Rabbit losing weight, white spots around rectum

Question
Hello. I am taking care of our camp's petting zoo this summer where we have five very popular rabbits. I noticed last week that one of them has not been gaining weight like it's siblings. I have put it in a separate cage this week, away from the other rabbits and also from the stress of loving children! It appears to act normally and eats and drinks normally, but is noticebly scrawny. I do find fecal pellets and hairballs in it's cage. Today I noticed several small, slightly raised white spots have appeared around its rectum. Do you have any suggestions as to what his ailment may be? Thank you!  

Answer
Dear Keith,

Separating a sick bunny from its bonded companions is not advisable, since not only will the separation cause stress (and the concommitant immunosuppression that often ensues), but also will cause a very high risk of unbonding that will result in terrible fights when the bunny is reintroduced.

While the one bunny is sick, please keep *all* the bunnies away from the prodding hands of the children.  (Rabbits are *not* good "petting zoo" animals, as they are intelligent, sensitive, and not fond of being picked up and handled.)

The raised spots could be small abscesses, but I cannot know for sure without seeing them.  Please get the bunny to a good rabbit vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for full examination and treatment, as necessary.  

I hope you will reconsider having rabbits in the petting zoo.  As you yourself have said, "loving children" can be very stressful, even for a hardy animal such as a dog or cat.  The stress of such constant attention can be fatal for a rabbit.  Please read:

http://www.rabbit.org/faq/sections/children.html

and

http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-10/classroom.html

I hope this helps.

Dana