shall i cut my rabbits nails myself or shall i take him to the vet to have them cut?

Question

what is to have their teeth clipped?can somebody explain..?

Answer 1

Rabbits nails are very similar to that of a cat. Although rabbits can be jumpy, If you have done a cats nails before, you should be fine. Before actually try to do it yourself, try holding the rabbit on its side in your lap, if it is jumpy wrap him in a towel with one foot out at a time. If he appears to be calm you should be fine. If the nail is not overly long, just snip off the tip of the nail. I have always just used regular nail clippers, but you can buy nail clippers for rabbits. Most rabbit have clear or whitish nails and you can see the quick. Make sure you don't cut into the quick. Make sure you have quick stop on hand, it will stop the bleeding if a nail is cut too short.

Rabbits teeth can also become overgrown if they do not have enough chew toys. Wooden chew toys are a necessity for rabbits, alfalfa cubes can also help to keep their teeth short. If a rabbits teeth get too long, it can cause discomfort and the rabbit will not be able to eat. The rabbit would need to be taken to the vet to have the teeth filed down.

Answer 2

Two questions and two answers:
Yes, you can clip your bunnies nails if you know what you are doing. You can find information at
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabcare.html#nails
and you can also order a video that explains how to do it at www.rabbitcare.org. Personally we take ours to the vet.

Clipping teeth may be necessary in some rabbits as their teeth grow their entire life. If you are giving them plenty of hay and other healthy things to chew, they shouldn't need clipping. If teeth need clipping it is definitely something for the vet IMO. Here is some information from
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=18&cat=1803&articleid=1120

"Unlike dogs and cats, a rabbit's front teeth (the incisors) continue to grow throughout the life of the animal. Generally, the wear on the teeth through gnawing and eating is equal to the growth of the teeth, so the teeth basically stay the same length. Some rabbits may have malocclusion, which means their teeth do not meet each other normally. When this happens, the incisors do not wear down like they should, and a veterinarian will trim off the excess. A clippers is sometimes used for this procedure. A small rotary power tool like a hobby Dremel can also be used. Removing the excess tooth does not cause pain to the rabbit."

See also for more info on rabbit's teeth:
http://homepage.mac.com/mattocks/morfz/rabrefs.html#teeth

Answer 3

i would take him to the vet it doesnt cost very much for nails clipped and their teeth need to be filed down at least once a year or their teeth will just keep growing until eventually they will not be able to eat and they die, they also will get very cranky and even bite if their teeth are long

Answer 4

Well it depends........rabbits are jumpy even if they are old and no animal like to have their paws touched.......I recommend the vet does it........you don't want to hurt your bunny or get all scratched up ....it is not expensive to get it done! They should have their teeth clipped anyway by a vet......do both at one visit!

Answer 5

Good question,
if you can, if your bunny will let you, go for it. just be careful not to cut them too far down, beyond the "quick" or he will bleed. You can see the quick as a vein or dark line if you hold bunny's paw to the light. if your bunny won't let you, or wiggles too much and you are afraid to hurt him, let the vet do it.
and it's always a good idea to let the vet show you in person at least the first time if you choose to do it on your own.

Answer 6

The first time you should take him to the vet. While youre there have the vet teach you how to do it yourself! This way you can save money in the future and be confident that you're doing it right!

Answer 7

We had tons of rabbits.(I was like 10-11) And we clipped all of our rabbits nail by our self. Its easy! all you have to do is....
Put in on your lap and in between your legs tightly(JUST NOT TO TIGHT!) Hold its paw and clip every nail! If it get scared talk sweetly to him/her. And then start clipping again!

Answer 8

I would take him to the vet. Just so u dont screw up his nails.
No offense but vets know what they are doing.Not saying u dont but they are professicinals. buh bye

Answer 9

For teeth you should go to the vet. If you go to http://www.rabbit.org you can find articles on how to clip nails.

Answer 10

just allow the vet to do it, if you do not know how to do it, is best for the vet to teach how it should done nice and that your beloved rabbit wouldnt be scare.