Rabbit Question? Please look!

[rubysmom]

My rabbit has sore hocks and I can't get them to heal!

They are dry and red and I have been putting bag balm on them . He is spoiled to death and lives in a huge cage with carpet flooring and nest boxes with hay and lots of room to run around. He is very happy does not seem sick at all. I keep his litter box very clean and clean up all the stray poops. He is not fat and is a good eater (he gets pellets, hay and fresh veggies every day). He is a Netherland Dwarf. How do I get the hair to grow back on his poor feet??? How can I fix the dreaded SORE HOCKS. Any thing is helpful! Please help me!

I am starting to go a bit crazy over this Thanks

 

[thebritt]

There is a possibility that he pees on the carpet and then sits in it. They can get urine burn from sitting in their pee. I would recommend a couple pieces of flat wood (not plywood - toxic glue) for him to sit on. They can easily be cleaned. Sounds like he has a great life!

 

[Akane]

If it's not healing then your floor is no good. Something is continuing to cause irritation.

 

[86121]

Im not sure if this will help you or not, but here are a few article's that might help you:

http://www.rabbitnetwork.org/articles/sorehocks.shtml
http://www.ontariorabbits.org/health/healthinfo15.html
http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sorehocks.html
http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/sorehocks.php

 

[Okie Amazon]

Hard to clean urine off carpet and rabbit urine is very caustic. I think i'd toss the carpet and see if that helps. Does he use a litter box?

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How long have you had him? Did he come to you with this problem or did it develop after you got him? He doesn't seem to have any of the usual causes in his set-up. How did they look before you started using the Bag Balm?

If he was peeing on his carpet, instead of in his litter box, I think you would have smelled it by now. There's a remote possibility that he's reacting to something on the carpet. People use all kinds of cleaners on carpets. Brand new carpets can be treated with chemicals, too. You could try replacing or covering the carpet with something else, just as an experiment. I've seen dogs have skin problems because of substances on carpets. What do you use for litter in his box?

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Ah, sore hocks!

. Since I've had the run or the rodents and lagomorphs as pets, the dreaded phrase is one I've heard often. D: That said, I haven't ever experienced them personally, so take my suggestions with a grain of salt. First off, is the area large and actually red, or is it just a small, bare pink patch? If dry and pink, you are looking at a callous. They typically form near the end of the hock, and are perfectly normal. you mention he is showing no pain, so do some google image browsing for hock callouses and sores, to make sure you even have an issue. If you have something irritated, cracked, and inflamed, definitely a different matter. I'd suggest that the carpet would actually be the cause of any problem. Many kinds create too much friction, and can cause the very sores you are trying to prevent. I suggest a solid, plastic cage bottom with paper based bedding, as I have always seen healthy feet on that. For something washable, others use fleece, but I could totally see a bun gobbling that up and having digestive problems. The second thing to consider is that buns need to keep enough weight on their toes so that their hocks aren't always digging in. Make sure the nails are kept sort, or this will place the weight on the hock. Use a bedding that has enough give that the toes can sink in. If you do have a nasty sore, an infection could be keeping the wound from healing. Topical, triple antibiotic ointment is what I would suggest for that, followed by a vet trip if it refuses to heal. I've heard of people using liquid bandages such as new-skin, applying it and letting it dry, to heal hocks. How safe is it if your bunny eats it? No idea. Maybe worth checking out though. Happy to hear of a happy rabbit getting great care. Hope these tips help him get over the sores and back to hopping around happily.

 

[mom2jedi]

I also think the carpet is the most likely suspect of how your bun ended up with the sores in the first place. Make sure his nails aren't too long but be careful you don't cut the quick (it hurts if that happens and nails bleed a lot). I had this happen with my male bun not too long ago, he was in an outdoor hutch and his nails had gotten too long and he'd hidden a pee spot behind his litter box that he kept standing in (silly rabbit!). After scrubbing the hutch and getting rid of the hiding spot, I treated his sores with clear calamine lotion. It worked great, healed his feet pretty fast, maybe a couple weeks? You'd never know looking at his hocks now, although it did take a while for the fur to grow back.

Good Luck!

 

[IcarusSomnio]

Corona's Lanolin Rich Ointment. Apply liberally and wrap gently to prevent it from getting all over the place. I've had really nasty hock sores on rescued rabbits and this always healed them up the quickest

 

[gaited horse]

Take Prep-H (store brand works well) smear it on his hocks and keep doing it. If he is on a solid floor move him to a wire floor and give him a resting mat like this one: http://www.westcoastcages.com/restingmatsrisers.htm