• 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.

Urgent!!!!! Please help!!!!!

saffron24

Young Bun
hi, my rabbit, socks is a male minature lop. he is 3 and a half years old. I keep him in a wooden hutch in a shed with wood shavings on the bottom an hay bedding in his sleeping area. I clean out his hutch four times a week. He has two sores on the bottom of each of his hind feet, towards the back of the feet. They are quite small, both smaller than a pea. I think it is sore hocks, but am not sure, as his hutch is regularly cleaned out, he is not overweight and his nails are short. Please help!! Is it sore hocks? What is the cause of the sores? why has he got them? how can i treat them? Thanks, please reply quickly!!!! I know ive already posted this, but didnt get many replies, and urgently need help! Im so worried about him, he was at the vets yesterday for his Maximitotis vaccinations and his booster, and is very much loved and well looked after. Sores were only noticed this morning. PLEASE HELP!!!! :) Thanks
 
It sounds like sore hocks.

Firstly I'd dump the shavings as they can contribute to sore skin in rabbits, not just on the hocks.

Sore hocks (pododermatitis if you are googling), can be for a number of reasons. You see it in rabbits that are overweight and therefor tend to weighbare on their heals or runaround so using the front part of their back feet; rabbits who tend to hunch, so sometimes if their accommodation isn't big enough for them to lay at full stretch, those with particular types of coats where there isn't much cover e.g. rexes; those bunnies whose nails are so lock it forces their foot to rock backwards; those bunnies who have to sit in wet bedding or on their own litter; those who've had their fur trimmed to remove the felted mats or pads, which actually protect the heel and bunnies with other mobility problems which cause a domino effect, such as arthritis.

Baring in mind that bunnies can have sore hocks without any of the above, just because of the way they sit, it is important to try and acertain why it has happened in your bunny's case. Sometimes it can be from having only runaround time on hard surfaces or carpet. eg paving.

You need to see if there is any risk of infection, so whether there is a risk of the skin breaking open. If so, then this needs to be treated asap. Infection once in the heels can spread to the bone and that can be dire.

Some bunnies have some fur loss from their heels but never have a serious problem, so maybe get your vet to have a look.

Lots of people help prevent this from getting worse by using vet bed for their rabbits, or soft fleece and giving them things to jump on that won't be abrasive.

If it's bad enough to need treatment then the vet (if they know their stuff) will make recommendations based on what they see.

Can you put up some photos?
 
Thanks both of you, i took him to the vet yesterday, but got a young new vet, and he said he didnt know what it was, and wasnt very helpful, as he was there for his vaccinations in the first place. Any advice on how i could treat him? could i use vaseline or sudocrem?
 
I agree with ditching the wood shavings. Put lino or newspaper down on the bottom of the hutch which a really thick layer of hay. Can you take some picture of his feet at all?

Does he run around the shed as well? You could put some fleeces down or see if you can get some foam mats. Or again just lots of hay.
 
OKay, i thought the shavings would be okay, as they are very fine and soft, unlike normal shavings. They are supplied by the breeder we got him from who has been an experienced rabbit breeder and he has been showing his rabbits for years, all his rabbits have the same sawdust. Advice? thanks :)
 
OKay, i thought the shavings would be okay, as they are very fine and soft, unlike normal shavings. They are supplied by the breeder we got him from who has been an experienced rabbit breeder and he has been showing his rabbits for years, all his rabbits have the same sawdust. Advice? thanks :)

Shavings cause alot of problems! breathing problems, choking and feet problems! unfortunetly thats some breeders for you!:roll:
 
Lots of hay all over the floor of their hutch / pen is one of the best beddings for bunnies with sore hocks, and easy to obtain
 
Okay, thankyou for your advice, but i have had my rabbit for over 3 years, and he has never had any problems, before this. He has only developed these sores in the last week, and i have been using the same shavings since i got him, he has neveer had this before, so do you think the problem is related to shavings? :S thanks for the advice everyone :) x
 
Thanks both of you, i took him to the vet yesterday, but got a young new vet, and he said he didnt know what it was, and wasnt very helpful, as he was there for his vaccinations in the first place. Any advice on how i could treat him? could i use vaseline or sudocrem?

It really depends on how bad they are.

The risk of infection if the skin has broken is seroius if not sorted out, and if the heels have scabbing then it could only be a matter of time. Infection can spread into the bone very easily if left unchecked - that can be fatal in worst cases.

The bone is so very close to the top layers of skin so that is why it's important to decide how serious it is.

Some bunnies can have a comb over to help cover the heel - just try and move the fur.

You can use Sudocrem too or if you can get some bumblefoot cream from Gorgeous Guineas that has been seen to have good results for healing too.

Ultimately though, a good bunny vet should give you a clinical solution.
 
It's impossible to say if they were the cause, but the shavings won't help the problem get better. Hay or foam mats will be the best thing. You can just use cheap hay for the floor - it doesn't have to cost lots.
 
Thank you very much, i have put some sudocrem on his sores, and moved his fur over. Unfortunately, i only got a trainee vet who didnt know what the sores were.
 
If you want to look for a new vet you could try searching for previous posts on here with vets + your area / city - and if that doesn't come up with much you could post a thread asking for recommendations.
 
In my opinion shavings are a waste of money. I use lino and blankets for my outdoor rabbits to prevent things like sore hocks and breathing problems.

It would be beneficial for you to spend 65p on a newspaper and keep away from the shavings :wave: :) be careful he doesn't eat it though, otherwise, just use hay, someone on here has their run full of hay as her rex rabbit has sore hocks (can't remember who it is :oops:)

ETA: Foam mats are good too :) I also use the cheap door mats from ASDA (75p) for the run that is on the patio so their feet don't get sore on the paving :)
 
i go to a very good veterinary practice, but didnt get my usual vet, as i wasnt actually there about the sores, i was there getting his vaccinations, so they let the trainee do them, not knowing about the sores. Thanks Vita for all of your help and advice :) x
 
i go to a very good veterinary practice, but didnt get my usual vet, as i wasnt actually there about the sores, i was there getting his vaccinations, so they let the trainee do them, not knowing about the sores. Thanks Vita for all of your help and advice :) x

I had a trainee once. She just kept smiling at me as I was telling her about my worries of Poppy's sneezing lol. And then just stood there like ."eerrmm.." and she was trying to pick Poppy up by the scruff of her neck because she was stuggling :shock: I was like NO and picked her up myself with ease lol. The vet took over at that point. Didn't see her again after that :lol:

Hope you get your usual vet next time :wave:
 
Hi, thank you so much for everyones advice. I went to the breeder where i got Socks from, and confirmed that it was sore hocks, but gave me chopped straw/polystyrene for bedding, and Socks' feet look much better already, they arent red anymore and are starting to heal :) <3
 
Glad his feet are starting to heal : )
I don't think polystyrene isa good idea around bunnies as it is so easily chewed and eaten and might even cause a blockage.

Straw is ok as extra insulation if the buns don't eat it. It has no nutritional value and can discourage them from eating the hay they need to be healthy. But if they aren't interested in eating the straw, there isn't a problem with it.
 
Its not actually polystyrene, its just the name of it :) and he doesnt eat it so its good :) thanks for all your help x
 
Back
Top