Rowdy bun’s nail trimming

[detectivepikachu]

Hi y’all! I’ll make this short and sweet, are there any ways for me to trim my feisty bunny’s nails without stressing him out?

more info: it doesn’t matter what position I hold him in, he just won’t let me touch his feet. I used to be able to trim his front paws, but he’s never ever let me trim his back feet, and I just know those long nails are uncomfortable. A friend well-versed in buns said trancing might be the only way to do it, but I don’t want to cause him undue stress, and I feel like he’s going to squirm away even if I try.

anyone else with a feisty bun have some advice?

p.s. none of the vets or groomers nearby do small animal grooming, so that’s off the table

[DanaNM]

There are a few ideas on how to train a bun to let you trim their nails without restraint. It’s definitely harder to do the back feet though.

I thought this method looked really cool:

Do you have anyone who can help you? I usually hold my buns and have my husband do the actual trimming, so if you could recruit someone to help that would be ideal. With my more squirmy bun (who wouldn’t let me trance him even if i wanted to), I usually hold him on my lap or a table against my body, and will just lift the corner of his body with the foot that we’re trimming. Then my assistant will do those nails. I have to reposition him in between each foot.

With my easier buns, I will hold their back’s against me vertically, so their bum is resting in my bottom hand on my lap. Then the assistant (haha) trims the nails.

. . . 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.  

[detectivepikachu]

That method looks good, I’ll definitely give it a try! I do have my dad to help me as well, so I’ll probably have to recruit him no matter which technique I choose. Thank you!

[LBJ10]

I do the same – Bun in my lap sitting on his rump and back against my stomach.

[Wenny]

I think your best bet is the vet, if you can afford it and if you’re willing to find one a bit further away. I tried trimming my bun’s nails for like 2 hrs and the front paws was not too bad to handle but I couldn’t stand a chance against those back paws that would kick away the moment I try to trim. Then the next day I took him to the vet and they said they will give him a quick trim, and by quick trim, they very literally meant it. Like, he went in and came out within a few minutes, with his nails all nice and blunt. The nurses said he behaved very well but I think they just said that to make me happy lol, cuz afterwards he peed and looked stressed as soon as I let him out of his carrier bag. If not, then I suggest either trying to trim his back nails when he has his hind legs stretched out and relaxed while having another person pet him, or, hold him close to your stomach with someone else trimming his nails.

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