Rough surface to wear down nails?

[bunnnnnnie!]

Has anyone ever offered their bun a rough surface to run on, to wear their nails down?  Maybe a stepping stone like you’d use in a garden or something?

Just an idea.  I know for dogs, just taking them on walks on the rough sidewalk material can keep their nails worn down to the point they never need trimming (if the dog is walked enough, of course).  Could the same principle be applied to buns?  The only thing I’d wonder about is since rabbits travel by hopping, rather than walking/trotting, that maybe the hopping gait wouldn’t work for wearing down the nails.

For that matter, how do wild buns keep their nails short?

Thoughts?

[LBJ10]

Does he like to dig? I give my rabbits those cardboard cat scratcher things. They love them.

[bmt87]

I’m curious about people’s answers to this. My bun has REALLY long nails that can’t be trimmed much because her quick is so long…. I’ve thought multiple times if there were a way to “naturally” get them to gradually become shorter over time other than frequent clippings hoping the quick recedes.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By LBJ10 on 05/10/2012 04:30 PM

Does he like to dig? I give my rabbits those cardboard cat scratcher things. They love them.

He loves to dig.  But would those scratcher things wear his nails down?

[LBJ10]

I think they help with my buns’ nails. Do you know the kind I’m talking about? I usually get the cardboard “refills” that are meant to go into a frame. You can get the ones that are shaped like furniture, but those are pretty expensive for what they are.

Your bun would actually need to dig at it though. Mine will stand on top of it and crazy dig, especially Leopold.

[RabbitPam]

Hi, the best way to get the quick to recede is to trim just a small amount off the nail (ie. clip) tip much more frequently. Doing it more often makes the quick recede back until it’s sort of a normal length. This would take a few weeks.

I’ve never heard of nails being ground down with a natural file method for them to walk on, and would be concerned that the surface might put the bunny at risk of sore hocks on their skin. I know how hard nail trimming is to accomplish, but it’s just one of those things that needs to be done. If you let your bunny’s nails get too long then (besides the quick growing) there’s a chance the bunny will catch a nail and break it way down, which could bleed, be painful, or even get stuck and lead to a broken toe. Better to study methods of nail trimming and work on it with your bunny and/or your vet to keep it under control. (Understandable idea, though.)

[mocha200]

We have those cardboard cat furniture for our cats and they LOVE to scratch them but we still have to clip their nails. We just have them for them to have fun with! And I thought they were for sharpening nails?

[KytKattin]

As someone who grew up with outside bunnies (that lived in large pens, not in hutches), I can say that we never had to trim their nails. They dug in the dirt enough that it simply wasn’t a problem, not to mention that they had about 200 sqft or more of running space. I can only image that wild bunnies, with so much more space, are simply able to run them down themselves. Not to mention the hormones that make them want to dig/burrow to make nests. You also have to remember that wild bunnies simply don’t live as long as our pets do. It is just like with horses: given enough space they can keep their feet in good shape, but in captivity (especially stalls in the case of horses!) they simply are not active enough.

Even if you were to create a safe run outside, since house bunnies are spayed/neutered many do not have the drive to dig like their wild counterparts. Plus, unless you live somewhere super nice, your bunny could only be outside during the day for about half of the year until rain or snow came, or maybe it would get too hot!

As for the dog thing, I just wanted to share that I have a dog with one leg that is a little shorter than the other (not sure why, he was a rescue). No matter how much walking he gets one side always wears down (even the dewclaw!) and the other needs trimming. It is pretty funny.

[bunnnnnnie!]

Posted By KytKattin on 05/11/2012 03:00 PM
As someone who grew up with outside bunnies (that lived in large pens, not in hutches), I can say that we never had to trim their nails. They dug in the dirt enough that it simply wasn’t a problem, not to mention that they had about 200 sqft or more of running space. I can only image that wild bunnies, with so much more space, are simply able to run them down themselves. Not to mention the hormones that make them want to dig/burrow to make nests. You also have to remember that wild bunnies simply don’t live as long as our pets do. It is just like with horses: given enough space they can keep their feet in good shape, but in captivity (especially stalls in the case of horses!) they simply are not active enough.

Even if you were to create a safe run outside, since house bunnies are spayed/neutered many do not have the drive to dig like their wild counterparts. Plus, unless you live somewhere super nice, your bunny could only be outside during the day for about half of the year until rain or snow came, or maybe it would get too hot!

As for the dog thing, I just wanted to share that I have a dog with one leg that is a little shorter than the other (not sure why, he was a rescue). No matter how much walking he gets one side always wears down (even the dewclaw!) and the other needs trimming. It is pretty funny.

All very true.  You’re right too on the hormones and digging thing, before Zeus was neutered he was a much more avid digger.  Now it’s more like a pastime then a way of life.

Very cute about your dog.  West bunny (may she RIP) had a crooked leg (birth defect, as far as vet guessed), and the nails grew funny on that paw.  One of them grew straight SIDEWAYS, like perpendicular to her paw.  It was very strange.

I might have to get Zeus one of those cardboard scratch things for cats, just as a toy if nothing else.  I bet he’d love it.

[kinggoblin]

I have two cat scratchers for my bunny, he likes them but they don’t wear down his nails, I just take him to the vet to get them clipped ( usually 1x a month during one of his teeth trimmings ) . I thinks its just much easier to have someone else do it. When I did it it took me days and lots of treats to get all 4 paws

[Mr.Buck]

Not to brag, but I put Buck in a burrito once when we first got him and just used my dremel grinder and he was total cool. Wiggled a little, not much.

But if you don’t really like doing it, there are a lot of rescues, shelters that offer it for pretty reasonable fees.

Also, have you been trying to do it alone or with some help? The towel burrito really works GREAT! I was able to lay him on his back and everything. Just make sure the room is kinda cooler so he doesn’t got too hot. And don’t keep him wrapped up too long.

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