Sore Hocks

Pododermatitis (Sore Hock)

Sore Hock caused by Urine Scald

alternate names : in the UK Sorehocks is also called bumblefoot which is a chicken foot aliment in the united states

Etiology (cause)

Genetics are the primary cause of sore hocks. When genetics are not in play, other contributing factors are lack of sanitation, exposure to moisture, urine, feces. Humidity and moisture can lead to fungal infections that break down foot furring leading to calluses or sores. As well as not keeping up with proper grooming and nail trims which can cause pressure sores on the feet. Solid floors or uncut nails cause the toes of the feet to be pushed upwards, this position changes all the weight bearing to the rear of the heel which leads to sore hocks.

Sore hocks mainly happens to poorly bred rabbits since they do not have thick enough fur on the feet. Wire is not the problem. Incorrect types of wire flooring, carpet, fleece, or any surface that can hold moisture and bacteria is the main culprit. Please remember, even if you clean a litterbox daily, the rabbit can still touch it's urine or feces for part of that day. 

• • There are further causes for Sore Hocks. Rex rabbits have a genetic predisposition related to their short and soft fur. When there is insufficient litter in their litterbox, or when the Rex lives freely in an apartment, the hair under the feet wears off quickly and no longer offers the necessary protection [1]

Prevention, Treatment and Control

To prevent sore hocks, Put your rabbit on a properly gauged wire floor. Proper Gage wire will measure 1" by 1/2 inch grid spacing using a 12-16 gage Galvanized After Weld smooth wire mesh. these floors are ideal for the majority of rabbit becuse they allow a soft surface , cushioned floor, and allowanced for urine and feces to drop out of the cage preventing urine scale or soil surfaces keeping the rabbit cleaner and preventing sore hock lesions.

Here is a quote from Welfare and the intensive production of rabbits by J.-P. MORISSE and R. MAURICE *

"Types of flooring and foot lesions: . . . . The adoption of wire-mesh cages was a decisive step in the transition from traditional to specialized husbandry, making it possible to increase the number of animals by reducing the labor requirement. Wire-mesh walls do not create any special problem, as they even allow social contact between animals (only males require solid walls to prevent conflicts), but flooring has been studied closely to reduce the occurrence of foot lesions.

Such lesions, which are a major cause of culling of breeding stock, commence with skin erosion at the tarsus and usually result in scab formation. The posture adopted by an affected animal clearly demonstrates the discomfort and suffering produced by this lesion.

Manufacturers of flooring have assisted in solving this problem by adopting strict rules for the flooring of cages for breeding stock, namely: - abandonment of 19 x 19 mm square mesh - adoption of 75 x 12.5 mm rectangular mesh, allowing a better sitting posture - using wire of not less than 2.4 mm in diameter - removing all roughness from soldered joints.

For their part, breeders have taken into account morphological criteria, such as size and quality of paws, and density of the hair coat to reduce the incidence of foot lesions.

In recent years, breeders have started to use plastic grid floors for males, and often for females as well (Ph. Le Cerf, personal communication), to provide better comfort for the animals and solve the problem of foot lesions."

http://www.oie.int/doc/ged/D8877.PDF

Treatment: when Sore are initially found you need to access the cause, if you have your rabbit on carpet or in a solid bottom cage sore are more likely from either genetics or urine scald. the primary causes are:

• Genetics: a rabbit has thin, narrow and poorly furred feet. If your rabbits on proper wire flooring with resting matts and keeps getting sore hocks, do not breed it it has poor genetics and that rabbit should be culled. There is no treatment for genetic sorehocks and rabbits with this condition will continue to develop sores on all surfaces.

• Improper Flooring: your rabbit is on a solid bottomed cage or carpet and flannel , or is being house on improper wire such as hardware cloth. Carpet and Flannel rugs are actually a HARD flooring surface becuse they are on a solid floor with no give, these surfaces also cause rugburn by wearing the fur off the rabbits feet. improper wire works the same way hardware cloth a thin small grid wire will also rub the fur off a rabbits feet and is not recommended as a floor wire for rabbit cages.

• Fungal Infections : Rabbits in wet Environment may develop Fingal infections,. This can lead to gair loss on the foot pad. But is easily treated with antifungal creams, athlete foot cream or soray, or monistat.

for the first 3 days apply Preparation H to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap. for the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gage wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dray. after removing the wraps continue to apply Preparation H daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the furs grows back over the next few weeks.

• Urine scale: Rabbits kept with litter boxes or in unsanitary conditions where they can sit in their own filth will develop sore hocks . the dampness from the urine and feces will quickly ware the fur off rabbit's feet and cause lesions.

Give your rabbit a foot bath in lightly medicated WARM water using hospital wound wash. DRY your rabbit Thoroughly, then apply Preparation H to the feet and wrap with gauze and vet wrap rewrap in fresh dressing daily for the next 3 days . for the next 3 days place the rabbit in a wire bottomed cage with correct gage wire and plastic rest mats covering the whole bottom of the cage. make sure that you are keeping the feet clean and dray. after removing the wraps continue to apply Preparation H daily for the next week. Then keep your rabbits area as clean as possibly while the furs grows back over the next few weeks.

References

[1] Pododermatitis, a difficult problem in rabbits... June 2014

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322921675_Pododermatitis_a_difficult_problem_in_rabbits?fbclid=IwAR280I8fDMplVwCYllgNyGVO6Mw5Fck5iAkF12I3K9IvsT5ImnI2ehXLW3I

[2] Assessing Ulcerative Pododermatitis of Breeding Rabbits

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4494398/?fbclid=IwAR1ztqTUijy8ajJv3B4zfL3g-P2I_h7-W998kTWCyYQWSQkc_2EaTcTpTyg

Testimonies

Testimony from CKS Rabbitry https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtxVd/

Treatment of urine scalded feet using wire cages https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RF3RMM/ https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFEh5T/

Demonstration of rabbit feet https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8RFtX4v/