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Poor Rexy feet and carpet

Vita

Mama Doe
I've been anxious about my Rex's feet since I found out about the potential for problems, but they always looked fine when she spent most of the time in the cage.

Now she and her housemate have spent most of the last couple of days running about free (on synthetic carpet and a stone floor) - and when we were at the vet today I saw she had a little bald patch on one of her hind feet :(. The vet said not to worry, it's very common and most rabbits don't get serious problems or infections with it.

Admittedly, I'm less optimistic than he partly because of what I've read online. And if this happens in only two days...

Is this a choice between her getting exercise and freedom and sneezing less when she's not always got hay in her face (and lovely things like finding her roosting peacefully on the stairs, which makes me so happy) - and keeping her cooped up on softer flooring so that her feet have no chance to go bald?
Changing the carpet isn't really an option.
 
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I found carpet aggravated my lops hocks. Mini tends to get a sore hock on one foot in particular as she dislocated her hip and had to have an op so that leg is slightly out of alignment and tends to aggregate the hock more. But even Mischa started to get sore hocks on the carpet I had. Some carpets seem ok, some seem too abrasive.

In the end I had the carpet ripped out and put lino down but the carpet was old and needed replacing anyway. In the mean time I worked out where they slept the most and made a sandwich of various layers. First I put down a plastic sheet in case they weed, then some towels to make it spongy, then some vetbed and then finally a cotton soft sheet. I found vetbed on it's own made it worse as it rubbed away on the hairs but covered by a sheet it made a more spongy soft surface. After a while I got some cheap single duvets that I could get in the washing machine (they do tend to wee on spongy things) and put this down instead of the vetbed and cotton sheet. I still use the duvets even now to provide them with a soft area to sleep.

The most aggregation of the hocks seems to be when they are in their monorail position, all feet tucked underneath them. Or when slowly hopping around. When flopped on their sides or running the hocks are not so much in contact with the floor so I concentrated on the areas when their slept.

If I were you I'd definitely try and sort it now before the hairs get too rubbed away. The fur on that part of the feet protects the skin and once it goes can be difficult to get to regrow.
 
Thanks so much Elena.

This is quite a rough carpet - very cheap and hard wearing, the sort you get in student houses. All day - so over 12 hours - they have free run of the kitchen, hallway and landings (including 2 flights of stairs, which they seem to enjoy, though I'm not sure they're good for Ada's feet). They are put away at night; I'm going to see what they're like after neutering before looking at stopping that.

There is a little area on the first landing where they've taken to sitting for much of the daytime. The landing is really narrow though, about 3 feet. It sounds like I need to make a little pad to put here - a whole duvet would be in the way. It's a shame rabbits can't wear protective boots... Uggs for Rexes because they're so soft? :D

But is the freedom better for her than keeping her caged up nearly all the time?

I wish I'd known about these problems Rexes have before I got her ... I didn't get a Nethie because I knew about theirs although I think they're adorable creatures. It's so sad when animals are hurt by normal(ish) life just because of the way they were bred. There was a family with a dog who were cooing over how beautiful she was and considering buying her, and I wanted to make sure I got her instead, so I didn't go away and do my research first :/
 
You can get a cheaper version of vetbed (profleece?) pretty cheaply on ebay, which might help, you can get some nice colours too so it'll just look like a rug.
 
You could put vetbed down (this tends to be kinder to hocks than carpet), or you could put foam matting down (again, kinder than carpet).

I have a sore hock rex bunny, and it is not nice. Its best avoided at all costs. If you can't cover all the area with vetbed or foam matting, could you maybe give her like 40sqft of floor which has vetbed/hay/foam matting down that is her area permanently?
 
Hmm, maybe it's better to get a room ready for them then, though I can't do this immediately. I love having them around the place, and it makes me feel like I'm getting to know them properly, but her feet are important too. I'll have a look at the profleece. Vetbed is shockingly expensive.

BTW Deelove, Ada looks a lot like your Faline. (Is she named after Bambi's partner?)

ETA: would it do any good to put towels down on some of the floors in the meantime? I have loads of towels, at least. But they do like digging and sometimes chewing towels :/ Poor lovely bunny, so expensive and confusing. I need to find a way to take good care of her without breaking the bank. The last four weeks have been very costly.
 
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Regarding the duvets you can fold them, that's what we've done. We've also cut a couple in half, they really need seeming though when you do that.

As for towels, again it depends on how soft they are. i always covered towels as the old ones used for the bunnies are a bit rough. Towels with a soft cotton sheet may work though they might dig it up so you might have to hold the edges down with something. My lops don't dig at stuff like that (unless in the car on the way to the vets :roll:) but my lionheads do.
 
We have had the same problem with our little Oscar~Domeric. We have covered the carpet with 100% cotton sheets, and in his 'hot spots' (where he likes to sit, run ect) we have covered foam mats (yoga, camping mats) with the cotton sheets. It kinda looks like we are living in a padded cell:lol::shock:, but it really has worked. The right hock has a complete 'comb over' of fur, and his left one is taking longer but is definitely better :D
 
We have had the same problem with our little Oscar~Domeric. We have covered the carpet with 100% cotton sheets, and in his 'hot spots' (where he likes to sit, run ect) we have covered foam mats (yoga, camping mats) with the cotton sheets. It kinda looks like we are living in a padded cell:lol::shock:, but it really has worked. The right hock has a complete 'comb over' of fur, and his left one is taking longer but is definitely better :D
That sounds like a good idea, without having to get lots of pricey Vetbed.

Well, I hadn't accounted for Ada's awkward squad tendencies.
I went out on to the landing and there she was sitting OPPOSITE the vetbed that I'd placed in the area she usually sits. I love her stubbornness and independence - she's a bit of a kindred spirit in that way - but it's not always easy to work with.
 
Not sure if this is of any use, but Poundland and the 99p shop often have things like camping mats and fleecy blankets that may prove to be a cheap alternative for floor covering.

Ada sounds like a lovely handful!!

:love:
 
Not sure if this is of any use, but Poundland and the 99p shop often have things like camping mats and fleecy blankets that may prove to be a cheap alternative for floor covering.

Ada sounds like a lovely handful!!

:love:

Yes, she certainly can be! :D

Thanks for the tip. On the face of it, these look ideal. I could probably cover most of the flat areas of carpet they go on for about £12!
http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/cushions-throws+beanbags/wilko-blanket-fleece-2-pack-tealduck-egg/invt/0295583/?htxt=pAdpFHXsfQ1l%2FjJJiGFKJQUewv7BJJ4i9WvEECHHmrNblQi23g9%2FTUiGgRERQJkME3RjR1CPQmV0%0A0lK6HZkUNA%3D%3D
These, on
 
The landing is now covered with 4 cheap Wilko's fleece blankets - it looks as if decorators should be setting up their ladders imminently.

Good:
The bunnies haven't dug them up.
They haven't peed on them.
Ada sat for quite a while in her usual afternoon roosting spot on one of the blankets.

Bad:
They're not spending much time on them, perhaps because...
The blankets stink. Not of bunnies, but of factory chemicals. I wonder if they need a wash.
 
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