Adventures in nail trimming

[Allie2620]

Welllllllll, today was the first time I tried cutting Daphne’s nails (last time, the vet did it) and it was a wee bit traumatic for everyone involved.  I had my boyfriend help me out, but Daphne did not like it one bit.  We took her into the bathroom, and attempted the bunny burrito, but she kept wiggling out (even when one of us would be holding her tight against our chest like the vet demonstrated).  And she was breathing super fast and heavily, and making funny noises, so I could tell she was stressed out and seriously annoyed.  I think we eventually got all her nails trimmed, but we kept having to put her down (or she’d jump out of the burrito and be kicking like mad) and switched back and forth as to who was holding and who was cutting. 

Ugh, not looking forward to doing it again in a month…I felt so bad that I actually burst into tears at one point because I was afraid I was hurting her (and my roommate started laughing when I relayed that part of the story …fail).  I think she’s okay now, but she hid behind the couch for quite some time (at one point was laying completely down like a dog with her legs kicked out and her head on the ground <--is that normal? I felt like I read somewhere that that wasn't normal...did I make that up?)

I’m think I’m going to do some youtube-ing before the next time to get some more instructions so it’s a little less awful. 

[LoveChaCha]

Was Daphne flopped out? Chacha will sometimes have her feet sprawled out and her head on the ground sometimes.

[Allie2620]

I just googled “flopped out bunnies” and found a link from an old BB thread that totally just made me giggle – so, yes, she was flopped out

(For anyone’s entertainment: http://www.bunspace.com/contestwinners?all=1&tg_paginate_limit=20&contestid=5&tg_paginate_no=1 )

[Huckleberry]

Trimming nails is a nightmare. Once, I held Huckleberry with her feet towards my chest, just for a minute, but it was enough time for her to kick me right in the gut and knock the wind out of me.
Have you learned to trance her yet? It doesn’t help me at all because Huckleberry refuses to stay tranced but maybe youll have better luck!!!
Good luck with it! You probably aren’t hurting her unless you are really twisting her paw or cut the quick. My vet told me that even though it is scary, you have to “be the parent” and be a little tough, not so much that you hurt the rabbit but so that they dont end up hurting themselves. Its not easy…

[LoveChaCha]

Yep, flopped out means.. “Ah, this is the life.”

[Kate Monster]

Even though nail trimming is awful, mine are always pretty happy after they’ve calmed down a bit and there are binkies and flops. I think their little feet feel better after a trim. When I trim Kate’s nails she literally climbs up me. Last time we did trimming she climbed all the way up on top of my head with her back feet on my shoulder. As a result I have to wear a shirt with long sleeves and a high neck or I come out looking like I’ve been to war all covered in scratches and bleeding. So it’s not fun, but if she was flopped out not long afterwards, she was pretty happy with life.

[Kokaneeandkahlua]

Hahah that sounds like the ‘oh boy I just used all my strength to beat up my parents, now I’m relaxing’ flop It’s tiring fighting a blanket and two people-sounds like she was lounging

[Allie2620]

yeah, she’s back to normal now, 1 day post-trauma, so I think she’s good to go We got her an X-pen today, and she’s been happily entertained by chewing the cardboard box that it was shipped in…oh, bunnies…

[Lagomorphic]

Sounds like the bunny burrito wasn’t secure enough. Sometimes I have to burrito Rosie when I do her nails. I have her on the kitchen counter on a towel, and if she starts being a brat, I wrap her up. Then I’ve got her butt end in the crook of one elbow and her head in the crook of the other (kind of). This helps secure the burrito more and leaves two hands free to cut nails.

Nail trimming has never been super traumatic for any of my buns or I, and I’m trying to figure out why – what we’re doing that might be able to help. I just stick them on a towel on the kitchen counter and start off doing full-body pets while I just generally check them out. Then while I’m petting them, I take my other hand and slip it under a paw. Then I pick up the nail clippers with the other hand and clip, clip, clip with a “good girl/boy” after each one. I’m real matter of fact about it, and they do get a mild reprimand if they try to pull their paw away or something. Afterwards they get lots of praise and pets.

[Lagomorphic]

Posted By Huckleberry on 05/24/2011 09:40 PM
Have you learned to trance her yet? It doesn’t help me at all because Huckleberry refuses to stay tranced but maybe youll have better luck!!!

“Trancing” is really a temporary state of paralysis (called tonic immobility) that’s a fear-driven and instinctual response to a high stress situation.  Rabbits do this under intense fear when all else fails and they’re cornered by a predator.  They “play dead” so the predator might loosen its grip and they can escape. Laboratory research has shown that rabbits put into a “trance” in the lab have significantly increased heart rates and significantly elevated stress hormone levels, which indicate fear rather than relaxation.  I don’t want to put my buns in a situation where they think they’re about to be killed by a predator.

Here’s an article:  http://www.hopperhome.com/Trancing%…ity%20.pdf

[somebunny]

hi allie, the first few times we tried to trim our rabbit’s nails it was traumatic as well, what i learned for my rabbit (she hates being picked up!) – the burrito needs to be very snug, i usally assemble the burrito on a table & make sure one of the towel ends gets tucked right under the bunny. Once its very snug and she can’t crawl or wriggle out, i hold her really closely/securely and turn her upside down to trance her. So we need a combination of burrito + trancing to trim her nails. she is usually very scared and sniffing loudly as well. We also give her a little treat afterwards. I think she is somewhat used it now that we have done the same routine several times, so it’s not as hard to hold her still etc. I also use the time in the burrito for a cuddle

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