Do some people clip their bunnies nails?

Question

I have two mini rex's, and their nails are long! How do they react when you clip them, and what do you use?

Answer 1

I have a mini lop and he is fine with it. I am a pet groomer and have done nails on ferrets, bunnies, dogs, cats, birds and even lizards and most of them do well with nail clipping. You can use clippers sold for bunnies at pet stores or you can use a small pair of scissors and lightly cut of the tip alittle bit at a time untill the desired legnth try not to make them bleed. For rabbits it is easier to have someone hold them while you clip their nails. Good luck

Answer 2

Most rabbits do NOT like having their nails clipped. Its really a bit difficult to do also, but you really need to clip them. The way rabbits' feet are made, they toes are not connected and they do not have pads on their feet like dogs and cats, so walking with very overgrown nails can be quite painful. You can try to do it yourself first, maybe the bunnies will tolerate it. If not, you need to take them to an experienced vet or groomer for nail clipping.

I use clippers made for cats, the kind that looks a bit like hedge trimmers(lol, that's a bit of an odd description, What I mean is get the kind that has sharp edges on both sides and closes up to cut the nail.) I have had bad experience with the guillotine sort of clippers, they are a bit difficult to cut with and are hard to have good control of while holding a squirming bunny. Get someone to help you if possible. Its easiest to do if you are holding the bunny on its back in your lap, if you wrap the bunny in a towel, it may help to calm him down. If the bunny appears to be very stressed, only clip a few nails at a time and then let him go and try again in a few hours. If all else fails, a vet can show you how to best hold your bunnies so clipping will be easier. Good luck!!

Answer 3

Their nails aren’t generally too hard to do, and I personally prefer to use the small scissor trimmers used on cat nails because they aren't bulky and I feel like I have better control.

Some owners find it easy to clip lay their rabbits on their backs and clip the nails when the rabbit goes into a trance . My bigger rabbits were never too keen on this, so instead I gently moved their feet out from underneath them one at a time and clip the nails one at a time. They felt comfortable with this because their feet were still on the ground. Leave a small gap between the tip of the pink area (the quick) and where you are cutting so the rabbit doesn’t bleed.

If you are nervous about it you could always ask a groomer or your vet to show you how the first time.

Answer 4

Clipping them a little bit at a time is the best idea. You can also get a vet to show you - a lot of first-time bunny owners get a vet to show them at first.

Wrapping your bunn in a towel is a good idea you can try. Some people hold their bunn on his back on their lap, because they sometimes struggle less in this position. But our bunny struggles more in this position, so we sit him on my friend's knees, or on the couch, in the corner of the couch so he can't back away, upright on his four feet, and keep my arm wrapped around his back while I hold the relevant foot and cut his nails.

Rabbits have a blood vessel running down the centre of their nail - if your rabbit has white or pale coloured nails, you'll be able to see the pink blood vessel inside. You must be careful not to cut too closely to this, or it will bleed badly. Just in case this ever happens, you can stop the bleeding with powder such as talcum powder or plain flour.

If she's a very dark colour, it will be harder to see the blood vessels running through the middle of her nails ... hold a flashlight on the other side of her foot, so that the beam shines through her nail, and that lets you see the blood vessel more easily.

It's a challenge for the beginner, but the more you do it, the more both you and your bunn will get used to it.

Here's some more good discussions and explanations and suggestions -
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060620204701AAqMr6O
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060916005704AANSvjb
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20060828161214AAJftjG

Just be calm and go slow ... best of luck!

Answer 5

I have a Dutch and a Netherland Dwarf. The dwarf is easy to clip, he just sits there and lets me go to town. The Dutch is a bit harder. She doesn't like it and usually my husband or I has to hold her. Each one is different and you just have to find a way to hold them that works best for you and them. Both my bunnies have white nails so the quick ( the red that comes down into the nail a bit where their nail and toe meet ) is easy to see. If they have dark nails shine a flashlight under their nails to see. If you don't feel comfortably trimming them take them to a vet for their trimmings.

I use either toenail clippers or the ones you find at pet stores that are for smaller animals.

Answer 6

Well in my family we had all kinds of animals and I am thrilled to see this queation.....for there are things that people do no realize that our pets need care in special ways. yes, we had two rabbits and both my mother insistedand i will never know how she did it, as they always want to scamper off, she DID cut thir nailswith a regular pair of nail clippers and sometimes using the file, all so delicately, she didnt want them clawing us. I am the eldest fo 9 orignially, she tended the dogs nails as well....NOT the cats, and we had 16 of them...she said for some people it was necessary..as the cats would claw & that the cats needed their claws to survive often enough........the dogs sally and Fritz seemed to love it.....they woudl stay so still.....the bunnies squirmed but she knew how to hold them and get it done in quick fashion. maybe anyone reading this thinks that i am nuts, but this is the truth and it taught us to care more for the special needs of all of our animals i.e.some need to be held more than others. she told us they arent people but have so many of the same needs. I love your question and wish more people thought like you!\
My parrot Walter has to be clipped every now and then, and fortunately I have a friend who raises exotic birds, so Walter gets his wings clipped so he wont fly away and we tend his talons too.
Cheers!

Answer 7

You can use small cat clippers - not regular people clippers. Here's a link that will tell you how to do it.
You can also order a video on nail clipping and handling by going to www.rabbitcare.org. It will help you and benefit a rabbit rescue.

Answer 8

You are only meant to trim there nails if they have started to over grow. I have never had to as i make sure my rabbit have access to the garden and plenty of exercise if they want to wear them down. If you do need to trim a rabbits nails then you need to get pet nail clippers human ones will crush the nail and damage the nail beds. You need to be careful not to cut the quick as that is not only very painfully but will bleed alot. If you are not sure who to do it you are best getting your vet to do it and show you how to do it in furture.

Answer 9

i do they get so long and sharp,i use normal nail clippers, that are sharp.
you jest cut before the blood line.

Answer 10

Yup. You can do it with regular nail clippers.