← Health section Care at home Medium risk
Sore hocks
pododermatitis
The skin on the soles of the hind feet becomes inflamed and ulcerated from pressure and rubbing. It is most common in heavy breeds such as the Flemish Giant kept on thin wire or wet, dirty floors. Left untreated, the sores deepen and infection can reach the bone.
When to call a vet
Care at home
Start with care at home and keep watching. If it gets worse, see a vet.
See a vet if there is an open sore, swelling or pus, or the rabbit limps and stops eating — deep infection can spread to the bone
Symptoms
- Fur loss and red skin on the soles of the hind feet
- Calluses, scabs or open sores, sometimes with pus
- The rabbit shifts its weight, moves little or limps
- Poor appetite and weight loss
What to do
- 1 Move the rabbit to a cage with soft, dry, clean bedding
- 2 Check the feet daily and keep them clean and dry
- See a vet if there is an open sore, swelling or pus, or the rabbit limps and stops eating — deep infection can spread to the bone
What not to do
- Do not cut the sore open or squeeze out pus yourself
When it strikes
No season: it builds up over months on wire or wet floors, so heavy adults and breeding does and bucks are most at risk; wet bedding in damp months makes it worse.
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Prevention
- Put a wooden board, plastic slat mat or straw mat in every cage as a resting spot
- Make sure the wire is thick and smooth and the floor stays dry and clean
- Trim claws regularly and do not let rabbits get fat
- Give heavy breeds larger cages with part of the floor solid
- Keep rabbits with thick fur on their feet for breeding
Causes
- Thin, sharp or sagging wire floors
- Urine-soaked, dirty bedding or floors
- Heavy weight, obesity and breeds with thin foot fur such as the Rex
- Overgrown claws and too little movement