalational anesthesia following injectable induction is considered suitable for rabbits; inhalational anesthesia should not be used alone for induction.Injectable anesthesia with reversal agents (VAA) is considered less safe in rabbits than in guinea pigs and small rodents. It should only be used when assisted ventilation is available, anesthetic management is excellent, and additional oxygen can be provided through the nose. If this type of anesthesia is used, appropriate ventilation equipment must be available together with careful anesthetic management, ideally including supplemental oxygen.

    Pure injectable anesthesia without the possibility of reversal, or with only partial reversal, should only be considered for short procedures in healthy rabbits and only when appropriate monitoring and assisted ventilation are available. Injectable anesthetics can, however, be used for induction, with anesthesia then maintained using inhalational anesthesia and pain medication.

  • Choose a veterinarian experienced with rabbits: Rabbits receive relatively little attention during general veterinary training. Ask whether your veterinarian regularly attends continuing education courses in rabbit medicine, keeps up with specialist literature, appears on the DVG small-mammal veterinarian list, and lists small mammals as a particular area of expertise rather than simply “small animals,” which generally refers to dogs and cats.
  • Continuous monitoring during anesthesia: A second person should monitor the rabbit’s temperature, pulse, breathing, reflexes, and other vital parameters throughout anesthesia. This requires specialist equipment suitable for small mammals, which is not available in every veterinary practice. Early recognition of abnormalities allows the anesthetic dosage to be adjusted promptly and can help prevent life-threatening complications.
  • Experienced veterinary staff: Staff should be specifically trained and experienced in dealing with anesthetic complications in rabbits, ideally because the practice regularly performs surgery on rabbits. This experience can save lives.
  • Airway management: An endotracheal tube, or at least a securely positioned laryngeal mask, allows the rabbit to be ventilated if breathing stops. The veterinary practice must therefore have equipment suitable for ventilating rabbits. Providing supplemental oxygen during surgery can also make anesthesia considerably safer.
  • Sterile surgery to reduce the risk of infection: This includes a sterile operating room, sterile surgical instruments, and appropriate disposable materials.
  • Intravenous access: An intravenous catheter allows anesthetic medications to take effect more quickly and to be administered more precisely, thereby increasing anesthetic safety. In the event of a complication, life-saving medications can also be given immediately. In addition, the rabbit can receive intravenous fluids during anesthesia, which can significantly improve tolerance of anesthesia. Rabbits with a higher anesthetic risk may also receive fluids before surgery.
  • Careful monitoring during recovery: Many anesthetic complications occur not during the operation itself but during the recovery phase. Intensive monitoring is therefore particularly important at this stage, ideally with supplemental oxygen. Rabbits should never be sent home while they are still only partially awake.
  • Keeping the rabbit warm: Rabbits lose body heat particularly quickly because of their relatively large body surface area and can become hypothermic during anesthesia. Good temperature management and continuous monitoring of body temperature can therefore be vital. Rabbits should also be kept warm after surgery until they are fully alert and stable.

Beware of Choosing on Price Alone

Prices for routine surgical procedures can vary considerably between veterinary practices. However, a lower price does not necessarily mean you are receiving the same level of care.

One veterinarian may use the fee to cover a second member of staff and specialized monitoring equipment so that the rabbit can be closely observed and complications detected as early as possible. An endotracheal tube may be placed so that the rabbit can be ventilated if breathing stops. The veterinarian may also use more expensive but safer anesthetic agents and take the necessary time to ensure that the rabbit is anesthetized with as little stress as possible.

All of this costs money — equipment, staff, and time — but it can greatly reduce the anesthetic risk.

At another practice, a rabbit may be anesthetized quickly using a cheaper anesthetic protocol, without a second person or adequate monitoring. The rabbit may already have become highly stressed at the veterinary practice, for example after being barked at by a dog, and may therefore require more anesthetic medication. If a complication occurs and is only recognized late because of insufficient monitoring, there may be far fewer opportunities to intervene. A higher dose of anesthetic medication may also increase the risk of death.

In some cases, rabbits are sent home before they are fully awake and eating again, which also requires less time and staff involvement.

Was saving €20 really worth it?

When choosing a veterinary practice, ask first about monitoring, the anesthetic protocol, and how the procedure and recovery are managed. Price should never be the main deciding factor.