Any tips on clipping a difficult bunny nails?

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This topic has 2sd replies, 3 voices, and was last updated 5 years, 10 months ago by Carolyn.

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- 01/25/2019 at 10:39 AM
  BunBun260
  Participant
  132 posts
  I have two rabbits, a rex who has dark nails and a female rabbit who I don’t know the breed of, but she has clear/white nails. It’s super easy to clip my Rex nails, which I find funny because he has dark nails and is super calm and easy to clip, yet my female who has easy to see nails, is the difficult one. I tried many methods such as using a blanket to kinda provide comfort and keep her contain, having someone hold her while I clip, placing her on my lap/ table top, clipping her nails while she sitting down. She freaks out way to much. She will rather jerk her paw away while the nail is in the clipper (which is sooooo dangerous) or she will nip me hard (she doesn’t break skin) and try running away.
  
  I’m really concerned she is going to end up hurting herself. I try to make the process quick, and I always treat her after she is done with her fav treat. I’m at the point where I’m going to start bringing her some where to get her nails clip. But i would really like to avoid doing that. I do the press press clip thing, and honestly I think that is what freaks her out.
  
  If anyone can give me tips on how they clip their difficult bunny nails, that’s would be awesome. Thanks!
- 01/25/2019 at 1:17 PM
  Wick & Fable
  Moderator
  5813 posts
  It can definitely be difficult to clip rabbits nails… you see Youtube videos of rabbits being absolute angels, but most rabbits are not like this! Even my Wick, who is a vet’s dream in demeanor, is fiesty during nail clip time.
  
  One thing that may help (since you state she’s jerking when pressure is applied on the nail), could be some touch sensitivity training. Spend some time doing all the motions of a nail clip, but press the nail between your fingers like a “fake clip”, rather than with the clippers. Then, give a treat for her dealing with it (whether or not she was fiesty of not; the idea is the process is over and she got through it). Maybe do this a couple times so she realizes that sensation around her claws isn’t going to end up in something bad.
  
  Another recommendation could be clipping further away from the quick. I am not sure, but I imagine the closer to the quick, the more it is “felt” per say, so even if you are not clipping the quick, perhaps you’re too close and that slight pressure (not pain) is triggering the freak-out. Try being more liberal to get her accustomed to it, if that would help.
  
  The answers provided in this discussion are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet. Seek the advice of your veterinarian or a qualified behaviorist.
- 01/26/2019 at 5:38 AM
  Carolyn
  Participant
  28 posts
  What I do is a have a handful of alfalfa hay (or yummy but takes-long-to-eat food that wont be gobbled up in 2 seconds) and place it down and let him start eating. Then I take his paw and cut the nails as best I can with the 1-2-clip method. He’ll pull his paws back under himself, but once he concentrates back on food, he doesnt notice it really if I do it slow.
  
  Don’t know if itll work for other rabbits, but its easy to trick my bun if there’s food involved.
  
  Try to associate the actions with treats so she knows that its a good thing. I haven’t done it with nail clippings, but when I want to groom my feisty bun, I brush him like 5 times, then give a small piece of pellet and praise, then 10 strokes, one piece of pellet and praise, and have done this enough to where he’ll run toward me if I grab the grooming supplies and wait to be groomed. He’s not as calm as I’d hope (cause he’ll be expecting pellets after every stroke), but he gets better every time.
  
  Don’t know if it’ll help, but hopefully there’s an option to try.
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