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Getting Smudge fixed... I REALLY need some advice!

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rabbit
1K views 10 replies 5 participants last post by  Purple-Hops 
#1 ·
For the last few months, Ive been thinking ALOT about getting him fixed... I mean, it not like hes a bunny from down under, but he definatly has some issues. The territorial going to the bathroom every where is probably the biggest problem, because it makes ot so hard to give him floortime. Other than that, he doesnt have very good litter box habits, and he can be kinda... mean to other people and animals. He could possibly get a friend someday too.


I guess its just kinda now or never... Hes already 5, and hes not gettin any younger.


Im planning for June, because Ill be out of school so Ill be able to be right by his side the whole time, and since Im paying every penny of it myself (I have permission to go through with it from my mom, but that the only support I have... Hes my animal and my responsibility) Ill need all that time to save up the money.


As for the vet, Im 99% sure on Valley View Pet Hospital. They are reccomened by the HRS, spay/neuter the rabbits for the local shelter, and specialize in exotics. I talked to the receptionist on how often the fix bunnies, and apparently they do ALOT. I asked about the death rate too, and she didnt have a percentage, but in the 7 months she worked there there hasnt been a death.
Its $260 for the neuter itself, a pre-surgical exam, and blood work.
Heres the website: http://www.valleyviewvet.com/
Im going the the humane society tommarrow to talk to them too, and get their opinions.


I have some questions too:


~This probably sounds stupid but... How do rabbits react when their blood is taken for the blood work? I dont hink Smudge would like being stuck with a needle very much...
~Is it still OK that Im getting him fixed at this age? Hes a very healthy lil guy, and Im taking the blood work precautions, but Im still extremely worried...
~How will it change his personality? I really dont want him overly calm. Hes so cute and full of life, his silly antics always make me laugh.
~Will he forget his bad habits, or is he too old to change?
~What will he act like right after the surgery?
~Another stupid one... Will he lose trust in me after I do all this to him? Im acually really worried he'll be mad at me...


Im still worried out of my mind, and I hope Ill doing the right thing... He means the world to me, and I dont want to lose him to this. I felt alot better after I talked to some of the vets, but still...

Does anyone have some older-bunny-neuter stories that they would like to share with me? Or any other advice, or vets to reccomend? Any help or support would make me feel SO much better!
 
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#2 ·
First of all- This is a very responsible decision and I is proud :) Second, I havent had the pleasures of having an older bunny yet, Akina is only 3 so I dont know about the change in behavior-I was kinda thinking on that for Akina's spay- About the will he trust you after it? I think very much so. I found as long as your there for them during the trip to the vet and take good care of them following a scary vet trip they'll turn over to your side again! (with treats!!) Acacia , I found, when she had her face abcess incident seemed to tolerate more from me after the surgery.I can go into her pen and she binkies all over the place which I dont remember happening before her abcess.As for the calming him down- I really cant say for sure but he'll enjoy a longer life for sure.Im quite sure he'll still make you laugh!! Anyways, you have my support 110% girl!!
 
#3 ·
OK, thanks so much Amanda! Ill bring plenty of treats to the vets, thats for sure!
And just wondering... Would it be weird if I go to the vet just to talk to them? Ive seen a few other vets, but Ive never been to Valley View before. I got a great impression of them when I called, but Id feel alot better if I could talk to the vet about this in person, and kinda get to know them and get them familliar with Smudge before his nueter and exam.
My mom said she would take me to any vet I want to check out. ^^
 
#4 ·
:bump:


OK, so I went to the Humane Society yester day. All I got was more good news about Valley View! They REALLY like that vet and highly reccomend them, so Im feeling really good about this. ^^ I drove by the clinic too. It wasnt open since its a weekend, but it was still fun. :D


Does anyone else have some advice or anything for me?? I was hoping to get a few more replies...
 
#5 ·
Sorry, I've been kind of busy and kept meaning to come back and answer:


~This probably sounds stupid but... How do rabbits react when their blood is taken for the blood work? I dont hink Smudge would like being stuck with a needle very much...

Most of them are pretty stoic about it, but they're not usually happy overall, heh.


Is it still OK that Im getting him fixed at this age? Hes a very healthy lil guy, and Im taking the blood work precautions, but Im still extremely worried...

Yes! We have spayed and neutered rabbits as old as 8 years of age (we've never had one come in older than that that needed it, but if they did and the bloodwork was clear, we would alter them without hesitation)

~How will it change his personality? I really dont want him overly calm. Hes so cute and full of life, his silly antics always make me laugh.

Definitely won't change his basic personality, but it will reduce his urge to mark on things and to mount. :)

~Will he forget his bad habits, or is he too old to change?

Kind of a crapshoot. Most of the rabbits we've altered have improved at least somewhat, if they did not become perfect in terms of litter habits.

~What will he act like right after the surgery?

Again, depends on the bunnies. The ones that I've seen done act completely normal. The last 2 spays we did I could barely tell they'd had surgery,a nd they were angry about being restricted from stenuous movement.

~Another stupid one... Will he lose trust in me after I do all this to him? Im acually really worried he'll be mad at me...

He'll probably be grouchy for a few days, usually the same way he is if you have to trim his nails or do something he doesn't want you to. ;)
 
#6 ·
I just had Snoopy neutered last Thursday, the vet didn't preform and pre-surgery blood test, because he is only 9 months old and he recently preformed a body check. If you have been taking Smudge to regular annual check-up and he has been an healthy, I wouldn't worry too much.

First nigth after the Surgery - From what I have observed from Snoopy, the night right after the surgery, he is very quiet, didn't ask to come out (because he would bit the cage when he wants food and play). But I had to make sure that he poop and pee, as soon as I saw he able to do both, eats and drink. I was relaxed. However the first night, besides the water bottle, I also gave him a bowl of water and also move the location depended on where he lay in the cage, so he can have easy access to the water. He did eat less that night, but at the same time I encouraged Snoopy by giving him more of his favorite treat than he would normally have.

The Next Morning - as soon as I get down to the living room, I saw him acting like he normal do, biting his cage, instead of asking for food that morning, he asked for play time. Because he still had food in his bowl, so I knew he wanted to play, specially when I open the cage door and he was like ready to jump out. Of course I didn't let him out, because too soon to let him have too much excerise after the surgery. I checked his cage, he did pee and poop, so Snoopy is back to normal.

I searched onine and the vet told me that it will take some time for the change to happen, so I'm still observing the change right now. Today is only the 4th day after his surgery, and he is just normal as usual. I did let him come out to play over the weekend, but I think I will stop give him play time until the upcoming weekend, because I afraid that is surgery area won't heal as good, if he continues to have too much running around. So i may just spend more time with him at the cage.

Rather he is mad at me or not, I think he just doesn't like me when I have the towel in my hand, because he knows that I will have to pick him up. I need to do that because I need to give him medicine and to use peroxide to clean his wounded area. That is a tough job. I always have :confused: trouble turning him over and able to keep him still until is finish (which only take a few seconds, tap the cotton ball on it) but I always have to use a good 5 minutes and do it little by little. Feeding him medicine isn't that bad, because the Vet told he would love it, and it is true, no problem giving that to him. After the whole medicine and cleaning process, I would give him treats, and yes he doesn't come to me for the treat at the beginning when I give him my hand full with his favorite treat, but after a few more minutes he is okay. So i think he isn't mad at me, just doesn't really want me right now, but it is fine, after his sutures removed in another 1.5 weeks, he will forget what I had to do with him. OH... Very important... when I give medicine and do the cleaning, I always do in the kitchen, because I have a gate (he used to live in the kitchen and play in the kitchen), so he can't go too far and I can catch him again when he escaped from me.

That's all the information I have, hopefully I'll see more changes very soon and share it with everyone this process. But right now he is still the same the old sweet and cute Snoopy :hehe:
 
#7 ·
Thanks so much guys!


Ummm... I admit I havent been taking him in for regular exams tho... I know its bad of me, but if I know hes healthy, I would rather save my money for something like this.
Should I try to take him in before his pre-surgical exam too then? Hes the right wieght, very acitive, has a good appitite, and all that stuff. If I dont have to, Id rather not, because Im already pushing it with the current price.
 
#8 ·
Usually the pre-exam is just like a check up, with some extra stuff that isn't done at every exam like taking blood.

You can ask the vet but you probably don't need to take him in for another exam before the pre-exam, since they would just be doing all the same stuff.

In the future, if you can, it really is good to get them in for at least a yearly check up, especially once they start getting older. He may be perfectly healthy now, but if something ever happened and you had to take him in the vets wouldn't have anything to base his health on if they haven't seen him before. Things like weight and blood work results vets usually like to have a history of, so if the rabbit ever gets sick they can see what's normal for him. Also, rabbits are good at hiding pain and sometimes a vet can discover something wrong even thought the rabbit wasn't acting sick. Once you get his neutering over with, a yearly exam shouldn't be that expensive and it's only once a year, oveously :)
 
#9 ·
Just like what Dragonrain said, a pre-exam is just like other annual check-up. If you never have taken your bunny to this vet, they will most like require a check-up first. Most vet would ask for a visit before they they perform any surgery if you have never been there before. I've called several places, and all of the vet that I've called they require a body-check on the rabbit first, which can be done before the surgery or they can do it right before the surgery. However, an annual bunny-check is a good idea :)
 
#10 ·

Thanks!
Ok, Ill definatly get him yearly check ups after this. ^^ Another reason I didnt before is I didnt know what vet to go too. So now that Ive acually found a good vet, Ill take him in regualrily :)
 
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