My bunny has sore hocks. How can I treat them at home on a budget?

I am so sorry for the delay in answering your question. The best thing you can do for a wound at home is to keep it clean. Clean the cage out completely. Make sure there is soft, clean bedding in the cage at all times, which means you need to replace the bedding material daily while the sore is present. Most pharmacies will have Betadine. Get some water and add a few drops of butadiene so that it looks like tea. Then submerge the affected foot into the liquid. Try to keep it wet for a minute or so if he will tolerate it. Then gently pat it dry with a clean towel. You can take a picture and submit it with a question to the forum, and one of us can try to further advise you. Again the best thing you can do at this point is to be sure to keep it clean. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Rabbits get a condition called pododermatitis very easily which is essentially where the pressure points on the feet get inflamed. It is relatively common and should be treated if they appear red and sore or infected. If it's really bad you should take her to the vet for antibiotics, otherwise you can try bathing the hocks at home in salty water, drying them off then applying a topical healing cream once daily. It is also important to make sure she has soft clean bedding to reduce pressure and moisture.

Thanks for reaching out about Mr. Waffles and including photos. Many rabbit breeds have fur-less areas on the point of their hocks. These don't appear too bad. Is she painful when you press on them? Pure aloe vera can be topically applied and is little concerned if ingested. Don't forget to get her spayed. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Lola and including a photo. This does appear to be sore hocks. Do not use Neosporin as if ingested can seriously affect the normal gastrointestinal flora. If is tender, try pure aloe vera. Good anti-effective and anti-inflammatory effects and okay if ingested. If seems painful, a veterinary visit is recommended. Review substrates to provide more cushioning. Good luck.

A lot of rabbits do develop a condition called pododermatitis where the surface of the feet become raw and infected. However it sounds like you are taking all the right steps to prevent this. The most important thing is a dry environment. With rabbits you will sometimes get inevitable hair loss on the hocks just from rubbing and thumping the legs. There is not much you can do about this. If it does look like the skin is breaking out or becoming red you can try rubbing some sudocreme on in the early stages. If it gets infected you will need to get it treated at the vets. The only other thing would be to ensure the rabbit is not overweight which puts uneccessary burden on the limbs and restricts grooming.

I am sorry that this is happening to Lucy. Pododermatitis (foot inflammation) can be very serious in rabbits, so I am glad that you are planning to get Lucy to the vet as soon as possible. Until her visit, I would recommend that you house Lucy on towels, fleeces, or something that can be easily cleaned and will not stick to her feet. For cleaning, I would recommend using saline solution without any additives. This will help to remove any debris that may be present on the area, but won't hurt any of the tissue underneath. You should be able to purchase saline at a drug store. I hope that helps, and I hope that Lucy feels better soon!

Since she just gave birth, her body has been under some continual stress (from pregnancy, then birth, now lactating). This state can weaken her immune system, and make her more prone to skin infections. If the sores do not seem painful, are not bothering her, and she's otherwise acting fine--I would recommend that you change her bedding, and wash her feet gently with just water and very mild soap once a day. To wash her feet, fill a tub or basin with about an inch of water, add a tiny bit of soap, and put a towel in the bottom of the basin for her to stand on so she doesn't kick wildly or hurt herself. Then dry her gently with a clean towel and do not put her back into her bedding until she has dried off. If washing her feet daily for a few days and changing bedding daily doesn't help, make an appointment with your veterinarian. If she is acting sick in any way, don't wait, call your vet --even if they are closed, they will have a message for how to get her emergency care (either an emergency number or an emergency clinic that you can call).