The average cost of getting your male rabbit neutered in the United States is between $200-$250. But in certain places, it can be as high as $600 and it’s can sometimes be as low as $75. Some places, like rabbit shelters, might even neuter your rabbit for free before you adopt him.
Neutering your male rabbit is through a procedure called castration, and it involves putting your male rabbit under anesthetic to remove their testicles. This means that they won’t be able to get female rabbits pregnant and their hormones will be gone so they’re usually calmer.
Fun fact: Getting a male rabbit neutered costs at least 10-15% less than getting a female rabbit spayed. To learn more about getting your female spayed, check out this article.
Keep reading to find out why the cost will vary for getting your male rabbit neutered, why you should get your rabbit neutered, and much more!
The Cost of Neutering a Male Rabbit
The cost comes from medication, the anesthetic, painkillers, equipment, for the vet, and more. Consider getting insurance for your pet – some insurances will cover the expense of the neutering and it’s handy to have cover should your pet need future medical treatment for injury or illness.
It’s worth noting that when you adopt rabbits from the shelter, they’ve often already been neutered, or the shelter can help contribute towards the neutering. It’s in the shelter’s best interest to control the rabbit population, and means they won’t be overflowing with rabbits that they can’t look after.
The cost of neutering can vary depending on several reasons:
- Your location: It’s more expensive to visit a vet in the city than it is in a more rural area.
- Extra costs: Sometimes the main price of the procedure doesn’t cover painkillers, further appointments, and anything extra that might be required.
- More treatment: If your vet finds a problem while they’re doing the procedure that needs addressing or is convenient to address while the rabbit is under anesthetic.
Make sure that your vet has experience with rabbit neutering. Ideally, they’ll either be an exotic animal vet or have plenty of successful neutering under their belt.
This is just a one-time cost and will result in your rabbit dodging some serious health issues and generally living a longer life.
What Neutering Involves
When a rabbit is neutered, they’re put under anesthetic. Once they’re asleep, their stomach is shaved and a small incision is made. The vet will then cut their testicles out and sow their skin back up.
It’s a relatively quick procedure, and the rabbit is monitored until they come around from the anesthetic and then given food and water.
Usually, your rabbit will be in and out within 24 hours. You might be able to drop them off in the morning and collect your rabbit in the afternoon.
Once they’re home, you’ll need to look after your rabbit – giving them their medication, making sure they’re eating and drinking, and altogether comforting them. Within a few days, your rabbit should be feeling a lot better and moving around more.
Benefits of Getting Your Rabbit Neutered
There are a ton of reasons why you should get your rabbit neutered – if you’re not planning to bread the rabbit then it’s beneficial to get this procedure done.
Neutering your male rabbit:
- Makes them less aggressive: By getting rid of their hormones, the rabbits will be calmer and less likely to behave aggressively like circling, mounting, and acting territorial.
- Stops them spraying: Un-neutered males often spray urine to mark their territory, which stops after their hormones calm down.
- Lower risk of cancer: By removing their testicles, rabbits have a significantly lower risk of developing testicular cancer. This can mean that they live longer from voiding diseases that cause earlier deaths.
- Means they’re easier to train: Once a male is neutered, he will stop spraying urine to marl territory and is calm enough to be litter trained.
- Makes them better pets: Hormonal rabbits with one thing on their mind (mating) are harder to handle. After neutering, they’re often more affectionate and cuddly, and far less destructive and aggressive.
- Controls the population: By preventing your rabbit from getting females pregnant, it limits the problem of over-population that puts pressure on shelters.
- Saves hassle: If you end up with some surprise pregnancies, it’s extra time, money, and space that you’ll need to provide.
- Means they can live with females: Once your rabbit has been neutered, they can live more harmoniously and with less risk of fighting and pregnancy.
Are There Any Risks of Neutering?
Yes, as with any operation (especially with anesthetic involved) there are risks. They can mostly be planned for and prevented, but there is always a chance of something going wrong.
Risks associated with rabbit neutering:
- Older rabbits (past age six) have a higher risk of problems linked to having an anesthetic.
- Rabbits with underlying health conditions might also be at risk of having the operation.
- The scar can become infected and require urgent treatment to fix.
- Sometimes they don’t heal right or pull their stitches, requiring further care and appointments with the vet.
- After the neutering, your rabbit might develop issues like dehydration (from not drinking enough water), discomfort, depression, urinary issues, and diarrhea.
If your rabbit is having any sort of problems after being neutered, call your vet ASAP.
If you’re worried about getting your rabbit neutered, speaking to a vet should help. They can answer any questions and reassure you ahead of the neutering.
Related Questions
What Age Should I Get My Rabbit Neutered?
Male rabbits can be neutered as soon as their testicles have descended which is usually around three and a half to four months old. You should keep male rabbits away from females for a full month after the neutering as they can still be fertile for up to four weeks.
Why Is My Male Rabbit Still Mounting After Being Neutered?
If your rabbit was mounting before being neutered, it was likely to be them wanting to mate with another rabbit or to assert dominance. This will calm down after they’ve been neutered, but you might still see it as a rabbit with at least one companion will mount their friend to show who the boss is.