Uterine adenocarcinoma (uterine cancer) develops in the majority of unspayed female rabbits by middle age, making spaying the single most important preventive welfare intervention for pet does.
Rabbit uterine cancer welfare is a preventable welfare crisis: the vast majority of unspayed female rabbits will develop a fatal cancer that causes progressive suffering including internal bleeding, pain, and systemic deterioration before death. The high prevalence of this cancer makes not spaying a significant welfare decision rather than a neutral choice. Many rabbit owners are unaware of the cancer risk, particularly those who keep rabbits for the first time, and veterinary communication about preventive spaying is inconsistently provided. The surgical risk of rabbit spaying is real and should not be dismissed - rabbits are more anesthetically vulnerable than dogs or cats and require specific perioperative protocols including pre-operative gut motility support and rapid return to eating post-surgery. However, this risk is far smaller than the near-certainty of developing uterine cancer in an unspayed middle-aged rabbit.