Treatment of Sore Hocks

Question
Hi, my 3 year old male Dutch rabbit has thinning fur at the bottom of hsi feetpad. At the heel area, I saw on each leg, a round patch where there are less fur and a round lesion where the skin is inflammed looking and sore. Is this sore hocks?  I have seen a vet and they all said is a callus that turned out to be sore hocks and my rabbit weighs about 2.6kg which to them is alittle to the heavy side and thus the reason for the sore hocks.

My rabbit lives on normal flooring i.e. ceremic tiles and does not live on wire cage. I also lay fake sheepskin and 100% cotton bath mat around his floor area to give him extra comfort on his feet. The vet gave antibiotic cream Bactroban but after administering for 3 mths now, I don't see any improvement. One side of the sore hocks seem dried up but the skin turned greyish instead of healthy pink. The right sore is worse, the round lesion has gone bigger and the fur that has gone lesser and the bones on the feet is a little exposed. I am worried the fur will totally be gone and his right feet will have no protection at all.

I feel that I have improved the environment, medicate him and I also give supplements for skin and coat but the right sore is still bad.  One day it seems ok, dried up, less red, and the next day it will turb inflammed.  Seems that it is never cured.

I have people telling me maybe it is scabies, mange or fungus. In your opinion what is it? Since it is at the ball of the heels, it seems more like sore hocks right? Morever both heels are affected.

Besides the antiobiotic cream the vet gave, I have bought many remedies, from Bag Balm to collodial silver to candedula cream to aloe vera to resuce remedy to tea tree oil to Vit E oil to shea butter, rose hip oil etc, none seems to improve the condition.

I like your advise on :

1) Is it sore hocks
2) Shld I try other vets
3) what other remedies do u know will help
4) will my rabbit lost his leg if this goes on, but I medicate every day
5) Is oral antibiotic necessary? My rabbit has digestive upsets regardless of whatever oral antibiotic he takes  

Answer
1. Definatly sounds like sore hocks. Once rabbits get them it is impossible to get rid of them. The condition goes dormate, and then has flare ups. Sometimes it never goes away. It is common in Mini Rex, Standard Rex, Dutch and your larger breeds like the Flemish Giants.
2. Another vet really cannot do anything else for your rabbit than your other has tried. You may take him to a small animal specialty vet that has experience with rabbits.. that is if your vet isn't already this.
3. I have treated sore hocks with diaperash medicine or preparation H. You might also cover his hocks with bandages- the kind that the vet uses for outside of cast and for horses. THey are really bright colored usually.- This will keep germs and dirt from getting in the sores and making them worse.
4. I cannot tell you for sure if he will lose his leg. It will take a major infection that goes to the bone. If you are medicating it, then it should not get infected.
5. I would stay away from oral antibiotics if at all possible. They only one i do recomend is Terrymycin. This usually doesn't affect my rabbits digestive systems. Beleive me your rabbit is not the only one who is sensitive to oral antibiotics. All rabbit do have a sensitive stomach, this is what makes it hard medicating them.
I am really sorry it took me so long to get back with you. I was out of town for a family emergancy.