put a treat on the floor, drop a towel over treat-eating bun. kneel over towel, holding towel down, gently ease one paw from under towel, replace treat as it gets finished

Try G.J’s method .
Tracing is not dangerous if you don’t do it in order to force feed a bunny. A bunny must never be put on it’s back for feeding, due to the risk of choking.
Trancing can be very scary for a bunny though, but it doesn’t always have to be. I’ll see if I can find a good link for you. Forum leader Jerseygirl knows more than I about this.

ETA: Frances Harcourt Brown uses trancing or tonic immobility sometimes when she treats bunnies who for some reason needs to be treated without sedation. Here’s the link I hoped I’d be able to find for you: http://www.theallearspodcast.com/blog/2015/4/13/frances-harcourt-browns-first-owners-programme

Scroll down to the anorexic rabbit when to worry, then scroll down a bit more until you come to the passage that starts “The tonic immobility response”. 

Try other methods suggested first, of course. But sometimes trancing a rabbit can be the lesser of two evils. It of course depends a lot on the bunny, the situation etc. 

I totally understand what you’re going through. Pudge was a royal hellbeast for the longest time.  There were times where I’d only get one paw done per night because she would get so wound up.

Here’s what I found to work:

1) Put the bunny on a table, counter, or someplace where she will have solid ground beneath her but not feel as though an easy escape is available. (Pudge struggles much more if we’re on the floor, or my lap, because she knows she’s only a short hop away from freedom…)

2) Keep the bunny as comfortable as possible. Rabbits feel safest with all feet on the ground and without restraints. (Putting Pudge in a blanket was like lighting the fuse on a stick of dynamite…it was only a matter of time until she came rocketing outta there!)

Here’s the video that I watched:

Easy Nail Trimming

This guy is very comfortable with rabbits, and while I still like to check the nail more than he does, how he handles them has helped me maintain Pudge’s comfort.

Lastly, your rabbit will have to get used to nail trimming being a less stressful experience. Part of her has likely learned that nail trims are stressful, and she may sense your apprehension. When I learned to clip claws by myself, I would only take a small bit off the tip of the nail. It got me used to doing it, and my bun learned I wasn’t going to hurt her.

P.S. Why does it seem like instructional videos use the most relaxed rabbits ever? Like…no? If bunny was an obedient, little ragdoll I wouldn’t be having these issues right now…

Posted By Hex on 12/06/2016 3:25 PM

…

P.S. Why does it seem like instructional videos use the most relaxed rabbits ever? Like…no? If bunny was an obedient, little ragdoll I wouldn’t be having these issues right now…

I know, right?!!  Like little Bean in the Howcast series. I swear he must be a professional actor. 

Thanks for linking that Bam. That viewpoint of Dr Harcourt-Brown does show that it’s one of those controversial things in rabbit owner circles. I definitely am of the camp, only use when absolutely cannot avoid. Like getting to the dewclaws or cleaning scent glands or treating sore hocks, sometimes you have to put them on their backs, especially if you are doing it on your own. It is possible to do without them zoning out too, but you definitely can see they’re stressed and hear them breathing heavily. These days, I can secure some of my rabbits with their backs against me, the bottom supported in my lap and feet facing outwards. So they are more upright. You can tell they are quite aware of what is going on around them. If you can get someone else to hold them like that, while you do the nails, so much the better.

It might pay to do a nail a day for her just to get her used to being secured and having them done. She might (fingers crossed) learn that it’s not so bad and over quickly, and stuggle less.

I guess it’s a bit like when the buns go to the vets.. new territory, high up…. “don’t move Ethel” !!

So maybe try a table that she doesn’t know, or in a room she doesn’t know…. as Hex says, down on the ground and they know they are a short hop to freedom.

Vienna offers good advice! I thought I was going to have to take Alfred to the vet to get his nails done. I could not get a bunny burrito or trancing to work. Then I realized he is much more compliant when in a strange place. And that it was possible for one (standing) person to hold him against their chest while another person trims his nails, no towels or trancing required. So now I take him to my Sisters place to get his nails trimmed and he’s very well behaved about it ( though when he’s back on the ground he sometimes thumps in protest)

“Don’t move, Ethel” =D

With dogs, it’s absolutely true that they tend to accept nailclipping and other horrible, horrible silly human ideas in an unfamiliar environment.

Jerseygirl deserves all credit credit for the link to the discussion about trancing/tonic immobility.

Yay, that’s such good news. Thanks for the update…..

Great news! Thanks for the update!