Cannot get rabbit to stay still for grooming

[serabeth]

Hello,

I cannot get my rabbit to stay still for grooming, no matter what I do. He just hates being picked up, despite the fact that I tried as much as I could to handle him as a baby and continue to try to do different kinds of touch, petting, etc.

I really really need to clip his nails and clean around his bottom. I tried asking the vet for help, but I live in a small town and there is only 1 vet anywhere nearby that takes rabbits at all, and he is 1 of several vets that work there; none of the other ones will take rabbits. So it takes forever to get an appointment with him and he makes us pay for a full checkup even if we just want a quick nail trim.

My husband has managed a few times to sort of pin the rabbit down and trim his nails, but as he's done this, the rabbit has grown more and more wary of nail clipping and gets so crazy about freeing himself that it is getting impossible to do anything at all to him.

We've tried several techniques that we've seen in videos online, including feeding him treats before, during, and after the grooming, putting him on a table and reaching underneath his front paws, holding him in a standing position, and putting him up high on a slippery surface, but on top of a towel (so presumably he wants to stay on the towel and not jump off or run away).

None of these have worked, and I'm not sure what to do at this point. We are holding him as firmly as possible without hurting him, but he goes crazy with any kind of handling. It's kind of bizarre actually, because if we're not trying to pick him up, he is super cuddly -- I can even lean in, wrap my arm around him and bend down to give him a kiss and he'll be perfectly content. He just does not want us to manipulate his body in any way.

We've also tried finding a groomer to help, but there are barely any groomers nearby that will do our cat, let alone rabbits. We've called up several of those groomers to see if they would do a rabbit, but so far, no one has agreed. My husband has said he'll go and stay there the whole time and try to keep the rabbit as calm and still as possible and that we'll even pay more than they are asking for cats/dogs, but no one wants to try.

So I wanted to see if anyone has any suggestions. Would putting him on his back be an option here? Everything I have read says to not put a rabbit on its back unless it is a medical emergency because it can terrify them, increase their blood pressure, and they could accidentally hurt themselves. So I'm afraid to try it, but we can't let him continue to have his nails grow long and have a dirty bottom. Is it something to consider, or definitely not?

 

[kyaroppi]

I would say bring him to a space he isn't used to. Bring him to a bathroom or somewhere he hasn't been to before.

My boy is the exact same way, but I take him to the shower room and he's usually pretty calm. (He was always calm when I brought him to the groomers, but refused to cooperate at home, and was given this advice)

 

[Johndxu]

Have you tried covering his eyes?

 

[Lionhead owner]

Have you tried covering his eyes?

I only do 2 strokes of a comb in 1day and she only gets lettuce when she has agreed. So every week she is completely brushed but a little bit at a time. I struggle to get her to agree to let me do under her chin. Have you seen those rubber hand wrap soft brushes. Could you try this first maybe.

 

[JBun]

If you haven't already looked at the site below, there may be a technique on there that will work for you. And though putting a rabbit on it's back is not recommended, I had a rabbit that I had to do it with, though I did try and keep him at more of an incline(head up). Like your bun, he would absolutely freak out with any sort of handling, and it was the only safe way I could clip his nails, clean out scent glands, and do a general health check. I just tried to make it as quick as possible to reduce the stress.

https://wabbitwiki.com/wiki/Grooming
Whatever method you try, always do it over a safe surface so that if your bun wriggles free, there won't be a risk of falling and getting injured. So near the floor over a soft surface would be best.

 

[serabeth]

Thanks everyone for the tips/info! I managed to use some dry shampoo (it said safe for small animals) over several days to clean his bottom and the back of his legs, and there was one piece of clumped together fur that I just quickly cut off when he was distracted. Tonight, my husband is going to hold the rabbit as secure as possible so we can trim his nails. If we have to, we’ll put him on his back. My husband actually said the vet had been forced to briefly do that with him during his checkup because he is kind of crazy and spazzes out if he doesn’t feel in control of his body. He said Thumper was breathing a little faster but didn’t seem too upset after. He would not hesitate to let us know if he’s angry, too lol. That’s how he got his name .