This article contains information that may be disturbing to some readers. It was written for informative purposes by a non-veterinarian and in no way, shape, or form does it portray practicing medicine. This method of neutering has been used for many years by livestock breeders not only of rabbits, but goats, sheep, pigs, and cattle to name a few.
If you have read this article by a non-veterinarian and use it on your animals it is your responsibility. The author accepts no responsibility whatsoever for any loss, injury, or illness of any kind due to the use of this method by others. Consult your Veterinarian for other options.
How to neuter your male rabbit made easy
Do it yourself and save money
I have been neutering rabbits for years now. It is a quick and easy process that you can do yourself for less than a penny! So why pay a vet to do something that you can do yourself? Well some people just do not have the ability to do animal husbandry. That’s ok because we are all different. For those of you who give your own shots to your animals or have a lot of animals just do not have the time or money to run to the vet every time your pet needs a shot this is the way to go!
You will need several small rubber bands. You ask why several when you only really are using two? Well if you are like me when the buck kicks you will lose your rubber band!! It is better to have more than you need than not enough. I use the very small rubbers that you use on your hair. I get a whole big pack of them for $1.00. Don’t use the ones that are made to not pull your hair. They won’t work nearly as well.
So you have your rabbit and your rubber bands now what? Turn your buck over on his back and clip the wool from around the testicle area. This is more for his comfort than anything. The rubber bands will pull the wool and make it more uncomfortable. When you have done this you are ready for the next BIG step. Now remember this is going to be a bit uncomfortable for both of you so the faster you can accomplish this next step the better! Put a rubber band in one hand and grab a testicle with the other. Get the rubber band around it all the way to the top and double it up really tightly! By this time he will have figured out what is going on and will try to pull it back inside himself so be quick about it. Once you get the rubber band wrapped around a couple of times tightly you are ready to do the next.
The trick is to get the rubber bands as tightly as possible. They will cut off the circulation to the testicle and they will dry up. After you are through with both male parts the rest is easy. Turn your bunny back upright and scratch his head. By now he will have forgot all about what you have just done and want something to eat! Check him in a two or three days to see how things are progressing. Most of the time the testicle will drop off but if not you will need to do so at this time. I use a sharp pair of scissors and put a little peroxide on both the scissors and the bunny. Just snip off the testicles below the rubber bands and leave the bands on for a day or two. Usually the bunny will take them off themselves while cleaning. If the bands are still on after several days just pick them off. There will be no wound as it will have dried up and healed over! Now you have an official neutered bunny that can be kept with others of his kind and most of the time will not squabble with its cage mates.
There are also 2 other ways of neutering bunnies that are a little more involved and may cause a little discomfort. This information was taken from the book – Rabbit Production (Cheeke, Patton, Lukefahr, and McNitt).
Young male rabbits can be neutered to enhance wool production in Angoras and Rex fur in Rex rabbits. If they are put in cages together it is less likely of danger of fighting. It is fairly simple. Hold the testicles in the scrotum and make a small incision in the bottom of the scrotum. The testicle will pop out the incision and cord can be severed just above the testicle by scraping with a scalpel. Do not cut the cord as it may hemorrhage. The cut can be rinsed with hydrogen peroxide.
Another method is neutering with a chemical called calcium chloride. Use a solution of 10% calcium chloride with an injection into each testicle of 0.2 milliliters. The calcium chloride is a desiccant and will dry up the testicle in a few days.
Cheekee, P. R., Ph.D., Patton, N. M., D.V.M.,Ph.D., Lukefahr, S. D., Ph.D., &
McNitt, J. I., Ph.D. (1987). Castration of bucks. In Rabbit production (6th
ed., pp. 410-411). Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers &
Publishers. (Original work published 1955)