Outdoor surfaces for bunny with sore hocks

[Moonstone]

Once bonded, I intend to put Millie outside again (where she hasn't been for over a year). She is 12 and has sore hocks, the skin isn't broken there are no ulcers and the vet says she doesn't need treatment at the moment (apparently coconut oil or olive oil can just make them worse because they lick it off and the licking makes the hocks more sore).

Inside she's on cotton rugs. Outside they'll be cotton rugs in the bunny shed but it also has Runaround tunnels leading to two very small runs on grass and one big on on concrete paving. Inside the hutch, there's a ramp with a fine roofing felt base (really quite worn roofing felt, in use for 6 years).

I'm wondering if I should lay turf on the paving, though that would mean taking the black plastic cover off the roof so that sunlight and rain can get in but the run then becomes unusable in wet weather. Rugs would rot though as it's open to the elements and she's a bunny who chews anything she can get her teeth around. Would vinyl be better as I could leave the edges outside of the pen but it's still quite hard and could be slippery in wet weather? I thought of rubber roofing material but it's horribly smelly and not cheap. Any thoughts?

And is there anything I should think about putting into the Runaround tunnels to make them more foot friendly, it's basically plastic ridges inside? I don't want to make the enclosure smaller as her bunny friend still has a lot of energy.

 

[Shimmer]

Bark chippings? Make sure they are untreated.

 

[InspectorMorse]

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[Moonstone]

Thank you both. I've ordered some rubber samples, I don't know if they'd chew the ones that interlock where they interlock but I can see how they behave with the samples. Wood I'm not sure about for my two because Millie's less steady on her feet since the injuries.

 

[Shimmer]

Stable matting is very heavy duty stuff - it is made for horses with hooves to stand on all day. It's totally different from the interlocking domestic / kids stuff.

 

[Moonstone]

Okay, thanks. That would explain the cost but it sounds like it would work well for her.

 

[Moonstone]

I've been doing more reading around this. It seems that wild rabbits (besides not growing so old) will dig their nails into the ground as they hop, this moves their weight more onto the front of the foot. Domestic rabbits can get sore heels because they are on hard surfaces so their nails are higher up leaving the heels to take more of the rabbit's weight. Millie is currently on cotton mats which are soft but woven with almost no pile. It's a bit tricky because she's a chewer but I think once they are outside I'm going to use:

• Turf on top of the paving stones in the pen - I'll have to find a clear cover to the let the sun in and also have no cover sometimes to let the rain water it.
• Soil inside the Runaround pipes - I'll find organic soil if that's affordable.
• Vet fleece on the floor of the pen - high risk of chewing but I'm going to supply lots of other things to chew and give it a go. Are there colours they are more likely to chew or swallow than others? Also it will get muddy from the soil. I need to know where you can buy clean soil
• Vet fleece or hay/straw on the balcony and walkway.
• Straw in the bedroom area and litter tray (as per usual)
• And I don't know what on the ramps? I think I'll watch her and see how she uses them, she tends to run up and down and I'm not sure where her heels make contact.

 

[Shimmer]

Grass (ie turf) is probably the best option outside, as long as it's dig proof (in for predators and out for bunnies)
Deep hay is good on hard surfaces.
Have you looked at horse matting?
Ramps - could just screw on short pieces of wood across the ramp at eg 4" intervals - like false stairs - if you need any extra grip.

It's things like indoor carpet that can encourage sore hocks, particularly in breeds like Rex.
Personally, I don't like using vetbed as flooring. It gets full of hay and fur which doesn't come out, and it's quite rough on feet if it's over a large area - a bit like normal carpet.

Soil inside the runaround pipes may make it difficult to keep them clean and hygienic.

Keeping their nails short on the back feet helps to keep the balance correct so that there is less wear on the fur on the hocks. Having plenty of space outside will probably be enough to keep them worn down, but check weekly anyway.

 

[Moonstone]

Thanks, Shimmer.

Sadly Millie thinks that is something's covered in hay or straw then it's a litter tray. Her shed is 7' x 5' so that results in a lot of cleaning out/replacing. Nothing is ideal, really.