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Full Version: sore hocks and thin as a rail
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I just purchased 5 French lops from a private party and found that one of the females looks to have been neglected.
all others ok-
she is thin as a rail, I can feel ALL of her bones through her coat and there seems to be no fat or meat on her as well.
she was listless and didn\'t have the strength to run or kick.

the owner told me that she has been bred every three months for two years now.
her nails are longer than a super models and tonight I found that her hocks have open sores that have been growing over and reopening and growing over again on the bottom of her hocks.

When I got her home I fed her Rabbit pellets, hay and some green
from the field (alfalfa) she went for the food like like she was starved.

Q: what do I do about the sores on her hocks.
Q: what do I do about her nails. (also how to cut)
Q: should she be on any medications.

I have taken her out of the cage with her kit
(a 3 month old-only one of 5 left others were sold)
and put them in the barn on the floor in an old duck pen that I remade up for her so she can get a little exercise
{the pen is secure.}
she will not be getting into the cage again til she is better all around.

She is eating fine now not wolfing, drinking just fine also...
OH YEAH!!! also there were oats in the metal water tube lodged in there
what\'s up with that.

it will be a minnimum of 6 months before I breed her and then only if she is in 100% health.


I raise meat rabbits and found that the french lop does what I want them too...
as far as this rabbit goes,I do not agree to treat a rabbit or any other animal this way...
my rabbits are in the best of health-
although I am new to this I am willing to learn all the do\'s and dont\'s
along the way. (whoops, caught myself ranting...sorry everyone.)

hope there is someone out there who can help me with this Doe.

thank you.
Dan
p.s.
two more questions if you don\'t mind.
Q#1 how do you tell a male from a female, after parting the fold there is an inner fold or a solid fold ?
Q#2 how do you tell if the doe is pregnent-I was told to check after a week by the pellet exit opening the you can feel the overies (y / n ) (t / f )

1. For sore hock- clean sores and put hemmoriod cream on feet. Make sure that the cage or floor is clean and that the rabbit has something to sit on. (we use carpet squares)
2.To clip toe nails first I always have corn starch right next to me. If you cut the nail and the rabbit starts to bleed you can use corn starch to stop the bleeding.
While one person holds the bunny tummy side up. The other one will clip the nails. Don\'t forget the dewclaw. (it\'s just like cutting a dog\'s nail.) Don\'t cut below the quick.
Now I\'m quoting out of the Rabbits for Dummies book by Audrey Pavia

\"The quick in the vein that extends from the toe to nearly the tip of the nail. This will appear as a dark line in the nail. You want to clip the tip of the nail that does not contain the quick, as cutting the quick makes the nail bleed. If you are having trouble locating the quick or have a rabbit with black nails, get a flashlight and shine it through the backside of the nail towards you. The vein will become visible.\"

3. I would ask myself some questions before I give my rabbit any medications. First is she eating? Is she pooping? Is she drinking water? Am I giving her hay?
If she\'s doing doing all of these things and I\'m giving her hay then I would think that she\'s doing okay. To bring up her weight I might give her some oats (dry oatmeal) or some cheerios or shredded wheat cereal.
HTH
thank you very much for the advice-
I will get right on it...the wife will do the trimming and I\'ll do the holding
so hopefully we won\'t have any problems.
also,
she is eating normally now not going for everything like it was out of style. she is showing signs of weight gain in as little as 10 days and has started to groom herself more, her hocks are part of her grooming regiment so I may hold off on using the cream for right now, I had to put the rabbits in the basement due to the 100+ degree day\'s we have been having for quite some time now. they all are at a 72 degree level of comfort that just shows that they are happier, also I heard for the first time from these rabbits-quealing when I get close to the cages.
most often when I give them golden rod to munch on.

thanks again for your helpful suggestions.
Dan
french lop man.
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