| There are many good reasons to spay
or neuter your rabbit, not the least of which are medical, though they may not be as
obvious as the behavioral and population control benefits.
Female rabbits seem to have a high risk of developing
uterine cancer. One study found 75 percent of a population of female New Zealand White
rabbits had uterine cancer by the age of six years. Uterine cancer has been diagnosed in
rabbits as young as 18 months of age, and vets have seen a very high occurrence of the
cancer in rabbits over the age of three years.
Male rabbits are at risk of developing
testicular cancer in their later years, although the risk is not as great as that of
uterine cancer in females. Several diseases involve the male reproductive tract and others
are transmitted by sexual intercourse.
Knowing the benefits of having your
pet spayed or neutered should be balanced with the risks or complications of the surgery.
Rabbit anatomy and physiology are different than in other pet animals, making the
surgeries, in some ways, more difficult.
(Excerpted from VetTalk, read the rest of this story.)
Editor's note: Because
rabbit surgeries are different from other animals, it is highly
recommended that you see a vet who is very rabbit experienced and
whose practice sees rabbits on a regular basis - at least 50 per
year. See our list of local
rabbit-experienced veterinarians if you do not already have
access to one.
SAN DIEGO HRS
SPAY/NEUTER REBATE PROGRAM
The first of its kind, a new “rabbit
only” Spay/Neuter Rebate program from San Diego HRS is now in place!
Rabbit caretakers who get their rabbits spayed or neutered can mail
a copy of their receipt to San Diego HRS and get a refund for a
portion of the surgery cost. Rebates are $25 for a neuter (male
rabbits) and $40 for spay (females).
To get your rebate, mail a copy of your
surgery receipt to:
San Diego
HRS Spay/Neuter Fund
P.O. Box 261553
San Diego, CA 92196-1553
Rebate checks are mailed out
approximately every two to three weeks.
This rebate can be combined with
others, including one offered by the County Dept of Animal Services,
to save a good amount on the cost of spay/neuter. A generous
donation of $3,000 has been provided by the Calkins Family to get
this program underway, and San Diego HRS is looking to match that
amount through donations from individuals and corporations. This
program is open only to residents of San Diego County. To learn more
about this new program, email
hrs@sandiegorabbits.org.
See more spay/neuter programs
below.
COUNTY OF SAN
DIEGO SPAY/NEUTER COUPONS
The County has once-again funded a
program to assist individuals with the cost of spay/neuter surgeries
for their pets. Coupons are available ONLY to individuals
living in the County's service area, which is the entire
unincorporated San Diego County and the Cities of Carlsbad,
Encinitas, Solana Beach, San Diego, Del Mar and Santee.
Coupon values are: Spay (female) $50;
Neuter (male) $25
Coupons can be gotten from each of
the three County shelters (see
www.sddac.com ), or from Pet Assistance.
Contact the County to ensure they
still have Spay/Neuter
Coupons available, at telephone 619.236.4250.
PET ASSISTANCE FOR
REFERRAL TO LOW-COST SPAY/NEUTER
Eligible residents looking for more
information about lower cost spay/neuter for rabbits may call Pet Assistance, at (619)
544-1222.
To find a rabbit-savvy veterinarian in San Diego County,
visit our list of Rabbit-Experienced Veterinarians.
If you are not located in San Diego County, visit the HRS
national website for a national
list of recommended veterinarians.
Updated
1/21/08 |
