Nails! Nails! Nails!

[dolly87]

Alright, I have a bit of a tricky situation here.

My bun needs his nails trimmed BAD. He is not neutered though & I am afraid to even try & clip his nails because although he is not mean, he is skittish & I can get him on his back & he goes into that almost bunny coma, but will shake himself out of it & insist on being on all four paws again.

Wondering if it will be worth it to pay the $9 each time he needs a trim? Or should I just try it myself (remember, I have never done it!!) Will this behavior get better post-neutering??

Thanks!!!:hug:

 

[irishbunny]

Getting him fixed probably won't stop him from being skittish. When clipping their nails try and be confidant and if you can have someone help you. Wrap the bunny in a towel and hold it on it's back pull out the front paws and clip and then the same for the back nails. If you can get someone to help you, have them clip while you hold

 

[sbaxter]

George can be skittish although i watched an experienced rabbit person clip his nails and he was good as gold,think he sences i`m nervous i am trying to desensitise sp? him and i LOL, so he will let me handle his feet will be slow but we`ll get there :biggrin2:

 

[elrohwen]

My bun is awful with nail trims. After owning him for 8 months he is just at the point where I can pick him up (holding him on his back like a baby) for a few seconds. If my husband tries to touch his feet while he's on his back, he flips out. So we're going slow but steady and hopefully some day he'll just let us do it. Part of the desensitization is just getting us more confident at handling him too.

For now, I pay the $15 to have the vet do it. I've found I can go 8 weeks between trims and they're not too bad, so that's only every other month. If I had to do it myself, I know I would get increasingly frustrated and my bun would get increasingly upset. I figure it's easier to have his interactions with me be mostly positive, and let someone else make him angry for now ;-)

 

[NorthernAutumn]

I don't put my rabbits on their backs for nail trims. Instead, if alone, I do the fore paws while they are on the floor. Kneel down over top and cram bunny between the knees.

If I am lucky and have help, we get out the bunny towel, and bunny burrito the unlucky fuzzy. Then, Nate will sit down and hold the bun's back against his chest, like the rabbit is sitting on its bum. I then extract each foot one at a time and clip the nails.

I have found personally that my rabbits are not willing to be on their backs whatsoever, so I just don't go there .

 

[dolly87]

I mustered up the guts to just buy some clippers & try. Mac was a truly GREAT sport! :yes: I wrapped him in a towel, put him in my arms like a baby, & at one point he even looked like he was going to fall asleep.

I have discovered a problem, his nails are indeed black & I cannot see the quick (blood filled part) of the nail! So, we just did a quick trim & needless to say his nails are long, but not AS long. I am just sooo proud of my little guy for being such a good sport. :hug: Thanks for all the help! Anybody know anything about trimming dark nails? I am off to consult my Animal Planet book on rabbits until the mean time!

 

[Korr_and_Sophie]

You can use a flash light to see the quick on black nails. Some people use a head lamp, while others have someone hold the light. I have seen nail clippers with a light attached.
You can also just clip a little bit at a time. As you get closer to the quick, the nail will get smoother. If you do cut the quick on one nail, it is not as much as if you cut more off at once.

 

[NorthernAutumn]

I sit at the office desk, and position the desk lamp to shine through my boy's black nails. That way, I'm not fumbling with anything.
If you lightly press your thumb into the bottom of their paw, the nails seem to protrude a bit more.
Rubbing cheeks will calm bunny down.... he'll probably zonk out in your arms
I also keep cornstarch close by just in case I happen to nail the quick (Hasn't happened in 3 years though, knock on wood!

Way to go you and your boy for git'n er done!:highfive:

 

[crystal]

I've been putting off having to try the nail trim. I got some nail cutting things (different to what I imagined) for Christmas so now I am running out of excuses... I will wait until my dad is home to be able to hold them because he has a firm grip (but not too firm).

I also need to try out the brushes I got too...

 

[AngelnSnuffy]

If it's any consulation, I just take the tips of the nail off, especially in winter. I take them to the bathroom and little snippy snip.

I have had difficult buns as well. You can also try the bunny burrito to trim nails if you absolutely have to. I just got them used to me handling them in my lap and trim that way in the cold months.

Let me know if you are struggling. I'll see what I can think of to help.

Best of luck! Give it a try, let us know how it goes.

Here's a really good vid on it, not sure if you'd seen it:


[ame=http://youtube.com/watch?v=JV3pf3c_I60]http://youtube.com/watch?v=JV3pf3c_I60[/ame]