• 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.

sore hocks

Crystal butterfly

Warren Veteran
i noticed Crystal had sore hocks when i clipped her nails on sunday got them looked at on Monday when she went for a teeth check up vet said to swap her woodshavings for softer bedding...

now ive sorted out some Vet bed and some old towels will these be ok to line her hutch with? i was going to use carpet but read somewhere that carpet can aggrivate the hocks even more :?
 
We put a very soft piece of carpet down then a soft fleece on top. This seems to work for Lola. She also has towels in her cage.

Sounds good to me!
 
thanks hun another big problem with carpet is Crystal friend isnt littertrained so he wees everywhere last time i placed a peice of carpet in their hutch it had to be thrown out a week later :roll: rabbits eh lol

im hoping towels are ok as these can be washed daily while their out their hutch.
 
Does she get access to grass in the day? My oldest girl has started to develop the start of sore hocks I think (little bald patches) but she's on grass all day so not much I can do.
 
normally shes free range so is exposed to grass and concrete however her hutch is a hutch/run combo and the run is placed on concrete which could also be the problem, but what could i use to line the concrete in the run with :?
 
normally shes free range so is exposed to grass and concrete however her hutch is a hutch/run combo and the run is placed on concrete which could also be the problem, but what could i use to line the concrete in the run with :?

If there is a covered area in her run you could put a load of hay in there for somewhere comfortable to stand or as Angie has suggested for the hutch you could put rubber matting in the run.
 
Just checked now and Misty has sore hocks to so i really need to get all this sorted now before they get worse :?

il look into that rubber matting thankyou :D

im just glad i have a savings account for my buns hehe
 
use Megazorb instead for bedding :)

thanks hun i did wonder what to use for their litter trays as i do use woodshavings will order some megazorb :)

ive bought a roll of vet bed off ebay and a rubber mat for ther run think im just about sorted now :D

do sore hocks heal or will they always be like that? im annoyed at myself for not noticing them sooner to be honest Mistys are quite red with dry skin haning off them think im going to have to get his looked at.
 
thanks hun i did wonder what to use for their litter trays as i do use woodshavings will order some megazorb :)

ive bought a roll of vet bed off ebay and a rubber mat for ther run think im just about sorted now :D

do sore hocks heal or will they always be like that? im annoyed at myself for not noticing them sooner to be honest Mistys are quite red with dry skin haning off them think im going to have to get his looked at.

They need a vet looking at them, especially Misty's. Prophylactic antibiotics are usually appropriate if they are this sore and inflammed with broken skin to try to prevent infection, and to prevent any current infection reaching the bone. It is also important that your vet assesses the tendons of the feet to make sure nothing is distorted from bunny holding their weight inappropriately whilst suffering from this condition. Pain relief if they are this sore is absolutely essential, not only to healing and reducing inflammation and chronic skin thickening, but in making bun more comfortable and preventing pain-related stress symptoms such as GI stasis etc.
Nails short, deep cushioned bedding and litter, plenty of exercise, keep rigorously clean so no standing on soiled litter, avoid abrasive materials, keep feet as dry as possible, avoid creams at this stage unless prepared to bandage, and bunny also needs to be at the correct weight to prevent extra pressure. Hope Misty's feet feel better soon :)
 
Crystals has been looked at luckily her hocks the furs just rubbed away so ive caught hers quite early, they both get lots of exercise 6-12 hours a day depending on my shifts.

I think its because i have them kept on woodshavings and their run on concrete so i think the hard and rough surfaces have whats caused them, Misty is most likely underweight then overweight as he never really regained much weight he has E.C (its under control now though) but ive been told this is normal for some E.C buns.

il have him checked at the vets as i do think maybe the skin has broken on 1 of his hocks...

thinking about it all this could explain why both are always lying down i just thought they'd become lazy :oops:
 
Fudge has sore hocks and ive tried the thick towles/blankets but her feet got worse. I went onto thick straw/hay and they didnt get any better and it made a big mess in my room :roll:

Shes now bedded on a thick layer of megazorb with a little straw ontop. She gets cleaned everyday if not every second day but her litter tray gets cleaned twice a day. Her nails get clipped really short by the vet every 3 months and i cover any carpet with blankets for when she is free ranging. The redness has gone down in the space of a week so im hoping the megazorb is helping:D

I think it depends on whats suitable for each individual bunny. Fudges hocks dont have broken skin just red with dry skin.

I would clean the toilet area twice a day if possible as urine will burn the skin and stop the healing process.

sending vibes :wave:
 
thanks hun i did wonder what to use for their litter trays as i do use woodshavings will order some megazorb :)

ive bought a roll of vet bed off ebay and a rubber mat for ther run think im just about sorted now :D

do sore hocks heal or will they always be like that? im annoyed at myself for not noticing them sooner to be honest Mistys are quite red with dry skin haning off them think im going to have to get his looked at.

they will heal as youve caught it early but you need to always keep an eye on it :) Megazorb was what made Peanut's hocks so much better, the vet said to me to put my elbows in wood shavings and i did...and it felt so prickly, and then with megazorb it was so soft and that helps. its also more absorbant so its less likely to be wet and irratate the hocks that was too.
 
In my experience, sore hocks aren't always caused by the surface the rabbit is kept on. I think certain medical conditions must cause toxins to build up in the wee, which irritates the skin on the feet when they stand in the litter tray. My Dominic had sore hocks when he was living with Abby, but they cleared up after Abby died and he now lives with 3 other rabbits with no problems whatsoever.

I can't find any evidence to support my theory in books or on the internet, but I'm pretty sure it must be the case.
 
In my experience, sore hocks aren't always caused by the surface the rabbit is kept on. I think certain medical conditions must cause toxins to build up in the wee, which irritates the skin on the feet when they stand in the litter tray. My Dominic had sore hocks when he was living with Abby, but they cleared up after Abby died and he now lives with 3 other rabbits with no problems whatsoever.

I can't find any evidence to support my theory in books or on the internet, but I'm pretty sure it must be the case.

I agree, there are many causes of sore hocks, and very often many contributing factors interplaying. The trick is to eliminate as many risk factors as possible. Inflammation has many triggers, whether it be allergy, abrasion, infection etc.
 
In my experience, sore hocks aren't always caused by the surface the rabbit is kept on. I think certain medical conditions must cause toxins to build up in the wee, which irritates the skin on the feet when they stand in the litter tray. My Dominic had sore hocks when he was living with Abby, but they cleared up after Abby died and he now lives with 3 other rabbits with no problems whatsoever.

I can't find any evidence to support my theory in books or on the internet, but I'm pretty sure it must be the case.

I agree with you. The vet said Peanuts sore hocks werent caused by the surface he was on, his tendons slipped, so when he walked the hock dragged along the floor for a slight mili second, and it rubbed. :shock:

The megazorb helped it because he already had it, and it made it softer, but his living conditions definatly not what caused it.

strange isnt it!
 
It would make a lot of sense actually. Sore hocks are pressure and friction sores. Therefore, anything that increases pressure or friction in any way....surfacing, inflammatory processes from other factors, obesity or arthritis - due to additional weight on a fine point of contact, or incorrect posture, stiffness or abnormal gait (mobility issues) would also create an added point or inappropriate point of friction/pressue and predispose bunny to sores. :(
 
Back
Top