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Rabbit aggressive, pulling fur, thumping 2 weeks post-neuter. Pain?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | neutered | 1 year and 6 months old

My rabbit got neutered 2.5 weeks where things were a bit complicated and they had to cut one testicle out like a spay because it never descended. Before surgery he was gentle and pretty calm. Now, he throws his food bowl across his cage, thumps at us with both feet, digs like crazy, tries to bite through his cage, and is pulling his fur out. Someone said I should take him to the vet to check for parasites but I'm not sure what to do. Could it possibly just be pain from not having pain meds?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Elva Ma DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 12th, 2018

Hello, and thank you for your question. How does the incision area look? Does the skin look like it has healed fully, or does it seem red or inflamed? Generally I would expect the incision site to be fully healed by this time, so if it looks like it has not, I would bring Pumpkin back to the vet for a recheck. If this is the case, then certainly pain could be a factor in his new behaviour. The vet may recommend extending his course of pain medication, and prescribe antibiotics if an infection is suspected.

Is there anything else new in his environment that could be causing him stress, such as new housemates, different cage location, less exercise, less attention, etc? If so, try adjusting these factors and see if it helps. There are also natural anti-anxiety remedies you could try, such as Homeopet:

I hope this helps, and that Pumpkin feels better soon!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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