Hard to Handle Bunny

[Dee]

Well, Nelli still won’t get in the carrier to go to the vet. It’s been a few weeks since BunBun was sick, and I even keep the carrier up in the living room and put treats in it. She will go in it, but only if I’m in the next room. If I take one step toward her, she bolts. Nell has matts all over her butt and heir nails are getting sooo long. I feel awful, like such a bad bunny mom. I love them so much, but I’m a big wimp about handling them and Nelli is just impossible about being handled. I can barely brush her, never mind pick her up. I was thinking of doing Bun’s nails just to get him some relief, but I’ve gotta take Nell to the vet anyway, so why put Bunbun through my clumsy attempts, plus a ride to the vet with Nell? Oh yeah I called the vet to see what it would cost for a house call to groom them- $100 for one bunny!!! I just can’t afford that- I was thinking $50 for the two of them would be fair. Yikes!

Has anyone had a bunny that was this difficult to handle? I heard that some people give their bunnies Valium before vet trips- has anybody done that? I’m not sure if the vet would prescribe it- but maybe if I told them the problem. Oh yeah, Nelli won’t take pills… never mind . This seems so ridiculous- I’ve handled horses all my life, but I’m afraid to pick up a 5 lb bunny. I guess it’s cuz you can’t really break a horse’s back if you handle them wrong… that just freaks me out.  Sooo… if anybody has any tips, let me know! Thanks everyone

[Kax0r]

Seriously, if you can’t pick them up now imagine if they get really really sick and need to go to the vet?

(Edited)

[Monkeybun]

Do not give them valium O.o

Maybe Rescue Remedy, but NOT valium. You need to practice picking her up, thats about all you can do. If you keep wimping out, she will learn she controls you, not the other way around. Be firm. She needs to be groomed, and if you don’t do it, she will get very uncomfortable

[Dee]

Lol- nicely put. I have thought of that, Nell getting sick and me needing to get her to the vet ASAP…I think that if she was really ill, she would let me handle her. But I could be wrong. See, I’m afraid of Nelli breaking her back. I’ve seen her foster mom pick her up like it was nothing- it was awesome. I suppose the only way to learn how to handle bunnies is to handle bunnies though, huh?

[Monkeybun]

Yep, just need to be confident and firm, if you have a firm grip they won’t be able to wiggle as much and break your hold. Just keep back legs supported and should be fine

[Bumblebunny]

I sympathize. It use to take at least 15 minutes to get bunny into the carrier. He hated being picked up. It was almost as if he knew he was going to the vet and he tried to stay away from me. I tried to bribe him with treats; if he went in his bed, I pick up the whole bed and pushed him in the carrier.

I finally talked with people at a local bunny rescue. They told me to try to pick him up in a sweeping motion. Get one hand under the tail and one hand on the front and then bring him close to me . They also said I should be low, close to the ground while doing this. I have tried it and it seems to work fairly well. The one quick motion seems to give him no time to react. He still does not like being picked up, but at least this seems to work and I don’t need 15 minutes or more to get him in the carrier.

[Alina]

Lol I understand it scares me too. I think I’ve had my bunny for a month now. Last week I tried to trim his nails (omg they are so long) and he was so upset I only got one nail finished

[LizzieKnittyBun]

It should really not cost that much for grooming… good gracious! Can you shop around for different vets and check out prices? Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but I’ve never heard of simple grooming costing that much money!

[Nibbles_NZ]

I can’t pick Baxter up and he won’t willingly go into his carrier but I will tell you that it makes it harder for him and I both if I am standing over him trying to get him in. It intimidates him a lot more. I sit on the floor and scoot towards him with the carrier and I have to corner him, I pet him so he isn’t scared and scoop him into the carrier. He isn’t freaked out by this and is fine once it is done but it does take a few minutes. I always win and he will hopefully learn that and stop being a pain in my butt when it comes to that lol. Good luck.

[RabbitPam]

Samantha has always been very hard to handle. Learning to handle your bunny now, and practicing is the best way to go.
But in case of an emergency, such as a fire alarm or any time when you need to get her into the carrier quickly, you can throw a towel over her and wrap her as you pick her up and put her into the carrier. You want to be in an enclosed room so she can’t run that far. You’ll be fast and she won’t smother since it will be loose. (My vet’s assistant said a towel over the face isn’t as scary as it looks and they can breathe.) Sammy actually doesn’t like heights, so you can also cover her eyes as you scoop her up, so she can’t see that she’s airborne. It can help.

[Dee]

Thank you all for the great ideas! Everything you said makes sense to me, and helps me realize that my standing over her contemplating picking her up (and of course looking big and scary to her) makes both of us way more apprehensive than we need to be. I’m going to try to practice regularly, while remembering what everyone here told me, and I’m sure Nelli will get used to being handled by me. It’s so much easier to be able to just pick a bunny up to get them in the carrier! The towel over the bunny move is really good to know- I have always wondered what I would do if I needed to get the buns out quickly! I’m kind of a worrier, so things like that cross my mind on a regular basis.
It also makes me feel better to know that I’m not the only one who is a bit nervous about handling their bunny- I appreciate those with the more highstrung bunnies letting me know I’m not alone.
Thanks, you guys

[Nibbles_NZ]

The towel over the bun is a good idea but some buns (like Baxter) catch onto that quickly and will run for it as soon as they see the towel. i can’t even put it behind me. lol He gives me the look like “oh I’m onto you and you are not doing that to me again!” You will find what works for you and your bun

[Nibbles_NZ]

Posted By LizzieKnittyBun on 10/01/2010 08:42 PM
It should really not cost that much for grooming… good gracious! Can you shop around for different vets and check out prices? Maybe I’m misunderstanding, but I’ve never heard of simple grooming costing that much money!

 

I agree with this completely! Wow that is crazy! By “house call” do you mean the vet coming to your house? If so that is probably where that most of that crazy price is coming from.  I took my bun to the vet today and they clipped his nails, checked his weight and looked him over really well and that was $16. He didn’t have matted butt but still. Maybe you can wrap a towel around your bun (of course with the legs tucked in) and give it a butt bath if the matting happens again.

[DeVaStAt0r]

My Bunnies HATE being picked up, sometimes i think there should be a funny soundtrack playing as I try to get them! Dudley isn’t so bad once you get him still, cover his eyes and scoop him up, Gizmo is a little terror though! She will kick and scratch and sometimes grunt when i pick her up! She has us trained!

I’m the mean lady that does nail trims and butt checks so when i come in with anything in my hands they hide and chase me around, it’s adorable but a huge pain when I need to get things done. Although since my BF isn’t mean like me (mommy’s are always the “mean” one) he can go in and scoop her up no problem! he also doesn’t hesitate which is my problem, i’m the same where I know she’s going to wriggle and I don’t want to hurt her! the best thing is the practice!

I leave the carrier in their room closed up but it’s in there and always around, once the gate is open and i leave the room the nosey little buns ALWAYS go in! the best thing to do is to put a towel over it so they can’t see around them except through the door which faces the wall, I can go in and close it up before they catch on. After a while of closing them in the carrier with their breakfast’s or something yummy they don’t think of it as a carrier, just another nice little hidey spot. so getting them in their is super easy.

I cut dudley’s nails myself but gizmo will not trance, there isn’t a burrito that can contain her so i leave her nail trims and bum checks to the vet. It’s honestly not worth the stress on either of us! If you really want to be doing it yourself it helps to bring them too a room they aren’t familar with. Gizmo hates hard floors and is more likely to let me pick her up because of that! Don’t be nervous you have to find what works for your bunnies!

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