Rabbit Scratch Pad: Reposted for Brittany

[RabbitPam]

My apologies to Brittany. We have been unable to delete a duplicate post lately, and I thought BB had told us that glitch had been fixed so we could do that again. We’ve learned to copy the whole post before deleting the dupe, and sure enough, it didn’t work right again. I am alerting BB to it now, but in the meantime, I pasted it into word and copied it here as text only. When I copied it directly, the boxes made some tough spacing issues, so I thought it best to just go with the writing. Sorry Brittany! – Rabbitpam

12/15/2010 01:29 AM            

My six-month-old Lionhead, Benjamin, is an energetic boy who lives in a spacious floor pen and who enjoys romping around the apartment when I am at home. He has got lots of twigs and chew toys, but I have been wondering, what is good for him to scratch on to help keep his nails trim? He “digs” at blankets and at the fake hardwood floor. Is there anything else I can offer him? Do rabbits like the cat scratch pads made of sisal? I live in Korea, so I may not be able to buy an American commercial product, but there should be Korean equivalents that I can find. 

Brittany User is Offline

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12/15/2010 02:28 AM            

Well, you will need to get a pair of trimmers.

 

Rabbits can’t scratch their nails down like cats, so they will need assistance in nail trimming. You can learn to do it, or you can have your vet have it done. Does your bunny regularly see a vet in Korea? Do they have experience with rabbits?

 

With trimming rabbit nails, you need to be careful. If you cut too much nail off, it may cause bleeding. Having a flashlight is quite handy. I would start with trimming very little off. Some rabbits require monthly trimming, some don’t.

 

I hope the other members can help out more than I can.

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RabbitPam User is Online

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12/15/2010 04:51 AM            

Hi, there,

Your bunny will be relying on you to trim his nails as Brittany said. If you scroll up to the green banner at the top of this page, you will see a heading called BUNNY INFO. It’s a drop down menu. Select Monthy Maintenance under that, and it will describe nail trimming you can do yourself. You just need to get a trimming scissors, but many of us use a small cat nail trimmer if that’s all that’s available in your local stores. They are small and rounded. I would suggest trying a “bunny burrito” (wrapping your bunny’s body carefully in a towel) to hold him still unless you can train him young to sit still for it – hard for many of us. Also, if you can get a second person to hold him in their arms carefully but firmly, you can gently pull out his paws one at a time to clip them. (It is time for me to do Samantha’s nails, so I’ll be thinking of you.)

There are videos of trimming a bunny’s nails, or making a bunny burrito, on U-Tube, so a search may help.

 

One good tip I’ve learned: try a “press, press, clip” technique. You get the nail between the scissor at the point where you think you should cut, but first just press it, don’t cut, press again, don’t cut, then snip. You are trying NOT to cut the quick, a tiny vein that runs close to the nail, and bleeds a great deal if cut. If you press the quick, the rabbit will jerk his paw away. If not, the paw will stay still while you’re holding it and it’s safe to snip.

Have dry corn starch and a paper towel or towel next to you if you do make him bleed. Sprinkle the corn starch on the cut toe. Pressure to stop the bleeding. (apply to your own scratches next – he’ll be mad!)

Pamburger with a Little Sammykins on the Side.

RabbitPam User is Online

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12/15/2010 04:53 AM            

Oh, and my favorite nail trimming advice from Beka last year. Quote:

 

Insert bunny in carrier.

Drive to vet.

Pay bill.

Pamburger with a Little Sammykins on the Side.

Beka27 User is Offline

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12/15/2010 05:05 AM            

^^^LOL! This was before I went on my money-saving crusade, back then cash was just falling out of the sky. (Not really.)

 

Fortunately, bunny nails don’t need to be trimmed too frequently, depending on how fast they grow, once every 1-2 months is usual enough. I would definitely start practicing with him. OR… you can take him to the vet to get trimmed and have them show you how to do it there.

Meadow….. Photobucket …… Max

Patrick Murtha User is Offline

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Patrick Murtha

 

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12/15/2010 05:09 AM            

    Posted By RabbitPam on 12/15/2010 04:53 AM

    Oh, and my favorite nail trimming advice from Beka last year. Quote:

 

    Insert bunny in carrier.

    Drive to vet.

    Pay bill.

 

That will be my strategy, then.  I don’t mind paying the vet, and she will do this much better than I could. Thanks, everyone!

 

 

grumpybun North England, UK

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12/15/2010 06:00 AM             I always get mine done at the vet as well, Patrick. Most vets will do a little bunny MOT (ears, eyes and teeth checked) at the same time so I much prefer it.

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12/15/2010 03:18 PM            

I find that my vet will do a “wellness exam” with a trim added for about $80, but a nail trim without any other exam is only $12.

Pamburger with a Little Sammykins on the Side.

 

 

grumpybun

North England, UK

Little Bunny

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grumpybun

 

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12/16/2010 03:46 AM            

Really Pam? Mine always include the eye/ear/teeth check, with no work, in the price, which is about £18. I once had to get them done by a vet nurse who wouldn’t do the checks, just the trim and they charged me the same amount (which I wasn’t pleased about).

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