• 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.

Rex with sore hocks

unhinged

New Kit
Hello, new to the forum. I've got a crafty little rex with sore hocks. The vet's given me some Fuciderm and some antibiotic power to stick on them twice a day. I was wondering if there's anything else we can do for him. He lives indoors, largely has the run of the house which has pretty horrible cheap carpet and probably doesn't help too much. We've laid vet bed down and he enoys digging it up and hurling it round but not really lying on it. Also, he spends a long time licking the powder and cream off as soon as he's been put down. Any advice that might help would be most appreciated, thanks,

Mark
 
Not until recently. He's got a big pile of it in his cage which he's recently taken to lying down in. I would have thought though, that it's his wandering round that's causing them to get sore rather than when he's lying down. More often than not he lies on his side, or his tummy with his legs outstretched.

img001.jpeg.medium.jpeg
 
you could try confining him to one or two rooms instead of the house, this way he might not get quite so much exercise and hurt his hocks.
 
Sadly Rexes are very prone to sore hocks. Is the skin actually broken? If so then the hocks should really be covered with a dressing which not only covers the wound but is like a sort of large 'corn pad' alleviating direct pressure on the sore area. The dressings must be changed daily.I know keeping a dressing on a buns legs can be tricky, but is worth a try. Has your bun been given any pain relief in the form of an anti-inflammatory. Sore hocks can be...well...sore!! Sadly once sore hocks develop it is very difficult to 'cure' the problem. It is more a case of managing the symptoms. Keeping the sore area clean is very important. As is making sure the afflicted bun is not over-weight. Carpets can be a problem once sore hocks develop because the carpet is so abrassive. Hope some of this of help. Jane and Buns xx(including 11 Rexes!!)
 
Hmm, no, he's had no pain relief and it wasn't until talking to somone advertising a bunny on Rabbit Rehome that we'd even heard of it. We've got some pain killers on their way (ordered) but what sort of anti-inflamitaries can you give them? As for broken skin, that's how we first noticed it had got so bad, little pool of blood on the carpet. He's always had bald little patches since we've had him and they've never gotten too bad. However, we very recently lost his partner Poppy and I think consequently his mileage has increased and his hocks are taking the brunt. That's also the other reason I'd loath keeping him in his room. Since Poppy's gone he's taken to coming up the stairs and sleeping on the landing at the entrance to our room and he's quite a different chap since she's been gone. I like him to know he can come and sit with us when he likes. Most of his mileage is done in his room anyway (he's got the dining room to himself). He's off to a singles club this weekend to see if he can't hook up with a lovely lady he's seen on the Internet. Perhaps that'll calm him back down again. As for being overweight, I think he's just about right but his bald patches might put her off .
 
he is one cute bun :love: I have heard and read of folk using baby socks so it gives the medication chance to sink in and protects the hocks from further damage too :D I would say that the pure cotton baby socks would be the best as it gives the feet chance to breath too unlike these nylon socks :wink:
 
I think he's GORGEOUS!! :D bald hocks or not. :D :D Your vet may prescribe Metacam which is a NSAID (NON STEROIDAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY),or Rimadyl,a similar thing. If his skin is actually broken then it is really important to at least get this to heal. I am affraid that once Ulcerative Pododermatatis has occured(which he seems to have) it is potentially serious as if infection gets in it can lead to osteomyelitis(bone infection). :cry: Also because the hocks are sore your bun will place his feet on the ground incorrectly which can lead to displacement of the digital (toe) flexor tendon. :cry: Not trying to paint an overly negative picture but I have found beeing told 'the full picture' helps me to manage a problem and try to prevent it getting worse even if I cant get bun fully 'cured'. So if I were you I'd ask your Vet/Vet Nurse re 'anti-pressure dressings' for his hocks. As a temporary measure could you cover the carpet area he has access to with something less abrassive....??Or set up family camp in the room with no carpet....?? :shock: :lol: Keep us posted and hope he 'pulls' at the singles club!! :wink: :wink: Jane and Buns xx
 
You have to get anti-biotics on the bun if there is blood. As that's how my first rabbit passed away.

As to improving the problem, can you get a room w/ thick carpet, or even half a room w/ good carpet and restrict him over there?

Back 6.5 yr. ago when I was using carpet inside a cage, I got all those carpet for free at show homes when they throw away reasonably small piece of carpet (about 1/3 to 1/4 of a regular size room).

So you can just lay them all on the ground and becomes a few layer of reasonably thick carpet.

Or go to carpet store, they have thick carpet that is left over (not large and mis-match color), I once bought a reasonable size for $5. You can buy a few of those and lay them all over your bunny's room.
 
I think that's what we'll have to do. He's having antibiotic power applied twice a day to his feet and I think we'll have to find some big fluffy carpet for him. Thanks everyone.
 
I had a rex afew weeks ago that had sore hocks but he was an old boy. We brought him in from outside but his feet just got worse and worse. I had to have him pts the other day as they had develped in to absesses that were too far gone to have anything done to them. Im not trying to upset you but just keep a very close eye on your bun if it looks like its gettin worse at all take him to the vets
 
I have 4 rex rabbits only two of them suffer with sore hocks,claudes are the worst, his back feet started at 14 weeks old he was a house bunny so the friction off the carpet didnt help,i used to use aloe vera gel on days when they were very sore but now i dont use anything as the more you apply creams and lotions it softens the feet and they need to harden up
claudes back feet have no hair on them at all!
I keep him on a layer on blankets and vet bed and use megazorb in his litter tray.
 
Your rex looks rather like my silky!
Her feet are a nightmare and are also goign through a sore phase again.....

We are also using the fuciderm at the mo and my only solutions previously have been to without fail keep plasters on her feet.

Currently we are trying a combination of chiropodists felt and tubigrip bandages held on around the ankles by tape. This has the advantage of being easily removable to allow me to check but isnt as effective as plasters which when put on her feet when they werent sore allowed the fur underneath to grow.

Ive tried all the usual: soft stuff in her hutch with mattress of fleecy stuff under, short nails but have found big fabric plasters most effective in actually relieving the skin of the problem. When they are less sore I plan to move to this plus vaseline - I always use this when I run a long way on my feet with decent socks and it works for me!
 
Your rex looks lovely ( and he's sure to pull :D ) Im lucky that our rex has no problem with her hocks at all. However Otis did start to have them, I thin k it was cused because, believe it or not, his foot fur was too thick. I think the thick fur made him put pressure on the back of his feet more. Itrimmed down the fur and he got a lot of fuciderm. However thick fur is unlikely to be a problem with a rex. Hope his feet continue to toughen up.
 
Back
Top