4 week old bunny with sore bottom

Question
Hi Dana,
I live in Manchester England.
I have a litter of 10 4 week old baby rabbits, this is only our 4th litter so I still have a lot to learn, happily so far we have managed to keep the whole litter well fed, though one runt has had to be hand fed after being dragged out of the nestbox 'on the nipple'. The babies are all out of the nestbox and eating hay, oatmeal and pellets and drinking water, mum is still feeding them too. One of the babies has developed a sore anus, it appears to be eating and drinking normally and dosn't appear unwell, I have been checking bottoms daily, so I know there has not been any blockage which could have caused the irritation. Do you have any idea what might be the cause and how I should treat it ? For the moment I am using sudocrem (a cream for nappy rash!) but it does not seem to be making any difference.
I am feeding pellets with an added probiotic , but do you think I should be treating the drinking water with something to prevent stomach upsets?
I would really appreciate any advice you can give me on feeding methods to help keep stomach upsets at bay.
Thank you,
Lorna

Answer
Dear Lorna,

At four weeks of age, the baby rabbits' best defense against GI tract problems is not to be separated from their mother.  They need her milk, changing pH, and antibodies for a full eight weeks, or they risk cecal dysbiosis, as described here:

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

Without seeing the baby, it's difficult for me to know what might be causing the problem.  If it has only recently come up, I wonder if it might be an injury. But since I cannot see it, I really cannot make a guess as to what it might be.  I would strongly suggest that you make an appointment with a good rabbit vet who can have a look and see whether this is just irritation, a prolapsed rectum (dangerous and must be treated immediately by your vet!), a polyp (removable, once he's older), or some other problem.  

The Rabbit Welfare Association in England should be able to help you find a good rabbit vet, and will also provide you with information on spay/neuter, etc. for your bunnies.

Their web site can be found at:

http://www.houserabbit.co.uk/

Hope that helps.

Dana