If you are considering desexing your pet, we recommend discussing the best timing with your veterinarian at their Juvenile Health Check. The latest guidelines from the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) suggest that desexing should be tailored to individual circumstances, rather than applying a blanket recommendation.
(For breed-specific recommendations, please consult with your vet or check out our blog post..)
Desexing for female pets involves the removal of the uterus and ovaries, meaning they will no longer come into season. There is another surgical option called an ovary-sparing spay (OSS) in which the uterus is removed, yet one or both ovaries remain, allowing the female hormones to continue functioning. This approach is believed to provide certain health advantages, such as maintaining natural hormone levels that may support healthy bone density, reduce chance of joint disease (particularly in large breed dogs), reduce risk of some cancers (see breed specific risks in our blog), metabolism (reduce obesity) and coat condition. By removing the uterus, there is no risk of pregnancy or life-threatening uterine infections like pyometra. However, pets may still go through heat cycles—often less noticeable—yet can still attract male animals. The surgery itself differs from a traditional spay in that the veterinarian preserves ovarian tissue while carefully extracting the uterus. We use fully dissolvable sutures for all patients, so there is no need for a follow-up visit to remove stitches. The sutures dissolve naturally over time as the incision heals.
Desexing for male pets involves the removal of both testicles, but the scrotum remains intact.
Recent studies indicate early desexing (before skeletal maturity) may increase the risk of joint disorders and certain cancers in some breeds.
If you own a large breed dog, your vet may recommend delaying desexing or considering ovary-sparing techniques. Specific breed risks include:
It is recommended to desex both female (doe) and male (buck) rabbits between 4 - 6 months of age. This will prevent diseases such as the common adenocarcinoma (cancer) of the uterus as well as avoiding territorial and other behavioural problems. It will also help you keep your pet rabbit population under control.
All the same care is taken with rabbits when undergoing anaesthesia and surgery as it is with cats and dogs (sometimes more is required as bunnies can be very sensitive).
We administer a very safe anaesthetic, place great importance on keeping the bunny warm, give subcutaneous or IV fluids and of course pain relief is very important. Sometimes an injection to stimulate gut motility is also given before going home.
The surgery for both males and females is similar to that described above for dogs however we usually give rabbits intradermal (within the skin) stitches so that they cannot be chewed out.
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