Plastic floor / Hocks

[Echobunny]

Hi all

Two of our bunnies, Echo & Ruby, live together very happily. For the most part they have free run of half the house (the other half belongs to Iggy Bunny) except for when we go to bed. At night we put them in a cage otherwise they get up to all sorts of trouble!

The cage we put them in is about 2&1/2 by 4 foot, a typical petshop plastic bottomed cage.

Ruby has started to develope hocks. She is a little over weight. We have had her for two years and she is litter trained but tends to forget that regularly! If I put hey or bedding on the cage floor she says "yippy, one huge toilet" which means lots of cleaning for us.

Any ideas on 1) treating the hocks and 2) what I can put on the cage floor? Would Lino be ok?

 

[Blue eyes]

Linoleum might be a good idea IF there is a way to secure it so that neither rabbit can get the the edges and chew it. There is some lino out there that is non-slippery. I don't mean that it just has some texture or bumps, but is actually almost gritty to the feel. You'll know it when you feel it.

Being overweight can contribute to sorehocks. If she has lots of free roam, could it be her diet that is causing weight issues? Do you limit the pellet amount? Are they free fed hay?

 

[JBun]

Lino is going to cause the same issues. It's a hard surface. Are you sure they are actually sore and not just regular pink skin with a bit of fur rubbed off? Could peeing outside the litter box be due to a health problem?

 

[Blue eyes]

I was wondering if it was more a weight issue. If they spend most of their hours on carpet, it may not be the cage flooring (though solid plastic is rather slippery and might be causing those paws to rub alot on the slippery bottom).