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Severe sore hock - advice needed

L

Lea123

Young Bun
Hi

I'm looking for some advice on the treatment of sore hocks. I have a 6 year old conti who has a hip deformity and as a result doesn't distribute his weight evenly. He has been struggling with a sore hock on and off for the last 2 years.

He has had several operations to stitch his hock with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately the last op didn't work. My vet (who is an exotics specialist) said that as he is older now (for a conti) his skin is very thin and has a poor blood supply so when she stitched it up, despite the op being a success, it didn't heal up :(.

Currently he has a large padded bandage on his foot, has an open wound on his hock which is now looking really bad and pus filled. He is on twice daily meta cam and twice weekly betamox injections (don't know if the spelling is correct).

He's really bright, eating well, moving around ok but I can see it is sore depending on how he moves. I feel like we're running out of options for him :( :( :(.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of anything else I could try?

His enclosure is padded with rubber yoga mats covered in thick blankets.

Apologies for the long post and thanks in advance for any help/tips you can give.

Leanne
 
I saw somewhere, someone used special socks for their back paws.

They're long, Cotton knitted with little grip pads on them.

I'll try to find the link when I get a second x

Sent from my SM-G903F using Tapatalk
 
Oh I'm so sorry to hear this, I'm currently treating bunny for a sore hock which was torn open whilst running through her tube to the run, now on hutch rest and metacam/batryil combo.
This forum is really helpful, good luck x


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Jacks-Jane should see this. She's had lots of experience of sore hocks. Might be worth PMing her, but she's usually around first thing in the morning.

X
 
Lea123 said:
Hi

I'm looking for some advice on the treatment of sore hocks. I have a 6 year old conti who has a hip deformity and as a result doesn't distribute his weight evenly. He has been struggling with a sore hock on and off for the last 2 years.

He has had several operations to stitch his hock with varying degrees of success. Unfortunately the last op didn't work. My vet (who is an exotics specialist) said that as he is older now (for a conti) his skin is very thin and has a poor blood supply so when she stitched it up, despite the op being a success, it didn't heal up :(.

Currently he has a large padded bandage on his foot, has an open wound on his hock which is now looking really bad and pus filled. He is on twice daily meta cam and twice weekly betamox injections (don't know if the spelling is correct).

He's really bright, eating well, moving around ok but I can see it is sore depending on how he moves. I feel like we're running out of options for him :( :( :(.

I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of anything else I could try?

His enclosure is padded with rubber yoga mats covered in thick blankets.

Apologies for the long post and thanks in advance for any help/tips you can give.

Leanne
Click to expand...

Poor lad :cry: Has the Vet shown you how to apply an anti pressure dressing ? Rather like a large corn plaster so that the open sore is not in contact with anything . I am pushed for time atm, but I'll pop back later this morning and try to post some photos to explain what I mean.
 
Hi

Thanks so much for the replies.

He has a couple of donut shaped bits of padding in his bandage, held on with micro pore tape and covered with elastoplast, to make what looks like a little boot. He is a nibbler and can get him self out of many bandages so the only type we've found to stay on is the sticky stretchy elastoplast type over the padding.

I'll try to figure out how to post a photo of the bandage.

Thanks,

Leanne
 
Lea123 said:
Hi

Thanks so much for the replies.

He has a couple of donut shaped bits of padding in his bandage, held on with micro pore tape and covered with elastoplast, to make what looks like a little boot. He is a nibbler and can get him self out of many bandages so the only type we've found to stay on is the sticky stretchy elastoplast type over the padding.

I'll try to figure out how to post a photo of the bandage.

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...


Here's a link as to how to post photos:

http://forums.rabbitrehome.org.uk/showthread.php?136183-Tutorial-How-to-Post-Photos

Hope this helps!
 
Lea123 said:
Hi

Thanks so much for the replies.

He has a couple of donut shaped bits of padding in his bandage, held on with micro pore tape and covered with elastoplast, to make what looks like a little boot. He is a nibbler and can get him self out of many bandages so the only type we've found to stay on is the sticky stretchy elastoplast type over the padding.

I'll try to figure out how to post a photo of the bandage.

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...

That sounds to be exactly the type of dressing I was trying to describe. In a recent lecture given by Frances Harcourt Brown (recently retired Vet who's speciality is Rabbit Health ) she mentioned making a 'boot' using pipe lagging and she used this image as an example



Image courtesy of Vladimir Jekl

I assume that your Vet has assessed whether there is now osteomyelitis (infection in the bone) ? If so then in my experience additional analgesia is needed. So aswell as Metacam the Rabbits I have had with grade IV/V sore hocks have also been prescribed Tramadol. Tramadol is efficient at addressing bone pain. Infection can also track into the tendon.

For reference this is how Sore Hocks are graded:

Grade I: early disease with no symptoms.
Grade II: mild disease with intact skin.
Grade III: moderate with ulcers/scabs present.
Grade IV: severe with abscess formation and deeper tissues affected.
Grace V: severe and often irreversible, as bone infection occurs and tendon damage results in a permanently altered stance.

I expect that your Vet has explained that once the condition advances to Grade V then unfortunately options are limited. Obviously limb amputation is often not an option so it is a case of palliative care- good pain control, long-term antibiotic cover and if possible daily dressings.

I am sorry that I am not able to offer you much more in the way of help. It sounds as though you have a good Vet which is always a huge benefit. Then at least we know that everything possible is being done for our Rabbit.
 


Here (hopefully) is a pic of his bandage.

Thanks for the info.

Is the padding above then covered Jane?. He's had a stronger painkiller before but started displaying neuro symptoms with a head tilt. I think it was vetergesic (excuse spelling). Do you know if that's similar to tramadol ?

Thanks,

Leanne
 
Lea123 said:


Here (hopefully) is a pic of his bandage.

Thanks for the info.

Is the padding above then covered Jane?. He's had a stronger painkiller before but started displaying neuro symptoms with a head tilt. I think it was vetergesic (excuse spelling). Do you know if that's similar to tramadol ?

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...


Vetergesic and Tramadol work in different ways. Vetergesic is an opiod pain killer, which is very strong but tends to make rabbits sleepy.

There's some good info about analgesia here:

http://www.medirabbit.com/Safe_medication/Analgesics/safe_analgesics.htm
 
Lea123 said:


Here (hopefully) is a pic of his bandage.

Thanks for the info.

Is the padding above then covered Jane?. He's had a stronger painkiller before but started displaying neuro symptoms with a head tilt. I think it was vetergesic (excuse spelling). Do you know if that's similar to tramadol ?

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...

Yes, the pipe lagging dressing is covered by a bandage.

Tramadol is unlikely to cause the same amount of sedation as Vetergesic (Buprenorphine). However, if your Rabbit has previously displayed neurological symptoms Tramadol may not be suitable for him. That would be for the Vet to decide. Tramadol can cause seizures in humans with a history of neurological problems/head injury.

Does your Rabbit still live in the accommodation shown in the last photo ?
 
Here are photos of Shadow's enclosure. Each enclosure is 6 ft by 6ft. Shadow's is the same style as the one below only covered in yoga mats with blankets on top. Do you think this is Ok for his foot?

He gets out in the garden every day and while prob not helping his foot, I think it's improving his quality of life so it's a difficult balance.







He used to live with his wife, Luna, but unfortunately she died in April. Given his age and foot issues I have only just gotten Cara above who is 16 weeks old. She needs to be spayed but I'm not sure about removing the partition and bonding given Shadow's health issues.

Thanks,

Leanne
 
Lea123 said:
Here are photos of Shadow's enclosure. Each enclosure is 6 ft by 6ft. Shadow's is the same style as the one below only covered in yoga mats with blankets on top. Do you think this is Ok for his foot?

He gets out in the garden every day and while prob not helping his foot, I think it's improving his quality of life so it's a difficult balance.







He used to live with his wife, Luna, but unfortunately she died in April. Given his age and foot issues I have only just gotten Cara above who is 16 weeks old. She needs to be spayed but I'm not sure about removing the partition and bonding given Shadow's health issues.

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...

*WARNING - This post contains a graphic image at the end, please do not continue scrolling if easily distressed*

I am sorry to hear about Luna :cry:

The kennels are great. I only asked about the accommodation as I wondered how Shadow coped on the gravel. I am sure he does benefit from getting some time out in the garden every day.

Cara is lovely. I cant really advise about the bonding as much will depend on the specific character of both Rabbits. I would think that Shadow would struggle if Cara was an extremely dominant Doe. But it may work if she is somewhat submissive.

What has your Vet advised with regards to the ongoing management of Shadow's problems ? Going by the location of the dressing, if I am seeing it correctly in the image you posted, the open wound must be nearer his foot than his hock ??

This image shows the worst case of sore hocks I have encountered. The Doe was also a Conti with a spinal problem

 
Last edited by a moderator:
wow that's awful! I know Frances had said that it's difficult for rabbits to manage when a hind leg is amputated, but surely that's the only solution in this case, I can't imagine it could be resolved at other way could it?
 
Pippin'sMum said:
wow that's awful! I know Frances had said that it's difficult for rabbits to manage when a hind leg is amputated, but surely that's the only solution in this case, I can't imagine it could be resolved at other way could it?
Click to expand...

Unfortunately hind leg amputation is unlikely to be an option if the Rabbit already has a spinal problem. Hind leg amputation is sometimes an option, for example when a Rabbit has sustained a hind leg fracture that cannot be surgically repaired. But in the case of a sore hock as a secondary problem to a spinal condition then a hind limb amputation would most likely further damage the spine. The age and size of the Rabbit has a bearing on the situation too.
 
Lea123 said:
Here are photos of Shadow's enclosure. Each enclosure is 6 ft by 6ft. Shadow's is the same style as the one below only covered in yoga mats with blankets on top. Do you think this is Ok for his foot?

He gets out in the garden every day and while prob not helping his foot, I think it's improving his quality of life so it's a difficult balance.







He used to live with his wife, Luna, but unfortunately she died in April. Given his age and foot issues I have only just gotten Cara above who is 16 weeks old. She needs to be spayed but I'm not sure about removing the partition and bonding given Shadow's health issues.

Thanks,

Leanne
Click to expand...


Your accommodation looks fantastic Leanne :D

I am sorry to hear about Luna.

I am sure Shadow would benefit from having a partner, when Cara is spayed. A subject for another thread :)
 
Thanks for the replies.

My vet is on holiday for another week but before she left she told me that we were running out of options 😕. Given the poor quality of blood supply to his skin she's not sure another surgery will work.

He is getting his dressing changed twice weekly at the mo but according to the vet nurses, it looked really bad on Fri :(

The pic you showed above Jane is almost the exact location of Shadow's injury. What happened with your doe?
 
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