Rabbit Sore Hocks

In the rex breeds a barepad (one devoid of fur) is considered a fault, whilst a sore pad (where the skin is broken) is considered a disqualification atshows. Certain breeds, being less well-furred on the pad of thefoot have a greater tendency to sore hocks than other breeds.The pad of the foot becomes ulcerated and inflamed.Almost always the hind feet are affected, but very occasionallythe front feet become ulcerated. The condition may make theanimal to uncomfortable that it often loses flesh, does notmate or attend to its young, and generally loses its vitality.The affected animal can often be seen shaking and licking itsfeet.

Nervous stock, which continually stamp their feet or moveabout all the time are more likely to develop the condition, butthe most general cause is damp bedding, or a rough floor. Thewhole secret of successful treatment lies in keeping the pad ofthe foot dry. The bedding must be clean and dry and renewedfrequently to keep it so. Leaves or peat moss are both excellentbedding materials for this purpose. Allowing the animal a runon dry soil is also beneficial. The affected parts should becarefully washed in warm water and mild antiseptic. Afterthoroughly drying, a dressing of iodine ointment should beapplied and repeated daily until the condition clears up.When the abrasions have become infected, penicillin creammay be of value. If abscesses form, as they may do in verysevere cases, they must be lanced, the pus squeezed out andthe cavity which is left cleansed with iodine. A second treat-ment is the application of boracic powder after cleaning, thepad then being bandaged. Some difficulty may be experiencedin keeping the bandage on, but a canvas lace up " boot " canbe used to keep the bandage in place.