X-pen & Nail trim: a good combo

[RabbitPam]

I am pleased to write that I have just given Samantha a long-overdue nail trim. This may have been the easiest, certainly with her, that I’ve done. I was prepared to take her to the vet to get it done tomorrow, but she went into her pen, so I got all the supplies (towel, trimming scissors, small dish of corn starch and 3 slices of banana) and shut myself into her pen with her.

She didn’t have far to run, and I scooped her out of her litter pan and burritoed her in my lap while sitting cross-legged. She squeaked when I grabbed her tummy, but held still for each paw. Ran away, got scooped back, repeated for each paw. No blood! “Press, press, clip” still works well for me. She refused to eat the banana after she initially ran with the first piece.

She is scared and mad. But I gave her a fresh carrot piece and left the door open. She now has more new rugs and inspected them just before disappearing, presumably under her safe basket in the living room. She may be there all night if she stays mad.

I am VERY relieved, both at having it behind us and at the ease of the process in the xpen. Probably by the next time she’ll have dug a tunnel for her escape…Just wanted to share.

[Michelle&Lolli]

It’s always nice when nail clippings go better than expected. LOL I’m always amazed if I can get all four paws done at one time. Heck, I’m surprised if i can get 2 paws done by myself. haha

[jerseygirl]

3 cheers! I was beginning to think nail trims were becoming harder each time I did them. Last time it all went well though. Having a “No Nonsense” attitude makes a difference with my two. I also find the press-press clip technique great. Especially for Rumball who had only one translucent nail and the rest are dark. Rumballs is doing better after being held also. Much quicker to relax afterward and not fearful. Will even take a peace offering. How’s that going with Sammy? Still maximum attitude?

[RabbitPam]

Actually, I don’t give her enough credit. She didn’t stay mad or scared. Gave me some tiny toe licks as she went about the apartment not too long afterward. She’d discovered the two additional rugs and liked having another in her cage. Went to bed nicely and this morning she hopped under my bed (I let her) but came back to me in her room not long afterward. So she was pretty nice considering. I always think they fuss a great deal beforehand, but then discover hopping is much easier after the trim and it’s kind of “Oh. Yeah, that’s better. I’m OK.” So I am forgiven.

[MissKris&Koji]

I can’t get the burrito to work for me. I don’t think I have a “right sized” towel – there’s too much excess on my small bunny and it takes to long to try to get it tucked in, and he pops out. It was much easier for me to just pick him up, hold him securely to my torso while I sit on the floor (his back pressed to my belly, held so he can’t kick) while boyfriend made quick work of the back feet. I held him in place on the floor while we pulled out the front feet to do those, but he actually fought more that way.

Then again, Koji is good about being picked up, so long as it’s me doing the lifting. Much better about that than being restrained. If he’s got feet on the floor he doesn’t appreciate being kept stationary.

That press, press clip does sound useful. I guess that’s more for the dark nails, though, eh? Probably easier than trying to shine a flashlight with one hand, hold the foot, and clip at the same time. But I’m not very coordinated. I do think you are right that they seem to realize it’s much better afterwards. Strangely, post nail clips, Koji would dig and dig and dig, and also toss things – neither of which he has EVER done any other time. So I guess he only “plays” when he’s mad at me or feels weird? So strange. :/ But it only took about 10 minutes to go back to normal. I was expecting a huge fuss and sulk-fest.

[LoveChaCha]

My bunny hates the burrito. Will find a way to ninja herself out of it.. LOL.

I just did the trance for the first time last night. I was successful. I was VERY frightened (and thinking about it during work didn’t help much..) about it, but I saw Monkeybun do it to Smudgie in front of me. I felt a little more calm, so I asked her how she did it.

Got home, dropped my stuff, got the towel ready and trimmers, grabbed bunny from X-Pen (She can escape if I did the trimmings in the x-pen), and trance! I was scared, but very happy that Chacha complied with me!

I just want to be able to do nail trimmings without asking my friend to help me. I know that I will be living with my bf one day, and he said he doesn’t trust himself holding a bunny. He sometimes doesn’t know his own streength, so he doesn’t want to potentially hurt my bunny. Good man

So now, I can do it myself!

[RabbitPam]

That’s good that you can manage it alone, Brittany. My volunteers to help have dwindled, and it is so much better to just do it when it’s a good time for you and the bunny rather than have to arrange it with someone.

Burrito folding? LOL My burrito consists of tossing thin towel over Sammy, scooping her into my lap, fishing around so she can get her nose out one end to breathe, mushing towel around bunny parts until struggling won’t free her, fish around for nearest available foot, begin trimming while holding on like she’s a sinking ship. Her nails are white, I just have nicked her in the past so found that it’s better if I press first each time. If you touch their quick, they flinch and pull away and you know you almost cut it.

[MissKris&Koji]

See, if Koji was upset (like when we tried the burrito, of him on the floor) he’d yank feet away even when clippers weren’t on his nail or if they were nowhere near the quick, so that’s my concern with the method. How do you tell if it’s just them being babies or you’re actually on the quick? My solution has just to been to try not to trim to close, since he’s fairly good about it, and I’ll just do it more often. I did notice he has quicks of different lengths in each nail though, so maybe I will try this and see how it goes. I’m not sure why the quick would be proportionately longer in some nails than others, but I guess better safe than sorry. I’m sure it’s especially helpful when you’re cutting shorter and the foot fur really starts to obscure sight of the nail, too, that was probably the biggest problem we ran in to.

I don’t know, I watched a video for how to burrito and it said put them on towel, fold over butt, fold one side over and tuck under feet, fold other side over. Did not work – couldn’t get it secured and tight enough before he would squirm out. Maybe with practice….. but I’m not inclined to stress him and try so long as he keeps cooperating with my vertical hold strategy. I just hope I *do* always have someone to help – or else I think I’ll be trying the trance instead of the burrito. I wonder if maybe whoever had him before used to burrito him and he knows what’s coming with that towel, because really as soon as I move to throw the back over his butt, he’ll try to run forward. I hold him in place, and get one side part over, but it’s really hard to “hold and stuff” if you see what I’m saying. I also don’t see how you hold them inside the burrito, hold the foot, and trim the nail. It seems like you need 3 hands. But then again, as I mentioned, I’m not very coordinated.

But hey, if it’s working for you, that’s all that counts!

[Lintini]

Aww Pam your I can almost picture your description of the epic nail trimming adventure. It’s been 2 months since the vets did Bee…I can do everyones myself without trancing or a burrito except for be Bee, who just wants nothing to do with being picked up. If you aren’t coming over to her with food or an ear massage…FORGET IT! I will need to burrito her and get them done, I am sure they are ready to be trimmed down. I can’t believe Bun is a little angel for getting a manicure and leave it to Bee to be a huge turd about it. Indy should tell her to stop being such a diva.

[RabbitPam]

Koji, or any bunny, is best with the method that works the most and stresses them the least. What you’re doing with him sounds just fine.

The quick will grow if the nail goes untrimmed for long, so trimming less nail more often is actually a very good choice. Eventually the quick recedes with frequent trimmings, so they may eventually even out a bit.

[wendyzski]

Yep – Pepper hates anything to do with being handled (except for head pets on HER terms) so I just grab her, get it over as quickly and firmly as possible, and follow with a treat.  She fusses and will escape if she can, but right afterwards will run straight to the kitchen and dance around the shelves where she knows that the treats come from.

[Michelle&Lolli]

She fusses and will escape if she can, but right afterwards will run straight to the kitchen and dance around the shelves where she knows that the treats come from.

Lolli gets a treat after I handle her. And she knows too. She sat there on her haunches begging for like 10 minutes one time. I kept telling her “no treats” until I remembered she does get them since I picked her up. She was like “yes I do! YOU TOUCHED ME!!!!!” LOL

[Author]

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