Hock sores on a 1yr old rabbit

[BlueRiley]

I have a 1.5yr old rabbit, and yesterday when I was trimming his nails I was giving him the once over. Even though he lives in a solid bottom cage (this one http://orrymain.com/jd%20cc%20bagel%20and%20cc.jpg) he has sores on his hocks.
They aren't very bad, not open or oozing, just a bit red and calloused, but I'm a bit concerned that such a young rabbit in a good cage would be getting these. Is it normal?
Thank you!

 

[OakRidgeRabbits]

Sore hocks can be caused by a number of things, but usually the rabbit has genetic tendencies towards it. For example, heavier breeds are more prone to sore hocks because they're carrying more weight. Rabbits with thinner fur on their feet are also more prone to it. There has long been a misconception that the problem is wire flooring, but that is not always the case. Dirty bedding or wet flooring can be a contributing factor though.

Sore hocks is best treated with Preparation H if there are actual sores on the feet. It will dry and heal the area quickly. If the hock just seems a little thin in fur or calloused, bag balm is a good option.

 

[jamesedwardwaller]

I have a 1.5yr old rabbit, and yesterday when I was trimming his nails I was giving him the once over. Even though he lives in a solid bottom cage (this one http://orrymain.com/jd cc bagel and cc.jpg) he has sores on his hocks.
They aren't very bad, not open or oozing, just a bit red and calloused, but I'm a bit concerned that such a young rabbit in a good cage would be getting these. Is it normal?
Thank you!

--sounds like a rex-rabbit--their fur is thin -not much for padding,,-yes you will have to watch the hocks regular to protect against infection..- watch his weight and cushion the surface he walks on--he may even tend to chew on his feet,--you can try coban-wrap-on the feet too!!--betadine,ointment,wrap would be better--sincerely james waller--:thumbup:apollo:

 

[Velveteen_Lop]

My other Velveteen Lop used to get sore hocks and she too was in a solid bottomed cage with thick bedding (shavings and straw) She had thinner pads on her back feet. I used to raise Mini Rex and they were always a bugger to get rid of sore hocks on. Some rabbits, who may be more nervous, stomp and that can also cause those pressure sores. I would just make sure to keep an eye on them and like the other said, bag balm, vaseline or neosporin ointments work very well. Keeping the skin hydrated will help alot, as well as making sure the bedding is always dry

 

[Nancy McClelland]

:yeahthat:

 

[d0tti]

My bun Herman is a 7 month old Flemish x nz white female. She lives inside on various surfaces...she has run of the house. Carpet, lino, marble and wood floors. Two days ago noticed scabs on her heels. Ive trimmed her nails. Attempted to bandage but she kicked them off immediately! They don't appear to be painful. Shes eating drinking, weeing, pooing normally. I've called the vet (rabbit-savvy hour drive away) he said most likely staph infection and to bring her in next week for some cultures. He said unusual for a rabbit that young to have sore hocks. How could've she got this? Her area is clean. She uses a litter tray I change daily/every two days. Anyone else experience staph infection in sore hocks? Stressing here! I'm a nurse and am scared I've given her staph from work somehow!!!

 

[JBun]

Just having scabs on the hocks doesn't necessarily mean there is any sort of infection, it can just mean that the area is sore. Does the area look infected or does it just look like the skin is sore? Your bun probably just has thin fur on the bottom of it's feet and so may just be susceptible to this. My bun that got sore feet has carpet and linoleum in his cage. His cage is always very clean, but his feet still got sore. He just has thin fur on his feet. I put fleece down over the carpet and placed hay over the litter in his litter box, and that fixed the problem for him. With yours having run of your house, you may have to try something different. MiniLopHop used baby socks on her rabbit with sore hocks and secured it with vetwrap. Here's a thread about sore hocks with pictures of her rabbit with the socks on.

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/f27/bunny-trouble-69718/index2.html

 

[tonyshuman]

Staph can be present a lot in the environment of rabbits and on the skin under normal conditions. It's probably not infected unless it is warm to the touch and/or swollen. Simple scabs aren't a serious issue and can be treated usually with prep H or bag balm as others have suggested. If you are worried you can have the vet look at them, but putting down towels/rugs and treating with bag balm should make it better. Most bunnies will have a callous on the hock--that's just inevitable I think. The fur should go over that area and protect it.

 

[BlueRiley]

Thank you so much everyone for all of your input!
They don't look infected, but it's definitely something I'll have to keep an eye out for. I know the key here will be to keep it from getting that bad.
I could try lining his cage with something soft, he always bunches up his blankets though and sometimes he misses his litterbox so it would be harder to keep clean.
I would be very impressed if he tolerated socks, but also might be worth a try.
He is overweight, which I'm sure is a factor, but I'm not sure what to do about it. I'm positive I don't overfeed him and I've even cut back on the pellets from what is recommended, but he's still very "fluffy".

One thing I'm concerned about is that my rabbit doesn't like being handled much, he'll tolerate it, but I'm concerned it will make him like me even less if I drag him out to put balm on his hocks all the time.

I've been putting off his check-up at the vet, but it might be time to grab some savings and take him in just to get the official once-over.
(I'll admit to being a bit of a bad bun-mom, I'm a student and I just haven't spent the time to socialize him properly, but I try to do everything else right!) *sigh*

 

[tonyshuman]

The "recommended" amount of pellets on the side of the bag is usually way too much, especially if the diet is supplemented with other stuff. I feed a tablespoon of pellets (1/16 cup) for each of my 4-5lb bunnies. I know some people only feed pellets as treats--they measure out the amount they're supposed to have each day, and hand feed them throughout the time they interact with their rabbits. For handling him, you may have to get him used to the idea gradually. You can always give a small treat after handling to help.