• Forum/Server Upgrade If you are reading this you have made it to the upgraded forum. Posts made on the old forum after 26th October 2023 have not been transfered. Everything else should be here. If you find any issues please let us know.
  • Please Note - Medical Advice

    Please keep in mind that posts on this forum are from members of the public sharing personal opinions. It is not a replacement for qualified medical advice from a veterinarian. Many illnesses share similar symptoms but require different treatments. A medical exam is necessary for an accurate diagnosis, without which appropriate treatment cannot be given.

    You should always consult your vet before following any suggestions for medication or treatment you have read about. The wrong treatment could make your rabbit worse or mean your vet is unable to give the correct treatment because of drug interactions. Even non prescription drugs can do harm if given inappropriately.

    We are very grateful to members who take time to answer other members questions, but please do be clear in your replies that you are sharing personal experience and not giving instructions on what must be done.

    Urgent Medical Advice: If you need, or think you might need, urgent medical advice you should contact a vet. If it is out of working hours phone your vet's normal number and there should be an answer phone message with instructions on what to do.

Systemic treatment for sore hocks.

Radish

Mama Doe
Hi

Moo one of my mini rex buns has very very inflamed hocks, they are extremely bald and unbelievably red looking.

the skin isn't broken yet but without the continuous application of, at first fuciderm for a week,flammazine and sudocrem for seven weeks and repeatedly applying dressings to the hocks, the skin would be broken by now.

one of the vets at my practise has suggested systemic treatment in the form of steroids...has anyone had any experience of this and if so, is it a viable option?

today i have actually tried a different cream on her hocks... we always use kamillosan cream on the guinea pigs if they get sore nipples when feeding their babies so i am trying this cream for a few days to see if it helps the buns feet....it always reduces inflammation on the pigs very quickly( i would add that i only ever have to use it on pigs who are raising a larger than average litter.)
 
I was told at the RWA congress meeting that steroids should not be used in bunnies, particularly if they are immunosupressed. Personally, i would not want steroids to be used on my bunnies. Your vet is wanting to use the steroids for its anti-inflammatory properties (from what you are saying), and there are better drugs to use, such as metacam. However, anti-inflammatory is not the only issue that needs to be addressed, but the skin itself, as anti-inflammatories will only play a part in the healing process. You do not say if your bunny is indoors or outdoors, but either way, plaenty of soft bedding is necessary (although i guess you'll be doing that already). I'm not sure that applying lots of cream will help in the longterm as the cream will be making the skin soft and therefore making it more prone to damage. It may be worth seeking the advice of another vet and/or maybe other people on here xan give some advice re the best longterm treatment. But as for steroids, i would say a definite no. Hope that helps!! In dogs and cats we would dress sore areas until the skin is well healed, however, in a rabbit this is more difficult so iwonder how other people have managed with it??
 
I work at the vets and have spoken to several of them and all have recommended the continuous application of cream as it is the only thing stopping the skin from cracking.

the bun is outside in a favi by two by two hutch, she has a litter tray deep filled with hay and the rest of her hutch has one inch thick foam topped with two layers of vetbed.

there is no infection in her feet, the skin is lovely and clean just very very red.

she is eating drinking pooing and generally a normal active bunny but her feet look incredibly sore.i have had dressings on her feet applied in a manner so as to avoid pressure in the sore area but all to no avail. the dressings have to be changed regularly and fresh cream applied.

i'm not entirely sure how metacam will help as it's generally more for pain relief, i realise it's a NSAID but i still feel that something applied to the skin is more the way to go, just not sure what.
 
Hmm its difficult! Your doing the right thing with all the bedding, as for the cream, im not sure then. The cream will be keeping the skin soft but then if you let it dry it will crack and allow infection in i guess. Yeah i was thinking metacam for its anti-inflammatory properties and the pin relief in case your bun is sore. Fucciderm is good for bringing down inflammation but then the steroid isn't great as its absorbed and works systemically (same steroid problem as i mentioned in previous post). What about Viatop? I remember when that was introduced someone said it was better than fuciderm as it doesn't work systemically, i'm not 100% sure whats in it though. I'm sure there is another good anti-inflammatory cream, i think that may be it.
 
I don't really like to use vet bed with sore hocks, because although it's cushioned and springy, it's quite rough and there will be a lot of friction between the vet bed and the hock.

You might find that thick fleece blankets or even a thick layer of cotton sheets might be better.

Best of all would be a thick layer of dry hay or straw

I don't have rexes though, so their needs might be different?
 
Last edited:
maybe bring bunny indoors until its healed...i had an indoor bun with sore hocks..carpet burns..i used russell rabbit bedding and cat litter in the litter tray and soft clean bits of old fleecey blankets and t shirts allsorts....
i used to have to bathe her feet with a solution of hibiscrub and put special cream on twice a day......it took a few weeks but we got it cleared up.
 
I would definately not want my Bun to be given a Corticosteroid to 'treat' sore hocks :shock:

Systemic abx and NSAIDs yes. Has a swab of the sore area been taken to see what bacteria (if any) are involved and thereby identify the most suitable abx?

Has a thorough examination of Buns hips and spine been done ? Sore hocks can be a secondary symptom of a mobility problem due to arthritic pain.

How often did you apply the Flamzine/change the dressings?

Can you post a piccie of the hocks?
 
flamazine applied twice daily and once we used dressings they were changed once daily.
have stopped using flammazine at the moment and am now just using sudocrem as the flammazine isn't doing any more than the sudocrem. have previously also tried dermisol but that just made them more bald so not using it this time round.

there is no infection present and the vets don't see the point of using antibiotics.

i should have mentioned that ontop of the vetbed both my rex buns have a double layer of microfleece, didn't think it was important sorry was so busy tryiong to explain that i'm doing everything i'm meant to be.

i did bring her indoors for two weeks while doing the dressings but she was so miserable i put her back outside.

as far as the vets can tell there is nothing wrong with her mobility etc. she is only about ten months old( don't know if that's important or not)she's not over weight.

will post pictures tonight.
 
ok here are pics of both feet. please note discolouration of fur is NOT due to being on soiled bedding, it is simply due to repeated application of cream. My buns litter trays are cleaned out daily.

P9220053.jpg


P9220055.jpg


if fur looks matted it is because i washed the feet in a solution of hibiscrub prior to taking the pictures.
 
Don't have any advice - sorry.
Just wishing you well with your bun and hoping you get some good advice because my Molly has one sore hock that looks like the pic you have put up.

Lea. x
 
bump still need your advice guys.

Ouch they are sore :cry:

I am still wondering how the Vet can be so certain there is no infection :?

I also think the Hibiscrub may be aggravating the inflammed skin. Chlorhexidine (the active ingredient in Hibiscrub) can cause problems for some Buns and I too am allergic to it. It makes my skin get cracked and sore.

Maybe a trial of a week or so on only 'natural' treatments ie just using a very mild saline solution to bathe the sore area and applying only Aloe Vera Gel (one with no alcohol in the ingredients) and then applying the 'anti-pressure' dressings.
I would say some systemic Metacam would be a good idea too as those hocks do look everso sore.
 
thank you.

i only used the hibiscrub the once ie yesterday before io took the picture.

i'll give her some metacam in a minute.

i'll try the natural approach.

where will i be able to get aloe vera gel?

thanks again.
 
Hi you can get aloe vera at holland and barret and I think boots sell it to.Sending healing hock vibes
 
thank you i'll go get some this afternoon.

i've given her some oral metacam and also some oral baytril.

i've got enough of both until i'm working in the vets on Friday.( and yes i did ring the vets and ask for dosage;))
 
Back
Top