Hocks not healing?

[PepnFluff]

So they both have sore hocks, Ru alot more than Fluff but his have settled and are dormant for the time being. Ruby's on the other hand are simply not healing and getting alot worse. She's been to the vet who gave neotopic-H ointment and told me to apply it for a week. that didn't really do anything except reduce the redness a wee bit. Anyway schools back so I've been really busy and they havn't been getting the usual treatment, less runs and checks. Anyway I just put them out for a run and I checked Ru's feetsies and they are REALLY red and there's a bit of a crustyness around the heel and they have gotten larger, I feel so bad and know I've been horrible not to check them everyday :cry2. Because thats quite a ramble I'll just sum it simply lol.

-Sore areas larger
-Alot redder
-Crustyness near the rear of sore area

Since being to the vet I've made sure there are numerous padded places and even put a foam floor in their condo. They have dense areas of hay blankets etc. I tried the booties that Bo has but she simply tore them off.

Questions

Can I clean them with a mild saline solution?
Should I re apply more cream?
Should I go back to the vet bearing in mind she said that all I could do was the cream and offer soft places? That was the crap vet though....

And please offer your solutions to more aggressive treatment. We don't have alot of the products you guys have but I will try to find them if poss.

ETA- Thought I should say that it doesn't help that they both seem to have forgotten their litter habits so shes hopping in her own pee :expressionless

 

[Maureen Las]

I understand that you are back in school and that this limits your time available to do treatments butI would guess that the problem is that you are not keeping on top of the treatment protocol.

keeping bandages on him when he rips them off , cleaning his area so that he is not on urine and vigilantly applying creme and checking him
is there any one else in your familywho can assist you in caring for him while his hocks are like this. ?
Iam not blaming you at all but only feeling that possibly a lack of vigilance in treating him may be the issue rather than the treatment itself.

 

[Flick]

Some rabbits are prone to sore hocks and are going to have them no matter what you do. Pixel is like that. We've spent at least $1,000 on vet bills and prescription meds trying to clear up her sore hocks. The best we can get is pink naked skin. No fur.

Keep Ruby's nails trimmed. Long nails cause the rabbit to "lean back" on the hocks applying more pressure to them.

Keep Ruby's weight down. More weight = more pressure = more sore hocks.

Exercise is good for sore hocks. Not only does it help keep the weight down, it makes the blood circulate better improving the hocks.

Pain management like Metacam. If the rabbit's feet hurt she's not going to want to run around on them.

I don't know what kind of over the counter remedies you have available in New Zealand, but even if it's not the same brand, you probably have similar things.

A triple action antibiotic ointment like Neosporin applied daily (or several time per day if possible) will help keep any infection from setting in and promote healing. Just a small amount is enough. You don't need to slather it on.

Bag Balm is often used successfully, too. It's found in feed stores and drug stores. Again, no slathering, just enough to cover the effected area.

Some people use Preperation H to help decrease the swelling and promote healing.

We tried wrapping Pixel's hocks and the wraps caused sores to develop on other parts of her feet. I think wrapping is over-rated. If the feet are not bleeding, don't wrap them. Air and blood circulation will help them heal better than wrapping them will.

And, lots of kisses and nose rubs help too.

Flick

 

[PepnFluff]

For lack of time, I mean they're not getting out as much and footsies getting checked less. I always clean their hutch and litterbox daily but I'm not being so umm I've forgotten the word lol, not precise but um attentive?

For bandages, I've been using vet wrap but it just gets ripped off or kicked off...Is there another product of something that would stay on?
The vet said only to apply for a week, no idea why but I'll phone tomorrow and see if I can continue applying it.

By tomorrow all my school junk should be fixed and I should settle into a routine so everything should get back to normal.

Can I clean them with saline? Should I ask to go to the vet again?

Thanks very much angieluv.

 

[PepnFluff]

Thanks Flick! Shes out running now, well flopping..lazy thing haha.
I will call the pharmacy tomorrow and ask for things like bag bam and prep-H, I havn't heard of anyone them here, but then again I dont scour pharmacy shelves haha. Is Neosporin animal or human? Nose rubs I can do! She loves them You've been a great help!

 

[Flick]

Neosporin and Preperation H are human remedies, but are safe for animals, too. Bag Balm was originally for animals, but now humans use it too. It's great for brittle nails.

It's easier to find stuff when you know what it looks like, so....

Neosporin
http://www.neosporin.com

Bag Balm
http://www.bagbalm.com/

Preperation H
http://www.preparationh.com/

Flopping is wonderful. Doesn't sound like her hocks are very bad. Pixel's bled all over the vet one time. That was BAD!

 

[Maureen Las]

Flick has covered a whole lot to help you butI will post some additional info from one of kathy Smith's books. I know that it is important thatrabbits not eat the zinc oxide in prep H but bag balm and plain neosporin are safe

 

[PepnFluff]

Ok, I've made mental pictures in my head of all of them so I shall try and hunt them down. Her hocks look bad, but maybe as she's my first sore hock bunny I just think it's really bad :? Oh no, that would of been terrible, poor pixel!

 

[Maureen Las]

'If the reddened areas progress to lesions take the rabbit to a vet to determine the extent of the infection ;lesions may be cleaned with Dermisol Solution, ChlorhexiDerm Flush or betadine. , treated with a cream and bandaged with a light weight dressing such as tegaderm"


Ointments safe for treating Pododermatitis

aloe vera gel

Bactoderm (Mupcirocin)topical ointment

Bactroban Cream
Calendula gel\

Dermisol
Cream (care should be taken that the rabbit not consume any of it )

Neosporin (not neosporin plus)}
Oxyfresh pet gel
Silvadene cream|

triple antibiotic cream (rabbit should not consume large quantity)

Zymox topical cream without hydrocortisone

Bandaging feet
Sometimes a rabbit can be prevented from licking medication off the feet by bandaging the feet. Cover the lesion with the prescribed ointment, overlay this with a lightweight dressing such as Tegaderm and hold the dressing in place with a stretchy self adhesive bandage such as Powerflex or 3M vetrap . A few rabbits will immediately sit down and evote their energies to removing your carefully done bandaging but others will tolerate it."


"When Your Rabbit Needs Speical care Traditional and Alternative Methods
Lucille C Moore, Kathy Smith

 

[PepnFluff]

Thanks Angieluv! I think I will be taking her back in but get the good vet and take this with me.

 

[JimD]

angieluv wrote:

Ointments safe for treating Pododermatitis

aloe vera gel

I'm usually careful about using products with aloe in them.
It appears on many toxic lists.

 

[JimD]

Flick wrote:

Bag Balm is often used successfully, too. It's found in feed stores and drug stores. Again, no slathering, just enough to cover the effected area.

Bag Balm is great stuff!

Utterly Smooth Utter Cream is a similar product.*
http://www.uddercream.com/moisturizing-lotion.shtml

*"Originally developed for use on dairy cows, Udderly Smooth® Udder Cream. is used by many people for their dry and chapped skin."

 

[Flash]

Flash gets sore hocks and I noticed one on the other foot recently. I used Neosporin and a week later that one was gone. I've always used that and Bag Balm. Good Luck.