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Temp cage for sore hocks?

FudgeMallow

Mama Doe
Since Fudge has the start of sore hocks i was thinking maybe putting her in the rabbit 140 cage i have wit megazorb on the bottom to help her feet?

If it works and her feet are fully furred, i could then give her back her NIC cage and layer lots of blankets in it?

She is beddedon loads of Blankets just now and it doesnt seem to be making a difference:(
I will be getting her to the vet Thursday again :roll:
 
Since Fudge has the start of sore hocks i was thinking maybe putting her in the rabbit 140 cage i have wit megazorb on the bottom to help her feet?

If it works and her feet are fully furred, i could then give her back her NIC cage and layer lots of blankets in it?

She is beddedon loads of Blankets just now and it doesnt seem to be making a difference:(
I will be getting her to the vet Thursday again :roll:

This is just my personal experience, but our foster bun who had terrible sore hocks on all four of his feet running the entire foot length found standing on megazorb impossibly uncomfortable - which is why we ended up with vet beds in his litter tray on top of the megazorb. I honestly think you need to try the vet beds or deep bedded hay. There is mixed opinion and experience using both on here and mixed vet advice too. We had success with vet beds and our vet also recommended them as well as the rescue our bun went to. However, others find deep bedded hay better and their vets agree with this. So it's up to you really. I'm not sure how flexible megazorb is?? I find it rather compacted. :?
I would be careful about confining too much - lack of exercise would mean that bunny would be spending moretime sitting around on the hocks. Exercise is important for blood flow to the sores to aid healing as well. However, exercise on a soft surface is ideal, grass is very good for this. Can your bun exercise in the garden?

Sore hock healing does take time, how flexible is the surface she is on? Is she on anti-inflammatories for her condition? Are you applying creams or leaving the sores alone? Again this is personal preference, and I also think it depends on the type of sore and the cause. Our foster bun - we left his sores alone and simply soft bedding, grass to exercise on and the correct meds healed his up. My dutch male has a teeny tiny sore on the tip of one of his heels, it always gets worse in winter and heals up in summer when they spend more time on the grass, I am considering trying the Savalon advanced gel I have seen Jane recommend perhaps this winter. I would normally hesitate over putting anything on as squashing the surrounding fur by mistake can make the condition worse, even though the cream itself may help. Moist wounds do promote granulation tissue and healing but on weight bearing pressure points moist wounds can tear easily and get infected - it's all a balancing act. I hope you can find what works for your bun, it's often trial and error. Good luck :)
 
She gets petrifieds outside and panics :(
She has trays of grass in her room and i cover the carpet with towels and blankets but i still dont think its great :(
I wont be confining her to the other cage she will still have free roam everyday but will be in her cage/run at night:)
I only thought about this cage as it has a base which i could cover with megazorb and hay and/or straw, that way she will have think bedding on the floor :)
I have put a little savlon on it until i can get to the vet either tomorrow or Thursday morning, but she doesnt seem too bothered by her feet! I did give a low dose of metacam before it was her bed time to make sure she is comfy and not in pain but i dont think she was!

I think i will talk it over with my vet and see what he thinks is best :)
 
I think i will talk it over with my vet and see what he thinks is best :)

I think that is best :D
Is there any way that you can get her used to being outside a little bit at a time? Any idea what exactly it is about being outside? Perhaps she is just not used to it? Maybe if you sit out on the grass with her and some nice food it might help her to associate being outside with rewards? Buns naturally look for and check escape routes and bolt holes back to their burrows. They make a mental map. Wild buns on the surface know exactly where their bolt holes are and how fastest to get there. One of my buns repeatedly runs circuits when he is outside coming back into the house checking his hutch and then going back out, I always leave the door open to the house as this makes him feel secure. When the door is closed I make sure the door to their run is open and they have lots of hidey places/tunnels in there and he will do the same. If a plane goes overhead (which he hates) he will bolt to where he knows is safe, just knowing it is there and accessible helps him feel secure. Our nervous girl when we first got her used to feel much safer inside the wire run than free range, she knew she was safe in the run and this helped her to feel secure outside. Now she is happy enough free range when I am there to supervise and will lie flat in the middle of the lawn!
Large gardens can also feel daunting - big open space = threat from predators (buzzards/foxes) etc so perhaps you could screen off a part of the garden and get her used to a small space first? Just some ideas anyway :D
It's just grass really does help sore hocks if you've got it. If not, I think that soft blankets laid around and thick rugs is the best you can do inside for house buns.
 
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