Bunny in trouble!!???

[Ashley B]

I need answers fast!! Do any of your bunnies breath fast?! Mine if breathing really fast and it kinda looks like his ears are shaking! He is losing fur in little tufts and he has a bald bloody spot on his back leg?! I think the last part might be from a wire bottom cage?!!! PLeaseeeeee help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[MiniLopHop]

Sounds like sore hocks to me, but it is hard to tell without more information. It looks like your rabbit may be rex? If so, it should not be always on a wire bottomed cage. Please provide more information.

 

[Ashley B]

He is a rex.. what is sore hocks? IS there anything I can do?

 

[iLuvMyLilBuns]

Hey again

Your rabbit might have sore hocks but I don't know because I dont have a pic of you rabbit

So you are going to have to diagnose the problem. The back legs, or hocks, will be absent of fur. The feet are likely to be red or even scabbed. Your rabbit's feet may even become raw and infected. In more severe cases, this may even spread to the front paws. If you have decided that your rabbit has sore hocks what could have caused it? The most likely cause is poor hutch hygiene. Is their soiled bedding or places where feces lays or where the bottom lays wet? If this is the case then your entire hutch must be immediately scrubbed clean and sanitized with a solution of 1 part bleach to two parts water. Make any cage repairs and consider spray painting the cage bottom, should it be rusty. The rabbit may be returned once the hutch has dried out.

Other causes include solid wire hutch bottoms, long toe nails and hereditary. Some rabbits are more prone to sore hocks, including larger breeds and Rex breeds.

The best way to deal with sore hocks is through prevention. Keep your hutches clean. Replace bedding every other day. Keep hutches in good repair. Supply resting pads to rabbits in wire hutches. Trim your rabbit's toe nails once a month.
Treating sore hocks is not complicated but it is time consuming. Clean your rabbit's feet with a mild soap and warm water. Trim his nails, if you have not already done so. Trim back fur from any red or raw areas. Apply a triple antibiotic ointment such as Neosporin or iodine. If you choose the iodine, cover the treated area with a hemorrhoid ointment. Athlete's foot medicine can also be used to treat sore hocks. Make sure the hutch is clean and sterile before returning your rabbit to his home. Also provide a resting pad. Sanitize daily with the bleach solution and bleach resting pads at least once a week.

Hope this helped

Kylie:feelbetter:

 

[gmas rabbit]

If he is breathing fast, ears shaking and losing fur, it could also be from the heat. Is it particularly hot where you are? What are you doing to help keep him cool. A/C, fan, frozen water bottles, brushing most of his fur out. Bunnies get very stressed and quickly. Has anything in the house or yard changed to scare him. Most rabbits can get pretty frantic from the heat.

 

[katherine at sacred stories]

:yeahthat:

Hope your bunny feels better soon! Sending love and prayers!

 

[JimD]

Any updates?

How's he doing?

 

[Ashley B]

He has a few things going on! But it turns out the hair loss is due to molting! And today it turns out he didnt drink much water from his dish! Crazy guy! :wink but it turns out hedoe shave a mild caseof sore hocks.. I put wood on the bottom of his wire cage (i originaly had tile) and i dabbed some neosporin! Lets hope it works!!!
Also does anyone know how to keep the neosporin on? My little stinker rubs it off!

Thanks everyone! YOU ALL WERE VERYYY HELPFUL!

 

[Imbrium]

if he's molting, be sure to groom him at least 1-2x a day to minimize the amount of hair that he ingests while grooming himself so he won't get a blockage from it

brushing's always good; you can also try using a lint roller or dampening your hands and then running them over his body (you'll wanna do that multiple times) - anything you can do to remove/collect loose hair.

 

[wendymac]

I hope Brandy jumps in here soon...she has the CUTEST pictures of how she puts little socks on her rabbit's back feet. It cracks me up every time I see it. If she doesn't post, you could try searching "sore hocks" for it.

 

[MiniLopHop]

back by popular demand... Gary socks on hocks Anderson

The most important thing is to make sure the vet wrap is not too tight. You want it to keep the baby socks on but not cut off circulation. I use neosporin and baby A&D cream on the sore spots. Then put the socks on and change them daily. Once it is just a calus (a week or so) no more socks.