Nail Biting

[HoneyPot]

Couldn't find other posts that mentioned this so wanted to see what you guys thought...

Cookie bites his nails.

He'll be grooming away, licking his toes and thenhe bites and yanks. Like he's trying to pull them out.

At first I thought it was because his nails were too long and he wasgiving himself a self-clipping (wouldn't we ALL love it if they clippedtheir own nails...), but even after I cut his nails, he still nibbleson them.

I look at his nails and there's little teeth marks all overthem. Some of them he's bitten off pieces and they're littlesharp daggers. I think maybe he's just biting them so theycan scratch me harder when he's mad.

This started happening after a very disasterous nail clipping incident at the pet store months ago.

So far, it doesn't seem to be a big issue - but I don't know what he's doing.

Any ideas?

_______________________
Nadia & Cookie the Nail Biter

 

[Lissa]

Never heard of anything like thishappening. Possible nervous disorder maybe? Do cliphis nails regularly? Maybe then he wouldn't be able to chewthem. :?

 

[pamnock]

Provide plenty of hay to give him a chewingdistraction. Self-mutilation is not uncommon in animals (orhumans for that matter). It can be set off by injury (as inthe case of clipping the nails too short), boredom, geneticpredisposition, compulsive disorder, fungal infection, mineraldeficiency (caused by poor feed or metabolic disorder), or disease.

In severe cases, a collar can be used to discourage the rabbit from thebehavior. In some instances, this may result in permanentlycuring the behavior.

I'd keep a close eye on him -- I've seen cases where the rabbit had eaten its entire foot down to the bone.

Pam

 

[Shuu]

Loki does that sometimes when she's digging.She'll dig in a corner, then pull at her foot. All that's resulted issome missing fur. I have no idea why she does it or when it started butshe doesn't seem to be hurting herself and theres no mal effects. Iguess just keep an eye on it?

 

[Lissa]

Just out of curiosity, is Cookie purebred?

 

[JimD]

When S'more had her bout with GI stat, shechewed her front nails. I was so puzzled when we went to clip thembefore going to the vet and her nails were right down to the quick :?.I couldn't have done a better job myself :shock:. She never did itbefore and hasn't done it since recovering either.

~Jim

 

[HoneyPot]

Thanks for all the good advice everyone.

I've been watching him and checking his feet everyday to make sure it'snothing I should be worried about. So far there's just littlenibble marks on his back toe nails. I've been keeping themshort to discourage him chewing them.

I will keep an eye on him.

Lissa: I have no idea what Cookie is, we got him from someone who got him from someone etc.

Pam: Thanks for all the info, I never thought of half that stuff.

_______________
Nadia