Footsores

Hi guys, been alittle bit since i posted. Had a foot sore problem with my very overweight mini-rex Nona. Shes not like fat fat, shes just BIG. Shes got a full size rex body, but mini rex feet/head

The problem WAS she was eating all her straw, and then all her pellets, leaving a bare bottom cage and one ouchy fat bunny

So i got ahold of some alphalpha hay. Ive got a huge garbage bag of it and i give her all she can eat, thanks to a horse barn

So after a few days, i noticed she quit eating the straw all together. YAY

But after about 2 weeks into this, her rear sores, which were pretty much calloused over, started to get inflamed, and i noticed, like literally overnight, her front paws got it as well. They were all red and inflamed, and she was really ouchy. Of corse i trimmed her front claws down a bit as theyve been growing REALLY fast

So after much soaking in warm water, small trimming, and desitin cream, theyre not inflamed, just pink/white and hard

But thats the problem, theyre still there on the front feet and WILL NOT GO AWAY.. Theyre right where the joint is, so she cant really lay her paws facing down ..like if i hold her vertical, her feet stick out straight, rather than bend down, and i tried gently pushing but they dont move

The weird thing is, ive never seen her so happy. She loafs around her cage all spread out and relaxed, which she hasnt done in forever..When i come to see her she flies out of her cage and jumps up on me licking and grunting

Ive been putting her on a chair with fluffy pillows every day for a few hours with the TV on..just to get the weight off her feet, which she loves..but its seeming like shes not in any pain in her cage either since all the straw is there

ANything i can do for Nona guys? Thanks in advance.

firstly id be wary of the straw in her cage. it can be very sharp and id be worried that it could pucture and inflame her sores. id change her bedding to hay instead.
has your vet checked her over? sores on the foot can (especialy if theyre large) lead to an infection in the bone. might be worth while having a checkup every so often so that the vets can keep an eye of them and perscribe antibioitics/painrelief etc... if and when needed.
i found a bit of vet bed in her hutch (? ) to be helpfull as it cusions the weight of the rabbit.

I don't know anything about sore feet, but just one other thing - alfalfa hay is not good for adult rabbits, it's fattening, and too high in protein and calcium to be good for them, so I'd try swapping to a different type of hay that she will eat. Timothy hay is usually recommended as being the best, because it is very wide and flat so encourages a good chewing action to keep their teeth ground down.

Hiya, we use Zinc cream or baby nappy rash cream for sore bunny feet, it works a treat
Best wishes

Is your rabbit in a wire bottomed cage? If so, this wont be doing her feet any good at all.

Kate

i thought timothy was bad?

alls i know is shes lost a ton of weight and is extremely happy

yes she has a wire bottom cage, but the straw covers it

ive tried to give her hay, but she eats it, and i thought that was the purpose?

I have a chunk of cardboard in there for her anyways which she sometimes uses to lay on..i put it there just in case shes ouchy

with the bone infection threat, i gotta see about getting her to the doctors..

thanks guys

i strongly suspect the wire bottomed cage is the main cause of the appearance of sores on her feet. rex rabbits are prone to them not through weight (unless obese), but rather the lack of a thick fur pad on the foot.

i urge you to replace her hutch with a solid bottomed one

You really need to not have a wire bottomed cage. No matter how much straw is in there it's not enough to protect any rabbits feet, let alone the sensitive feet of a rex, from the wire. Please, please try and replace it, or at least get a solid piece of wood or plastic or something to cover ALL of the wire. It's so bad for them.

Timothy hay is best. Alfalfa hay is quite bad for adult rabbits as someone already mentioned and should only be fed in minimal quantities as a treat (they do like the taste of it!).

Nappy rash cream is recommended for sore feet.