getting bunny used to toe nail trims

[piperknitsRN]

I’m thinking I might just grit my teeth and “git her done” whenever the chore comes up, because today I tried “practice handling” with Olive and it… uh… did not go off so well.  Not only did she manage to get out of her bunny burrito several times, I got a very indignant thump and flick of a rabbit pellet (poo) when it was over.  I tried to make up by giving her a blueberry, but I’m not sure the Queen has deigned to accept my peace offering yet.  

I guess what I’m trying to say is rather than harass her with picking her up and putting her in the towel as practice (when she obviously loathes the process)–I’m thinking I should just confine it to the times when I absolutely have to.  She doesn’t enjoy it, I don’t enjoy it, and I don’t want to be The Big Scary Monster who’s constantly trying to get her to settle in my lap for reasons that are to her, scary and irrelevant. 

Ideally I’d like to see her relax about the toenail trim, but that never happened with my other bunny, either.  Any other ideas to make this process less painful for the both of us?

[Stickerbunny]

Advice I have been given is just make it as quick and painless as possible for buns that don’t like it – burrito, get it done, beg forgiveness lol

Powder is the only bun i’ve clipped so far though and he just lays on the bed and gets pets while it’s being done, then lays on the bed as long as you’re willing to keep petting him… clipping Stickers later today though, so if I find something that helps with her i’ll let you know o.O

[piperknitsRN]

Thanks–do let me know!

[Monkeybun]

I flip my buns upside down to trim nails. Works for them. Except Monkey. I can’t do hers, I gotta take her to the RA outreaches to get her done. Silly rabbit.

[mamachumchum]

U guys have me worried. Mine are 5-6 weeks old, when should I start trying to clip theirs?

[LoveChaCha]

A vet tech did it for me when I took my bunny in for her wellness exam at 3 months old.

The tech accidently cut the quick on the nail.

I’ve been doing nail trims on my rabbit for a while now. Never have cut the quick at all.

[piperknitsRN]

LoveChaCha:  How do you restrain your bunny so you can get the job done ?  or does she simply lay down for you?

 

[Monkeybun]

Putting a bun up on an unfamiliar counter often helps too.

[Elrohwen]

I had mine done by the vet for a couple years – if I had more time to take them in I would still do it! Now we do it ourselves and I don’t know if there’s any way to make them calmer – I think you just have to do it. Every bunny is ok with a different method and figuring out the best one can help you get it done with the least amount of hassle. One of mine is ok being picked up, so I hold him while someone cuts his nails. My other bun haaates being picked up and struggles the entire time, so it’s easier to put her down on the counter, wrap a blanket over her, and have someone gently pin her to the counter while the other person trims.

[Kate Monster]

I do mine in the bathtub, the unfamiliar surrounding keeps them a little more still (Well it makes Spencer more still, Kate still tries to kill me) and the tub keeps them confined when they escape. I’ve never been able to bring myself to put them on a counter or washing machine bc I’m just so terrified of them jumping off but I know that works for other people.

[piperknitsRN]

I keep finding youtube videos of very calm bunnies allowing their humans to cut their nails as if nothing at all was happening.  I only wish it were that easy to cut my bunny’s nails!

[Stickerbunny]

I know, I found the same ones piper lol … i’m like “I know how to clip the nail, show me how to restrain a bunny trying to get away from me!”

What I ended up doing with Stickers, which worked fine, was a two person job – I tried to get bf to hold her but he couldn’t keep her from escaping, so I held her against my chest with one arm while I fanned out her claws with my other. I had to guide the boyfriend to where to clip each nail and he was nervous about it, which made her even more nervous about being held, so she freaked out a few times when he went too slow and pulled on her foot a little with the clippers… but when she did, I just kissed her on the head between her ears and talked to her in a calm voice and she settled down. I had her ears near my heart, since like with a baby animals have been known to calm down if their owners heart beat is regular.

Normally she hates me getting my head near her, she despises being held and she only half tolerates pets, so for her to calm to me talking to her and kissing her was completely unexpected. But she got through quick and easy and is now mad and ignoring me, even after the offered bribe of an apple slice

Note: She did poo on me though  .

[piperknitsRN]

Yeah, I got a poop flicked at me afterward, too.  I was like, “Thanks!  See ya next time!”  Crazy bunnies.  Well, see you next month on, Adventures in Bunny Toenail Trimming…

[Kate Monster]

PiperknitsRN: Sometimes, especially when I’m walking around with giant bunny scratches all over my chest, I hate those people in the youtube videos demonstrating nail trimming or how to make a bunny burrito and those bunnies just sit there. But I remind myself that they aren’t typical, people with extra calm bunnies are just more likely to make and post youtube videos about nail trimming. Mine would only act like that if I drugged them first. As funny as it would be to watch me trim Kate’s toenails while she climbs on top of head, it wouldn’t inspire much confidence in people watching the video, heh.

[piperknitsRN]

Kate:  Too funny!  Yesterday I got Olive to relax a bit (on her back!) cradled in my lap on a towel.  We were in her X pen, no idea if that helped or not, but it certainly gave me a sense of calm since she couldn’t relly go anywhere (and maybe she knew it, too).  I was able to fiddle with her paws, check her scent glands (clean) and I also brushed her when I flipped her over onto her tummy.  But this is not the normal scheme of things.  Oh well, rabbit grooming has to be done one way or another, so I’m sure we’ll make it through…  Those you tube videos do make me feel like a lousy rabbit parent, though.

[Lintini]

BumbleBee doesn’t want anything to do with being picked up and she first had her nails done at her spay….and then I had to muster up the courage to do them myself … everytime I tried to capture her she would run under the bed and was hell bent on only being pet and if you put too much hand on her and she suspected the slightest hint of you MAYBE trying to pick her up… ZIP under the bed with some foot flicks added!!

I finally took the advice of Monkeybun and flung a towel over her, wrapped her up and was able to get her nails done. Oohhhhhhhh man was she MAD!!!!

I don’t usually have to turn any of my rabbits over, infact I’ve only done it once because I was curious and have never done it since. I guess everybun is different but in general if you cover animals eyes so they can’t see they don’t freak out and that’s the best way to procedures done on them.

[piperknitsRN]

It could be a fluke but Olive is getting better about being picked up for brief amounts of time.  I wouldn’t bet money she’d love having her toe nails trimmed, but we’ve still got a few more weeks before a need to try again.  I’m not afraid of cutting the toenails per se,  just need a cooperative rabbit.  Easier said than done.  

[Craig H]

they have emory boards for cats that are a curved shape,would those work for a rabbit?

 

[Lindsay]

I agree what people are saying about putting your bun in an unfamiliar place. Monty HATES being picked up or held so it used to be a real challenge to clip him. When I first had him I was too scared to do it myself because he was so wriggly I was worried about cutting the quick and making him bleed. So we used to get the vet to do it whenever we went, because when he was at the vet he was still since it was unfamiliar. Then I figured out it was easiest to take him into the dining room (where he’s not allowed usually) and put him up on the high dining table so he’d be scared to jump off. When I did that, he stayed perfectly still to be clipped.

[Arthur'sMom]

Quick question, I thought it wasn’t good to put rabbits on thier backs? It’s also referred to as the “Bunny Trance.”

[longhairmike]

we’re going to do nails tomorrow nite,, i will post the video

[piperknitsRN]

Thank you!

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