Does this look like sore hocks?

[Sir Ollie]

I feel like I’m posting here all the time, but what can I say, I’m a paranoid new bunny mom.

Shortly after we brought our bun home (a little over a month ago) we noticed there was a little pink spot on one of his jocks. Having read about sore hocks, we were keeping an eye on it but then we thought it went away. Tonight we noticed it again and it seems a bit bigger now. He has soft flooring in most of his room and we spot clean his litter box everyday to try to keep everything clean but it doesn’t seem to have helped. Is this something worth taking him to the vet over? I’ve attached a photo but it’s not very clear. He was not in the mood to be picked up tonight so this is the best I could do for now. I’ll try to post another one if I can get something better tomorrow.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/pfydt2jl2fvooag/Photo%202018-11-27%2C%208%2028%2059%20PM.jpg?dl=0

[Bunny House]

What breed is he? What is the substrate in the litter box? And by soft flooring? Do you mean blankets just on the ground or actually foam or memory foam on the floor? Buns in nature are on grass and the grass and soil let their nails dig into the ground and alleviate pressure to the hock, buns also need that in our houses.

[Sir Ollie]

He’s a holland lol, we’re currently using yesterdays news with hay on top for litter, and his flooring is a mix between linoleum, fleece blanket, rugs and carpet. Does he need more cushioning under the blankets?

[Bunny House]

I have a Holland lop! My phone wouldn’t let me open the pic, that’s why I asked. How often do you trim his nails? Having long nails can put pressure on their Hocks since it hurts to put pressure on their toes. I would say, maybe try and go to Walmart to buy foam squares or a roll of foam ( it’s cheap) and see it that helps! My lop has soft foam and fleece on it and the vinyl floors to cool off on.

[mimimomo]

Take my opinion with a grain of salt because I have no experience with sore hocks, but from looking at your picture it does seem like the right place for a sore hock. Still, it doesn’t look like there’s any skin breakdown – just a lack of hair. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a small sore hock when you got him, and now it’s all healed but the fur hasn’t grown in properly yet. Bunny fur growth can be funny – it seems to grow in cycles, so sometimes a bald spot (from shedding, sores, etc) can take months to grow back in!

Whether or not it’s sore hocks, it sounds like you’re already doing the right thing by using soft flooring and keeping his space clean. If it were me, I’d probably just keep an eye on it for now. If it gets bigger or redder, or of course if it turns into an open wound, that’s when I’d make an appointment with the vet.

[Bam]

I agree that the picture doesn’t look like a full blown sore hock, more like a callus formation. Sore hocks is when it gets inflamed and painful, and that always requires vet care. Calluses you can manage at home with good flooring etc. There are tips in this article:

https://therabbithaven.org/rabbit-hock-issues

This is a screenshot I made of the picture in your dropbox link, so everybody can view it:

[LittlePuffyTail]

Ditto, Bam. Doesn’t look real bad. Just a bit irritated maybe. I’ve had great success using good quality Memory Foam Bath Mats. I bought the ones from Bed Bath and Beyond.

[Author]

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