Sore hocks

My big white bunny Mo has had sore hocks for a while now.
She is a continental giant so is on the large side!
She has been undergoing treatment from the vet for some time...baytril and painkillers. But it is getting worse
It doesnt help in that she is very mucky, and the medicine seems to be making her tummy worse, as she tends to get the runny poo's..then walks in them, oh, its a mess!
The vet has told me her sores need to be dry, so i cant wash her, and at the moment her legs are really bad..tonight one of her legs has started oozing puss and she wont let me touch any part of the leg.
She is a house bunny...I keep all the flooring spotlessly clean, she has copious amounts of vetbed to lay on.
Anyone give me any advice atall?
I am taking her back to the vet tommorrow.

try dermagel its 100% natural and works i have been using it for little ova a wk and its made a bid difference:thumb:

willowthewysp said:

My big white bunny Mo has had sore hocks for a while now.
She is a continental giant so is on the large side!
She has been undergoing treatment from the vet for some time...baytril and painkillers. But it is getting worse
It doesnt help in that she is very mucky, and the medicine seems to be making her tummy worse, as she tends to get the runny poo's..then walks in them, oh, its a mess!
The vet has told me her sores need to be dry, so i cant wash her, and at the moment her legs are really bad..tonight one of her legs has started oozing puss and she wont let me touch any part of the leg.
She is a house bunny...I keep all the flooring spotlessly clean, she has copious amounts of vetbed to lay on.
Anyone give me any advice atall?
I am taking her back to the vet tommorrow.

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Oh dear, pus from the hocks is not good news
You may need to use anti-pressure dressings on your Bun's hocks.
The Vet will hopefully take a swab from the wound to determine the best antibiotic to prescribe. Pain relief is also ESSENTIAL
As your Bun appears to have a sensitive GI tract when on antibiotics you could ask your Vet to prescribe QUESTRAN (Cholestyramine). This can help 'mop up' the 'bad' gut bacteria that often over-produces when a Bun is on antibiotics. It helps prevent the 'bad gut bacteria' from being absorbed into the bloodstream

http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/questran.html

Giving antibiotics via INJECTION is less of a risk to the GI tract than when given orally

Fibreplex, a pro/prebiotic with added fibre would also be beneficial

http://www.vetscriptions.co.uk/PROTEXINFIB15.html

FLAMAZINE CREAM is very good for treating sore hocks, but it sounds as though systemic antibiotics are also going to be essential for your Bun as the problem appears to be quite advanced

Good luck at the Vets

Janex

Thanks for the advice...will make a list of your suggestions and take them to the vet...
I have been told to not use creams or dressings as the dressings will put added pressure on her hocks, and the cream will prevent the sores from drying out...but she is such a mucky bunny, no matter how much i run round after her, cleaning up, she will lay in her poo and wee and ends up with all that muck over her sores...which obviously can't be good

As for the injection, Mo has had a couple jabs, and that will more than likely be an on-going thing...do you think the vet will let me do that?
I have great difficulty in getting Mo to take medicine orally..the only way i can get her to take it is to hide it in biscuits!

I suppose the only thing i can do at the moment is wait until i see the vet tommorrow.

The problem is advanced, and i blame myself, as i didnt immediatley take her to the vet...thought it would sort itself out, and of course it didnt look bad and she wasn't in any discomfort, but she has been seeing the vet now for about 6 months and it just seems to be getting worse!
I don't think it is something that will ever 'go away', but something that will have to be treated for the rest of her life.

willowthewysp said:

Thanks for the advice...will make a list of your suggestions and take them to the vet...
I have been told to not use creams or dressings as the dressings will put added pressure on her hocks, and the cream will prevent the sores from drying out...but she is such a mucky bunny, no matter how much i run round after her, cleaning up, she will lay in her poo and wee and ends up with all that muck over her sores...which obviously can't be good

As for the injection, Mo has had a couple jabs, and that will more than likely be an on-going thing...do you think the vet will let me do that?
I have great difficulty in getting Mo to take medicine orally..the only way i can get her to take it is to hide it in biscuits!

I suppose the only thing i can do at the moment is wait until i see the vet tommorrow.

The problem is advanced, and i blame myself, as i didnt immediatley take her to the vet...thought it would sort itself out, and of course it didnt look bad and she wasn't in any discomfort, but she has been seeing the vet now for about 6 months and it just seems to be getting worse!
I don't think it is something that will ever 'go away', but something that will have to be treated for the rest of her life.

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I have had a lot of success with the use of ANTI-PRESSURE Dressings on sore hocks. The dressing is made like a large cornplaster, a hole cut into a thick cottonwool -type pad so the actual sore area is not covered but raised off the ground. The 'cornplaster' is then held in place with micropore tape and cohesive bandages

Flamazine Cream is used in the treatment of human burns. It is extremely effective

I do hope the vet can help make your Bun feel more comfortable

Janex

Well, i shall certainly ask the vet about those dressings...they do sound as if they could help Mo..her leg is very bad today
She makes me feel so guilty!
Perhaps the vet thought i was talking about 'normal' bandaging when i first asked her about it...Oh, it will be fun to get them on her....
Anyway, am seeing the vet today, so fingers crossed
xx

willowthewysp said:

Well, i shall certainly ask the vet about those dressings...they do sound as if they could help Mo..her leg is very bad today
She makes me feel so guilty!
Perhaps the vet thought i was talking about 'normal' bandaging when i first asked her about it...Oh, it will be fun to get them on her....
Anyway, am seeing the vet today, so fingers crossed
xx

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Please let us know how you get on

Janex

I certainly will do! I have been worried all night!

Hi Willow!:wave: I'm so happy you joined the forum at last!! Jane's advice is top notch so really push your vet about it. Lots of nose rubs for gorgeous Mo! let us know how you get on xx (((hugs)))

Hi :wave:

No experience with sore hocks I'm afraid, but I've had houserabbits for a number of years...and I've found thick fleece blankets (i.e. large baby blankets) to be better than vetbed because they don't cause friction on the skin, and can be washed easily...mine are dry within an hour!.

Amy

My bun gets sore feet too but has not ever got to an advanced stage. As the others suggest get the infection sorted out first as they can get serious and progress into the bone but then this is what I do and it works for Silky (not perfect but works to some extent).

I upend her and lay her on her back across my lap feet down and smear her feet with Sudacrem then stick some of her own fur to the sudacrem (comb/brush first), then stick a foot sized elastoplast fabric strip plaster down her foot being careful to wrap it around properly so it stays put ie the fabric strip cut to the size of her feet taking care it is long enough to wrap around the heel a bit. Elastoplast fabric strips are far better than any alternative and seem better cushioned. Then I use elastoplast fabric strips and wrap a 15ish cm length around to hold the plaster in place. Although several of the elastoplast extreme plasters across ways work well too. Not too tight but firm. Then upright and off she hops. She has sore feet but not infected mind.

They stay on for about 3 weeks and dont seem to cause any problems when I get it right until they grow off with her fur and I replace them.

I was told that the elastoplast would cause a reaction by one vet but so far it hasnt and the fur then grows back under the plaster to cushion the feet until the plaster drops off. I could never get cohesive bandages to stay on and these stick well and its better than an infection or her getting displacement of the hocks - this is final stage and serious. Only one vet has suggested its a bad thing and her alternative was useless and hopped off.

I have also bought cheap gym mats from Tesco and put them on the floor of her shed and done away with ramps and hard surfaces. the mats are covered with towels. I also keep her nails short as I can. For Silky they are pressure sores - she has lots of space but isnt always on the go. A houserabbit often it is more carpet burns from being on the go on hard/abrasive surfaces. What a bunny needs is to be on the go on soft earth which is of course very hard but keeps them on the front of their feet with their nails dug in. Silky would hop around the garden all day its just I cant let her do that either!

I have heard that that new skin stuff by germolene is good but havent tried it yet on her. It coats the skin and really gets it to heal really quickly. I darent leave silkys feet plaster free. Also new skin stings to billy-o if you paint it on your own cut and whilst its really good I wouldnt want to make sore feet sting more.

If you like I could take a photo but good luck.

Hi Binky bun...yes it took me a while to actually get to this forum...but so glad i did now!!!(thanks for pointing me here!)

Amy...Its funny you should mention the vetbed, as my vet said basically the same thing!...She suggested duvets instead.(oh well, i have just ordered 2 more!!!!!)
I use duvets aswell though...we have a 'lino' type floor and i have almost covered it with fleecy soft things for Mo.

Lucycat...The vet has told me not to put anything like dressings or cream on her hocks...I saw the vet again today, and her really bad leg has swollen..the vet thinks this is due to her knocking it the other night...this is the reason for the puss.
She had an injection of anti-biotics..and i have to take her back every 3 days for about 2 weeks. The vet also gave Mo some painkillers and isotonic fibre stuff.

As for the new skin...OUCH! I use that on myself...my hands split for no reason and i end up with hands that look like they have been cut to ribbons, so put the new skin on top..wow does that stuff sting!!!I dont think i will use that on Mo!:shock:

Mo does seem alot more comfortable tonight...not moving about loads...she never does, but she just looks 'better'

Anyway, i have to go back to the vet on thursday for another injection, and maybe the vet will suggest something else...I do like the idea of dressing her legs, but the vet is really against it at the moment.
Oh, and the vet thinks that the runny poo's may just be her night time poo's, which she hasn't been able to turn round and eat, so has ended up laying in it..hence runny looking poo all over the place...but we shall see.

Thanks for the advice...all of you! Will keep you posted on how she gets on I know this is going to be a long term thing, most probably a life time thing for her, so all i can do is follow the vets orders so to speak and try to make Mo as comfortable as possible.
xx

If you have any sign of infection, please do not use any form of spray on skin as it will close the infection in and make it worse.

jrn1310 said:

If you have any sign of infection, please do not use any form of spray on skin as it will close the infection in and make it worse.

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No..I wont..im only using what the vet has given me, which at the moment is painkillers and a fibre drink.(she has her anti-biotics via injection)
xx

I have just thought of something...Mo likes to have a wander in the garden..once in the morning and once in the evening..I have always encouraged this by leaving the back door open for her to come and go as she pleases.
But due to the weather now getting wetter, our garden is getting very much on the 'soft' side! And parts of the garden are turning into muddy patches!
Should i be letting her out with her legs the way they are?
(the vet has told me not to bath her at all..at the moment anyway)

Well i have been to the vet again this morning for more anti-biotics via injection The vet wants to give Mo 2 more of these.
She is looking a lot better although she was very stiff last night...Am wondering if the kitchen is getting too cold at night...or am i being over sensitive?:lol: Probably, but im still either going to buy or get DH to make a little house for the bunsters!