'New skin' for sore hocks? U/D Pictures of his feet U/D his front feet:(

[abbymarysmokey]

i thought carpet was abrasive and rexes were better off on grass or thick layers of soft hay (sorry if im worng i have "normal " furred bunnies but even they if on towels too much get hock problems, not to the extent of broken skin just that it rubs away the fur,

Yes you're right, I didn't ntoice the bit about him being a Rex :wave:

Grass, thick hay or straw would be best

 

[bunnylover177]

My vet warned me about Nu Skin and suggested I get hold of cavillo ointment which does the same thing but it does not cause pain. I've ordered it from Boots - it is a 3ml tube for £11.50 so expensive (Nu Skin is £4) but worth it I think.

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

:wave: He is a house rabbit, so grass would be impossible. Im thinking perhaps we could cover the floor of the cage with straw. I think they would both probably eat the cardboard. Im so worried about his little feet, ive spent the whole afternoon looking up sore hocks, pics of sore hocks (which made me cry), how to prevent sore hocks ect. My head is spinning.
Will have a look at cavillo ointment:wave:

 

[Pie]

Oberon has sore hocks too. Well by sore I mean he has no fur on the ends of his hocks and has a very hard whiteish scab area. I looks worse than it actually is I think.
I bought this to put in his pen (which he spends the day and most of the night in) - http://www.maplin.co.uk/interlocking-cushioned-floor-mats-217645
This stuff has been a god-send for his hocks. We also cover it in a cheap fleece blanket.
When he comes out in the evenings for a run about he is on carpet and it doesn't slow him down at all! We keep a very close eye on his hocks and if they get worse we will have to take more action but this may give you some more ideas. :wave:

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

Oberon has sore hocks too. Well by sore I mean he has no fur on the ends of his hocks and has a very hard whiteish scab area. I looks worse than it actually is I think.
I bought this to put in his pen (which he spends the day and most of the night in) - http://www.maplin.co.uk/interlocking-cushioned-floor-mats-217645
This stuff has been a god-send for his hocks. We also cover it in a cheap fleece blanket.
When he comes out in the evenings for a run about he is on carpet and it doesn't slow him down at all! We keep a very close eye on his hocks and if they get worse we will have to take more action but this may give you some more ideas. :wave:

:wave: Thank you. I have looked at these, and think they are brill. My one concern is that the buns will eat them. Does Oberon try to eat them?.

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

Ok here are the photos of his feet, they are not that great, but i hope you can tell what i mean

 

[TinkPig]

I find both my house rabbits have lost the hair on a small part of their hock as well due to living on carpet.
I have bought them beds, fleeces you name it, and the little monsters just ignore them and flop on the carpet.
I was advised by my vet to just make sure they don't get infected but otherwise just let the skin harden up into a callus, which the older one's had already done.
Please feel free to tell me if you think she is wrong, just want to do the best for my buns

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

I find both my house rabbits have lost the hair on a small part of their hock as well due to living on carpet.
I have bought them beds, fleeces you name it, and the little monsters just ignore them and flop on the carpet.
I was advised by my vet to just make sure they don't get infected but otherwise just let the skin harden up into a callus, which the older one's had already done.
Please feel free to tell me if you think she is wrong, just want to do the best for my buns

I think for the skin to harden into a callus would be the best thing to happen (however i am totally new to 'sore hocks').

 

[Pie]

Oh gosh, Obie's hocks are worse than his! :shock: But best catch it sooner rather than later.

:wave: Thank you. I have looked at these, and think they are brill. My one concern is that the buns will eat them. Does Oberon try to eat them?.

Obie did try to nibble (but thats because he loves soft rubbery stuff to chew), Pie doesn't go near it. But thats why we wrap it in a big fleece blanket so cant eat it and its even better for his hocks :thumb:

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Personally I would not put ANY creams on them at this stage. It would just flatten the surrounding fur which would mean the area is even less protected.

I would get him off carpet ASAP. You could cover the carpet with a cotton sheet.

ETA- To show you some examples of Rex Hocks...............

Miss Bunny Penny is coming up for 11 years of age. Her hocks lost a lot of fur when she was about a year old. Now the skin is sufficiently tough that she has not required any treatment for her hocks for about 5 YEARS. She has never had any infection in the hocks and her condition has been managed mainly by husbandry (soft hay bedding).

Similarly my other Rexes whose hocks have a varying degree of 'issues' are all mostly managed without the constant application of creams

Sir Victor

Michael

and to show that not ALL Rexes get sore hocks

Brian

Dermot

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

Personally I would not put ANY creams on them at this stage. It would just flatten the surrounding fur which would mean the area is even less protected.

I would get him off carpet ASAP. You could cover the carpet with a cotton sheet.

ETA- To show you some examples of Rex Hocks...............

Miss Bunny Penny is coming up for 11 years of age. Her hocks lost a lot of fur when she was about a year old. Now the skin is sufficiently tough that she has not required any treatment for her hocks for about 5 YEARS. She has never had any infection in the hocks and her condition has been managed mainly by husbandry (soft hay bedding).

Similarly my other Rexes whose hocks have a varying degree of 'issues' are all mostly managed without the constant application of creams

Sir Victor

Michael

and to show that not ALL Rexes get sore hocks

Brian

Dermot

:wave: Your pictures give me hope that sore hocks can be managed with the right care and environment. Rich will cover their carpet tomorrow with cotton sheets. Would you say (from the pictures) our boy has the start of sore hocks?.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

:wave: Your pictures give me hope that sore hocks can be managed with the right care and environment. Rich will cover their carpet tomorrow with cotton sheets. Would you say (from the pictures) our boy has the start of sore hocks?.

I would say that without a change to the substrate he is currently on (carpet) the furloss is likely to increase and the exposed area will become sore. At the moment the problem is in its very early stages, the fact that you have noticed and that you are seeking advice means that he has the best chance of minimising further deterioration.

Even with the very best care *some* Rexes will have ongoing hock problems as the condition is as much to do with genetics as it is to how they are looked after. If a Rex gets to about a year of age and there is NO furloss on the hocks chances are that as long as they are kept on an appropriate substrate they have less chance of developing a hock problem at all.

There are numerous treatment options for sore hocks, but treatments need to be tailored to each individual case. Getting the skin on the hocks to thicken without drying/cracking is the key. It may be that the Bun always has bald hocks, like Miss Bunny Penny has had......for 10 years !!, but that does not always mean a death sentence.

Sore Hocks do have the potential of shortening a Rabbits lifespan If infection sets in it can lead to abscesses and osteomyelitis. The effected Rabbit can also develop a displaced digital flexor tendon. All these complications can be both extremely painful and life threatening. But it is not always the case and I think your boy has an excellent chance of keeping any problems to a minimum thanks to the fact that you are doing your research about the condition and how to manage it

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

:wave: im back.

Ok we started off putting cotton sheets down, they were constantly scuffing it up ect. So Rich has bought some camping mats and is now securing the cotton sheets round that, i just hope this works and they dont eat it through the sheets and get to the foam

I had a complete 'melt down' yesterday over his little feet, i could see red patches on his front feet. So i called the vets in a panic for an appt with Jason, they had nothing for yesterday or today and then he was on holiday until 8th August, im not even sure what i said after that, but they said they would speak to Jason and call me back. He is seeing Oscar tomorrow at 8.30am.

I just want his feet to be ok.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Does it look like this

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

Does it look like this

:wave: yes very similar. x

 

[Buzzybunny]

Hello

This may be a little late! Sorry, I only just joined today

I have two rexes almost two years old. They are both 'free range' with a cat flap into a carpeted room with hay-filled bed boxes and a large fleece and grass/concrete in the garden. Buzz developed small bald patches (identical to Oscar's) on his hocks when he was about 6 months old (cue major panic!) but they have never got bigger or become cracked or infected. They seem to have developed calluses and don't give him any bother but I do check his feet at least twice a day just in case. Woody's never had any bother but then he is the lazier of the two! My vet suggested making socks for him but I think he'd just be frightened so for now I'm just hoping they don't get worse.

Fingers crossed Oscar will be fine, you sound like a great bunny mummy so no doubt you'll keep a close eye on him and act quickly if anything does occur. Chances are the patches will toughen up and the remaining fur will pad them.

 

[Becky's Bunnies]

Hello

This may be a little late! Sorry, I only just joined today

I have two rexes almost two years old. They are both 'free range' with a cat flap into a carpeted room with hay-filled bed boxes and a large fleece and grass/concrete in the garden. Buzz developed small bald patches (identical to Oscar's) on his hocks when he was about 6 months old (cue major panic!) but they have never got bigger or become cracked or infected. They seem to have developed calluses and don't give him any bother but I do check his feet at least twice a day just in case. Woody's never had any bother but then he is the lazier of the two! My vet suggested making socks for him but I think he'd just be frightened so for now I'm just hoping they don't get worse.

Fingers crossed Oscar will be fine, you sound like a great bunny mummy so no doubt you'll keep a close eye on him and act quickly if anything does occur. Chances are the patches will toughen up and the remaining fur will pad them.

:wave: welcome to ru.

Thank you for your reply, Oscar~D went to see our vet Jason. Jason said that they were ok at the min, but to keep a very close eye on them (god we will, im almost obsessed about them). He hopes that the fur around the bald patches will kinda grow over the bald patches giving them protection, i really hope this will be the case.

 

[Jack's-Jane]

Ooops, posted on the wrong thread