Made an account for this. HELP. Can bunny die from fear?

[Jade]

So, my lionhead bun Juniper was born Dec. 12th, 2018 so he (I’m assuming it’s a he for reasons) is 3-4 months old.
He’s a great little energetic bun, who is very inquisitive & loves to play. Very comfortable around me now and loves a few petting sessions everyday. Absolutely despised brushing in the beginning and would not tolerate it, but now I can at certain times if I’m cautious about my approach.

However, my biggest stressor has been his nails.

They are long & extra sharp now & need to be cut. They dig into every surface including my skin. I’ve made an effort to get him comfortable with the idea with touching under his belly/paws/hind area & treats–but I cannot pick my bun up. No matter which way my hands are placed without a squirm/scratch fest and him jumping out to thump away. He will crawl on me at times, but I have to keep hands mostly off. If I try when he’s relaxed and lid down with the front paws, he will tolerate me picking up his foot for a few seconds before he pulls away or takes off–which is dangerous as I don’t want to cut his quick. Don’t know how the back paws would be possible. I’ve tried this in his xpen where there isn’t too much room and also in an open area. Bunny burrito sounds like a good idea in theory but if I get him on a blanket, the minute I try to wrap him (even if he’s calm & eyes are covered & slight retraint) he’ll bolt out. Very strong for a little bunny. I’ve tried being a bit rougher but I’m afraid to hurt him and it doesn’t seem to make a difference.
Considered trancing, but again he absolutely would not let me flip him over without strong retraint and I don’t want him to hurt him.

So: My solution was to bring him to the vet, right? They said they could cut them & figure out the gender definitively. He already has an appointment to get neutered(OR spayed) in June. (450$??? I live in a small place, only option)

However I don’t know how in the world I would even get him there without him killing himself or how they’d handle him there.
Today I tried to bring him in. At the moment he only has a small top opening fabric carrier (he can turn around in), which is what I brought him home in, with mesh on one end & top. I tried to coax him in with treats which didn’t work but then got him in there three times with my hands (and scratches) only for him to squirm out in a split second before I could zip it up. At this point hes shaking and trying anything to get away.

Went away to let him calm down & get my mother to see if she could help and when we walked in hell let loose as he started hitting himself back and forth on the xpen, ramming his head violently into it trying to get out. Turning my octagan xpen into a square. I immediately started to cry & opened the door for him and that was that. He thumped his foot a bunch and was erratically trying to find somewhere to hide. Spending the rest of the day trying to console him, hes sleeping now. My bun usually sleeps from 8-4 pm in the day and is most active early morning and evening. I figured doing this when he was usually sleeping was good & calm but maybe that threw him off?

Feeling defeated and like a bad bunny mom & don’t know what to do. I don’t want his nails to end up curling in and causing him any pain, and I don’t want him to hurt himself. I don’t know how in the world I’m going to get him to the vet.

Would a bigger plastic dog carrier help? Where he could walk in and me just shut the door? I’m still afraid he’ll try to ram his head to get out and cause injury, but maybe he’d get the point he’s stuck and stop trying. I wish bunny sedatives were a thing. But I don’t even think I’d be able to administer that lol.

Help.

[Three Little Bunnies]

My rabbits hate it when I clip their nails. Even my super mellow bunny will try to run away when I clip his nails and he will lay on his back in my lap while I pet him. Bunny burritos seem to work for him but my little girl bun can escape from the burrito and my other one doesn’t like being picked up at all. (Which is weird because he is a total attention hog) Maybe you could try getting a big carrier with plastic sides and lining it with blankets? Try putting the carrier into his pen or play area until he gets used to it and will hop in and out of it. I am not sure how the vet will clip his nails and determine his gender if he doesn’t like being picked up or held. My bunnies’ nails were clipped at their spay and neuter but I am guessing that was when they were still under anesthesia. You could try petting him until he is very relaxed and then gently putting the blanket over him and wrapping him in it tightly then picking him up in the blanket. I hope this helps! Good luck!

[DanaNM]

Oh my, what an ordeal!

First step, take a deep breath! And maybe another two or three after that. To answer your original question, yes bunnies can die from fear, but usually this is from prolonged fear (such as a dog trying to get into their cage for so long that it gives them a heart attack).

Next, I think the vet is the solution for you (quite a few members go to the vet for trims, especially if they don’t have helpers). But it is important that either your bun is trained to go into his carrier, OR you can confidently pick him up when needed (imagine if there was a fire or other emergency!).

Many members have their buns trained to go into their carriers. It doesn’t need to be a large carrier (in fact too big a carrier is dangerous for the bun in the car), but it should have a side door so they can hop in on their own.

Start by just leaving the carrier out all the time, with the door open. The bun will start viewing it as a hiding spot. You can feed veggies and pellets in the carrier, so they learn to run in for food.

In terms of handling squirmy buns, it is important to be FIRM and quick. If you try to pick him up and fail, wait a bit and try again. The more you chase them around the more worked up they will get.

My Bunston HATED being picked up and was very squirmy, and impossible to trance. If they feel like they can get away or might be dropped, they will squirm and struggle. For nail trims, I always had a helper. I would wear a thick sweatshirt, and hold him pinned against me. He would try to bite and scratch at me, but the sweatshirt would protect me.

For picking up in general, you want to do it in such a way that they are very supported, and also very sure that they won’t be able to squirm away. Firmness is key (obviously not squeezing them too much though!).

I’m right handed, I’ll try to explain my strategy! My technique is to first place the back of my right hand on the ground in front of them (so I’m facing the bunny head-on), as though I’m going to pet them. Then I place my left hand on their bum, so my left forearm is along the left side of them. I simultaneously slide my right hand under their front end on the right side (like their arm pits). Lift the front and and scoop their bum towards me, so their bum is in my left hand, but back feet are not touching anything. So now they are lifted off the ground, with both front and hind end supported. I then immediately pull them close to my body, and usually will tuck their head under my left arm, so their right side is now pressed against my body. Doing this blocks their vision and makes them much less likely to struggle as they are held on all sides. I of course make sure their nose is exposed!

I’ve been able to hold squirmy buns briefly with just my left hand this way (head tucked under my arm, bum in left hand, left side against left forearm, right side against my body), leaving my right hand free to open carrier doors, etc.

I am also tend to do grooming and nail trims on my lap in a chair, or sitting on a towel on a table. Sometimes the table is necessary for a deep grooming during molting. Tough love is necessary sometimes!

And most importantly, keep taking a deep breaths! If you are calm, bun will be more calm.

. . . 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.  

[kurottabun]

I definitely second Dana. Personally I recommend a hard plastic carrier instead as they are easier to clean and also seem sturdier in general. Fabric carriers are quite a pain to clean especially if bunny pees in them. All the hard plastic carriers I’ve seen either have a top opening door or a side one, or both. So it would be easier to just shut the door once bunny is in, which would prevent them from escaping. To make it more comfortable you could always put a blanket inside

Do take note that the carrier can’t be too big or too small though. Lionheads are generally pretty small so a dog carrier may be a bit too big, which makes it dangerous because the bunny could be thrown around in the car especially if you need to brake suddenly etc. A carrier is best when the bunny can stretch its legs out fully, yet not having so much space to actually walk around so much.

I’ve fed Kurotta his favourite pellets in his carrier many times so he doesn’t associate the carrier with unpleasant experiences. When it’s unused, I just put it on the floor in his room with the door open so he gets used to it as a normal everyday item that’s not out to harm him.

As for the picking up, I totally understand how impossible it can be because when we first got Kurotta, he was impossible to pick up too. Any moment a hand touches his belly, he bolts off and refuses to come back out. He still doesn’t fancy it now, but we have found a way to pick him up that makes him feel more secure. What I do is similar to Dana, except instead of tucking the head under my arm, I press his all fours against my chest with my right hand cupping over his upper back/shoulders and front “armpits”, and my left hand holding his thighs firmly in case he tries to kick. He’s calmer this way as his feet is not left dangling. Being quick and firm is the key, but it does take some practice to master. Don’t corner them when you’re trying to pick them up as it only makes them more afraid.

Also, I believe it’s better to pick them up during their more active hours. I’ve experimented with this myself and Kurotta definitely is more wary during his resting hours (which is about 11am to 6pm). He absolutely HATES being picked up during that time and always hides under the table throughout.

As for the nail clipping, have you tried sneakily clipping his nails when he’s busy eating or lounging on the floor resting? I do that with Kurotta’s nails because he’s impossible to bunny burrito (hates being constricted). I generally clip about 2-3 nails at a time when he’s sleepy and resting, one paw at a time. Sometimes it takes days to finish clipping all the nails.

I hope you manage to find a way eventually It’s really frustrating sometimes but don’t blame yourself!

[Author]

Messages