[UPDATED!] Bleeding hock sores & urine scalds

[J012]

Hey everyone, 
Sorry for not updating sooner, but Bun Bun is completely better! He has been for quite a while now
All his fur has grown back and his hock sores are totally gone.

Thanks for all your advice and support. It was definitely appreciated! 

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NOTE BY BINKYBUNNY  - J012 has updated THIS post with updated photos.  (The old photos are gone)   Just wanted to make sure to clear that up as this could be very confusing when looking at this post and then reading all of the replies which were based on the previous photos and information —– GLAD HE’S LOOKING BETTER NOW!

 

 

[RabbitPam]

J012, I’m really sorry he’s in such bad shape. I am afraid he may be in pain or part of these areas are infected so there may be more wrong internally as well.
You know he needs medical care, that’s not in question, so what you need is to find vet help that is either free or affordable. I would urge you to make some calls. You can start with your local shelters or Humane Society locations and ask if they have any available vets who do work for free, or if they would look at your bunny to tell you what he needs.

If you let us know where you live, generally, like city and state, we can try to help you find veterinary assistance. This has come up with other members, and there are some financial aides and resources for people who cannot pay and need to provide care. I think his need is urgent and will be as long as you own him. Your financial setbacks are also long term, so you need an immediate and more permanent solution.
I’ll ask the other forum leaders for info. to get to you.
What we don’t do is offer medical care on this site. It is not in my training and I think he needs to be seen. So if you agree, let’s work on that.

[J012]

Hi Pam,

Thanks for your reply. I’ve called one animal hospital nearby and they said it’s about $150 just for a check-up, which means I will have to pay hundreds more for actual treatment.

I will try calling the animal shelters around me, but I feel so bad for asking for free/really cheap help :X I feel like they are already helping other animals who may need help more so it’s a bit too much to ask for additional help

But for now, are there any home treatments I can do for him?

I want to put him back in his plastic bottom cage and fill it with towels and such, but he will just pee on them and get soaked in urine, making his feet and bottom worse.

[Barbie]

Yes he is a handsome bunny! I’m sorry to hear about the trouble you’re having with him hocks and the financial stress. This looks like a pretty severe case, and going to the vet would be my first advice, but since you already know that and you can’t make that happen immediately, I won’t harp on it tooo much. Though, if you can, try to pick up some extra cash by babysitting or helping neighbors with lawn work or something, a part time job in you can find one (and as long as it doesn’t interfere w your studies!) My vet charges $50 for the exam and then of course there’s more fees after wards for medicine and such. Your vet will be able to prescribe antibiotics to prevent an infection, which is the main concern with an open wound.

Leroy, my bunny, has callouses on his hocks where the fur just refuses to grow – he’s been like that since I adopted him – and he does fine. But the skin there is pink and healthy, just a bit tougher than the rest of his skin. That kind of “sore hock” is ok as long as it’s not allowed to open up. I’ve heard that using neosporin (the kind WITHOUT the painkiller) can help. I’ve heard differing opinions on whether to bandage or not to bandage, but if you do want to try that (remember though that you have to stay on top of the bandages changes – they’ll get soiled and the last thing you want to do is trap any bacteria in the bandages) this is a good description: http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sorehocks.html It also discusses some of the basics about sore hocks.

Do you keep his nails trimmed down? Rabbits with long nails are forced to shift their weight back on their feet, meaning there’s an unnaturally high pressure on the hocks, resulting (sometimes) in sore hocks.

I wouldn’t stop cleaning his bum entirely. Having poo stuck to him and pee dried on his bare skin is not going to be comfortable – the ammonia in urine burns – hence the term urine scald. A full bath is unnecessary, just do butt baths in the sink, or maybe, if you have to do it so frequently, try using a natural, soft, baby wipe and clean him up like you would a baby.

As for his cage/flooring. I’d recommend that you litter box train him. He might have been fine on the wire flooring before his feet got irritated, but the raw skin on the wire isn’t going to be very comfortable and the wire will further aggravate the issue. The cardboard, when it get’s wet is going to be just as bad for him, cus pee will just soak into the cardboard and then he’ll be sitting in it. You said this happened when you switched to a plastic bottom cage… did he not have adequate litter lining the bottom, so was he just sitting in wet spots? I’m not accusing, just trying to figure out what’s going on. Anyway, a litter box will fix that! You can find a cheap large cat litter box at Walmart for like 4 bucks (buy the large size not the kitten size for him) and there are plenty of inexpensive, bunny safe litter options. I swear by wood stove pellets that are used in wood burning stoves to heat peoples’s homes. You can find a 40lb bag for like $5 and that will last a couple months if you line the boc with newspaper, sprinkle a generous handful of pellets into the bottom and then cover with hay – or if you dont have access to a good quality, inexpepensive hay source – put the hay in one corner. There are other great tips for how to litter box train on this website. Ok, now for the cage floor. I’d recommend a fleece blanket – stop by a quilting/sewing store like JoAnns (if you have one of those) and just buy scraps of fleece that are on clearance and use those to line the bottom of the cage. A soft floor is important for him so that he doesn’t further aggravate his already sore feet. It looks like his front paws are starting too and when that happens, walking is going to become near impossible for him b/c it’ll be so painful. Offer him a nice soft cat bed or a pile of the fleece blankies in one corner for a bed.

Does anyone else with more experience with sore hocks like these have any other suggestions?

Good luck! Keep us posted on his progress and what you do for him. ((((((vibes)))))

[Barbie]

J012, animal hospitals and emergency clinics often have higher fees (at least in my area). Are there any other vet clinics in your area that you can try?  Oh and do try the local humane societies for help. 

Also, keep in mind that you may need to relinquish ownership of him if you simply cannot provide the medical attention he needs.  Sad, I know, but you need to keep the buns best interest in mind as well.

[J012]

Barbie —

In his old cage, he would always use the bathroom in the same corner (inside left). Even if he didn’t, it wouldn’t have mattered since all his waste just falls through the wire. When I moved him to the plastic bottom cage, I put the litter box on the left side. He went in there once or twice, but then started going everywhere in the cage. It was kind of hard to tell where he went since he would step on the pee and it would spread everywhere. Now that I’ve moved him back to this old cage, he’ll just go wherever he’s sitting (maybe because he doesn’t want to walk?) I want to try and litter box train him once he gets better because I don’t think he is in a good condition to learn at the moment. He is unneutered so that is probably why he had a hard time with his new cage (marking new territory). I also heard that unneutered bunnies are just harder to litterbox train in general. Although, he never had any issues with marking territory before.

I’m hesitant about bandaging it up because if he steps in pee, it will just make his sores worse. I do trim his nails occasionally but he’s never had problems before moving to his new cage so I’m pretty sure that wasn’t a problem.

I’ve been lining part of his cage with puppy training pads (layering a couple on) to pad his feet slightly but when he pees on them, it still gets him wet, which is something I definitely want to avoid. I will try and find some old soft cloths and blankets to put in his cage, though. My main concern is just him peeing on the cloth and getting his feet/bottom wet again.

Is there anything I can do for the existing sores on his feet?

[jerseygirl]

Hi JO12, I’m sorry your bunny is in a bad way with his skin. You can apply  Nitrofurazone ointment, Neosporin(plain, not with added pain relievers) or Preparation H cream. The Nitrofurazone cream might be found where you can buy horse supplies. This may treat any bacteria in the balded skin around the bottom too. Does he groom this area or the hocks? Just wondering if he’s likely to lick off any creams.

[J012]

jerseygirl —

He does groom a lot and may ingest any creams applied to his feet. I’ve bought Prep H and Bag Balm. Should I apply the Prep H to his sore as well? Or would that be bad since they are starting to open?

Is it okay if the cream gets everywhere? I’m sure it will since he will move and sit and the cream will rub off of everything :S

Barbie —

I’ve gotten a pair of my old fluffy slippers and cut them up to put in a corner. I put it on a piece of cardboard and covered it with two layers of a puppy training pad :/ I also moved his water and food so that he doesn’t have to leave the cushioned area to eat. Hopefully he won’t pee on that spot :X

[Barbie]

Try rubbing some neosporin on them a couple times a day – make sure that the neosporin is the kind without the painkiller. Something about that painkiller is harmful to bunnies.

I understand your concern about him sitting on wet towels and such. That’s definitely not helping the problem, and is probably making it worse. I know you said you dont want to litter box train him right now b/c of his other problems, but unless he’s litter box trained, he will continue to eliminate everywhere. and if you want his feet to heal, he really can’t be sitting on that. So you either have to go in there and change out the bedding 4+ times a day, or… try to get him started on litter box training. If the urine is bothering his feet and he has a nice comfy bed to day in, chances are he won’t want to hang around in his litter box much, so even if he’s only 50% consistent with the litter box, that’s 50% less pee on the floor of his cage that he’s sitting in. You’re right, it probably hurts him to walk, but I think , if given the chance, he might take to using the litter box. Yes, unaltered bunnies are harder to litter train because of the hormonal drive to mark and sometimes spray, but again, in this situation, i think some use of the litter box is better than none at all. There are tips for how to litter box train your bunny here: https://binkybunny.com/Default.aspx?tabid=62

The biggest one, I think, is that when you see stray poos, make sure to put them back in the litter box and to clean up any pee right away with a 50/50 vinegar/water solution. The bunny will learn to associate his litter box with his pee spot if it smells like his pee, as he will learn to associate that other corner by his water as his pee spot if continually smells his urine there, even if it’s been wiped up. :/

[J012]

Barbie —

This is the right kind, yes?
http://www.walgreens.com/store/catalog/Antiseptics/Original-First-Aid-Antibiotic-Ointment/ID=prod352391&navCount=0&navAction=push-product

If I place him in his litter box, won’t it hurt his feet since the pellets create an uneven ground and poke at his sores?

I tried to litter box train him a few days ago but closing him in the bathroom and placing the litter box in the one corner he always likes to pee in, but when I went back him, he had peed in a completely new area that had never been peed on before!

[kralspace]

Barbie has some good ideas. If you live where you can get to a feed store, know someone who feeds horses or otherwise get hold of some good quality cheap coastal bermuda hay, you can put thick layers in the litter box and it’s pretty comfy for them to lay on. And cheap since you can get a bale for $8-$10 dollars that lasts for months. It has to be good clean horse hay, not what they feed cattle because they like to munch it too.

[RabbitPam]

I was able to find the previous post that had a lot of excellent info. on resources for getting assistance for care. I think your bunny is in urgent need of attention and cannot just be treated at this time with home remedies. You need to know what he needs to get well, and what optimal conditions in his habitat will get him well fast.

I urge you NOT to stop due to embarassment or pride. He is your responsibility, and if you cannot care for him, you need to relinquish him to those who can. But if you can get some help, and give him the loving home I know you want for him, then try some of these options for immediate treatment. He is not in a position to wait, he will get worse quickly. PLEASE see what you can do for him tomorrow. It’s Monday so most places, organizations and vets will be open. I still don’t know where you are located, so this is the best I can find for you tonight. Perhaps some of the other Forum Leaders can give more immediate resources. Here’s the list:

American Animal Hospital Association http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/home / ” Through the AAHA Helping Pets Fund, veterinary care is possible for sick or injured pets even if they have been abandoned or if their owner is experiencing financial hardship.”
Angels 4 Animals http://www.Angels4Animals.org “Our services range from financial aid to complete treatment to those pets and pet owners in need.”
Care Credit http://www.carecredit.com A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care. “With a comprehensive range of plan options, for treatment or procedure fees from $1 to over $25,000, we offer a plan and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget.”
God’s Creatures Ministry http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html “This fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.”
Help-A-Pet http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html “Our efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the working poor.”
IMOM http://www.imom.org “We are dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.”
The Pet Fund http://thepetfund.com/ “The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need urgent veterinary care.”
United Animal Nations http://www.uan.org/lifeline/index.html “The m ission of LifeLine is to help homeless or recently rescued animals suffering from life-threatening conditions that require specific and immediate emergency veterinary care. We strive to serve Good Samaritans and rescue groups who take in sick or injured animals. In certain cases, LifeLine can also assist senior citizens and low-income families pay for immediate emergency veterinary care.”
UK Assistance with Veterinary Bills http://www.petloversonline.co.uk/financial.htm “Most of us can cope with the financial commitment involved in the day to day care of our pets. However, how many of us come out in a cold sweat when our pet is ill or injured and we know we have to take it to the vet? Most of us are fortunate enough to be able to afford it but, some of us who love our animals dearly cannot. Unfortunately we do not have a PDSA or a RSPCA Centre within our area, but there are a few charities who may be able to help.”
http://www.petsamaritan.org/Medical/

[jerseygirl]

That’s a great list Pam. JO12, I would urge you to look into the options too and please keep us posted on how you go. You can apply creams but this may just give him some relief but not heal the sores, nor get to any underlying reasons that may contribute to sore hocks and urine scald. When sore hocks get this bad, it is pretty hard to reverse I’m afraid. Compounded problems even harder to treat like abcesses. In the meantime, applying creams like neosporin may relieve some discomfort, maybe put cream on non stick gauze, then bandage or put a baby sock over it. This is only temporary. I really hope you can get some assistance through the links Pam has listed.
(((Healing vibes))) for your bunny.

[MooBunnay]

As everyone else has mentioned, he really needs to be off the wire – it must be really painful for him to be in pee or on wire with those kinds of sores on his feet. I think an easy way to get him off the wire would be to use towels as flooring, then when you change them you can just shake them out, wash them and put new ones in. Even some kind of plastic sheeting that you can wipe off every couple of hours would be good. A case like this I think that your bunny should be on something extra soft and absorbent like the faux sheep skin, so wire should definitely be out of the question, hay is good to cover those litter pellets that were suggested, and fleece blankets or towels like I mentioned before are the easiest things I can think of too clean.

Do not be afraid to contact a rescue for help, because your bunny definitely does need help, he is most likely in a lot of pain, I can’t imagine being able to walk around with sore like that on my feet, it would be so painful.

[BinkyBunny]

I know many people/families have hit some hard times and it’s especially hard around the holiday season when people want to give gifts etc too, and they are just trying to scrape by. But at this point some of those sores need to be treated with antibiotics from a vet. And he looks like he has urine scald which could mean a Urinary tract infection – also needed to be treated with antibiotics. This is a situation that could get worse and worse and you could be looking at even steeper vet bills pretty soon, I know you feel a bit trapped, but he can’t suffer like this so please keep trying to figure out ways to afford a vet. I’ve even had an emergency vets work out a payment plan for us with our cat last year and it was the very first time we had been to that clinic (not like we were repeat customers). I’ve also worked out a payment plan with my current vet on Jack’s expensive surgery months back. It might be better to go INTO the vets office and talk with a vet as you may have better luck having them listen to you first hand and getting a payment plan set up. It’s harder to refuse face to face.

Rabbitpam has also offered a great list to go through! Also, if you have anything to sell on Craigslist that might help or do some work for neighbors and friends -anything to bring in something, and then maybe your mom could pitch in a little once you’ve brought in what you could.

And if after you’v exhausted all of your options and your bunny is still in this shape, as a last resort, I agree that relinquishing your bunny to the humane society or no kill shelter would be in his be interest so he could get better. I can’t imagine the heartbreak that that would cause you, and I really do hate suggesting that and only suggest it as a last option.

Keep us updated!

[Barbie]

Yeah, the neosporin you found was what I mean, but like the others pointed out, it can really only offer some temporary relief.

Everyone on here has a lot of good advice for you – I didn’t even think about BB’s idea of selling stuff on Craigslist, but that’s a great idea to make some quick cash. ((((Vibes!!)))) I know your situation is tough, so I’ll pray for you that you find a solution to get your bun fixed up soon.

[RabbitPam]

J012,
I have given your situation a lot of thought overnight, and I truly believe your bunny needs IMMEDIATE attention. Today.
With the other info. provided by the members and Forum Leaders, you need to step up and get your bunny seen by a doctor. Any vet who sees his condition will work with you. BB is right about face to face assistance – not ethical vet would turn you away with this case.
I urge you to pack him up in soft towels in his carrier and bring him in to the nearest vet or shelter. You can get treatment, write down their advice on changing his habitat to let him heal, and get him started to mend. He is very, very ill.
By the time you research any sources of income he would be worse. You can spend later today applying for aide from the sites I provided, or have a serious discussion with your family about whether they can help now, or you should surrender him to a shelter because you can no longer keep him. He cannot wait. Craigslist, a part time job, etc. is for your long term care plans for him. If it’s years of saving that the family cannot afford, then it may be a household expense you can’t budget for. He needs you to act right away in his best interest.
Please let us know what you decide to do now, and in the long term. I know it’s a lot to think about and we are here to support you in any way we can.

[Deleted User]

Looking at your photos that you posted of the urine scald I was reminded of a friend’s rabbit that looked the same way. It was an unspayed female and her urine scald wouldn’t heal no matter what the vet prescribed (antibiotics to clear up a urinary tract infection, cortate ointment, bum baths, littertraining). She couldn’t heal because she suffered from a large urinary stone inside her that pushed on her bladder and made her dribble urine constantly. This rabbit needed surgery. I am linking you to my thread about this rabbit not to scare you but for you to realize that home remedies may not be an option.

https://www.binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/a…fault.aspx

About vet cost, I was once in a situation where I couldn’t afford my vet while I was a student and my dog got into a porcupine. My vet let me come in on Sundays to clean kennels to cover the treatment for my dog.
 

[Sarita]

Definitely see if you can set up a payment plan with the vet.

Urine scald is usually the result of another problem as Petzy stated. It could be a urinary tract infection, bladder sludge or stones.

[Beka27]

Your only option is to get vet care for the rabbit immediately (hopefully you are not responding because you are at the vet RIGHT NOW.)

I understand other people wanting to recommend various ointments and housing solutions, but the truth is… that would be far too little, far too late. Your rabbit (who is precious by the way) did not get like this overnight. We could have (possibly) made suggestions for home remedies had you come to us weeks/months ago, but this is beyond what we can help with at this point.

If providing vet care/treatment yourself is not an option today, the rabbit must be surrendered to a shelter/rescue/humane society (today.)

You said in another thread that you have adopted this rabbit?  Can you return him to the rescue so he can receive care?  You (or your parents) may be limited for where he goes, depending on what sort of contract you signed.

[RabbitPam]

How is Bun Bun today?

Please update.

[J012]

UPDATED

[MooBunnay]

I’m so glad he is looking so much better! That is fantastic! How were you able to help him? What did you end up doing to get the sores to heal?

[BinkyBunny]

NOTE: J012 updated the original first post of this thread with updated info and photos.

[jerseygirl]

Thanks for updating. I had wondered how you and your bun got on. I’m rather shocked at the turn around!! Fantastic! He must be so much more comfortable. Yes, please tell us what you did for him as it may benefit others.

[Beka27]

WONDERFUL!!! Great job! I’m also interested to hear what exactly you did to remedy the situation, and so quickly! This could be a valuable learning tool for other members facing similar issues.

[jerseygirl]

I saw JO12 a topic related thread on what they did. https://binkybunny.com/FORUM/tabid/54/aff/1/aft/108572/afv/topic/Default.aspx
Simply changing bedding frequently. Good effort on your part and great results. Do you think you’ll attempt to litterbox train him now? I can imagine you’ve been through quite alot of bedding!!!

[Author]

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