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FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A scabs on feet

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    • Helenor
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        Hi, my roommate and I noticed that her rabbit Thumper had some scabs on his heels. HIs feet and butt area was also stained with urine. Is this sore hocks and would she need to take him to the vet?


      • Deleted User
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          It might be sore hocks but it is hard to say at what stage they are: if they are dry and not infected scabs, he should heal up, as long as the flooring that caused them is removed. About the urine-stained bottom — what is his litterbox setup like? He should not have urine stains, he might need to be checked for a urinary tract infection if the litterbox is not to blame for this, i.e. if the box is not very wet so to stain his bottom.


        • Helenor
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            They look dry and normal but he has solid flooring. He has two litterboxes that he can use and from what I can see, they’re not wet. My roommate was pretty perplexed on why his butt would be urine stained.


          • EveryPossibleWorld
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              Poor bunny! Ringo is a mini rex and that soft rexy fur made him susceptible to sore hocks too! He had minor sore hocks when I first adopted him and they proceeded to get worse for a while, very scary. I will try to find and upload pics I have of his poor hocks at their very worst! They have gotten much better now, but it is still a pretty serious ailment so your friend should make a vet appointment with a good rabbit doctor asap!

              Sore hocks are very painful for bunnies and can get pretty serious and even lead to death of not taken care of properly. I woke up one morning and Ringo had an actual little “puss bump” on his poor hock and before the vet could get us in (just a few hours) it popped and was oozing blood/puss. Horrible! The vet just cleaned him up a bit and gave me some antibiotics that he had to take for a few weeks. I also had another vet prescribe a cream for his hocks but that didn’t seem all too successful since he hates his feet touched and is not a rabbit you can pick up/turn over to mess with his feet. We tried our very best and were unable to really get the cream on properly…
               
              What made the biggest difference for Ringo was moving to our new apartment with hardwood floors. We use a lot of rugs which are similar to “school carpet” versus the much “longer” plush carpet in our old place. I have noticed the change of surface, even though it is seems minor (- i.e. “short v. long carpet”) - made the biggest difference.
               
              I would have your friend call a vet and see what the vet thinks… In the meantime make sure to change the litter as soon as it gets damp, I use shredded paper I get free as a filler and then I put carefresh ultra in the back on the litter box and hay in the front. Ringo has 2 litter boxes (upstairs and downstairs) and we change them both once a day.
               
              Hope that helps and good luck poor bunny!


            • LittlePuffyTail
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                If the scabs are light pink that’s normal. When they get red or inflamed they need treatment.


              • RabbitPam
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                  I think with two issues combined it is wise to have him checked out by a vet. Be sure to describe the habitat to the vet, in case there needs to be a change to the set up. My mini rex had sensitive hocks as most do, and he wouldn’t venture onto anything but low pile carpet, so you never know what will work.


                • Helenor
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                    Okay, thanks everyone! I will let her know.

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                FORUM HOUSE RABBIT Q & A scabs on feet