The Rex detail a general check can miss
A Rex feels different in the hands — short, dense, velvet fur with almost no guard hairs — and that coat is the medical point. The same thin covering leaves the underside of the hind feet poorly cushioned, so Rex rabbits are notably prone to sore, reddened hocks, especially on hard or abrasive flooring and when carrying extra weight. A vet who treats a Rex like any other rabbit may never part the fur on those feet. Your search is therefore for rabbit competence first, then for the smaller test: does this practice know what a Rex's hocks should look like?
Screening with hocks, teeth, and gut in mind
Ask directly whether they see sore hocks in Rex rabbits, how they assess early redness versus broken skin, and what they advise about flooring, bedding depth, and weight when hocks are starting to suffer. Move to the teeth — do they examine molars at routine visits — and to gut slowdown: what should you do at home in the first hours, and when do they want the rabbit brought straight in? Ask about skin checks too, since the Rex coat hides parasites and small lumps differently from a normal coat. Close with neutering volume and the after-hours route.
Rescues and Rex breeders as your directory
Rex rabbits arrive in rescues regularly, often with the very hock problems you are trying to prevent, so rescue staff know which clinics treat feet conservatively and well rather than reaching for heavy interventions first. Ask them. Breeders of Rex rabbits also maintain vet relationships centred on coat, skin, and feet, and a responsible one will share the name. Local rabbit groups can confirm whether a clinic's Rex reputation holds up across several owners rather than one good story.
A first visit that photographs the feet
At the baseline appointment, ask the vet to examine and describe both hocks so you have a starting point, and consider taking clear photos of them at home each month for comparison. Bring notes on flooring throughout the run and hutch, bedding, litter type, and your Rex's weight trend, since hock advice is meaningless without the surfaces behind it. Observe general rabbit handling as well — towel grip, hindquarter support, and a calm, dog-free space. Leave knowing the practice's threshold: at what stage of redness do they want to see the rabbit again?
Replies that suggest the wrong clinic
A practice that has never heard of hock problems in Rex rabbits, dismisses foot checks as cosmetic, or cannot explain its rabbit emergency cover has failed the specific test this breed sets. So has one that recommends fasting a rabbit before surgery or seems surprised that molars need checking. Rabbit medicine is specialised enough that a near miss is still a miss — keep calling until a clinic handles the hock question as routine.
Save the practice that passed the Rex test
File the clinic's details alongside your hock photos, weight notes, and flooring record so any change in those feet can be judged against the baseline. KinsLe's Pet Services Directory gives Rex owners a straightforward way to track down trustworthy local services and reach them directly, keeping a breed-aware vet within easy reach.