Sore hocks

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 3sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 4 months ago by Bam.

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- 10/14/2020 at 5:07 PM
  Littlemouse93
  Participant
  36 posts
  Hi guys,
  
  I noticed today while my Hazel was flopped that there was some fur missing on one of her hocks. I picked her up to check it out and saw that both of her hocks have a little round patch of fur missing right at her “heels”. The skin looks fine – maybe a little pink, but it’s not ulcered or bleeding or anything like that.
  
  Im very upset 😥
  
  I am very careful about how I house them. I clean their litter box daily and keep their living space very clean and dry. They have multiple rugs and mats and beds to lie on, so I don’t understand why this is happening. I keep their nails trimmed, they’re not overweight, and they get plenty of exercise.
  
  She is a Rex, and I know they can be prone to sore hocks. How do you prevent it, if they’re already prone to it?
  
  And what do I do to get the fur to grow back and keep it from getting worse?
  
  I feel so terrible for them that this is happening… I’m just sick.
- 10/14/2020 at 7:47 PM
  LBJ10
  Moderator
  17227 posts
  It isn’t unusual for rex bunnies to have wear on their hocks. The fur will thin there and callouses will eventually develop. As long as they are just callouses and not open sores, then I wouldn’t be too worried. You can put some bag balm or similar on it if you think it’s irritated.
- 10/15/2020 at 8:12 AM
  Littlemouse93
  Participant
  36 posts
  Oh ok. I’ll just keep an eye on it then. She doesn’t seem to be in pain – it’s certainly not stopping her from her normal behavior, eating, playing, etc.
  
  Is there any way I can encourage the fur to grow back? I read that the only other thing you can do besides fixing the flooring is to put fur over the bald spot and wrap it with vet wrap.
- 10/17/2020 at 1:25 PM
  Bam
  Moderator
  17029 posts
  You can put fur over and wrap with self-adhesive vet wrap, but it is not unproblematic. Most rabbits really hate all kinds of bandages and will try their best to rip them off. If the rabbit succeeds in pulling out the fur that lines the wrap, the wrap itself is abrasive.
  
  Putting a cone on a rabbit to prevents it from reaching the wraps comes with its own set of problems. The rabbit hates it, cant clean itself and cant reach to eat the cecotropes.
  
  I have made the bunny fur-wet wraps on my bun when he had actual sore hocks last winter. It worked very well for him, but he did manage to pull out the fur on a few occasions.
  
  In my opinion, mere callused hocks are best left alone, with daily monitoring. You can put on a tiny bit of bag balm or sudocream to prevent the skin from cracking.
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