Heel callous/Sore hocks?

[LittleLionMan]

Hi all! My 6 year old lionhead has what I think may be the start of sore hocks. He’s got a bit of a callous on the pink part of his heel. It’s not large, bleeding or inflamed (as far as I can tell), but I obviously don’t want it to worsen. Hows the best way to help him? I have shaggy rugs and all bunny areas are carpeted but I could always get a better rug pad under them. Does this warrant a vet trip? Appreciate any  input!

[Bam]

If its just a callus and the skin is intact, treatment as a rule consists of improving the flooring. You can use for example vet beds, sheepette, memory foam bathmats. Check the heels daily. Keep the nails short so the bun doesnt have to put any extra pressure on the heels. If the skin breaks, you’ll need to do wound care and wrap the foot or get a little soft protective “shoe” for it. That’s also when you want to see a vet.

You can test carpets by lying down on your belly and put weight on your elbows, and go back and forth a little. If that hurts, the carpet is likely too abrasive for bun feet. You can cover abrasive carpet with fleece blankets. I had to do that once and it worked.

 

Ointments are not good, because it makes the foot fur greasy and less protective.

[Wick & Fable]

If it’s a very small, hardened and light pink spot, as Bam mentioned, it could just be a callus which to some extent is normal over time and w/ age. As a part of improving flooring overall, I do think it’s important to offer a bit of variety as well so the rabbit can have some autonomy (though stick to flooring that you know is appropriate still!)

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.

[LittleLionMan]

Great, thank you both! I’ll increase the padding and keep and eye on it. Hopefully it clears up or at the very least doesn’t worsen. It doesn’t seem to bother him but I’m an anxious bunny parent!

[LittleLionMan]

Just to follow up on this in case anyone has a similar issue. I went a bit crazy and bought memory foam bath mats, the kids puzzle mat, and new 1/2” rug pads (I’ve been wanting to get these for a while so this finally pushed me to do so). I know the foam puzzle mats are not great for chewers, so I’m using it more as a pad underneath the area rug in their bunny area. It’s not visible, provides a good amount of cushion, and is pretty cheap and customizable. Anyway, I checked his heel yesterday and the fur seems to have grown back and he has no visible signs of sore hocks. I’ll continue to monitor him but so far, so good! As always, I very much appreciate your help on this!

[Bam]

Oh, wonderful news! Thanks for the update!

[Author]

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