Desitin safety for sore hocks

[Adam]

I bought some Desitin because it’s similar to Sudocrem, then read something about zinc being toxic and got scared and didn’t use it and have been using A&D rash ointment, but it doesn’t seem to be helping much.

I think maybe I overreacted on my concerns of the zinc oxide content, but want to check here before giving it a try.

The hocks are red but not bleeding, vet didn’t recommend anything specific.

[LBJ10]

Creams containing zinc oxide are not recommended because a bunny could potentially ingest it (by licking). Ointment has to be reapplied regularly, so a bunny could potentially ingest enough cause zinc poisoning. This is why it is best to avoid any creams that contain zinc oxide.

Can you provide us with more information? You said your bunny’s hocks are red, but not bleeding. Do they look angry and irritated? Do you think this is because the skin is dry? Or is there a mechanical cause? Sometimes changing things in the environment is enough to solve the problem.

People have had good look with memory foam bath mats as flooring. This is because the mats have give to them, relieving pressure on the hocks themselves. You can’t achieve this same effect with, say, a soft fabric like fleece if the floor underneath is hard. People have also had good luck with booties made just for bunnies with sore hocks. There are some that are sold on Etsy that several members have used.

[Adam]

I can’t say for sure what angry and irritated would look like, red means irritated to me, but perhaps not angry?

I have seen sudocrem recommended and discussed here (which has zinc oxide), so are we saying that’s not good? I appreciate the other suggestions, but both would be very difficult to manage right now. She has had other issues with megacolon, incontinence, loose stools that I have posted about previously and worked with my vet in trying to treat or manage, for almost two years now. I need something practical when possible, or I just can’t keep up. Sorry if this is just too dramatic. It’s hard.

[Bam]

The problem with zinc would be with long term use. The bun could, over time, ingest too much zinc by licking the cream. Sudocreme used to be recommended by vets, but probably mostly for buns with wrapped feet. If the feet are wrapped, the bun obviously cant ingest the cream. You can use plain vaseline as a barrier cream.

When my bun got sore hocks, I used spray-on band-aid, a medical but OTC product intended for protection of the skin under a stoma bandage. Spray-on band aid should only be used on unbroken rabbit skin, on broken skin it stings rather horribly when you spray it on. You can explain that the stinging is transitory to an adult human patient, but not to a rabbit or a small child.

My rabbit vet nolonger recommends cream on unbroken sore hocks. Most creams will just make what hair there is around the area sticky and useless for protective purposes. Buns are also likely to want to lick the cream off, and constant licking of course interferes with healing.

I wrapped my bun’s feet with self-adhesive vet wrap lined with the bun’s own fur. I had to take great care so the bandage covered every last bit of the fur lining, or my bun would pull the fur out of the wrap.

 

[LBJ10]

As Bam said, it was listed as safe at one point. Some sites still list it and members on the forum have recommended it. However, there is still a risk in using it. One incident of licking zinc-containing cream may not do anything. It would depend on how much was ingested. The real concern is the bunny ingesting it repeatedly, since the zinc can accumulate in their system over time. This is why some do not recommend it anymore. If you use it, you have to make sure your bunny can’t ingest it.

Bam does make a good point though. Using creams or ointments on skin that doesn’t need it can actually make what little fur they have less effective at cushioning the hock area. You may have better luck changing the flooring and/or using a wrap or boot (as I described above).

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