Ollie Sees A Specialist

Hey Guys, Ollie here.
I recently went to a specialist and had a thorough health check.
Mom didn’t want to worry you all until the vet had had a good look at me and determined exactly what is going on. When she gave me a bum bath not too long ago she noticed that one of my testicles was quite swollen and the other had completely collapsed.

For those of you that don’t know, Mom and Dad never had me neutered because I have a very pronounced heart murmur. We’ve been to 3 vets now about it and they’ve rated me at 5.5/6 for it’s strength. This is why it would be very risky to put me out for any procedures – including a neuter. I also have digestive issues, a compromised immune system and respiratory issues. Now that being said, I’m 9 years old and have a great life with Mom and Dad. They take very good care of me! 

Anyways apparently testicular tumours are quite common in un-neutered rabbits of my age, are unlikely to be cancerous or spread and a lot of the time appear and don’t cause any issues. Other than the fact that Mom was down there washing out my boy bits – oh the humility – she wouldn’t have even known something was up! So at this point Mom and Dad were advised to keep a close eye on my bits and note anything that changes.

Now I’ve never been the best at cleaning myself, especially down there, but for a long time Willow was helping me out with that. I guess she’s decided she’s finished her wifely duties and now Mom has to take over. The vet has shaved everything so my fur can’t get matted or hold in additional moisture and Mom has to clean me a lot to keep me nice and fresh and dry. I’m a little embarrassed telling you all this but it looks like it’s going to be happening regularly so I might as well get used to sharing.


The vet did notice one thing that concerned her behind my stomach. Mom couldn’t feel it but the vet told her it apparently felt like some soft bumps. It could be enlarged lymph nodes – nothing seems to be in exactly the right spot or the right size when it comes to my anatomy – or it could be a tumour. They’ve sent off a full blood panel to have a better idea of how my organs are functioning and to check my white blood cell count just to be sure. Mom is hoping that comes back clear so she can breathe a sigh of relief!
Now the other thing you may have noticed is that sometimes I have a runny eye and I usually have a bit of a runny nose too. The runny eye is due to a blocked tear duct. This isn’t a new diagnosis but Mom just wanted them to have a good look to be sure. It’s pretty common in bunnies and since mine seems over active rather than getting clogged up she is just to keep it clean and wipe regularly. This is something Willow regularly helps out with too. Us rabbits have something called pasteurella – a type of bacteria – that is present in our systems. When the levels fluctuate it can cause flare ups – sneezing and coughing and snotty grossness. A lot of people refer to it as Snuffles. Anyways mine is a little wonky because of my poor immune system but it’s always been that way and never gets bad enough that it requires antibiotics to kill off the extra bacteria. It’s just something I’ve been living with my entire life.

The vet also recommended adding in some flax seed and glucosamine to help with the arthritis I’ve 

been developing but overall said she was very impressed with how sweet and well behaved I was!
I know this was kind of long and graphic to read but I hope it helps clear up any questions you have about me and why I’m such a special little dude. 
xo Ollie 
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