When to start trimming nails? +advise!

[NaluNut]

Hi! So my little lop Nalu is going to be 3 months in 3 days! yay! I just started noticing her little paws to have some serious claws to them! I’ve heard that clipping nails gently is part of a typical grooming routine, but I wan to know when it is safe to start.

 I’ve never clipped her nails before so I just want to make sure she is old enough (I still think of her as a baby!!) and if any seasoned bunny nail trimmers out there have advise on the best way to clip bunny nails safety and with little struggle or discomfort to my bunny it would be much appreciated!

[vanessa]

She is definitely still a baby, with sharp little nails! Yes you can start trimming them!
I trim my bunnies nails once a month. It is my least favorite activity. I wrap them up in a bunny burrito. Guin and Lancelot are easy to handle. Lancelot is the easiest. I hold him in my arms like a baby, so kinda on his back, but not flat on his back. Maybe at a 45 degree angle. Then I clip one nail at a time, with cat nail clippers. Guin is also easy to handle, but I wrap her in a towel, and then proceed the same. I will be clipping Morgana and Avalon’s nails for the first time this week. They will require serious bunny burrito wraps. Morgana will be the most difficult. It is safe to start whenever it is needed. Some bunnies need it twice a month, others are fine with once a month. Baby bunny nails are very thin and soft, so it will be easy to clip. Use a flashlight if you are unsure of where the quick is. Take off the tip, but don’t go too deep. Bunny nails thicken as they age. Starting young will make it easier as she grows older. Have you watched any youtube videos of clipping bunny nails?
There are different thoughts on how to hold the bunny. I use the burrito wrap because it feels the safest way. It keeps the bunny still, and prevents clipping accidents. Hold the nail in the clipper, squeeze gently to assure she won’t flinch, then clip. It goes really quickly, so the wrap doesn’t last long. It should take less than a minute to clip all 4 feet. I’ve read some posts about not using a burrito wrap because it scares the bunny to much and the bunny could have a heart attack. Well… the way I see it – based on knowing my bunnies – yes they are unhappy being at that 45 degree angle, but they now I’m not going to eat them, we do this every moth and they haven’t been eaten yet, and it only lasts a few seconds. Ask someone to help you if you are nervous for your first time, but after that you will probably find that it is easy enough to do on your own.

[Rhian]

I just trimmed my guys’ nails for the first time a couple of days ago, they’re about 10 weeks and 15 weeks old. Those are some seriously tiny little nails, and I have some seriously awful eyes, so it was about as fun as it sounds. I tend to do my nail clips about every month, though I will keep an eye on things and if I think it’s needed I’ll do them earlier/later than that.

What I do for nail trims is, I sit on the floor and I prop my legs up and together in front of me. I gently lower the rabbit onto their back in the little groove between both legs and try to trim as many nails as I can until they start to wiggle. I usually get about a foot or two done, then rearrange them as needed (though there may be an escape or two for the first time!). For the first nail clips I don’t really worry about cutting them to the correct length, I just make sure to snip off the sharpened ends if I’m not quite sure how long they are. I’d rather the whole thing go off smoothly and them having a touch too long of nails than to make the first few times a painful experience.

Though I will admit that my way of doing it does take a bit more experience in holding animals, if you’re not sure or are nervous about hurting them, the bunny burrito may be the way to go.

[NaluNut]

bunny burrito it is

Thanks!

[Crashley]

Nalu is Adorable. orangish bunny with a little white tail!!!! <3

[NaluNut]

aaaaaw hehe love to hear compliments like that about Nalu

Winnie looks just as precious! All those spots are to die over 

[Crashley]

Your welcome! And Thankyou!! Winnie loves compliments, she knows she fabulous haha.

[hiskatey93]

I can’t do the burrito. Speckles is easy. She just lets me and and snip and it takes thirty seconds. Chom requires two people, and we lay him on his back, one person holding and petting his head to relax him while the other one quickly snips away. Every time we tried the burrito it didn’t work.

She should be more than old enough for trimming! Try to be quick about it and don’t cut the quik. To be safe keep some cornstarch in case of accidentaly snips within arms length in case you have an accident. Sadly it happens. Chom had it happen to him the other week by accident. It’s an easy fix, but you will have an agitated bunny for a few hours who wants nothing to do with you after the fact.

[Author]

Messages