Balding rabbits

Question
Hi
I have three rabbits. Two are female polish dwarfs, one is 6 months old and the other is 4 months old, and one male flemmish giant, who is 9 weeks old.
One of my females (the one who is 4 months old)  has no fur on the insides of her legs, but has all her fur everywhere else.  There are no scabs, she's just loosing her fur.  My other female seems to be fine, however my male is balding on the back of his neck and there are scabs.  I don't think that he has fleas or anything because my other rabbits don't seem to itch more then normal and they don't have scabs.
I'm really getting worried about my bunnies.
Please help !!!!

Answer
Dear Chrissy,

If there is no obvious skin irritation, this is probably a case of fur mites (Cheyletiella sp.), which can't be seen easily with the naked eye.  They don't always itch, and not all rabbits suffer from fur loss if they have them, so although only two of your bunnies are showing symptoms, they all should probably be treated.

The only treatment that really works for fur mites is Revolution (selamectin), a topical medication that lasts about 30 days.  It's excellent.  You can read more about this and what medications NOT to use (some are deadly to rabbits!) here:

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

Hope that helps.  Please write back if you have other questions.

Dana