How to Prevent Sore Hocks in Rabbits
Change damp bedding., Install appropriate flooring in your rabbit’s living quarters., Avoid placing your rabbit in cramped quarters.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Change damp bedding.
Damp unchanged bedding can cause sore hocks.
If the bedding is not spot cleaned daily, then the rabbit risks sitting in bedding soiled with her own urine.
The dampness and acidity of the urine damages the surface of the skin, weakening it and making it prone to infection.
It is important to observe scrupulous hygiene in the rabbit's living quarters.
This means scooping out soiled bedding daily and replacing it with fresh.
In addition, completely clean and replace the bed on a weekly basis.
Provide adequate deep bedding, such as three to four inches of straw, so that dampness can wick downward away from the rabbit's paws. -
Step 2: Install appropriate flooring in your rabbit’s living quarters.
Flooring is one of the main reasons rabbit’s develop sore hocks.
A wild rabbit hops around on soil, which is quite a forgiving surface.
You need to make sure your bunny walks around on a comfortable, forgiving surface, too.
Consider putting wool rugs down to provide a padded surface that is more forgiving on the rabbit's lower limbs.Wire-mesh flooring is inappropriate for rabbits since the mesh has a cheese-grater effect on the paws.
Wire-mesh floors leads to abrasions and damage to the skin. #*Unfortunately, surfaces in the home such as laminate floor or nylon carpets can also be problematic.
They are too hard, in the case of laminate, or can cause friction burns, like with nylon carpet. , In the wild, rabbits forage and are constantly moving from spot to spot.
If the rabbit is confined in a hutch for long periods of time, especially if those quarters are cramped, they are liable to develop pressure sores on the feet from not being able to move around.
Make sure your rabbit has plenty of space to move around.Furnish the space your rabbit roams around in such a way as to encourage the rabbit to move around.
For example, put food and water at opposite ends of the run and the shelter in another place.
Provide toys that encourage the rabbit to move and play.
Simple things like a cardboard tube stuffed with good quality hay can go a long way to encourage your rabbit to move around and keep the hocks healthy. -
Step 3: Avoid placing your rabbit in cramped quarters.
Detailed Guide
Damp unchanged bedding can cause sore hocks.
If the bedding is not spot cleaned daily, then the rabbit risks sitting in bedding soiled with her own urine.
The dampness and acidity of the urine damages the surface of the skin, weakening it and making it prone to infection.
It is important to observe scrupulous hygiene in the rabbit's living quarters.
This means scooping out soiled bedding daily and replacing it with fresh.
In addition, completely clean and replace the bed on a weekly basis.
Provide adequate deep bedding, such as three to four inches of straw, so that dampness can wick downward away from the rabbit's paws.
Flooring is one of the main reasons rabbit’s develop sore hocks.
A wild rabbit hops around on soil, which is quite a forgiving surface.
You need to make sure your bunny walks around on a comfortable, forgiving surface, too.
Consider putting wool rugs down to provide a padded surface that is more forgiving on the rabbit's lower limbs.Wire-mesh flooring is inappropriate for rabbits since the mesh has a cheese-grater effect on the paws.
Wire-mesh floors leads to abrasions and damage to the skin. #*Unfortunately, surfaces in the home such as laminate floor or nylon carpets can also be problematic.
They are too hard, in the case of laminate, or can cause friction burns, like with nylon carpet. , In the wild, rabbits forage and are constantly moving from spot to spot.
If the rabbit is confined in a hutch for long periods of time, especially if those quarters are cramped, they are liable to develop pressure sores on the feet from not being able to move around.
Make sure your rabbit has plenty of space to move around.Furnish the space your rabbit roams around in such a way as to encourage the rabbit to move around.
For example, put food and water at opposite ends of the run and the shelter in another place.
Provide toys that encourage the rabbit to move and play.
Simple things like a cardboard tube stuffed with good quality hay can go a long way to encourage your rabbit to move around and keep the hocks healthy.
About the Author
Nathan James
A passionate writer with expertise in organization topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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