bald hocks

[SansaHotot]

Hey bunny lovers,

My Sansa has had dry-looking/scabby, red, bald hocks since I have had her  (almost 2 years).  The spot is about a 1/4 inch circle on each foot.  Her hocks don’t seem to bother her, so I’m wondering- is it normal for them to look red and scabby?  To me it looks like it would be painful…  I’m not sure what else to do as she has foam lining the floor of her playpen (like those puzzle piece things) and when I am home she is always on the carpet or in her spongey crate pad/bed.  She did have one incident last year where she chewed one of them and then it was bleeding, but since that one time it hasn’t seemed to bother her.

[Wick & Fable]

I believe bald hocks can happen naturally in old rabbits, but red and scabby hocks sounds much more like sore hocks, especially if they’ve bled before.

If it is sore hocks, a couple of things can contribute to it:

1) Wire floors or any uneven floors (even too soft floors): Wire floors are usually the culprit, but constantly being on really plush surfaces can also cause it and perpetuate sore hocks. Imagine as a human constantly walking on both wire flooring and a bed with lots of pillows. In both circumstances, there’s a lot of weird weight shifting. Are most of the surfaces she’s on pretty solid, rather than very squishy? Unsure of what the mats are like.

2) Weight: Rabbits that are overweight can more easily develop sore hocks because of the excessive weight. Has Sansa been overweight for a while?

3) Lack of movement: Sitting for long periods of time, rather than lounging or running around will increase time spent on the hocks, making them sore. How is her physical activity levels, and how does she usually lounge?

…. You can think of rabbit hocks being exactly like human elbows. There’s literally just one layer of skin/hair, then direct contact with the bone. There’s no fat in between. Just like how easily elbow weight can irritate us, that can happen to rabbits. A rabbits fur density can affect this (someone once told me angoras are less susceptible because their hocks are very pillowy with the fur?). If she already had bare hocks, it may not be you have a set up that gave her sore hocks, but since her hocks never got to heal, they just keep getting irritated.

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[SansaHotot]

She’s never been overweight, and the flooring is not plush- its like a stiff spongey feel.. so not too hard or soft if that makes sense?? Its like those puzzle piece mats that toddlers use for their play area and I put a few sheets on top of it. She is quite active, she runs around binkying several times a day.
When she is relaxing she usually does sit with her feet right under her body, but not ever on a very hard surface.

[Wick & Fable]

Perhaps she had sore hocks or close to sore hocks when you first received her, and the skin just needs some assistance to properly heal in. Have you seen a vet to put an ointment on it/assess the bare skin is healthy?

The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.

[SansaHotot]

I’m not sure if she came to us like this, it’s not noticeable unless I lift the fur out of the way.. so I just happened to notice a few weeks in of having her.
When I brought her in to be spayed I asked about it and they didn’t recommend any ointments, just to make sure to have cushioned flooring.

[Deleted User]

You should get her examined by a vet who can wrap them for you. But obviously you need to find out if there is any bacteria in her sores before wrapping.

[Author]

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