I have never had this before with any of my animals. I have Minnie who is about 7 in one of those big indoor cages for the winter. She has a good bed of hay and her litter tray. I let her out for her floor time and noticed there was blood all over the floor. I made an inspection and found out its coming from her hock. There was so much blood from such a tiny sore. I have bathed it with cold water and put her back in her cage. She is licking it clean herself. Does anybody know what could cause this and also how do I cure her. I notice her other hock has a little bare patch but it was not bleeding.
-
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.
Bleeding hock!
- Thread starter Charm
- Start date
Elena
Wise Old Thumper
I'd avoid washing or putting anything on it and get a vet to look at it. Putting stuff on it can rub away more at the guard hairs and sore hocks can escalate and get nasty. You might also want to think about floor surface and get a bigger enclosure as inactivity can make them worse, sitting puts pressure on them more than laying out and moving around.
CandyApple
Young Bun
Hi!
This is just a suggestion, but is it possible that you have a wire floor in the cage and she got sore hocks, and one of them bled?
Sorry if I'm wrong, but its just a thought,
Hope shes ok,
Sophia
This is just a suggestion, but is it possible that you have a wire floor in the cage and she got sore hocks, and one of them bled?
Sorry if I'm wrong, but its just a thought,
Hope shes ok,
Sophia
Rexs patch
Young Bun
Does your rabbit chew at it? Rex caught his a few months ago which bled a small bit, but when it causes discomfort he keeps nibbling at it and made it bleed the other night. He is just self desctructive and pulled his stitches out twice after his op! :evil:
Sore hocks (pododermatitis)
Hi Charm,
A few weeks ago my rabbit had one hock that looked a bit sore (it was fine really - over-anxious mum!) so I copied the following info for future reference.
(I'm too lazy to edit, so it is long - sorry!)
Older rabbit books blame sore hocks solely on filthy living conditions or wire floored cages. There's some truth in this, but some beautifully cared for houserabbits develop sore hocks, so it's not the whole story.
There are many predisposing factors, including:
1. Poor hygiene and damp bedding
2. Rex coats - less fur to protect the hock
3. Long nails - throw too much weight onto the heel
4. Obesity - increases the pressure on the foot
5. Immobility
6. Unsuitably flooring
7. Large breeds
8. Poor physical confirmation
Why do rabbits develop sore hocks?
As in so many other situations, to understand why rabbits develop sore hocks it's worth looking at the wild rabbit, and the conditions rabbit feet evolved to function well in.
The wild rabbit spends it's time moving about on grass and earth. These surfaces are compliant: they allow the toe nails to sink into the ground, encouraging the whole bottom of the foot to contact the ground and hence reducing the pressure on the foot (pressure = force divided by area).
In contrast, hard flooring means that the rabbit's toenails can't sink in. It doesn't make any difference whether the flooring is carpet, wood, vinyl, or plastic (with or without a covering of newspaper or wood shavings, for instance), all give the same result. Because the toe nails can't sink in, the front part of the foot is lifted off the ground, and the majority of the weight of the bunny is thrown onto the hocks, causing problems rather like a pressure sore. If the rabbit is heavy, or obese, the pressure on the hock is greater and problems more likely. Similarly, an immobile rabbit won't be hopping about in order to relieve the pressure on the hock area.
If the surface upon which bunny spends most time is abrasive (e.g. carpet), then additional problems can arise. This explains why spotlessly clean, dry houserabbits can run into problems with sore hocks.
What to look out for
Of course, not all rabbits develop sore hocks! If you take a close look at the heels of an adult rabbit, you'll usually find a small, bare, pale pink callused area right at the tip of the heel, covered by a fold of fur. This is normal.
"Sore hocks" are different - red and inflamed rather than the pale pink callused area. They may weep or become infected. In very severe, untreated cases, the tendons that run over the hock may move out of position, crippling the rabbit.
The usual site of trouble is at the tip of the heel, but severe cases may involve any or all of the weight-bearing part of the foot - and don't forget to check the front feet, too. It is worth making a habit of checking your rabbit's hocks every time you clip his/her claws.
Help, my rabbits has sore hocks! What happens now?
Sore hocks are notoriously difficult to treat, which accounts for the abundance of old wives tales for tackling the problem.
The first step is to tackle any underlying cause. Nails should be clipped as short as possible without damaging the "quick". Old, fat, immobile bunnies need to lose weight and may benefit from long-term pain killing medication to make them more comfortable and willing to move about. Any rabbit kept in damp conditons must have a far better level of care, and if the patient is a child's rabbit, the parents must take over responsibility for the care of the bunny.
Next, look at the surface the rabbit spends most time on. The perfect flooring for a rabbit with sore hocks is clean, dry grass, but indoor rabbits or those in hutches don't have access to lawns. Instead, you should aim to provide a compliant surface (where the toe nails can sink in, allowing the foot to function more as nature intended) where the rabbit spends most of its time.
We used to recommend that houserabbits with sore hocks should be "switched onto vinyl or plastic rather than carpet or vice versa". Now we have a better understanding of how sore hocks develop, we realise vinyl is a poor choice, unless the fundamental problem was dirty, damp conditions. Vinyl just isn't compliant enough to restore proper mechanics of the foot.
A far better option is to provide the rabbit with a deep bed of straw, perhaps on top of a towel or layer of peat, and place it where the rabbit likes to hang out. This needn't be too messy indoors if you find a big box with sides several inches high. The large under-bed storage boxes boxes work well. Veterinary fur-fabric bedding is also an excellent surface for your rabbit to rest upon, as it helps to spread the pressure on the whole bottom of the foot.
Don't forget that carpet is abrasive - some bunnies develop friction burns when leaping about on synthetic carpets, particularly when jumping off sofas and beds (it's not just the hind feet that are affected in some rabbits!) so you might need to discourage your rabbit from taking flying jumps off the furniture!
If your rabbit lives in a hutch all the time, you will need to undertake a full review of his living environment. Hutch-kept rabbits are likely to be relatively immobile and have spinal problems from lack of exercise over the years. As well as sorting out the flooring (switch to a deep bed of straw - wood shavings are abrasive, although you could use them on the floor and put the straw on top) your rabbit will need more exercise and space to move around in.
Most cases of sore hocks need to see the vet, for a thorough health check as well as treatment of the actual sore hock. More stubborn cases may benefit from referral to a veterinary dermatologist.
Treatment may include antibiotics; anti-inflammatory and pain-killing drugs; topical "artificial skin" preparations; and possibly bandaging, which is jolly good fun - bunnies usually hate bandages! Beware of applying creams and ointments without veterinary supervision - you may make the problem worse and prevent proper assessment of the affected area. And don't forget that unless the underlying problems are addressed, treatment is likely to be frustrating.
[SUB]This article first appeared as part of "Surface Attraction: skin problems in rabbits", written by Owen Davies BVSc MRCVS and Dr Linda Dykes, and published in "Rabbiting On" magazine (the official journal of the British Houserabbit Association) in Spring 2000.
It has been extensively revised in the light of recent texts on rabbit medicine, most notably Frances Harcourt Brown's "Textbook of rabbit medicine" (Butterworth Heinemann, 2001) which contains a fascinating section on the problem of sore hocks on pages 233-239 and from where the information quoted above on flooring and foot biomechanics was obtained.
This information is brought to you by the Rabbit Welfare Fund - the charitable wing of the Rabbit Welfare Association. If you love rabbits, please consider supporting the Rabbit Welfare Fund. You can make a donation, or you may like to join the RWA. The £17.50 adult subscription includes a subscription to "Rabbiting On", a fabulous quarterly magazine packed with health, behaviour and care advice to help you build a wonderful relationship with your bunny - whether s/he lives indoors or out.
Copyright © BHRA/RWA 2000/2002[/SUB]
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/URGENT-Scabies-Sore-Hocks.htm
http://www.the-rabbit-hutch-shop.com/blog/recent-posts/sore-hocks-rabbits/
Hi Charm,
A few weeks ago my rabbit had one hock that looked a bit sore (it was fine really - over-anxious mum!) so I copied the following info for future reference.
(I'm too lazy to edit, so it is long - sorry!)
Older rabbit books blame sore hocks solely on filthy living conditions or wire floored cages. There's some truth in this, but some beautifully cared for houserabbits develop sore hocks, so it's not the whole story.
There are many predisposing factors, including:
1. Poor hygiene and damp bedding
2. Rex coats - less fur to protect the hock
3. Long nails - throw too much weight onto the heel
4. Obesity - increases the pressure on the foot
5. Immobility
6. Unsuitably flooring
7. Large breeds
8. Poor physical confirmation
Why do rabbits develop sore hocks?
As in so many other situations, to understand why rabbits develop sore hocks it's worth looking at the wild rabbit, and the conditions rabbit feet evolved to function well in.
The wild rabbit spends it's time moving about on grass and earth. These surfaces are compliant: they allow the toe nails to sink into the ground, encouraging the whole bottom of the foot to contact the ground and hence reducing the pressure on the foot (pressure = force divided by area).
In contrast, hard flooring means that the rabbit's toenails can't sink in. It doesn't make any difference whether the flooring is carpet, wood, vinyl, or plastic (with or without a covering of newspaper or wood shavings, for instance), all give the same result. Because the toe nails can't sink in, the front part of the foot is lifted off the ground, and the majority of the weight of the bunny is thrown onto the hocks, causing problems rather like a pressure sore. If the rabbit is heavy, or obese, the pressure on the hock is greater and problems more likely. Similarly, an immobile rabbit won't be hopping about in order to relieve the pressure on the hock area.
If the surface upon which bunny spends most time is abrasive (e.g. carpet), then additional problems can arise. This explains why spotlessly clean, dry houserabbits can run into problems with sore hocks.
What to look out for
Of course, not all rabbits develop sore hocks! If you take a close look at the heels of an adult rabbit, you'll usually find a small, bare, pale pink callused area right at the tip of the heel, covered by a fold of fur. This is normal.
"Sore hocks" are different - red and inflamed rather than the pale pink callused area. They may weep or become infected. In very severe, untreated cases, the tendons that run over the hock may move out of position, crippling the rabbit.
The usual site of trouble is at the tip of the heel, but severe cases may involve any or all of the weight-bearing part of the foot - and don't forget to check the front feet, too. It is worth making a habit of checking your rabbit's hocks every time you clip his/her claws.
Help, my rabbits has sore hocks! What happens now?
Sore hocks are notoriously difficult to treat, which accounts for the abundance of old wives tales for tackling the problem.
The first step is to tackle any underlying cause. Nails should be clipped as short as possible without damaging the "quick". Old, fat, immobile bunnies need to lose weight and may benefit from long-term pain killing medication to make them more comfortable and willing to move about. Any rabbit kept in damp conditons must have a far better level of care, and if the patient is a child's rabbit, the parents must take over responsibility for the care of the bunny.
Next, look at the surface the rabbit spends most time on. The perfect flooring for a rabbit with sore hocks is clean, dry grass, but indoor rabbits or those in hutches don't have access to lawns. Instead, you should aim to provide a compliant surface (where the toe nails can sink in, allowing the foot to function more as nature intended) where the rabbit spends most of its time.
We used to recommend that houserabbits with sore hocks should be "switched onto vinyl or plastic rather than carpet or vice versa". Now we have a better understanding of how sore hocks develop, we realise vinyl is a poor choice, unless the fundamental problem was dirty, damp conditions. Vinyl just isn't compliant enough to restore proper mechanics of the foot.
A far better option is to provide the rabbit with a deep bed of straw, perhaps on top of a towel or layer of peat, and place it where the rabbit likes to hang out. This needn't be too messy indoors if you find a big box with sides several inches high. The large under-bed storage boxes boxes work well. Veterinary fur-fabric bedding is also an excellent surface for your rabbit to rest upon, as it helps to spread the pressure on the whole bottom of the foot.
Don't forget that carpet is abrasive - some bunnies develop friction burns when leaping about on synthetic carpets, particularly when jumping off sofas and beds (it's not just the hind feet that are affected in some rabbits!) so you might need to discourage your rabbit from taking flying jumps off the furniture!
If your rabbit lives in a hutch all the time, you will need to undertake a full review of his living environment. Hutch-kept rabbits are likely to be relatively immobile and have spinal problems from lack of exercise over the years. As well as sorting out the flooring (switch to a deep bed of straw - wood shavings are abrasive, although you could use them on the floor and put the straw on top) your rabbit will need more exercise and space to move around in.
Most cases of sore hocks need to see the vet, for a thorough health check as well as treatment of the actual sore hock. More stubborn cases may benefit from referral to a veterinary dermatologist.
Treatment may include antibiotics; anti-inflammatory and pain-killing drugs; topical "artificial skin" preparations; and possibly bandaging, which is jolly good fun - bunnies usually hate bandages! Beware of applying creams and ointments without veterinary supervision - you may make the problem worse and prevent proper assessment of the affected area. And don't forget that unless the underlying problems are addressed, treatment is likely to be frustrating.
[SUB]This article first appeared as part of "Surface Attraction: skin problems in rabbits", written by Owen Davies BVSc MRCVS and Dr Linda Dykes, and published in "Rabbiting On" magazine (the official journal of the British Houserabbit Association) in Spring 2000.
It has been extensively revised in the light of recent texts on rabbit medicine, most notably Frances Harcourt Brown's "Textbook of rabbit medicine" (Butterworth Heinemann, 2001) which contains a fascinating section on the problem of sore hocks on pages 233-239 and from where the information quoted above on flooring and foot biomechanics was obtained.
This information is brought to you by the Rabbit Welfare Fund - the charitable wing of the Rabbit Welfare Association. If you love rabbits, please consider supporting the Rabbit Welfare Fund. You can make a donation, or you may like to join the RWA. The £17.50 adult subscription includes a subscription to "Rabbiting On", a fabulous quarterly magazine packed with health, behaviour and care advice to help you build a wonderful relationship with your bunny - whether s/he lives indoors or out.
Copyright © BHRA/RWA 2000/2002[/SUB]
- soft surfaces, not linoleum, hardwood, or cement
- use fake sheepskin for cage bottoms, not bathroom rugs with rubber backing
- keep bunny off wet surfaces
- check feet daily
- apply cooled tea bag (compress) to hocks to toughen calluses
- litter soft, yet absorbent: try Carefresh s or Cat Country on the bottom topped with a large scoop of Carefresh (paper pulp litter)
- outdoor playpen: line with 6 inches of soft, clean, short-cut, yellow straw
- keep toenails clipped short.
- disinfect cages regularly.
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Rabbits-703/URGENT-Scabies-Sore-Hocks.htm
http://www.the-rabbit-hutch-shop.com/blog/recent-posts/sore-hocks-rabbits/
Last edited:
helgalush
Wise Old Thumper
I also would get a vet to look at it. The last thing you or she wants is for it to get infected. Besides this she may need a little bit of pain relief and/or bandaging and proper cleaning up. Also other reasons as to why it happened may need to be looked at, ie is there an underlying mobility issue, such as arthritis.
When Muesli had sore hocks the vet cleaned it properly, then applied a cream (can't remember what kind now), plus dressing and bandages, which needed to be changed daily and cleaned up again, and given a bit of air time to heal, and he also got a little bit of pain relief as they were so sore.
I can only recommend taking her to the vets.
When Muesli had sore hocks the vet cleaned it properly, then applied a cream (can't remember what kind now), plus dressing and bandages, which needed to be changed daily and cleaned up again, and given a bit of air time to heal, and he also got a little bit of pain relief as they were so sore.
I can only recommend taking her to the vets.
