Why do rabbits develop sore hocks?
As in so many other situations, to understand why rabbits develop sore hocks it’s worth looking at the wild rabbit, and the conditions rabbit feet evolved to function well in. The wild rabbit spends it’s time moving about on grass and earth. These surfaces are compliant: they allow the toe nails to sink into the ground, encouraging the whole bottom of the foot to contact the ground and hence reducing the pressure on the foot (pressure = force divided by area). In contrast, hard flooring means that the rabbit’s toenails can’t sink in. It doesn’t make any difference whether the flooring is carpet, wood, vinyl, or plastic (with or without a covering of newspaper or wood shavings, for instance), all give the same result. Because the toe nails can’t sink in, the front part of the foot is lifted off the ground, and the majority of the weight of the bunny is thrown onto the hocks, causing problems rather like a pressure sore. If the rabbit is heavy, or obese, the pressure on the hock is great
