My rabbit's paw hair is matted or clumping. What should I do about it?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I can see that Lyth has some staining on his paws which is most likely caused by nasal discharge. This can be related to bacterial infections, tooth root abscesses, and nasal foreign bodies. I recommend having Lyth seen by a vet as soon as possible to rule out the conditions above. He may also need antibiotics to cure any infections. I hope all is well!

This could be an infection or a foreign body that penetrated the paw (a piece of hard hay for example), i would recommend taking Bun bun to the vet in order to get it checked, if the vet thinks it is a foreign body, a minor surgical procedure will be needed to take it out.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From the photos, it appears that there is matted fur on the paws. I recommend having your dog professionally groomed to trim the mats off as they may be somewhat painful as they pull on the skin. I hope this helps!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach! The first thing I see is that Ella needs her nails trimmed desperately. If you don't know how to do it yourself you will need to get her to a vet so they can do it for you and teach you how. You can also find YouTube videos on how to do this. The second thing is that her foot is very red/irritated and it looks like she has fecal material stuck to it. I suspect she has a skin infection. This should not happen unless she is sitting in a dirty cage, has incorrect bedding and/or a cage with a wire bottom. I suggest you review your husbandry carefully to make sure you are doing everything correctly. The best bedding is Care Fresh. https://www.walmart.com/search/?query=care%20fresh%20pet%20bedding&typeahead=care%20fresh While you are waiting to take her to a vet, I suggest you soak her feet in a dilute betadine solution for 5 minutes twice a day. After soaking, dry the feet very well before putting her back into a clean cage. https://www.walmart.com/ip/Equate-First-Aid-Antiseptic-Topical-Solution-8-Oz/10324543 Hope this helps. Best wishes.

It does sound as if Donut’s foot may be bothering her. She may have a torn or injured toenail or could have gotten her paw stuck in the sides of her cage. I would recommend examining her foot and seeing if you can see anything abnormal. If you can’t and she is still acting painful for more than a day or so then I would recommend having her checked out by your veterinarian. I hope this helps and I hope Donut gets to feeling better soon. Best of luck. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This looks like a pressure sore or callus. This can be normal in rabbits. Keep an eye on it and make sure it does not become infected or inflamed. It is also important to keep the bedding for Tammy clean and dry so it won't cause any issues. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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!