3 year old pet rabbit

Question
Hello,
Today, while grooming my rabbit, I noticed one of his testicles appears to be 'deflated'...as if it has retracted.
I didn't notice it yesterday during grooming.
He has been going through an excessive molt and has been groomed dilegently.
He lives indoors and is well protected and supervised. There does not appear to be any trauma to his testicle...scratches, redness, etc.
Your help would be much appreciated!
Thank you!
Candace

Answer
Dear Candace,

Rabbits do have a rather large inguinal canal (the opening from the abdominal cavity into the scrotum), and while it's unusual, it would not be impossible for a single testicle to retract into the body cavity.  This could be a problem, as testicles are not designed to "live" at that high temperature, and can become cancerous.

Note that rabbits are pretty good at sucking up their testicles, though.  He might just have been touchy, and the testicle might have done an Amazing Reappearing Act already.  You might want to take a look.

If the testicle doesn't descend again, a trip to the vet is in order.  Please also see:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/spay.html

I hope this helps. Please write back if you have any other questions.

Dana