Red spot on foot..

Hi everyone, I have a 9 month old holland lop and I just noticed a small red spot on one of his heels. He does have a wire bottom cage (with plastic resting pads covering half of it) attached to a large pen with a carpet. He doesn't spend much time in his cage because we keep it open all the time. He mostly just uses it for water at this point and sometimes we put his hay in there, but he spends most of his time on the carpet. He's litter trained and his litter box is the type with the wire so he's never sitting in his waste or anything like that. I've attached a picture of his foot. I was hoping that I could give it a few days to see if it heals on its own before I make the trip to the vet (I feel like we are there all the time and it is not cheap!). It doesn't seem to be bothering him at this point. I was just hoping for some input on what it could be and if it seems serious enough that we shouldn't wait to see the vet. Also, any input on modifications to make in the meantime (giving him more blankets, close his cage so he doesn't go in there for a few days). Any suggestions or advice is welcome. Thanks in advance!

I believe that is called Sore Hocks. I don't know too much about it though!

You need to inspect it closely and see if there are any signs of irritation, redness, inflammation, sores, or infection, and if there is have your bun seen by your vet. If it is just healthy pink skin, this can be normal for rabbits to have a bit of pink skin showing on their heals. They may even develop a callous, which is ok as it protects the skin from rubbing. The important thing is to keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get sore. If you aren't sure or in doubt, best to have your bun checked by a good rabbit vet. Just from the little I can see in the pics, they don't appear sore to me.

You can do some things to help reduce any rubbing that might be occurring to the hocks. If the carpet you are using has a rough surface, change to a softer carpet(if it's removable), or you may need to cover the carpet or remove altogether. Some things that can help are soft fleece fabric, soft padded blankets, or I like the foam tiles with the wood veneer surfaces. Replacing the flooring with a hard flooring like lino, can sometimes even help as it reduces the friction occurring. But hard surfaces can also sometimes make it worse, so it's just something you would just have to try, and keep a close eye on the hocks to see if it helps or not. Also some rabbits hate hard floors and won't walk on them.

Wire cage floors can also cause rubbing on the hocks. A better alternative may be to have solid flooring covered with something soft like fleece or hay if your bun won't pee on it, or foam tiles. For the litter box I would take the wire grate out and just use the litter covered in a fresh layer of hay, making sure to clean it regularly.

Finding flooring that works best really can be trial and error. I tried fleece for one bun, but the type I was using(there are different types and some are softer than others) really didn't help. So now I'm trying foam tiles, which can work well if your bun isn't a chewer(don't use if your bun will chew and possibly ingest). The ones that I like best have a wood veneer on the top, making the surface smoother, which creates less friction for rubbing fur off and also makes sweeping up easier. Some of the other types can actually have a bit of a rough surface and may make sore hocks worse.

Here's some info on sore hocks.
http://www.medirabbit.com/EN/Skin_diseases/Mechanical/Pod/Podo.htm

Thank you! I don't think it looked infected (it definitely didn't look like any of the pictures from the link) but it did feel rough. I tried to take a closer look, but he's definitely tired of me inspecting his feet tonight. I'll try to get a better look tomorrow.

In the meantime, I covered the bottom of his cage with a cloth. I also put a soft blanket over most of the carpet. I had bought him a wooden doll bed that I saw on a bunny blog a few days ago that has a very slightly padded blanket on it, and he loves it. He's actually been spending a lot of time on it. It seems soft enough but I can get a softer, fleece blanket for that too. He has started to become a chewer, mostly just cardboard (and naturally he wouldn't chew any of the wood blocks I bought him but he's been going to town on that bed!). So I'd be too afraid to try any kind of rubber or foam. Hopefully the blankets will help, but I'll keep an eye out for any changes. If it doesn't seem like its getting better (or if it gets any worse), I have a good rabbit vet that I take him to. I'd just like to give it a chance to heal on its own if I can. Thanks for the ideas!

" I had bought him a wooden doll bed that I saw on a bunny blog a few days ago that has a very slightly padded blanket on it"
^^ that sounds adorable. Do you have a photo or a link?

Yeah, a lot of buns like cardboard -- just be sure he's getting plenty of hay if he is eating cardboard.
Is he neutered? Intact rabbits tend to be more voracious chewers than fixed rabbits.

What a cute idea!

Blue eyes said:

" I had bought him a wooden doll bed that I saw on a bunny blog a few days ago that has a very slightly padded blanket on it"
^^ that sounds adorable. Do you have a photo or a link?

Yeah, a lot of buns like cardboard -- just be sure he's getting plenty of hay if he is eating cardboard.
Is he neutered? Intact rabbits tend to be more voracious chewers than fixed rabbits.

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Hahah oh I have tons of photos. It's actually an Ikea doll bed, but they don't sell it online through their website. I was able to buy it on amazon, but it cost more than if you get it in store. You can also get it from: https://bunnyapproved.com/product/ikea-duktig-pine-bed-with-bedlinen-set/

He eats plenty of hay. I don't think he actually eats very much of the cardboard because I always find a lot of pieces on the floor. And he's not neutered. I'd planned on it when I got him, but it's very expensive and so far I don't think its worth it to put him through the surgery. He's an only bun and he's super sweet, loves to snuggle, no aggression, and no spraying. He's litter trained with the occasional pee over the side of the box if he doesn't scoot his butt in enough (but I give him credit for trying!). He does leave some poop around his pen, which I know is a territorial marking thing, and the chewing recently, but neither are bad enough that I'm convinced to do it. I'm also a little afraid of it changing his personality!

such a cute bun!