Bunny peeing frequently/sore hocks?

[Benny]

Hi! Recently my bunny has had to go through some stress (moving to a new home and having to pick him up twice a day to treat his sore hocks which he absolutely resists and hates). But I noticed that he’s been drinking and peeing a lot more too. I connected the dots and thought that maybe he is drinking/peeing too much due to stress, which is what caused the sore hocks. Recently he was a bit over weight so I had to reduce his lettuce and pellet intake (he’s 6). With all this said, I’ve researched for hours if he could possibly have something serious, like kidney disease or diabetes etc. However he has no other symptoms. He is as cheery as ever, his usual self, he’s eating well, his poops are good as always. No other symptoms. Do you guys think this is just from stress? Should I be more concerned? Any input is appreciated!

Lastly, does anyone know how long sore hocks take to go away? Ive been using Fucidin type cream from the vet, but its almost 14 days now and his sore hocks are only a bit better. (They are mild sore hocks) I wonder if it’s due to him peeing a lot? (I recently a couple days ago started cleaning his cage out twice a day because of this – usually once a day is good enough)

Thank you!

[Wick & Fable]

One thing to note is if he is getting less veggies and less pellets, he is likely eating more hay. Hay is super drying and so when hay consumption goes up, so does water intake. Does this seem like the case?

With sore hocks, I think a required treatment is actually ensuring the flooring and space is facilitating healing. If mild means the callous has never burst or broken and is simply somewhat irritated, I would focus more on ensuring his environment is hock friendly. One of my rabbits had the early stages of sore hocks, where the hocks were exposed and reddening. I switched his cage flooring to .5in memory foam with a smooth fleece cover and he’s been great ever since. His fur even grew back over the hocks. Also ensuring your rabbit gets ample exercise room during active hours.

 

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.

[Benny]

Thank you so much for all the info!

One more question – I forgot to mention that his peeing habits have changed slightly (he peed on my bed – which he has never ever done before since he’s potty trained) and he also peed on his hay. Should I be concerned about this? Do you think it could be from the stress?

[LBJ10]

I’ve been peed on before due to stress… but I don’t think randomly peeing on the bed would necessarily be a sign of stress. Peeing on hay is normal. Perhaps the abnormal peeing is more of a pain response?

[Author]

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