Hi, I'm going to a show around new year, and my silver fox buck can't have sore hocks. what is sore hocks? like can he not have any fur removed on his hocks or what? what is the quickest way to get rid of sore hocks? How long does it take to heal sore hocks? what is the best way to heal sore hocks etc. Thanks, in advance.
A sore hock is defined by the ARBA as an ulceration of the footpad, on either front or back feet. For the purposes of showing, depending on how big or obvious it is, it can be a fault, unless it's infected or bleeding, at which point it's considered a DQ. A simple callous or small bald spot on the hock isn't going to get the rabbit thrown off the table and may not even draw a remark by the judge. If he's bleeding or has a fresh scab, don't take him to the show.
The fastest way to get sore hocks to heal is to get the rabbit off wire completely for a while, e.g. put it on a bedding of soft shavings, and keep its cage scrupulously clean. Straw is okay but seems to be more likely to irritate wounds. As
@judymac suggests, towels can work too, but you really have to make sure the rabbit isn't sitting on anything wet, so they are a high-maintenance solution as they have to be changed a lot.
Once the sores have healed, plastic sitting boards might help keep it from recurring. My Champagnes, which nearly all have sore hock issues, actually do better with a smooth, flat wood board to sit on. If it gets wet/dirty, I flip it over, and when both sides are dirty it goes in the burn pile and is replaced with a new one.
Make sure your rabbit's toenails are kept trimmed, as long nails make them sit strangely, and is one way even rabbits on solid floors can end up with sore hocks. (It's also hard for a rabbit with overly-long nails to pose properly on the judging table.)
Watch out for urine scald, too. Because its feet are sore, the rabbit will move and hold itself differently, or be reluctant to leave the resting board to urinate, which can result in its wetting on its own legs. One of my Champagne does developed relatively small sore pink spots on her hind feet while she was raising a litter, and within two weeks she also had a pretty significant case of urine scald because her feet made it too uncomfortable to urinate in the normal position.
, he has long thick fur on his hocks making it hard to see his sore hocks. His sore hocks are only on his back feet and are not bleeding, but just have removed fur with somewhat of a scab, but the fur on the sides makes it hard to find it when you are just looking, because it overlaps on to the sore hocks. Does Vaseline help heal sore hocks if applied on the scab?
