Vet nail trimming

[Isabel]

Hey everyone! I know there are a lot of topics about nail trimming, and lots of methods, but a part of my issue comes from personal anxiety.

Background: My bun Oreo is a very nervous guy. His front right foot has been crooked since I’ve met him, and combined with a natural trepidation towards jumping on things and being held, I’m assuming he was dropped as a baby/younger bun and has been traumatized since. Unfortunately, I only adopted him ~2 years ago, and he was already 6 so his past is a mystery to me. (He walks and runs and hops fine otherwise, though! Another reason I think this happened years ago and the leg wasn’t properly set upon breaking.)

Because of this, he is very shy about being held and having his feet touched. At best I can scoop him onto my lap for ~20 minutes to pet, but he is very finicky once there. If I touch his feet even while just petting him, he will pull away and give me an annoyed honk.

The Problem: This makes trimming his nails very difficult. I have been able to trim his nails little by little, do maybe a foot or two at a time and then come back a day later to do the rest. My problem comes from his one dew claw. The dew claw on his crooked foot curls into a circle and is thus very difficult to cut. The one time I was able to trim it, I needed a person to hold him tight (not too tight, but so he didn’t jump away and get hurt) and was able to do a perfect, close cut. However, I intend to move within the next year, and won’t have this extra person to help me hold him.

I’ve considered taking him to the vet for a trimming (I can afford it, and there is one not too far), but that’s where my own anxiety kicks in. I’m afraid that if I take him to the vet for a simple trimming, he may get sick (ie, going to the doctor’s office for a cold, and leaving with the flu). I’m also afraid that if I bring him to a vet and he is so nervous about being handled when in a safe, comfortable environment, that the vet experience will only make his trauma worse. Of course, letting a nail grow into his leg isn’t the solution either!

I know some of this fear is mostly unfounded, but it’s paralyzing nonetheless. I want what’s best for him, but in that, I don’t want to create a bigger issue when it can be avoided. Does anyone else have bunnies that refuse to cooperate during nail trimmings? The videos that show you how to do it and the bunny is perfectly content with being handled are terribly unhelpful when your bun won’t sit on your lap, let alone let you cut his nails!

[MountainBuns]

Hello and welcome to Binky Bunny! Here you can find lots of information on how to care for your rabbit and you can also do other things like buy treats, food and toys, you can also look at adorable pictures and meet new people! Hope you enjoy the website!

As for your bunny, I think taking him to the vet will be ok. A nail trimming wont take to long so I am pretty sure you can stay with him during the process. I use a vet to cut my bunnies nails and she is always fine.

[Isabel]

Thank you! I’ve been referring to the site for help for a while, and everyone seemed very nice and helpful so I figured it couldn’t hurt to ask.

And thank you for the reassurance, I appreciate it! I don’t know any other bunny owners in person, so I suppose it’s a comfort to hear from others. I guess I’m also just a worrier! (^-^

[G Washingbun]

We got our bun when he was about one, and he has never been cooperative with nail trims. I take him to the vet about every 8 weeks for a “pedicure”. My peace of mind is worth the nominal fee.

[caillou]

I also always take my bunny to the vet for nail trimmings and he’s A-OK. He hates the vet, but is so feisty that it’s really the best way to go about it. I always just make sure I keep an eye on his pooping/eating after just in case!

[Sirius&Luna]

I don’t think that there is anything a bunny can ‘catch’ from the vets, so I don’t think you need to worry about that aspect. If he is a very nervous bunny, then a vet trip could possibly cause stasis, but again, that is entirely down to the bunnies temperament, and is pretty unlikely in all but the most nervous buns.

My bunnies do not like their nails being trimmed, but it’s something that needs to be done, so they have to just deal with being unhappy for five minutes. My boyfriend holds them tight, and I trim, then they get a treat, get put down, feet flick at me in disgust, and run away. 10 minutes later, they’re over it. I know it’s not nice to make them stressed, but sometimes they’re going to have to deal with a bit of stress for their own good.

[Heaven]

My bun is the same, he absolutely hates being picked up/held against his will & kicks his way straight outta there, so nail trims I thought would be impossible. However! I have developed a technique recently which does the job & might work for you too?

Step 1, actively play with him, hand feed pellets, practice any tricks with him to tire him out.
Step 2, while he is flopped down resting/digesting, I sneakily clip his front nails & he is too lazy to stop me (give lots of pets along the way)
Step 3, ploy him with a massive handful of veggies – while he is distracted eating them pick up each back foot and gently clip those nails too.

There may be a simpler method but this is the one thing I’ve found actually works!! So some variation of the above may help – treats & distractions!

[joea64]

I’ve taken my own buns to either have their nails trimmed by the Friends of Rabbits (rabbit rescue from whom they were adopted) people or to a local pet store where there’s a groomer experienced in rabbit nail trims. Which reminds me, Panda and Fernando need to have that done again in a month or so, probably when it’s time for their hay refill.

[Isabel]

Thank you everyone for the responses!! I can usually soothe him with lots of pets and cuddles in between each toe clip, and I don’t mind him getting a bit salty with me afterwards–he usually gets over it quick like you said.

I do feel much better about taking him to a vet, though! I will continue to do as many of his nails as I can at home, but for trickier ones like his dew claw, I will leave to a professional. Writing that out, that actually feels like a good compromise. That way if the trip is stressful, it will only take as long as a few nails instead of all four feet.

Everyone’s advice has been very helpful too–watching him after the vet, staying with him, tiring him out, etc.! Thank you all for your help and reassurances!

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