Dorian appears to have sore hocks

[prince dorian the bun]

Dorian has two little bare patches with small bump, pretty small, about the size of the little balls on top of some pins. They are right on the very end of his heel. I can try and get a photo, but bit challenging. I am not sure why he has them, as he is free roam and most of the house is carpeted and I have rugs for him in the kitchen. Their room is a little less carpeted (it’s a small bathroom), but I have a sea grass mat and a very low pile rug in there mostly for traction. They have blankets and little pillows on their castle (not spoiled buns at all) . I had softer stuff, but Miu is a chewer (technically more of a sucker, she’s weird little bun) and Dorian just will dig the rug to death. Still I am thinking of getting a couple cheap fluffy blankets (I forgot what the material is called, but the plush velvety type stuff) to lay down to give more padding. He’s not over weight, in fact he has been a very steady weight except for some weight loss post surgery. Only other thing is I do tend to stretch out nail clippings, which I’ll be better about.

I am not sure if there is anything else I can do? I saw something about making them booties… not sure how that would go over and if I need that yet?

Maybe the Rex in his adoption papers was actually accurate? He has very dense, but super fine fur. I read they can be more prone?

[Bam]

Rexes are a lot more prone to callusing/sore hocks than other breeds, so if he has rex in him, that could fully explain this. I read somewhere that rex rabbits will invariably get callused heels at some point in their lives. As long as they stay calluses its not a problem, but we need to keep a close eye (of course) so we can catch any potential problem before it becomes a real problem (I have a mini rex girl). Some very fluffy rabbits can also be prone, because they only have one layer of hair and its very soft and silky.

How long is it since he recovered fully from his surgery? My bun Vilde was very ill for a prolonged period of time -when he regained his full activity level, he developped sore hocks. I think his feet had become softer from not having been subjected to his normal zooming and binkying, so when he took that up again, it caused too much wear on his feet. They were actual sore hocks, not “just” calluses. I cleaned, medicated and wrapped his feet in vet wrap lined with his own fur (he was a very fluffy little teddy/lionhead mix). This was pre-pandemic, the pandemic made Etsy explode with stuff like sore hock boots for buns, so if it had been today I think I would’ve bought (or tried to make) bunny boots for him. Anyway, he healed and never got sore hocks again.

The problem with wrapping or boots or any type of bandaging is that buns often heartily dislike them and do their best to remove them. If I didnt tuck in the bunny fur lining perfectly into Vilde’s foot wraps, he would pull and pull at it until he’d removed all of it.

I use vet beds for my buns, they have non slip on the back side and they dry quickly after being washed (I have washed mine innumerable times 😄). For Vilde I also temporarily covered the low pile carpet where he did most of his zooming with normal (IKEAs cheapest) fleece blankets.

My rabbit vet says to not put any softening creams on intact calluses, because creams will make the surrounding fur tacky and even less good at covering and protecting the heels.

If Dorian gets actual sores on the hocks you should, (as I know you know, but I’m saying it for other potential readers of this thread) consult with your vet, because then it’s as a rule absolutely necessary to clean and disinfect and put on antibiotic cream and wrap the sore foot/feet.

 

[prince dorian the bun]

Thanks Bam! It turns out Miu also has them and as she was napping I was able to get a photo. Dorian’s is a little higher on his heal, but very similar.  Now I am really wondering what it their environment is causing this as the both have them. I am going to pick up some cheap fleece blankets tomorrow for their room.

 

My vet situation is not ideal right now, but there is no broken skin, so figure it is safe just keeping an eye on them and seeing if they get better.

It is really high on the heel for both of them so not the part of the foot which makes contact when doing zoomies, more just when loafing. Maybe eating hay. Should I switch out the pellets Maybe?

[prince dorian the bun]

Oh and Dorian has been better for a while now,  luckily he recovered quickly from surgery.

[Bam]

Do you mean switching out the bedding-pellets? I use wood stove pellets but I put a thin layer of hay over it, because of my rex girl. It means that some hay gets wasted, but I’m fortunate enough to have easy access to farm hay that my buns like, plus I use the wasted hay as soil improvement/fertilizer so its not totally wasted. I wouldnt use expensive hay like Oxbow this way though.

Paper pellets are a softer option than wood pellets, but its not as absorbant.

In a lounging area you could perhaps use memory foam bathmats. Memory foam is very good for sensitive bunny feet, but some buns like to shred it.

I’d keep a close eye on their feet for now, while you try to figure out what it is in their environment that could cause this. Stuff that feels soft to human fingers can still be abrasive to bunny feet. A highly trusted bun friend told me you can test carpets etc for abrasiveness by going down on them on your knees and elbows, then like rock back and forth bit on your elbows. If the carpet isnt soft for your elbows it wont be soft for bunny hocks. Since then I always do this with new rugs etc. Foam puzzle mats can be surprisingly hard on some bunny feet, they can be covered with regular fleece.

Surfaces shouldnt be too soft (too much give) and not to hard.

[Wick & Fable]

These are definitely minor, and it’s great the skin is intact so they can form healthy calluses. From personal experience and some select users online, I’ve leaned towards actually offering a few varied flooring options for rabbits in these situations, as sometimes more cushiony/plush flooring actually cause more friction and rub against the skin more. The rabbits then have choices in terms of where to lounge and navigate, encouraging them to move as well.

Wick has had healthy calluses form after I had some concerns of his hocks. I switched him from all fleece-on-foam (from his long-term cage rest due to his toe fractures) to a combo of jute and cotton rugs, and his calluses formed fine.

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.

[prince dorian the bun]

Sorry I was clear, I meant their litter box pellets. I use wood pellets, probably like stove pellets but this is marketed as cat litter. There is hay on top, but sometimes they go through it, I am trying to make sure there is a good layer of hay on top of it.

I included a photos of their current favorite napping spots. I think their room may be the weak link, so will look at fixing that up with some of your suggestions.  Thanks!

 

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