My rabbits testicles

Question
My rabbit's testicles have swollen up to a huge size.  One of the testicles is more grayish in color and has dropped down very low and hanging.  It is noticeable when he hops around and upon lifting him up and examining I noticed his other testicle was more pinkish in color and swollen looking.  Is there a way I can send you pictures of his testicles to get an evaluation of what possible problems this might be?  Unfortunately, there isn't a rabbit vet clinic nearby.  The dwarf rabbit is 10 years old.  My mother and I both love him and are worried.  He seems quite happy and not suffering.  I carried him close and he does sound like he might be huffing a little but I haven't really listened to his breathing before so I don't know if that's how he normally breathes.

Hope you can help.  Thank you.

Answer
Dear Tiger,

You don't really need to send me a picture for me to tell you that this isn't normal, and from a picture that's probably all I could tell you.  The most common causes of enlarged testicles in male rabbits is abscesses (infection) or testicular cancer, and either one needs to be treated by a veterinarian.

The simplest procedure, and what I would recommend, is neutering/castration, since this will pretty much instantly solve the problem. The surgery is relatively minor, and a good rabbit vet can do this very quickly.  Please read:

www.rabbit.org/health/spay.html

It's true that at his age he may not be the world's best surgical candidate, but we have neutered rabbits that old without incident (that one had testicular cancer, too, and he lived for five more years after he had the surgery at age 10!).  The vet may want to do bloodwork in advance to make sure your bunny is a reasonable risk for surgery.  But the choice is pretty clear:  If the testicles are not removed, they will get worse, and may cause his premature death.

It is worth a drive to get to a good rabbit vet for a problem this serious.  You can find a good vet within driving distance here, I hope:

www.rabbit.org/vets

If not, then please write back and let me know your general geographic location, and I'll try to get a referral to a good vet for you.

Hang in there.  No surgery is 100% risk free, but if he has testicular cancer or abscesses, the surgery may be his only hope for recovery and long-term survival.

I hope this helps.

Dana