Normal or not? (feet related)

[Flashy]

I was just looking at Sky's feet and on the back of each heel there is a harder lump, like a callous. It's under fur and can only be found if I'm rooting for it. It's exactly where the bone on the foot meets the bone that will go up the leg (so it would be like the ankle joint on us) It's not sore, or open or bleeding. So, I thought I would check the others.

Out of 14 buns (and I did only check 10), they all have the same thing. And this is related and non related bunnies. They have a variety of things to sleep on, fluffy cushions, hard floor, oodles of hay, and it seems to have happened to them regardless.

Now, at the risk of sounding stupid, is this normal or not? none of them seem troubled by them at all. I know of sore hocks and have read a lot about them but I'm not entirely sure whereabouts they occur.

So, normal or not? And if not, what now?

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Can you tell if it's red? Bo has those and they are a type of callus from what our vet said. The problem occurs when they become inflamed, and red, or open as a wound.

Now, I'm going to also add that someone else might have better knowledge only because when my vet was talking to me, we were looking at the red, inflamed, sore hock.....

 

[Flashy]

Some of them look red, but none are open, and they all look about the same size. They are also all covered with fur, although on the bit itself there is no fur.

How on EARTH could all my bunnies manage to get them when they are on a whole wide variety of surfaces?

 

[Leaf]

Are they all the same breed?

 

[Flashy]

They are actually, they are all supposed to be netherland dwarfs, but they are all bigger than they should be (which is why I say 'supposed to be').

Good question, I hadn't considered it could be breed related.

 

[Flashy]

The other three nethies have the same thing. The Dopeys have the sorest looking ones (and unsurprisingly they are totally identical) but they look like they are healing (so maybe they were at their worst when they were living with access to a concrete run?) as opposed to being freshly sore.

Ok, so what do I do about this? anything? Keep and eye on it? Cream?

Anyone got any ideas?

 

[jupiterannette]

I read that when buns are "bigger" then they are "supposed" to be they tend to get sore hawks. just from preasure. obveously wire makes it worse and that is usually when it is broken open and is really bad, but giving soft places to rest helps alot, also in the winter here averything gets dryer, so a moisterizer may be in order.

a safe way to moiserize any animals skin, is to go to walmart or any pharmacy.. and get vit E liquid gell pills. break them open and rub the vit E right on the spot.

some buns dont get enoughesential skin oils,a nd the serfaces they lay on can dry out the skin.

this is my thought...

i dont know of any deseases that affect the feet, like that... but there could be, i have heard of weirder things.!

good luck.!

 

[Leaf]

jupiterannette wrote:

i dont know of any deseases that affect the feet, like that... but there could be, i have heard of weirder things.!

good luck.!

Guinea pigs get bumblefoot. This doesn't really sound like it, but can rabbts have it, or get the equivilant of it?

 

[Flashy]

You could EASILY have hit the nail on the head there jupiterannette. It is far dryer hear at the moment. I was recommended to use sudocreme when they got dry skin, so maybe I should try doing that on their paws?

 

[jupiterannette]

i dunno......

perhaps, they are very closely related....

yes that is what i got for cami feet when i got her she had bad ones...

it works good!

do you have a pic????

 

[Flashy]

No, I don't have a pic, and it would be challenge to get one, but I'll try later when there is someone about to help me.

Just to add that even though they are bigger than nethies should, they are not gigantic. The littlest ones are about 1.2kg and the largest is about 1.8kg. So not big big, just bigger than they should be.

 

[jupiterannette]

my nethie is the same way, and if she gains a little, usually in the winter then she get the sore feet, also the dryness doesnt help.

i thnk they bulk up a tad bit for winter, and that mixed witht he dry factor.....



slather them up with some cream and give em a big hug!

 

[Ivory]

Leaf wrote:

jupiterannette wrote:

i dont know of any deseases that affect the feet, like that... but there could be, i have heard of weirder things.!

good luck.!

Guinea pigs get bumblefoot. This doesn't really sound like it, but can rabbts have it, or get the equivilant of it?

"Bumblefoot" is a common term for what is called ulcerative pododermatitis. Rabbits also get ulcerative pododermatitis, or, "sore hocks". Well, ulcerative pododermatitis is more like a progression of sore hocks. UP refers to a bacterial infection, sore hocks just sort of refer to sore hocks.

 

[polly]

Generally most rabbits will have it as its a pressure point on their feet. Its (as the others said) not a problem unless it gets inflemed make sure they have plenty of nice soft bedding and that the litter stays clean (which i know you do!!) and they shoudn't have any problems with them. Its no different really from us gettign hard skin on our feet where there is more pressure

 

[Flashy]

Cool We both know I'm a worried when it comes to them. They are being kept clean (not as ultra clean as when they had pinworms, but still very clean) which sorts out that side, and they all have soft sutff to sit on, mostly hay, but the buns in my room also have fluffy cushions or fleece folded over and made soft, so the option is there for them.

Thanks, and when you put it like that it does make sense, so thank you.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

You know, the picture in my avatar was cropped....... here's the real picture and we took it for this very reason - do the bunnies look something like this on their feet?

 

[Flashy]

Great picture!

Sort of like that, but not as big, and you can't see them unless you really hunt through the fluff, but yeh, that's the essence of them.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

Bo has less fur being a mini-rex and he's prone to sore hocks. That is a callus and what can become a sore place. Sounds like yours are dealing with a bit of soreness but as long as they don't get really red or open you can handle the care at home. I am using blankets and screens to soften all the surfaces for bo.

Do you have a place like off the wire for them that is nice and soft? Are they all on wire (I don't know if you said)........ solid slick floor apparently can be as bad for them.

I love grass mats, hay, anything that softens the area or at least part of their cage.

 

[Flashy]

They are not on wire.

They all have oodles of hay to sit in. The inside buns also have pillows or layers of fleece to sit on. They do have floor too, but it is definitely never the only option.

 

[Bo B Bunny]

What about pee? What sort of litter or bedding?