patches2593
Well-Known Member
i think my bunny has a sore hock/ is this bad? can anyone please give info i should need
sore hock HELP
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LakeCondo
Well-Known Member
Sore hocks need both treatment & prevention of occurrence.
Treatment: clean with diluted hydrogen peroxide. Then apply an antibiotic ointment that does NOT contain a pain suppressant. Repeat as needed.
Prevention: Make sure the flooring is dry & clean. If it is made of wire mesh, cover part of it with something softer. Being overweight can cause sore hocks as well. A fat rabbit has trouble reaching his feet to clean them.
Treatment: clean with diluted hydrogen peroxide. Then apply an antibiotic ointment that does NOT contain a pain suppressant. Repeat as needed.
Prevention: Make sure the flooring is dry & clean. If it is made of wire mesh, cover part of it with something softer. Being overweight can cause sore hocks as well. A fat rabbit has trouble reaching his feet to clean them.
NorthernAutumn
Autumn - Administrator
Little rexy feet are prone to sore hocks, due to the nature of the fur (lacks guard hairs). Some buns also have less foot-fur than others
Prevention-wise:
- keep the nails clipped to ensure good weight distribution on the feet.
- a variety of surfaces to live on, including a plastic or foam resting board. Avoid wire grid floors if possible.
As Lake Condo said, maintaining a healthy body weight is very important. Buns should look more like an hourglass and less like a lump when viewed from above. Mini-rex should weigh in between 3-4.5 pounds.
The hocks should be a light pink/skin colour. Red, angry hocks indicate infection. Cracked or broken hocks should be treated immediately, as cracks permit infection entry.
Treatment:
- Cut the nails & provide comfortable resting areas
- Bag-Balm (a cow udder cream) or regular Neosporin (without pain meds) applied daily.
Keep the cage clear of urine and feces to discourage infection.
Here is some information to get you started:
RO Lagomorph Library: Sore Hocks
Have you got any pictures to share?
Prevention-wise:
- keep the nails clipped to ensure good weight distribution on the feet.
- a variety of surfaces to live on, including a plastic or foam resting board. Avoid wire grid floors if possible.
As Lake Condo said, maintaining a healthy body weight is very important. Buns should look more like an hourglass and less like a lump when viewed from above. Mini-rex should weigh in between 3-4.5 pounds.
The hocks should be a light pink/skin colour. Red, angry hocks indicate infection. Cracked or broken hocks should be treated immediately, as cracks permit infection entry.
Treatment:
- Cut the nails & provide comfortable resting areas
- Bag-Balm (a cow udder cream) or regular Neosporin (without pain meds) applied daily.
Keep the cage clear of urine and feces to discourage infection.
Here is some information to get you started:
RO Lagomorph Library: Sore Hocks
Have you got any pictures to share?
NorthernAutumn
Autumn - Administrator
LakeCondo wrote:
.
My bunnies also say that Betadine is less "ow-ies!"
Betadine is a more ideal choice for quicker wound healing, as it does not impact cell regeneration as heavily as peroxide
.My bunnies also say that Betadine is less "ow-ies!"
Also heard that damp, cool tea bags will toughen up feet. Put carpet in all our Rexes hutches too.
Bunnylova4eva
Well-Known Member
Anywhere that there's wire, should be covered with something soft. I covered most in c arpet but her sore hocks still got bad. Then I put fleece over that which helped alot. Is your bunny a thumper? My sore hocks little lady constantly pounds her feet and that really adds to the problem.
I had some SSD cream I'd gotton for something else once from the vet and used that on her feet. Part of the time I also used Neosporin. Make sure the feet are kept clean and try to limit exposure to wet, mushy areas. my bunny's got worse once she ran around in a muddy enclosure.
I'd heard trying to wrap them used Vetrap. It helped but I originally wrapped it too tight and felt so badly for her I never did it again..
Sitting in their own waste can make the problem worse, and burn the skin so try to keep them out of it.
I had some SSD cream I'd gotton for something else once from the vet and used that on her feet. Part of the time I also used Neosporin. Make sure the feet are kept clean and try to limit exposure to wet, mushy areas. my bunny's got worse once she ran around in a muddy enclosure.
I'd heard trying to wrap them used Vetrap. It helped but I originally wrapped it too tight and felt so badly for her I never did it again..
Sitting in their own waste can make the problem worse, and burn the skin so try to keep them out of it.
pamnock
Well-Known Member
Because hydrogen peroxide kills cells and impedes healing, only use it for the initial cleaning. Saline solution (such as eye wash) is good for cleaning wounds. You may consider slightly increasing protein in the diet. Change the dressing no more than once a day - the wound cools when exposed to room air and it takes a number of hours to get back up to temperature to resume the healing process. Deep wounds can be packed with gauze moistened in saline - but keep moist gauze off the edge of the wound (the moisture kills healthy tissue). - That's all I can remember off hand from a wound care seminar I attended As stated, use caution with the vet wrap when wrapping.
For mild cases of sore hocks, a simple resting pad may do the trick (we use hard plastic slotted mats).
As stated, use caution with the vet wrap when wrapping.For mild cases of sore hocks, a simple resting pad may do the trick (we use hard plastic slotted mats).
patches2593
Well-Known Member
my rabbit has carpet in his cage and he lives in my bedroom. i put bag balm on it yesdterday. is there any way he could actually break it open? [by like running around or even thumping?] he thumps a little bit. what i've been doing is changing his litter box every day and putting a bunch of hay in it. my friend said its from urine burn and it can't be from dampness/dirty cuz i clean/vacuum his cage out practically every day and hes indooors.
patches2593
Well-Known Member
should i use a different type of carpet or put a bunch of fleece blankets down on his levels? (to make it more comftable etc)
LakeCondo
Well-Known Member
If the area is already carpeted everyplace he walks [except in the litter box], this probably wasn't the reason for the soreness. But just to be safe, I'd add some blankets.
Bunnylova4eva
Well-Known Member
I wouldn't personally add tons of blankets though-cover the carpet with a fleece blanket or something. Keep in mind that if too thick, fleece will retain moisture and cause harm.
It is very likely its from urine burn. Also, someone may have mentioned the nails-make sure they're clipped. This can put extra strain on the main part of the foot (if not clipped frquently) as they'll sit funny.
It is very likely its from urine burn. Also, someone may have mentioned the nails-make sure they're clipped. This can put extra strain on the main part of the foot (if not clipped frquently) as they'll sit funny.
Flopsyrabbit
Well-Known Member
Sore hocks can be recognized by having red hocks or inflamed sores that are red on the hocks.
Treatment of sore hocks: If you use bedding in your cage such as pellets it may be uncomfortable for the rabbit and sore to walk on so changing the bedding to a softer bedding can really help. Also if your rabbit seems to be overweight try to SLOWLY limit the amount of pellets and treats given to the rabbit. There may be medical treatments to help sore hocks just contact your rabbit veterinarian.
Sore Hocks can be prevented. How? Well most sore hock cases are due to having wire flooring and/or if they are overweight.
Hope this helps and contact your rabbit's vet.
Treatment of sore hocks: If you use bedding in your cage such as pellets it may be uncomfortable for the rabbit and sore to walk on so changing the bedding to a softer bedding can really help. Also if your rabbit seems to be overweight try to SLOWLY limit the amount of pellets and treats given to the rabbit. There may be medical treatments to help sore hocks just contact your rabbit veterinarian.
Sore Hocks can be prevented. How? Well most sore hock cases are due to having wire flooring and/or if they are overweight.
Hope this helps and contact your rabbit's vet.
