Avoid sore hocks for outdoor rabbit

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Hermelin

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Hi

I need tips on how to prevent sore hocks. My older rabbit will soon turn 6, she’s no longer as active and often sleep, eat and sometimes when she’s in the mood will dig in the yard and do some binkys.

She’s old for a giant rabbit and that’s the reason she no longer move as much. I want to make sure, she won’t get any sore hocks.

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Actually outdoor rabbits on natural ground are the least prone to developing sore hocks. Reason is that on natural ground(eg. dirt, grass) their nails/toes can dig into the ground when they hop/run like is natural for them, and this means that they can assume the correct balance on their feet without having to shift their weight back off of the front of their foot and onto the hock which puts unnatural pressure on the hock and can sometimes result in them getting sore. Shifting the weight off of the toes and onto the hock is like what they would have to do when they are on a hard flooring surface. So as long as your rabbit is on dirt or grass then she should be fine. If she is on a hard surface like slabs, then I would put something down over them, either a thick layer of dirt or a thick layer of straw might work.
 
Thanks, the hutch is hard floor and she only get to be in the pen 3-4 hours during the day.

But she often just sleep most of the day.

Can I use fleece blankets outdoors in the hutch? Placing them on places she often sleeps and sits on.

I have one room in the hutch filled with straws.
 
You can, and it may help, but straw is better. Honestly though, if she hasn't developed sore hocks at this point I find it unlikely that she will. Being less active and sleeping a lot makes her less likely to develop them since she isn't actively hopping around and is just sitting there. If her set up works the way it is, I would just keep it that way and regularly inspect her hocks to make sure they aren't getting sore. If they start to look like they are getting inflamed, then I would work on changing the flooring surface. But otherwise I wouldn't worry too much about it.
 
Okay, I’ll watch her paws. She’s really easy to handle and I have a lot of straw which I can use.

Thanks [emoji5]
 
Watch using fleece blankets, if she chews any holes in it at all it needs to be taken out immediately and replaced or at least cut down so there are no more holes in it. I learned the hard way on this, by 2 of my rabbits getting their foot stuck in them.
 

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