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sore hocks help please!

nigini213

New Kit
my bunny just recently got sore hocks and it seems to be worse if anyone could help please!
even the littlest advice would be appreciated :cry:
 
I would try to get him to the vets tomorrow because if they are bad they will be very uncomfortable for him, he may need pain relief and for them to be properly cleaned and dressed with gauze. It is important they don't get infected. Muesli had very bad sore hocks earlier in the year and we were given a supply of bandages and antiseptic wash and healing cream to apply every day for him. For overnight you could clean his heels with cooled boiled water and cotton wool, and apply a thin layer of sudocrem if you have any, although this is just a temporary option until he can see the vet, because I think sudocrem can actually make the skin more thin in that area.

Also it is important to get to the bottom of what is causing the sore hocks - what flooring is he on? does he have arthritis? Is he sitting in wee by any chance etc?

Good luck for your bun.
 
thank you so much!

do you know if carpet can cause it? i heard that it can, i keep his cage clean and its only on one paw so im wondering if maybe the carpet he hops on often is the cause of it?
 
Possibly, although it may depend on the type of carpet if you see what I mean, like whether its the low-pile slightly scratchy carpet or a thicker pile soft carpet. Hopefully someone else will see this thread and can answer that question as I didn't look in to it as Muesli was on lino. It could be that he may have a touch of arthritis or something on one side and not the other? I dont know, but hopefully the vet will make a thorough assessment for you.
 
Has your Rabbit been examined by a Vet ?

Sore hocks are often a secondary symptom of another problem. So whilst it is obviously important to treat the sore hocks (especially to give pain relief) it is also important to try to identify why it is happening.

So the best advice we can give you at this stage is to get your Rabbit examined by a Vet ASAP

There is some information about Sore Hocks (AKA Pododermatitis) here:

http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/S/00dis/Miscellaneous/Ulcerative_pododermatitis_rabbits.htm

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Mechanical/Pod/Podo.htm
 
thank you!

the sore hocks when i was observing the pictures aren't as bad as his, he has missing fur and its red but its not a huge marking.
im concerned,does missing fur have an affect on it might being a sore hock?
 
thank you!

the sore hocks when i was observing the pictures aren't as bad as the pictures, he has missing fur and its red but its not a huge marking.
im concerned,does missing fur have an affect on it might being a sore hock?


Thin/no fur can be the start of sore hocks.
But as I said, only a full examination of your Rabbit will enable a diagnosis to be established. So the best place to start is your Vets :)
 
One of my buns had sore hocks. He was a house bun and it was from carpet. Jacob did have arthritis in his back legs so he hadn't been hopping properly and must have been dragging his back feet a bit. He received treatment and I had to keep them clean and dry and with clean dressings. You have to be very careful with dressings so the bun can hop on them in comfort. Whilst they were most sore I reduced the area he had so Jacob didn't run too much on sore feet. I then bought lots of soft throws, towels etc and covered the floor to make it softer. He soon recovered and we didn't have that problem again. I was forever tripping up in the folds of the throws though and my poor washing machine! I then got a new softer carpet which has been fine. But I remain vigilent.
 
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