Chapter 80 - The Vet Surprise
Hobo was getting up there in age. He was around nine years old now. He had lost some teeth, so it was important to keep an eye on the remaining ones and make sure they didn’t grow too long since they didn’t have anything to push against when he chewed. Five months had passed since his last checkup.
Hobo was relaxing with Mocha aboard the Starship Bunnyprise one morning when Dad came through the door. “Hobo, how would you like to go for a ride in the new convertible?” he asked. Hobo wasn’t so sure about it, but before he finished thinking about it, Dad scooped him up and placed him in the carrier.
Mocha watched and knew he didn’t want to go, so he darted under the couch. Dad said, “Don’t worry, Mocha. You don’t have to go. I’m not going to stress you out just to keep Hobo company.” Dad looked into the carrier and reassured Hobo, “Don’t worry, it’s just a checkup to see how your teeth are doing. It shouldn’t be a big deal.”
Dad placed Hobo in the passenger seat and off they went. Hobo felt the air blowing over his coat. It felt good. Dad asked, “How are you doing, Hobo?” Hobo looked at Dad through the holes in the carrier and thought, “I’m good.” He settled into the rolled-up towels and relaxed.
At the vet, Dad pulled Hobo out of the carrier and placed him on the examination table. Hobo was breathing heavily, almost snorting, after the car ride. Dr. Deng, the vet, asked, “So, what are we here for?” Dad explained, “Well, he seems fine. He’s eating, but I just want to check his teeth to make sure they are OK. I also noticed he ‘snorts’ after he is stressed, so check his respiratory system.”
Dr. Deng gave him a thorough examination. “He has a lot of ear wax,” she announced, “We need to clean his ears to see what’s under there. And yes, he has some upper respiratory distress. We should do blood and chemical panels just to see.” Dr. Deng took Hobo into the back.
A little while later, the vet returned with Hobo and a prognosis. She explained, “Well, his teeth are fine, but he has an ear infection and an upper respiratory infection. We’re going to run a culture test to see what it is, but in the meantime, I’ll send you home with some oral antibiotics for the ear infection and some aerosol antibiotics for his respiratory infection.” Dad could hear the dollar signs going ka-ching. At least he had already invested in an oxygen tent and oxygenator to treat a chest infection Hobo had a couple of years ago.
Rabbits are so good about hiding their ailments. He was glad he had brought Hobo in for a check-up. He peered into the carrier and apologized, “Sorry Hobo. I didn’t realize you were having all these problems! So much for a no big deal visit!”
Would you like to read more of Abigail's blogs? See them all HERE.
