Is this the quick?

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BINKYBUNNY FORUMS

This topic has 6sd replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 13 years, 3 months ago by RabbitPam.

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- 11/15/2012 at 9:04 AM
  Buncakes
  Participant
  3 posts
  Hi Everyone!
  
  I’m new here and looking for some help! I just adopted a bunny that has VERY long nails. I got the bunny from a friend who is moving out of the country. He is a 2 year old lion head named Brownie, extremely cute and friendly! Aside from the nails issue he seems really happy, my friend always gave him free range of the entire house, he has a lot of toys, has been neutered and is litter trained.
  
  For the last week, he has been exploring my house and bonding with me. I’ve been reading as much as possible about rabbits to be a good mommy. However, all the reading in the world couldn’t prepare me for the nail trimming experience. My friend said she really didn’t know he needed to have them trim, that she thought they would trim naturally. In the two years, he only got his nails trimmed ONCE! at the vet when he got neutered… now I am surprised they aren’t even longer if it has been that long but they definitely need a trim. He was extremely nervous even though I was only checking for the quick, his nails are a beige color which should make things easy but unfortunately it doesn’t (or Im just bad at it!). I’ve only trimmed cat’s nails and I could clearly see the quick being thick and pink, but Brownie shows a black thin line all the way up to the tip of his nail, but I can also see a thicker cream color “line” inside the nail, I’m hoping that’s the actual quick as it would give me at least 2mm to cut every week, to get the quick to recede, that black line gives me virtually no room to trim a bit. I have posted two pictures to show you what I am seeing, maybe someone can shed some light on what is what.
  
  Also how long does it take for the quick to recede, If i trim every week, will it be months until his nails are short again? Can I file them down to make the process less painful for him?
  
  Thanks a lot
  
  http://i49.tinypic.com/2v1rcip.jpg
  
  http://i50.tinypic.com/snnf53.jpg
- 11/15/2012 at 9:20 AM
  Stickerbunny
  Participant
  4128 posts
  Black on his nails looks like just his coloring, the quick on a bunny is kind of a creamy pink (depending on the color of the nail) and thicker, it’s usually a few mm away from the edge. Would be that thicker one you see, I can’t tell from the pics since the lighting makes it hard to see. Since he hasn’t been trimmed in so long, get some styptic powder and just clip off the edge of the nail. Wait 2 weeks or so, then you should be able to trim some more. His nails are light colored, so you should see the quick pretty easily.
  
  http://www.threelittleladiesrabbitry.com/groomi20.jpg <– a pic of the quick in a bunny with white nails. I couldn't find a bigger picture that was clear.
- 11/15/2012 at 11:39 AM
  Elrohwen
  Participant
  7318 posts
  Ditto Stickerbunny – definitely not the quick; it looks like some normal coloring. I would guess that the thicker creamy line is the quick since I don’t see an obvious quick in your pictures.
  
  You could file them – some people use dremels on dogs (though knowing my rabbits they’d have no part of a noisy dremel coming towards them). If he’ll let you, filing them down a little would be a great idea.
- 11/15/2012 at 12:11 PM
  Buncakes
  Participant
  3 posts
  Thanks for the clarification! I just finished filing the front feet a little bit and he was really okay with that. I tried the burrito style this time, his eyes were closed and he seemed to be enjoying being held like that. I only did the front feet to get him used to it I will try the back later tonight. While I was filing the nails, I did push all the hair back and with some better lighting I was able to see some pink way closer to the base of the nail and not going all the way to the tip sort of like the picture StickerBunny posted. Is it be possible that the quick hasn’t grown with the nail, even though they are super long?
- 11/15/2012 at 1:26 PM
  lmais
  Participant
  272 posts
  What about taking him to the vet? I always get Ruby’s done at the vet cause I’m a chicken, but if you bring him to get them trimmed there once I’m sure the vet won’t mind showing you how to find it
- 11/19/2012 at 9:11 AM
  Buncakes
  Participant
  3 posts
  There is only one vet that specializes in bunnies where I live, so Im going to have to wait another week before they can see him. In the mean time, I did trim a little bit but I’ll just wait for the vet to show me, I get more nervous than Brownie does! Thanks everyone!
- 11/19/2012 at 3:15 PM
  RabbitPam
  Moderator
  11002 posts
  I like having corn starch ready when I clip nails (as a natural substitute for styptic powder) but either is good in case you make him bleed.
  
  My favorite is the Press/Press/Clip technique. You get the nail cutter and place it, and press, on the point that you are about to cut on the nail. Press, press again, and if your bunny remains still go ahead and clip the nail. If at any time, with any nail, you press the quick, the bunny will pull his paw away from you sharply. Let him. It means you’ve touched his quick. In a way you’re enlisting his help in doing his nails. If he pulls away (not struggles to get free from the whole process which is different) then go back and pick a point on the nail that’s closer to the tip. Press again, and if he doesn’t yank away, clip. Do this for each nail.
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