Foot sores

[mrmac]

I saw these on Dexters feet the other day…

[Sarita]

Dexter is your rex isn’t he? That’s very common for rexes since they have short fur. Make sure his nails are clipped in the back as far down as you can so that he walks flat on them instead of on his heel.

You just want to watch them to make sure they don’t get dry and crack.

[mrmac]

Yes he is a rex, I will have to make sure I keep them trimmed! At least he is good at getting his nails clipped! I do notice that he kind of rocks on his back feet.

[RabbitPam]

His surfaces are smooth and/or soft aren’t they?
In your avatar, is he lying on a wire cage bottom or is that a striped rug? He will be very sensitive to wire grates.

[mrmac]

It is a rug, we have nothing with wire bottoms for any of the buns. In his cage he has bedding to walk on and in his pen he has a rug and a sheet over that.

[katie, max & penny]

if he is walking or sitting on wet bedding, he can develop sores. i’m still new the wonderful world of bunnies but that was my first instinct.
i hope he’s feeling better!!

[Deb'sBuns]

Is there anything else special you need to do for a rex? I haven’t had one in 10 years.

[mrmac]

He is my first rex bunny, my other two are some kind of lop/mutt bunnies!

[KatnipCrzy]

I would describe those more as calluses than sores- and that is a good thing!  I don’t have a rex- but from my understanding they have thinner hair there and are more prone to developing calluses (and then sores if conditions are not ideal for a rex’s sensitive feet).  I think it is something that you have to keep and eye on and consider for Dexter- but it is probably “normal” for him. 

As others have mentioned just make sure to keep his nails trimmed and keep him at a good weight- being overweight will put more pressure on the calluses.  (I remember to trim my bunnies nails monthly because when I give my dogs their heartworm prevention at the beginning of the month it is now also Nail Trim Time for the bunnies).  Our bunnies are mostly on carpet- so monthly nail trims really do seem to be the right interval so their nails don’t get too long.

[Sarita]

I agree with Katnip, these are really callouses and they are not sores or sore hocks but they do need to be watched. My rex has these on her feet as well and she has no problems. It is common for rexes and very large rabbits to have these.

[mrmac]

Good to know! I just trimmed his nail the other day, they have never really been trimmed. I did once when we first got him but they looked untouched, so the quick has grown out a little so I will have to keep up on it!

[lwayne]

Ok so my bun Arduina is also a rex. She is 11 weeks old and is already developing these foot sores (on her front ‘index fingers’). Her ‘cage’ consists of a doggy play pen (5′ diameter), with a blanket covering our hardwood floors, (ie no wire!). I have towels in their too for her. I think she has developed the sores because when she is out of her pen running around (on the hard floor), she loves to binky. She’ll go sliding across the floor and binky into the closet doors or whatever is in her way, and then go and binky again. Arduina is quite the happy bunny, I am just getting worried about her feet. Her nails are still very short, I haven’t had to clip them yet, so I know that is not the issue. Is there anything I else I can do?

[Deleted User]

Lint has them, in the same spot as Dexter. He had them even before I used the litter box with grate. He is not on the grate directly because I put in a lot of coarse hay on top the grid, the urine drains through the coarse hay. I was worried that if his feet touch urine soaked litter it may irritate the skin on the callous. I don’t know if this is true, though.

[LittlePuffyTail]

My mini-rex, Stormy, has these calluses on his heels.

[mrmac]

The most that happens with them is a little piece of skin flakes off but no redness or anything like that. Keeping his nails trimmed!

[Deleted User]

I had wanted to say, even Dexter’s foot pads are cute. I love that bunny of yours!

[mrmac]

hehe he’s just so irresistable from head to toe!

[Author]

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