Wire Litterbox – Sore Hocks ?

[Mr.Pickles]

Hey guys,

My bun has a wire barrier that goes in his litterbox so that he doesn’t get himself dirty with urine.  Recently he`s been flipping his hay box so what I did was tie it next to the litterbox so that he could eat and poop at the same time without the hay going directly into the litterbox.  I heard that wire bottoms can cause sore hocks.. I was wondering if he sits for a bit on the wiring and eats for long periods of time, would he risk getting sore hocks ?? :S

Thanks for all your advice in advance

New Bunny Mama

[Lightchick]

Yes, wire is not good for bunny feet. My multiple bunnies have never, since I have had them, lived with wire floors, and they even have sore hocks It’s a delicate area. Some breeds are more prone to them than others. You don’t need the wire floors. Just litter on the bottom, hay on top. If the buns are incredibly messy, BB makes a great screen that goes directly on the litter that is well worth buying! But suspended wire-floors are ouchy.

[MimzMum]

Is that your bunny in your avatar? If so he looks to be a Rex and they have particularly thin fur on their feet and are very prone to sore hocks. Best to keep him on soft bedding and be sure his nails are kept trim so he doesn’t have cause to rock back on his heels, as this will wear that delicate fur away even faster.
I have a mini rex named Fiver, he had very thin fur when I got him and despite trying to keep his feet on soft flooring, over time (he is now 6 years) he has lost a lot of fur on his heels. But he is terribly difficult to handle due to abuse in his former home so keeping his nails short is a trial for both of us. If they get even a bit long he picks his toes up and the heels come into contact with the floor more often.
Once the hair goes it rarely returns, so prevention is the best cure. If they do get sore, cleaning with warm water and a cotton ball and putting a cream on like Heal X (you can get this from your vet) will help heal them.

[Lightchick]

Aw, Mimz! So good to hear about Fiver!!! None of mine are Rexies, though, and they all live on carpets with no wire floors, so, I think no matter what the breed, probably best to avoid the wire floors! (Again, except for the wire box liners from BB..they saved me from kicking my dirtiest bunnies out, just kidding, no really!).

[Mr.Pickles]

Hey guys,

Yea, Pickles doesn’t have a wire bottomed cage, I also line the bottom of his pen with towels, and he has a little bed he sleeps in with his favourite blanket in it so he is quite comfortable [he’s in his little bed in the avatar picture] & he’s a Netherland Dwarf bunny

I was just curious about the wire liner for the litterbox that’s all, and if he was going to sit on it for longer periods of time to eat his hay and poop at the same time, whether he’ll be more likely to get sore hocks :S But I’ve never thought about looking at where he puts his weight when he hops around.. now I know! I’ll pay attention to it next time

[MimzMum]

Can you put some hay on top of the wire or does that defeat the purpose?
That way he can have a munch while he potties.

[Mr.Pickles]

i`ve tried but then half the hay goes into the litter :/ and yea it does kind of defeat the purpose haha but that`s ok i`ll just keep a close eye on him thanks !

[jerseygirl]

I just took a look at the pictures you posted in the Welcome section. I’m 95% convinced he’s a mini Rex. I’m also 100% sure he’s gorgeous!
Are any of his whiskers a bit crinkly? That’s another clue.

If he is a Rex, another thing to watch is weight gain. They are prone to putting it on easily and this contributes to developing sore hocks also.

[Mr.Pickles]

really ?? A lot of people have said that too.. but his previous owner told me he`s a dwarf and I took him to the vet cause I was confused and she said he’s a dwarf bunny too so .. I HAVE NO CLUE haha but he`s a cute ball of fluff  & his whiskers aren`t crinkly 

Rex or not though, I was worried about his weight because his previous owner only fed him pellets (unlimited) and dried fruit and seeds.. he didn’t have hay or veggies or limited pellets .. but now i`ve changed his diet so that he has at least 2 cups of veggies a day (1 cup in the morning 1 cup in the evening) and 1/8th a cup of pellets for night time, which the vet said was a perfect amount for his weight (he`s about 2kg) and of course unlimited hay I’m trying to get him to shed a little weight.. but after almost 3 years of unlimited pellets…….. it`s gonna take a little while .

[Author]

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