Why is my rabbit losing fur on its hocks? How to prevent sore hocks?

Question

Hi my rabbit has a little bit of fur rubbing away on one of his heels, I am worried about it worsening and turning into sore hocks. what can i do to prevent this? and why is it happening? He is a house rabbit who mainly free roams on carpeted flooring, his cage flooring is very soft and padded and his litter is changed daily to prevent him standing in moist hay. Pet's info: Small Animal | Rabbit | Male | unneutered | 5 months and 22 days old

Dr Stafford, BVetMed, MRCVS · Accepted Answer

A lot of rabbits do develop a condition called pododermatitis where the surface of the feet become raw and infected. However it sounds like you are taking all the right steps to prevent this. The most important thing is a dry environment. With rabbits you will sometimes get inevitable hair loss on the hocks just from rubbing and thumping the legs. There is not much you can do about this. If it does look like the skin is breaking out or becoming red you can try rubbing some sudocreme on in the early stages. If it gets infected you will need to get it treated at the vets. The only other thing would be to ensure the rabbit is not overweight which puts uneccessary burden on the limbs and restricts grooming.

Why is my rabbit losing fur on its hocks? How to prevent sore hocks?

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