Vaccination and Neutering Pet Rabbits
If you’re planning to have two rabbits (which you definitely should, because they get lonely) or more than two, you’re probably concerned about them breeding. That’s a legitimate concern, because rabbits really do produce a lot of offspring. Rabbits become sexually mature at four to six months old, and can produce approximately one litter, of four to a dozen kittens, a month.
If you’re going to have two rabbits, you basically can have two males, two females, or a male and a female. If you choose the latter, you probably want to consider neutering your rabbits. This is a good idea even if you’re not concerned about unwanted baby rabbits, because neutering reduces territorialism and aggression, and can reduce the risk of uterine tumors in your female rabbit (doe). So neutering is a very good thing to do for your rabbits. While some people think having animals altered is cruel, it’s actually the best thing you can do for the health of your domestic rabbits.
Your male rabbit, or buck, can be neutered at five months old, or after that. The vet will make a small incision in his scrotum, under general anesthetic, and remove both testicles. While your buck will be a little groggy for a while, and uncomfortable for a few days, he will quickly recover, and be more pleasant to live with in most cases.
Your doe will also undergo general anesthetic. She will have an incision in the middle of her abdomen, and her ovaries and uterus will be removed. Again, she’ll be uncomfortable, but the vet will give you pain medicine for her, and she will forget all about it and recover wonderfully and quickly.
You should also get your rabbits vaccinated. The common shots for rabbits protect against myxomatosis, a viral infection that can be fatal, and viral hemorrhagic disease, which is also often fatal. Depending upon where you live, there may be other vaccinations that your pet needs. Check with your vet about shots for your rabbits.
Proper medical care for your pet rabbits can help improve their quality of life, help them stay healthy for years, and make them much less likely to carry diseases to your other rabbits. You are protecting all of your rabbits by getting each one the medical attention he needs.
While neutering and vaccinations may seem a little harsh on your animal, because they don’t understand why they’re in pain, they’re really not. You are preventing far more pain and suffering from illness and other problems related to not having the medical care. You have taken these pets on, and you owe it to them to get them the best medical care, even if it is uncomfortable at the time. You would do no less for your children.
Make sure you find a vet who is comfortable working with pet rabbits, and who has successfully neutered and vaccinated many rabbits in his or her career. Many vets do see rabbits, and are quite good with them, but it’s important to be sure you have a good small animal vet.