Help!!! Rabbit nails not cutting!

[JamesySenkou]

I haven’t cut my rabbits nails in probably about 6 months or so. Yes, call me a bad rabbit owner if you want, but right now I’m the most worried about how I’m going to actually CUT them! 

Now that I’ve finally gotten around to attempting to clip them, I grabbed my dog nail clippers (since I lost her regular rabbit nail clippers and I’ve read that the dog nail clippers can be used at least for the rear nails, them being so fat and all), and attempted to clip the front. Somehow, no matter how much I squeezed, they didn’t actually CLIP. The nail just got a little damaged and caught in the nail clippers, locking up so I’d have to maneuver carefully to release the nail. 

So, I held her nail with one hand as I carefully cut another nail and it went through with a little work. The next nail I tried wouldn’t work no matter what I did. So I got frustrated and thought, then, that maybe it was because those nail clippers weren’t meant to clip such small nails and I could just pray she wouldn’t hurt herself and order a new pair of rabbit clippers. So, I went for the back, since I’ve always used these clippers for the back nails and they’ve worked PERFECTLY. This one just got even more stuck and ended up just pulling at her nail, making me too worried to continue!

I don’t know if it’s something in her diet that might be making her nails softer/more flexible or if it’s the nails clippers, but just in case (until I get her normal nail clippers), do you guys know of any ingredients, food types, or food brands that normally cause rabbits nails to become bendy/flexible? That way I can cut those out of her diet.

I’ve been looking all over the internet for it and I got frustrated and just thought I’d post on this and a few other sites, in case I don’t get an answer from here, right away. I’m too worried to leave her like this for too long but don’t have the money to schedule a vet appointment and I’m in tears at the thought that I can’t even take care of my own rabbit. :/

PLEASE HELP!!!! And thank you! 

[Wick & Fable]

It sounds like you should try new clippers perhaps. I had to change Wick’s clippers because I went to clip them after using them reliable a couple times, but the final time I found they just kept closing and twisting Wick’s nails rather than cutting.

A good nail clipper should be able to clip soft objects as well. I think the clipper is the bigger factor than nail composition.

I would look at your clippers and make sure they close properly as well. The current clips I have actually don’t close all the way, so I have to clip the nail a bit more or it hangs there.

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.

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