is this sore hocks????

[canela_2004]

So yesterday when Kahlua was laying down I got a good look at the bottom of her feet and it looks like right on the heel the fur is coming off. It doesnt look red or sore but it is bald and I am worried that this might be the start of sore hocks. It is surprising becuase she lives in a solid area and our house has carpet and tiles. She is never on wire floo rand she is litter trained so she doesnt sit on wet bedding. ANy suggestions?

 

[naturestee]

It does sound like the start of sorehocks. It doesn't sound like it's bad enough to be concerned about, but you could put Bag Balm on it to help protect the skin. I found mine at Walmart.

Keep an eye out for any possible contributing factors- sitting in a wet litterbox (putting a grid on the litterbox may help, or cleaning it more often), sometimes carpet because it is actually abrasive (don't use it in her cage), obesity, and sometimes other problems.My foster bun Oberon has callouses on his hocks which I think are duein part to his weak leg muscles. His hocks tend to slide outward while hopping.

Also, make sure you keep her nails trimmed closely. Long nails make the bun lean back more and put more pressure on the hocks. Frequent disinfecting of her cage and litte rbox may also help.

Also check out the Health References thread:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11953&forum_id=10

It shouldn't be a problem as long as you pay close attention and have avet check her if her hocks start to look red and irritated or infected.

 

[JimD]

Hi canela,

A few of my bunnies have bald spots on their hocks.

All but one of them have had sore hocks that caused it, and they have since formed calouses. Except for Chippy, who has recurring sore hocks.

Toostie has never had sore hocks, but has worn the fur of her's. The flooring of her pen is wood and pegboard and she loves to run and slide.....aka "blankie-surfing". That's probably what happened to the fur.

Carpeting can cause sore hocks with some buns.

You can use Bag Balm to help condition the skin and help prevent sore hocks.

If you can post a pic it would help us help you.

~Jim

 

[JimD]

naturestee wrote:

Also, make sure you keep her nails trimmed closely. Long nails make the bun lean back more and put more pressure on the hocks. Frequent disinfecting of her cage and litterbox may also help.

Angela, I'm just way to slow responding when it gets busy here at work!With all the interruptions it can take me 10-15 minutes to finish composing a post. By then some bun else has already covered it.
Oh well, better late than never.

AND I forgot about the nails-too-long thingie, too!

 

[pamnock]

Bag Balm is an excellent product.There are also other udder creams on the market if you can't find any bag balm. Most drug stores as well as feed stores have these available.

Pam

 

[canela_2004]

thanks for the replies. i have a question though, the bag balm goes right on her hocks so what happens if she licks it up? will it make her sick?

 

[naturestee]

It shouldn't harm her. It's made for use on animals and is frequently used for cats with sore paw pads. And with all the rabbit people I know that have used it, I haven't heard of a problem.