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Castration is when rabbits go under surgery to remove the reproductory organs.
For male rabbits, those are the testicles, and for female rabbits, the ovaries.
This is done to ensure a number of things:
1. So rabbits cannot breed: Unwanted kits may cause trouble, and the reproductory pattern of rabbits can make it a real issue in the short-term.
2. So sexual behaviour is reduced: Male rabbits that have not been neutered can act aggressive.
Female rabbits can also be aggressive and territorial, especially if they are going through a phantom pregnancy.
3. So it reduces marking behaviour: Male rabbits usually spray urine to mark their territory, which is very dirty.
Neutering can also help when litter training.
4. So it allows for easier and friendlier interactions: castrated rabbits can be introduced to other rabbits for bonding in a safer way.
It also reduces the chances of fights along the way.
5. So they don’t develop diseases: Spayed females have reduced risk of uterine cancer and uterine infections, which are very common (60% for rabbits older than 3 years old), as well as mammary cancer.
Neutered males have no risk of testicular and prostate cancer.
Some vets only take rabbits that are sexually mature (4-6 months for smaller breeds, 5-8 for bigger breeds), but rabbits can drop their testicles at around 3 months of age.
If your rabbit lives with a female and has reached sexual maturity before being neutered, it is recommended to separate them as sperm can live for 4 weeks after neutering.
Female rabbits have it harder, as the surgery is more invasive.
It is thus not recommended to spay them if they are 4 months or younger.
Castration surgery tends to be routine for vets, thus they don’t usually take long, and thanks to medical and technological advancements, these procedures have become safer.
There is though a chance for things to go wrong.
Some rabbits have died of a higher-than-necessary dose of anaesthetics, or have become rear-end paralysed when these anaesthetics have been injected amongst other possible issues.
There has also been anecdotes of rabbits dying due to the anaesthetics due to heart issues.
Regardless, the benefits of castration out-weight the possible risks.
Post-surgery, male rabbits will usually recover in one or two days. Female rabbits in the other hand can take around 6 days, and will need painkillers administered.
If you want to learn more about this, you can visit:
The Educated Rabbit’s page on Spaying and Neutering.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s page on Castration.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s explanation on Hormonal Behaviours in castrated Rabbits.
The Rabbit Welfare Association and Fund’s information sheet regarding Sex-Specific Behaviour in Rabbits.
WagWalking’s post regarding Cancer of the Uterus.
Expect grogginess and slowed-down food intake, they may be a bit in pain.
“(A) Bilateral adenocarcinoma (arrows) and cystic endometrial hyperplasia of the right (R) uterus.”
“(B) Adenocarcinoma (arrows) and hydrometra in the right (R) uterus, cystic endometrial hyperplasia in the left (L) uterus.”
Uterine cancer is one of the most common uterine disorders in not spayed female rabbits, affecting up to 80% of all rabbits.
In Künzel, F., et al. (2014), of 50 female rabbits, 54% of them already showed signs of uterine adenocarcinoma (cancer in the glands producing mucous in certain organs), and half of the 50 test rabbits showed masses in the lower half of the abdomen, indicative of uterine lesions.
Adenocarcinomas are the most common type of cancer found within cancer patients, and it is difficult to treat because it tends to spread throughout all the abdomen and later on to other parts of the body like the lungs, brain or bones.
This means that an adenocarcinoma can also affect other parts like the urinary tract, creating infections.
In Bertram, C.A., et al. (2018), from a sample of 854 post-mortem examinations, at least 229 (26.8%) of rabbits had a uterine disorder.
Uterine tumours were found in 205 animals, 95 (46.2%) of which had gone through metastasis and where 75 (79.1%) with metastasis had already spread to the lungs.
Alike humans, the prognosis depends on the severity and expansion of the cancer.
For example, if a uterine cancer has already spread to the lungs, the prognosis is death.
Some of the symptoms include blood in urine, bloody discharge, general sickness symptoms, and abdominal swelling that can be palpated from the exterior.
If it spreads to other places, you can expect respiratory issues like wheezing or coughing (lungs), seizures and lack of coordination (brain), and osteoporosis (bones).
Cancer in female rabbits is so common due to their reproductive patterns, and it seems like cancer is tied to age passed, with young rabbits having less chance to develop uterine cancer (40% chance by 2 years of age) unlike old rabbits (80%+ to rabbits older than 6 years of age).
Diagnosis can be achieved by a mixture of tests like x-rays, ultrasounds, palpation, and exploratory surgery.
These will clearly show and locate the tumours and cancer spread.
A biopsy of the tissue may also be performed to exactly know the type and severity of the cancer and the margins of removal.
The main way of prevention is to spay your rabbit as soon as possible (5-6 months of age), although your vet will best know if your rabbit is sexually mature and healthy enough to perform this surgery.
Surgery can also be performed in older rabbits, but if these already have an identified cancer, it becomes more difficult for them to survive as they may be compromised or clinically unstable.
Remember that the risks of this surgery are completely counterweighted by the benefits.
If you want to learn more about uterine cancer you can visit our sources:
Vet Help Direct’s page on Uterine Tumours.
The Unusual Pet Vets’ brief on Uterine Cancer.
Bertram C.A., Müller, K., Klopfleisch, R., 7th of September 2018, Genital Tract Pathology in Female Pet Rabbits […], Abstract.
Künzel, F., et al., 21st of November 2014, Uterine Disorders in 50 Pet Rabbits, Abstract.
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