# Bladder Sludge (Resolved)



## tazzychan (Apr 24, 2009)

My bunny has been in the hospital for 2 days now and is being treated for bladder sludge. I hope to have her home tommorrow but I am afraid that her bladder sludge will reoccur. My bunny is a good body weight, I feed her hay, timothy base pellets and vegetables so I don't know how she developed bladder sludge. Does anyone have any experience in taking care of a rabbit who had bladder sludge? Any information is helpful. Thanks!


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## tonyshuman (Apr 24, 2009)

Hi, I'll move this to the Infirmary for you.

We have had several bunnies with bladder sludge issues. Check out the Library topic on Urinary Tract Problems.

Did the vet say what was casing the sludge? It can sometimes be caused by bladder infections that require antibiotics to treat. Some sludge is dietary, as you've alluded to, and sludge can even be genetic. 

Your primary concern should be to keep your bun as hydrated as possible. Adding a tiny bit of fruit juice or vanilla extract to the water or offering pedialyte as well as water can help. Make sure you wash the veggies right before giving them, so that they have a lot of water on them (this is a good way to get more water into the bunny).

Limiting calcium intake can help in some bunnies, but when genetics are a factor in the disease, the rabbit will break down its own bones as a source of calcium--see the threads on Luna and Chase in that link for information. You already are on the right type of pellet. Alfalfa has more calcium than timothy, so eliminate any alfalfa that you feed. You may also want to remove high-calcium veggies from the diet, like members of the broccoli family (broccoli, kale, cabbage, brussel sprouts, etc etc) and parsley.

The #1 concern will probably be adequate hydration, so ask the vet or vet tech to show you how to give sub-cutaneous fluids (if you're comfortable doing that). We have a video somewhere in the library, but it is best to have a vet show you how and give you the supplies. This may be needed on an occasional basis for your girl if she doesn't drink enough. You can also syringe water and pedialyte into her mouth.


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## pla725 (Apr 24, 2009)

My Smitten had this issue last May. I cut out the pellets andswitched tofiltered or bottled water. Took care of the problem.


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## Amy27 (Apr 24, 2009)

I have had several sludge and bladder stone issues with my bun Chase so if you have any specific questions let me know and I will try to answer them. What greens are you feeding? Some greens have a higher calcium intake. Is your bun drinking well so the bladder is being flushed good? tonyshumand had good suggestions on increasing water intake. I would offer a water bowl and a bottle to encourage her to drink more water. Another thing you can do to up the water intake is soak your greans in water for an hour or long if you can. They will absorb some of the water so she gets more water when eating them. You said you feed Timonthy pellets but what kind of hay? Some hay his high calcium content. 

Like tonyshuman said I would have her checked for an infection and I would also have blood work done to see if that helps determine the underlying cause. Sometimes though they just can't determine the underlying cause which has been the case with Chase. So I just do everything I can to keep the bladder flushed well and low calcium food. 

Good luck


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## tazzychan (Apr 24, 2009)

Thank you so much for you advice. I am still really worried about Tazzy because she is still at the vet and it has already been two days. They said that they got about half of the sludge flushed out. I usually only fed her parsley which I have now learned is high in calcium. I am planning on feeding her coriander, romain and bok choy when she comes home. I feed her timothy and orchard grass hay. She was a pretty unactive bunny and that is another life style change we are going to make. She was having bloody urine which what initally caused me to bring her to the vet. They have her on antibiotics and anti-inflmmatories. So most bunnies pull through and beat this condition right?? I am just so worried and I really dont want anything to happen to her. It makes me feel alot better to hear about other bunnies who had this condition and were able to over come it. Is it necessary to syringe feed her water when she gets home???


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## Maureen Las (Apr 24, 2009)

We have had a few forum members who have had excellent results treating their buns for bladder sludge with subqutaneous fluids at home and also dietary changes. 

it is easier to do subqutaneous fluids at home than give fluids orally. 

I'll give you a video on this but it still would be necessary for a vet or vet tech to show you how to do this in person 


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdf-M9miFzE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wdf-M9miFzE[/ame]


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## Amy27 (Apr 24, 2009)

The hay you are feeding her is good. I will see if I can find the links I have that tells the calcium content of greens and hay. I think she will be fine, but I am not an expert. But Chase has made it through 2 bladder stone removals and 1 bladder sludge. I would make sure she is checked on a regular basis to make sure the sludge stays gone. That is one of the problems when you don't know the cause you can't really tell if what you are doing is helping without taking them back in to the vet for them to do an x-ray to check the progress. 

I would ask the vet when you pick her up if you should syringe water. I would soak the greans and try to offer her more options to drink out off and do what tonyshuman said about maybe adding some flavor to the water. When I added flavor I always added another regular water thing, so if I put flavor in her water bowl I added a bowl of regular water and left regular water in her bottles. That way she still has plenty of options to drink the regular water if she does not prefer the flavoring. Chase never took to the flavoring. Currently in Chase's cage she has 3 water bowls, 3 water bottles, and a cat water foutain. I make sure every step she takes there is an option to drink.

I cut out parsley also except for maybe once a month I will give it. I use cilantro in place and my buns love it. I would also introduce the new greens slowly so you can tell if one is messing with her system. 

Activity will get the urine moving around in the bladder which will also get the sludge moving, so the more she moves hopefully more sludge will be passed when she urinate. Sludge tends to sit at the bottom of the bladder and so it doesn't always come out as much when they urinate. I know there is a way you can massage the bladder to keep the sludge moving around and that is suppose to get more sludge out when they urinate, but I never really did that. You would want to check with your vet on that and they would need to show you how. 

Another thing to think about is any treats she is getting. Those could contain a lot of calcium. 

If you have stairs let her run up and down the stairs. That will make her more active and will really get the sludge moving around.

This website lists the types of hay. When you click on the type of hay it will give you the calcium content. 
http://www.barbibrownsbunnies.com/hay.htm#Bunny%20Blend

This one also lists calcium content of hay. 
http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/caforage.html

Calcium content of veggies
http://www.carrotcafe.com/f/calevel.html

This is from the HRS and discuss lots of different ways to lower calcium and what foods may help
http://www.rabbit.org/journal/3-5/calcium.html

This is a list from the HRS about bunny safe greens. You want to make sure the low calcium greens you decide to try are safe http://www.rabbit.org/care/veggies.html

Here is the thread in the library. There is some great information there in the links. I know that in the thread for Chase and Luna there are a lot of suggestions so I would take the time to read them.

ETA it would help if I put the link to the library thread lol http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12052&forum_id=10


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## Maureen Las (Apr 24, 2009)

Amy has all the right info for a good reason!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## tazzychan (Apr 24, 2009)

thank you all for your suggestions and help, you are all making me feel a lot better about her prognosis and that there is hope that I can help prevent this from reoccuring.


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## Amy27 (Apr 24, 2009)

I agree with you angieluv on the subq fluids. That will get even more fluids through the bladder to flush more out. 

Another thing I forgot to say was another poster who said using bottle water. That is a great idea. The water you could be giving your buns could contain calcium. I got a water filter for the kitchen sink faucet so the water the greens soak in is pure and then use bottled water for there drinking bowls and bottles. 

Thanks angieluv, it is nice to be able to help someone out. I know how frustrating and scary it is. 

I know my vet also said something in carrots can affect calcium or the way it is processed so I limit the amount of carrots they get. I tried so many different things I am sure I will think of more later. But i know there are a lot of things in the threads about Chase and Luna that I may not have tried so I may not think to put them here but it might be something you want to try.


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## tazzychan (Apr 24, 2009)

Just wondering how old are Chase and Luna? Is bladder sludge more prone to older bunnies? Tazzy is already 6 years old.


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## Amy27 (Apr 25, 2009)

Chase is about 5. I am not sure how old Luna is. My vet told me 5 is middle age. But she didn't seem to think age had anything to do with it. I think that might depend on if there is an underlying disease though and what it is. I don't know this for sure but bladder or kidney disease could have an effect on the calcium and I don't know if bladder or kidney disease has anything to do with age. 

If you are able to find out what the underlying problem is, that would help a lot. But it seems to be very hard to figure out. I know blood tests checking the kidney and bladder function and checking for infection was one of the main tests my vet did to try and find the underlying problem. But every test we ran was negative. CHase had a biopsy taken and a full blood test done and the bladder stone was sent to be analyzed. None of them really showed anything that would cause calcium build up in the bladder. 

My vet also told me that a lot of bunnies have sludge. Some just don't have enough to effect them. She stated people come in all the time for another problem such as having problems breathing she will x-ray the chest and see the sludge. I don't remember the exact percentage she told me, I know it is in one of my threads in the library. 

I really think calcium issues are something we will not have good answers on for years. Which can make it hard to treat and hard to find out why it is happening, without professionals knowing more about it themselves. 

There are several stories of siblings living together eating and drinking the same thing, getting the same amount of exercise and one will get bladder sludge or stones and the other one won't.

ETA: If you don't mind me asking where do you live. Not your exact location but general location. The only reason I ask is because where I live in Columbus, Ohio there isa great rabbit vet. She teaches exotics at Ohio State University, written books on rabbits for other vetsand only sees exotics and has for years.


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## tazzychan (Apr 25, 2009)

I am from Canada. The vet that I am seeing now seems to have experience in taking care of rabbits with bladder sludge because they told me of other stories of rabbits they have previous treated.

Did any of your bunnies develop urinary incontinance after their bladder stone condition?? Tazzy seems to be peeing all over the place since we found out about her bladder sludge, she usually uses her litter box, but I am hoping that it is only termporary because of the bladder sludge and treatment.


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## tazzychan (Apr 25, 2009)

Ok Tazzy is finally at home now, she is so skinny now. She is still passing bloody urine and the doctor has her on baytril. She seems to be hopping a little funny since we bought her home from the vet, she is able to hop but looks a little wierd. Could this be due to the bladder sludge and the fact that she was kept in a cage for three days at the doctor's office? Glad that my bunny is home but still very worried about her.



Thanks


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## Amy27 (Apr 25, 2009)

Chase did not develop what I would call urinary incontinence. But when she was in pain she would go on the floor which was unlike her. She usually uses her litter box. I still think she could control it but she would move around and try to use the bathroom everywhere to make herself feel better. She also couldn't empty her bladder so she would go in one spot and 5 minutes later go in another spot. She would also sit real funny when she tried to go. Whenever that happened I took her to the ER vet to get pain drugs and fluids. The good news is once the stones and sludge where gone she started using her litter box again like she never stopped. 

She maybe hopping funny if she is in pain or uncomfortable. Chase never had the procedure that I think yours did. From your posts I am guessing your vet flushed her bladder. Is that correct? I am not sure if it is normal to be uncomfortable after that procedure or not. 

I would keep watching her and if she is still moving funny and urinating where she usually doesn't I would call the vet and ask them if she could be in pain and if they could give her some pain meds. I would also keep pushing fluids. When she urinates is she arching her back and keep changing positions?


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## ra7751 (Apr 25, 2009)

Umm....this is an interesting thread. I have dealt with sludge/stones many times. Few things to think about. The calcium issue is the forefront. There is no evidence that calcium intake leads to bladder sludge. I would not assumecalcium unless a urinalysis has shown absolute proof of excessive calcium in the urine. Rabbits do metabolize calcium differently than most animals. And there will be calcium in the urine. But at the same time, if you reduce calcium to a very low level, that can lead to a condition known as Metabolic Bone Disease. Something I see often in wildlife....and sometimes in domestic rabbits. Properly absorbing calcium is vital in keeping bones strong....and this is especially true in rabbit in which the bone mass in the body compared to the strength of the muscles can lead to fractures. Vitamin D3 is essential in the correct absorbing of calcium in the body. Many inside rabbits that are fed lower quality foods are prone to calcium issues due to a lack of D3. The body can't produce D3 on it's own. It requires either dietary supplements...or exposure to direct and unfiltered sunlight. There has to be some calcium intake to maintain strong bones. Oddly enough, I was talking to one of my vets about this particular issue just this morning.

The sludge in the bladder can also be the result of a combination of hard water (lots of minerals) and genetics. At one time, Oxbow offered a low mineral content water. Some people try distilled water....but the body has to have some minerals. 

The sludge might also be shedding spores from an active EC infection....and your statement that there was some neurological deficiencies as far as hopping differently at least raises the idea that EC might be involved.

Baytril is never my first choice of antibiotics in rabbits. Just isn't usually up to the task. I would prefer to see a urinary culture to pinpoint the possible infection. Isotonic fluids are essential in flushing the urinary tract. I also tend to acidify the system....and fresh cranberry or extract seems to help. But the bottom line....lots of fluids are the best treatment for urinary issues.

Randy


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## tazzychan (Apr 25, 2009)

Hi All

Ok it has been about 5 hours since I have brought my bunny home and she just doesn't seem like my loveable bunny anymore. She is peeing up a storm all over the floor and doesnt seem to really want to eat anything. Her bum in all wet from the pee, I am afraid that she might have urinary inconintence. Do bunnies with sludge usually act this way and does this ever go away?? I feelso depressed I am so afraid that I might never have my loveable bunny back to normal again. The doctors did a urinary culture to find out more about her bacteria. Has anyone go through an experience similar to this and did there bunny and did there bunny ever fully recover.


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## ra7751 (Apr 26, 2009)

You might want to seriously consider having a full CBC with EC titer. There are only a few labs in the US that can properly titer for EC. Watch for some type of neuro marker in the left rear leg....may an unusual hop, possibly an odd stretch or maybe even a stumble....might be very slight. And I would be very interested to know if any bacteria is found in the urine culture.

Randy


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## tazzychan (Apr 26, 2009)

She is not eatting at all now and has been grinding her teeth very loud. I think she must be in pain and the vet is not open utnil monday. I am so worried that I am going to lose my little girl over the weekend. I am going to syringe feed her some papya tablets but I dont have an critical care to feed her, is there something else I can use to subsitute for the time being until monday?


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## Flashy (Apr 26, 2009)

I think your girl needs to see an emergency vet. She desperately needs, at least, some pain meds. Something like Metacam which is also an anti-inflammatory might be a good bet.

She also needs fluids. Sub Q fluids is probably the best thing for her because she may be getting dehydrated, and equally, if she is not eating, those fluids will help her guts.

If you want to syringe feed her then you could soak her regular pellets in hot water and wait fr it to cool and then syringe feed it. You'll need to make it quite runny to make sure that it is syringable.

How is she doing now?


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## Amy27 (Apr 26, 2009)

I agree with Flashy, I would take her to the emergency vet.


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## pla725 (Apr 26, 2009)

I concur.

Where are you located? Perhaps someone in your area can direct you to an emergency clinic.


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## Maureen Las (Apr 26, 2009)

If you post your location we can give you our list of vets for your area/

What's going on there? How is she?


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## tazzychan (Apr 27, 2009)

Hey all

I didnt take her to the emergency vet, because I think a trip to the doctor really stresses her out. She seems a little bit better. She is eatting a bit of hay and veg and she drinks water when I give it to her, but her poos are very tiny and few.She keeps lying down, so I think maybe her feet or something is still giving her pain. We have an appointment with the vet again tommorrow, but I am worried about the trip there, I think going to see the vet really stresses her out and she might get a lot worse.


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## Maureen Las (Apr 27, 2009)

Is their any way that you can get her to the vet today. She may not be eating well and/or having GI problems because she is in pain. 

Possibly you can just pick up pain meds from your vet today if you cannot take her in. 
Right now make sure that she is getting additional fluids if possible . You could place a little juice in her water to make it tastier. maybe even syringe her somepedialyte (electrolyte drink for infants and children)or water. 
In 24 hours her GI system may already be shut down


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## tonyshuman (Apr 27, 2009)

Another thing you can syringe is pellets soaked in water (let them soak at least 10 min). This is a bit like Critical Care. Baby food can also be syringed to them, but it has a lot of sugar which is bad for proper GI function. 

She may need more pain meds, although you mentioned anti-inflammatories before, which I would guess is Metacam (meloxicam), which is somewhat like advil for bunnies. She may need something stronger, like buprenorphine or tramadol. It is possible that she could have bladder stones in addition to sludge and passing a stone is very painful for her. Of course, more water and pedialyte should help.


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## tazzychan (Apr 27, 2009)

Hey All

I think she is doing better today. She is eatting all the vegetables I give herandoccasionally she will graze at the hay. She is not grinding her teeth as severly now, the past two daysshe would grind her teeth very loud throughout the day, but today she does it once in a while and looks more relaxed sitting on the floor and will ocassionally get up to groom herself.Her peed todaydoesn't look bloody but a yellow colour and more liquid. I dont think she has a bladder stone because the doctor did two x-rays and didntmenstion anything about a bladder stone. I think her main pain is from gas from not eatting when she was in the animal hospital becuase she was really stressed out when she was there and didnt eat anything.

Hopefully she will continue to improve slowly.


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## tazzychan (Apr 28, 2009)

Hey all

Tazzy just came back from the vet and we got a change in her medication. The doctor gave her sub-q fluids again, and she got her pain medication, Metacam, but he switched the antibiotics to Novotrimel. Has anyone have any experience with this antibiotic, is it better than baytril???


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## tonyshuman (Apr 28, 2009)

Antibiotics are able to kill a very specific set of bacteria. There are some that kill many different kinds (broad-spectrum antibiotics) and some that only kill a few specific kinds. Frequently, broad-spectrum antibiotics are used if the prescriber doesn't know what the bacteria is or what it is sensitive to. A more specific antibiotic is going to kill the bacteria more rapidly and there is less likelihood that the bacteria will develop resistance to it, usually. So there really isn't a single antibiotic that is better than another in all cases.

Novo-trimel is a sulfonamide antibiotic. This is one of the oldest classes of antibiotics, and I would call it a broad-spectrum antibiotic. Many bacteria have evolved resistance to the majority of sulfonamide drugs. 

Baytril is a fluoroquinolone, which is newer but still a broad-spectrum antibiotic. It is frequently given as a catch-all drug for animals when the exact bacterium causing the infection isn't known.

I don't have first-hand knowledge of these antibiotics, and what is best for what type of infection, but I know that the vet can do a culture and sensitivity test if you cannot find an antibiotic that seems to work. In this kind of test, they take urine and attempt to grow the bacteria present in it on a petri dish. They then try to kill the bacteria with several different kinds of antibiotics. This way they will know best which antibiotic is the best one to use. For rabbits, who have a limited number of antibiotics that can be taken orally (penicillins and amoxicillin can be given only as injections), a culture and sensitivity test is a lot more common. I would ask for it the next time you go to the vet. It is possible that novo-trimel will work, and you won't have to go back. If it doesn't work, or you go back because of other problems, ask for a culture and sensitivity test.


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## tazzychan (Apr 28, 2009)

They did a culture and sensitivity test and nothing grew, mainly because they couldnt get a large enough urine sample from her. I think I am just going to leave her on the baytril since she has already been on it for a week now. They decided to switch it to Novotrimel because they thought that the Baytrilmight beupsetting her stomach, but the past two days she has been eatting a bit more so I think she just needs time and developed alot of gas from being in the hospital when she didn;t eat at all. 

Thanks forthe info it really helped.


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## tazzychan (Apr 29, 2009)

Hi everyone

My bunny Tazzy is actually doing a lot better now, she is finally eatting a lot on her own and is pooing nice big fat poos. However, we have now run into another problem. Since her stomach is starting to feel better and she is moving around a bit more I noticed that she is limping on her left foot mainly not wanting to put that much pressure on one of her hind legs. I didnt notice it when we first got home because all she ever did was lie down. I looked at the bottom of her feet and on one of her feet the hair is really thin and it looks very pink. So I am guessing that she has now developed sore hocks. We are going back to the vet tommorrow to get that checked out. I think she developed it when she was in the hospital because she peed so much from the fluids they were giving her and I am guessing that they didnt really clean the cages very often and she sat in the wet litter for a long periods of time because when we bought her back from the hospital her bum and feet were all wet. I hope she bounces back from this aliment too because she is such a trooper and looks so much better then the first day I bought her back from the hospital.


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## tonyshuman (Apr 30, 2009)

I am worried to hear that she has a hind leg immobility problem. Bladder issues combined with hind leg mobility issues can be a sign of encephalitozoon cuniculi. http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=14471&forum_id=10 This is a very serious problem, but it can be treated. Ask your vet if he has heard of it.


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## tazzychan (Apr 30, 2009)

Hi

She only has a problem withher left foot and I do see like a sore on the bottom of that foot, the fur is missing and it is really pink. I feel like she had a bladder sludge issue and then developed sore hock while at the hospital because before we went into the hospital she had bladder problems but her hopping and mobility was great. She seems to only have problems when she puts too much pressure on that foot and not a balance issue.


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## Maureen Las (Apr 30, 2009)

You can treat the sore hock by putting a small amount of bag balm (which is sold at drugstores, farm stores and misc. other places ) on the sore daily and rubbing it in


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## tazzychan (May 1, 2009)

What type of litter should I use for her litter tray?? I usually used recycled newspaper but that proves to be too painful for her to stand in. I then went out and bought the Care Fresh litter which is softer, but she loves eatting it which isnt good. 

Can you use bag balm and then after that I apply the New SKin oitment over that?

I feel like such a terrible mother because I can't get her to hold still when I am adding the otiment, after I add it she stands up which I am afraid would just cause it to be wiped onto the carpet.

How does the sore hock heal??? Does the callouse get tougher and doesnt hurt when she puts pressure on it or does it heal when her fur on the bottom of the feet grows back?


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## Maureen Las (May 1, 2009)

I have to think about the litter; I had rabbits that ate carefresh too so I had to change it...

carefresh would have been the softest

It would heal when the callused area was no longer red and inflamed. Eventually the fur would grow back although I have a rabbit that occasionally gets sore hocks and calluses remain but are only sore when they are pink or red

it's possible that you could bandage it 
take a look at this link and see if anything in here helps you 

http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=11953&forum_id=10

If notI know we have an old thread on Bo bunny making an effective kind of wrap on her rabbits foot
I would have to look for the thread. 
I'm sorry that your bunny is having so many problems


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## Maureen Las (May 1, 2009)

I forgot to mention thatI did not know that you planned on using New Skin.
Read the directions asI don't think anything should go under it. 
Who suggested it? ;I don't know if I've heard of it being used for that condition before :expressionless


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## tonyshuman (May 1, 2009)

I don't think New Skin would work well. Most of the Bag Balm gets absorbed pretty quickly. I've put it on and then let them run around immediately and it helps. Good to hear you think it's just a sore hock, however my guys have never shown that a sore hock causes them to alter their gait.


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## tazzychan (May 1, 2009)

Another question, so when your bunnies got sore hock it never caused them to limp?? You never saw them not want to put pressure on the foot with sore hock?

I think I am only going to use the Bag Balm and not New Skin. I really dont know what else to do about her. I took her to the vet three times already and they keep telling me that she is ok and I am over reacting.

All she does it lye down all day, I learned thatdoesn't have urinary _incontinence because she will only pee now in her litter but she doesnt like to go in there anymore because the litter hurts her foot. _


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## tonyshuman (May 1, 2009)

No, actually they haven't shown a desire not to put pressure on it. However, the ones that got it had it on both heels, and they generally scuttle around so fast it's hard to tell if they're limping. It didn't bother them when I touched the sore hocks, but they weren't bleeding either--I've seen pics of much worse sore hock.

Care Fresh would be the best litter for sore feet, especially Care Fresh Ultra (white). However, like you said, eating it is not good. I don't know what you can do for that because the way I deal with bunnies who eat litter is to put a grate in the litter pan, which wouldn't work with the sore hock. Perhaps putting a nice layer of hay over the recycled newspaper bedding will make it softer, or putting a layer of CareFresh on top of the recycled newspaper bedding?


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## tazzychan (May 1, 2009)

So Sore hocks are usually not painful for the rabbit to walk on? I am so confused because I am almost surethat it is that little pink spot on the back of her foot that is making her reluctant to step on it. Once that part of her foot touches the carpet she lifts it up.Onthe sore hocks on your bunnies the hair is missing on thefoot right?Where is the location of the foot where you bunnies usually got their sore hocks, because her sore is right on herheel.When I touchthat part of her foot she runs away. But her sore isn't bleeding just really red, could it be that thetought callouse hasn't developed yet?? Sorry for all the questions, I am just so confused about what is going on with her.


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## tonyshuman (May 1, 2009)

A pic of the foot would help. I have seen several bunnies with sore hocks that didn't act strange at all, and for some of them they were actual scabs on the heel. However, all of these guys had both feet sore, so they couldn't really get away from walking on it. One was in a shelter situation, and I was the only volunteer who noticed it, and I only noticed the sore hocks because I was trimming toenails and cleaning scent glands one day and saw them. 

With my bf's little nethies (Frida and Benjamin), they sometimes get sore hocks due to standing on dirty litter and poo (he cleans the litterbox once a week, doesn't have a grate over the poo, I'm not too happy about it but all I can do is try to make him feel bad about them getting sore hocks so that he is better about changing it).

There was a week that I was very sick and didn't change the litterboxes, and one of my guys got sore hocks for the same reason (Tony, a dutch). The lop (with extra-fluffy lop feet) didn't get sore hocks. I had one litterbox without a screen (they all have screens now) and that one got pretty gross and messed his feet up.

In all of these situations, I never noticed them walking funny. The heels of their feet were hairless and red, with some dry, dandruffy skin scales and I think one of the nethies had an actual scab at one point.

Bunnies will usually run away if you touch any part of their feet. 

I would recommend trying some craft plastic squares to put over the litter. These allow the pee to run through on to the litter, so their feet don't have to come in contact with wet litter. It also should keep her from eating the litter. If the plastic bugs her feet due to the hock, they won't work well. I got mine in the craft section of wal-mart. It is frequently called "plastic canvas" http://www.hobbycosf.com/plcash7co10.html


If the plastic grids work and don't bother her feet, or if applying the bag balm makes the sore hock go away, she should stop limping. If it's not just a sore hock causing her to limp, these things won't make the limp go away.


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## tonyshuman (May 1, 2009)

Here are some sore hock pics:
This is really bad:






This is more like what I have seen on Tony and the Nethies:




another bad one:









This is more like what I saw on the shelter bun:





This is the Library link on Sore Hocks


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## tazzychan (May 1, 2009)

I am sorry I dont have a digital camera but tazzy's sore looks like the you see on Tony and the Nethies, but there is a little fur still covering the sore.

I am going to try to get another appointment at a different vet and ask them about the possibility of EC. I spent so much money and got treated very terrible at the original vet that treated tazzy's bladder sludge. I am so worried that they did something to her foot when they treated her because before she was admitted to the hospital she was walking and running around just great.


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## Maureen Las (May 1, 2009)

My rabbit did not have bad sores ; it is similar to Claire's (tonyshuman) description of what her buns had. it did not include the joint like in the pics of some of the severe cases.
I think that if it( the sores)included the joint of the rabbit it would be a lot more painful and might make the bun not want to put weight on it. 

Some of thoses pics look so bad that it makes me think that some of those hocks should be dressed and bandaged. Poor buns!!!

Does Tazzy look like any of those pics?:nerves1


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## Maureen Las (May 1, 2009)

I understand what you are saying.; she could have a minor sore hock but maybe another injury from something that occured at the vet's . It's possible.


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## tazzychan (May 21, 2009)

Hi All

I just want to thank everyone who posted helpful infomation and tips regarding my bunny tazzy's condition. She is all better now, walking perfectly normal, peeing alot and eatting lots. Thank you so much everyone for all your help I am truly grateful to all of you.


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## tonyshuman (May 21, 2009)

Great! Marked resolved


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