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Potential Bumblefoot

S

ShadowWolfAlpha

Young Bun
Hi all,

Picked up my rabbit yesterday, and noticed that, on one of her back feet, she was missing a path of fire and there was a reddish area (Almost inflamed).
I assume this is the start of Bumblefoot.

The cage has a flat wood surface, and I assume this had caused her feed to rub. She also has a habbit of sitting in her litter tray after she's peed (Which I believe could also cause an infection along with bumblefoot).
I've placed down carpet on the main areas where she sits, to try and relieve some pressure, but I've got some questions.

1) Should I immediately take her to the vets, or is it possible to home treat?
2) I've heard someone say that the fur will never grow back, and thus she has now entered a state where she will require constant daily and length care (Keeping the area clean with antibacterial wash). Is this true? Because I don't know if that's something I could do.
3) Other than keep the cage consistently clean on a daily basis, is there anything further I can do?

My main worries is that now she's lost this fur on her back foot, she'll always need assistance to keep it healthy. That's a giant bit of commitment :/
Rabbit is constantly eating food, drinking water, and running around - so I don't believe she's in any pain at the moment.

Any help would be great!

SWA
 
ShadowWolfAlpha said:
Hi all,

Picked up my rabbit yesterday, and noticed that, on one of her back feet, she was missing a path of fire and there was a reddish area (Almost inflamed).
I assume this is the start of Bumblefoot.

The cage has a flat wood surface, and I assume this had caused her feed to rub. She also has a habbit of sitting in her litter tray after she's peed (Which I believe could also cause an infection along with bumblefoot).
I've placed down carpet on the main areas where she sits, to try and relieve some pressure, but I've got some questions.

1) Should I immediately take her to the vets, or is it possible to home treat?
2) I've heard someone say that the fur will never grow back, and thus she has now entered a state where she will require constant daily and length care (Keeping the area clean with antibacterial wash). Is this true? Because I don't know if that's something I could do.
3) Other than keep the cage consistently clean on a daily basis, is there anything further I can do?

My main worries is that now she's lost this fur on her back foot, she'll always need assistance to keep it healthy. That's a giant bit of commitment :/
Rabbit is constantly eating food, drinking water, and running around - so I don't believe she's in any pain at the moment.

Any help would be great!

SWA
Click to expand...

In the first instance it is necessary to consult a Vet. The condition you describe is painful, so your Rabbit is likely to require an anti-inflammatory analgesic. It is also important to address any infection quickly. If infection sets in the condition can become extremely serious. Your Vet may prescribe systemic antibiotics if he/she feels there is active infection present.

Carpet can actually exacerbate sore hocks/'bumblefoot'. The best substrate to house the Rabbit on is deep soft hay. All soiled substrate needs to be removing on a very regular basis.

Sore hocks/bumblefoot can be a secondary symptom of another mobility problem-eg limited mobility due to arthritis. So this is another reason why it's necessary to consult a Vet. Treating the sore skin is obviously important, but so is trying to establish what has caused the condition in the first place.

Some additional information here :

http://www.bridgevetcentre.co.uk/pet-factsheets/Factsheets/Otherpets/24_295077.shtml

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

http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Mechanical/Pod/Podo.htm
 
ShadowWolfAlpha said:
Hi all,

Picked up my rabbit yesterday, and noticed that, on one of her back feet, she was missing a path of fire and there was a reddish area (Almost inflamed).
I assume this is the start of Bumblefoot.

The cage has a flat wood surface, and I assume this had caused her feed to rub. She also has a habbit of sitting in her litter tray after she's peed (Which I believe could also cause an infection along with bumblefoot).
I've placed down carpet on the main areas where she sits, to try and relieve some pressure, but I've got some questions.

1) Should I immediately take her to the vets, or is it possible to home treat?
2) I've heard someone say that the fur will never grow back, and thus she has now entered a state where she will require constant daily and length care (Keeping the area clean with antibacterial wash). Is this true? Because I don't know if that's something I could do.
3) Other than keep the cage consistently clean on a daily basis, is there anything further I can do?

My main worries is that now she's lost this fur on her back foot, she'll always need assistance to keep it healthy. That's a giant bit of commitment :/
Rabbit is constantly eating food, drinking water, and running around - so I don't believe she's in any pain at the moment.

Any help would be great!

SWA
Click to expand...


Hi there:wave:

Sorry to hear about your rabbit.

The best thing to do would be a visit to the vet, who will possibly give you a cream to help healing, and suggest (if the foot is actually bleeding) to bandage it. It's difficult to attempt this safely yourself, so I wouldn't try it at home or you risk making it too tight. If it's really bad the vet may prescribe pain killers, at least for the short term. This would probably be Metacam/Loxicom.

Carpet isn't the best for sore hocks .. you could perhaps try covering the area with a cotton sheet, a duvet cover or a piece of vet bed (really soft!). Carpet can be quite abrasive.

Keeping the nails trimmed is also important. Long nails will throw the weight onto the back of the foot, which you don't want. This will make the problem worse - as will being overweight of course (not that I'm suggesting this!)

Is it just one foot? The vet might be able to advise why it's happened - e.g. if excess weight is going on one particular hock than the other. It's important to get to the primary cause of the problem, if at all possible.

You might find some more info here:

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1800&aid=3066

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


I hope your vet can give you some good advice on how to manage this condition.
 
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