Possible sore hock?

[JK]

 

Oh man, I noticed Edson has a tiny red dot on the back of his hind leg and am wondering if this is really the start of a sore hock?  I googled sore hocks and none of the pictures look like what this is.  It is really a red dot.  Then I started reading about sore hocks anyway and there is a very interesting article that Dana Krempels wrote (see link below) that now is freaking me out!  In a nut shell, wood floors and linoleum are problematic because they do not allow the foot to bend the way it does when pushing off in grass or dirt and those surfaces can cause sore hocks. Great!  That’s exactly what I have wood floors and linoleum pieces covering his xpen and outside of it.  It says indoor rabbits need cotton mats with rubber backing to provide enough traction etc. So I tried to take a closer look at this dot and boy did Edson wiggle and ran off through his tunnel flicking his feet like crazy.  I wanted to get some neosporin on there and I can’t get to his leg to do it!  Do you think this red dot is possibly the start of a sore hock????

http://www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sorehocks.html

[charlie82]

hi,

All rabbits do have a slightly bald patch on their hocks. Some will look redder than others. The fur covering the hock is very thin and it could simply be a normal bald spot that you are seeing. I know sometimes they can look redder depending on what the bun is walking on, but it’s not quite a sore hock 🙂 It would be good to keep an eye on it, put on some sudocrem if you like but try not to worry too much. If the area looks inflammed/sore/infected then see a vet.

[Scarlet_Rose]

It is hard to say but it very well could be. Can you take a picture and post it? I know, it isn’t something that is easy nor accomplishable by one person. Daffodil is predisposed to them and so I have pieces of faux sheeps fleece all over the place. Something you can do in the x-pen is have a flanel sheet over the top of the linoleum. It might not be a bad idea to put some ointment on there, but it should be OK so long as it is not broken open.

[JK]

It’s not bald it is literally a red dot, not pink but red. The size is maybe the size of the top of a straight pin.  You know how it has a little top on it?  I doubt I can get a picture and I can’t even get him to put ointment on him.  I’ll keep trying…

[Scarlet_Rose]

Hmm, I think it will be O.K. be sure to keep an eye on it and if anything seems strange, take him to the vet to have a look at it.

[JK]

Thanks!

[Scarlet_Rose]

No problem!

[JK]

So I’m taking the boy to Save A Bunny tomorrow for a nail trim and they said they will look at the red dot! I just love that place!

[Lisa_43]

I hope it is not sore hocks. I think I will have to find some faux sheeps fleece for my bunnies.

[JK]

Yeah me too. I am also going to buy some cotton rugs and really cover his area now.

[babybunsmum]

i’m curious to hear what save-a-bunny had to say knowltons.   it sounds to me almost like edson’s hocks are irritated but not yet ‘sore hocks’ similar to pinky’s when i adopted her. 

pinky has a bald spot on her hocks that’s the size of a pea, while baby barely has a bad spot at all.  when i fist had pinky examined at the vet her hocks were a hot pink color and nearly red.  since she was so nervous, they weren’t open sores and she was an avid thumper my vet wanted to see if they calmed down on their own with some soft bedding.  she has calmed down signifigantly with her thumping and i added faux sheepskin wrapped cholorplast slabs in her enclosure, and now her hocks are a very soft pink.  still pea-sized bald spots which i figure is her nature? 

i think i need to invest in some thinly rubber-backed mats that can be thrown in the wash (like bb uses) for my vinyl floors in the hall & kitchen now.  just have to find a cheap source for them.  i have nice cheap mats from the dollar store but they’re not rubber back & slip all over the place.

[JK]

I’ll let you know when I get back. My appt. is at 2.

[Scarlet_Rose]

Knowitons that’s great they’ll do that for you! I wish there was something like that around here.

BBM – For cheap bath rugs try Big Lots. Be a little careful with them as some of the “stringier” ones bunnies will pull out and eat the tufts and some that are too soft and the strands pull out easily, if ingested can cause a serious bout of GI stasis (impaction). So shop wisely!

[JK]

OK just got back from Save A Bunny and I can’t tell you how guilty I feel leaving there.  Marcy, the founder, was all by herself caring for god knows how many buns.  She looked exhausted to say the least.  She has no help on Sundays.  Guilty guilty guilty. I saw some the 29 rabbits rescued recently and they are adorable.  There are groups of them in pens. And I saw a bonding pen.  Unbelievable – these 2 Californians were so snuggly together.  One had lost his mate and found a new love. Anyway she ended doing the nail trim because the person who usually does them had to take a bunny to the emergency vet.  Not only did she trim his nails, clean his glands, clean his ears, she entirely groomed him.  All for $15. And made time to do this with all the work she had looming over her. The red dots I worried about are on both of his heals.  Not sore hocks yet.  I just have to keep an eye on them.  They are bright little red calluses.  I can’t figure out why he has them but she said possibly the way he walks. I am now going to be much more determined to groom him the way she did.  I have been too chicken to flip him on his back. But now I am going to just do it! 

[Cadbury]

Cadbury has those, and she is on carpet all of the time. My vet said it is similar to the callus that dogs sometimes get on their elbows from lying down – and as long as they don’t break open, they are fine.

[JK]

So are Cadbury’s bright pink?

[Cadbury]

Yup!

[JK]

So Cadbury do you put anything on them like Neosporin?

[Cadbury]

I don’t, and I haven’t had any problems with them getting larger, inflamed, etc. If you can put Neosporin on it, great, if not I wouldn’t worry too much. In my own opinion, I almost like it to be a little more callused, and the Neosporin will make it softer. I think the callus protects it more, but that is just my own opinion!

[JK]

Thanks!

[Cadbury]

No problem!

[Scarlet_Rose]

I agree with cadbury, unless skin is broken use Neosporin and keep a very close eye on it for infection – have a vet take a look at it, just offer some softer surfaces in places where they like to rest the most.

[JK]

Yes I put neosporin on last night and will tonight. I got the greatest cotton throw rugs today at Cost Plus and they are so soft and cushiony. Edson was so funny though because I rolled up that linoleum I had and he came out to see what was up and then he got mad and flicked those feet all the way back to his xpen. Then I got the rugs all down and he thought they were the greatest thing! It’s almost (I swear) like he was thanking me because he would hop around and then lick my legs then hop then lick it was a riot. I think he’s a happy guy!

[Scarlet_Rose]

Awe! What a sweetie-pie! He was thanking his mum for taking care of him!

[Author]

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