Two red Patches on Elbow of back legs

[chrislove01]

Hi there

Our rabbit, a year old male English Spot has a round red patch on the elbow of each back leg. Is this normal?

He is in the house whenever someone is home, or in his hutch in the garden when we are at work. they dont seem to cause him any discomfort, just worried thats all.

Chris

 

[naturestee]

Welcome to the forum!

It sounds like sore hocks. They can get worse and start to bleed or get infected. What does he have to sit on in his hutch? If it's just wire, you can buy EZ Mats or give him a wooden area to sit on. Carpet is abrasive can make sores worse for some buns, too. If he's overweight, it will help to get him more trim. You can apply Neosporin (not Neosporin Plus because the pain med in it is bad for bunnies) or bag balm to help heal the sores. There's a lot more info in the Rabbit Health References here:
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11953&forum_id=10

Sometimes sore hocks are caused by other problems such as urinary tract infections, arthritis, or other problems that prevent the rabbit from sitting normally. You might want to bring him in to a vet for a checkup, especially if the standard treatments don't help.

 

[chrislove01]

Hi

He has a mixture of straw and hay in his hutch,they seem to be almost covered over in fur, as in you have to part the fur over slightly to see the red bits. I just tried to have alook whilst he was lying on the floor next to me, I dont think they are irritating him.

Would a photo help?

Chris

 

[VNess2010]

Is he on a wire bottom cage? If so, this could be the cause..

hope everything turns out well



-Vanessa

 

[chrislove01]

No wood floor, with a sheet of newspaper, changed each week.

Chris

 

[naturestee]

Does his litter tend to get a little wet? That can irritate the skin, and hay doesn't absorb urine at all. In addition to what I already posted, I'd also suggest putting more newspaper down for him, changing it more often if it gets dirty, and making sure he has plenty of room to move as that can also be a problem. How big is your hutch?

It's best to find the cause and treat the sores now, before they actually do cause problems.

 

[VNess2010]

Yes, I agree with Naturestee....the sore hocks could be from urine burns....I change my rabbits litterboxes every other day....so, perhaps changing the paper 2 or 3 times a week would be a healthier alternative!

-Vanessa

 

[chrislove01]

Hi everyone

Thanks for all your replys so far.

When I say hay etc, thats in his hutch. Which he doesnt really use as a toilet, his litter tray, which has pet litter in it is changed every day or too, and doesnt get damp really. He has been trained you see to go in his tray and not where he likes.

He does go mental sometimes and sprint round the room, up the stairs, and under the bed, when he is having a funny five minutes. Im wondering if its carpet burn.

The patchs seem to be covered over with hair, so you have to part the hair to one side to see them. And they are not on the soles of his back feet, they are on the back, IE the elbow joint. His feet are clean, and white. We have wood floor downstairs, which he sometimes skids about on, so could be that.

Maybe I should get my girlfriend to make him some slippers.......

Chris

 

[pamnock]

I wouldn't be overly concerned. Sounds like he has callouses that have developed at the joint --possibly from the position he lies in -- or as you mentioned, a little "carpet burn" Do check it periodically as tissue can break down and lead to infection at pressure points.



Pam