Sore hocks, or normal?

Question
Hello, I have four bunnies, one has no pink spot on her back hocks, the other two have a small pink spot on their hocks, and the one I've really concerned with has a dark pink spot on his hocks and what looks like a callous.  He is never on wires and gets 4 hours of exercise a day...is this sore hocks? Some people have said it is normal for a rabbit to have a pink spot as long as they are not red and bleeding...is this true?  He is a dwarf hotot, not a mini rex.

Answer
Dear Callista,

While it's not exactly *normal* for a bunny to have bare spots on the soles of his feet or his heels, it's certainly not uncommon.  The surfaces we provide for our bunnies (synthetic carpet, tile, linoleum, wood, cotton mats without padding, etc.) are not natural, no matter how hard we try to make them comfy.  There's just no substitute for the unevenness of natural soil, which is what the rabbit foot evolved to walk on.

I've found that providing some padding under the mats will often help.  If the bare spots are really big, then you can prevent ulceration with the tips here:

www.bio.miami.edu/hare/sorehocks.html

But as long as there are no open sores, it's not an emergency.  A callus is actually a good thing, since it will help prevent open sores, and is a sign that the skin on the foot is changing to protect itself.

But if you see any sign of inflammation, it's wise to get the bunny to the vet for treatment and provide padding in the form of (temporary) booties, as shown in the article above.

Hope that helps.

Dana