Spaying (females) and neutering (males) is recommended for almost every pet rabbit. It prevents unwanted litters, makes litter training and bonding far easier, and for females greatly lowers the risk of a common uterine cancer. Your exotic vet decides the right timing and handles the surgery.
Why this matters
Un-spayed female rabbits have a very high lifetime risk of uterine cancer, so spaying is a genuine health measure, not just birth control. Neutering also calms the hormonal behaviours, spraying, mounting, and territorial nipping, that make an intact rabbit hard to live with and impossible to bond. Because rabbits handle anaesthetic differently from cats and dogs, this is very much a job for a rabbit-savvy exotic vet.
What to watch for
- Eating and pooping again within about a day of coming home (a key recovery sign)
- The incision staying clean and closed, not licked open or swollen
- Quiet, restful behaviour rather than a rabbit tearing around the pen
- Any refusal to eat, which after surgery needs a same-day vet call
When to see a vet
After surgery, a rabbit that will not eat or pass droppings, or an incision that opens, swells, or bleeds, needs your exotic vet straight away. We never list medication doses here: your vet calculates pain relief for your rabbit's exact weight.
Sources: RWAF · Rabbit.org Foundation