How to handle an erratic bun

[SDShorty]

So I got my Dori back in July. She is the queen of the house now, but one thing she has NOT gotten used to is being held. She does NOT like being picked up or held AT ALL. I mean, its a battle to even try and pick her up. She freaks out, she runs, and it takes a while to try and pick her up, and when I do, its a battle to actually hold her because she does everything in her power to jump off. And she's quite a large bun, so its hard to keep ahold of her, I mean, I can only hold her for a couple of minutes before she struggles her way off.

I want to take her to the vet to get a check-up, because even though she was spayed and got a checkup before I adopted her, I want to take her to get our own check-up. Also, I need help clipping her nails because I can't do it (see above dilema, lol). But my concern is, how in the world am I going to do it? I am afraid that she will really freak out at the vet's and that they will have a hard time keeping ahold of her and clipping her nails, and that she might hurt herself trying to get away.

Any tips?

 

[polly]

you could wrap her in a towel then she is more protected. but she isnt very trusting if you explain that to the vet they will take extra precautions. i also find that mine tend to settle down after the ride because they are a bit stressed and behave fine for the vets lol typical eh!!

 

[Flashy]

I have some wrigglers, but they are small so it's easier. I've found that if I relax and force myself to not be tense, that helps them to be calmer,so it might be worth trying that.

Also, how is she if you sit on the floor and let her walk on you? They are prey animals so their instinct is to keep their feet n the floor and it can be unnerving in they are taken off. Maybe spend time encouraging her to sit on you with her own free will to get her used to the feeling of being on you and stuff.

As for the nails, wrapping her in a towel can work really well.

I too have found that my buns generally behave well at the vetsm but yes, warn them she is 'lively' and so they will be able to help.

 

[maherwoman]

One thing I've tried to make me AND the bun more comfortable (thank Spring for this idea) is this:

Put together a carrier, and put a towel down inside the carrier (folded and sides kinda folded accordian style at the sides of the carrier). Get Dori to go into the carrier, and then take off the top (leaving the door on), and take the folded sides of the towel out, so you can drape them over Dori...

Then, put one hand under her chest, so your thumb is under one armpit, index finger between front legs, and the other fingers under the other armpit. Start lifting up her front, and while lifting, slide your other hand under her rump, supporting her hind legs and bum.

Doing all this, as quickly as you can pull her up and to your chest, and the arm that was holding her chest area go over her body, to make her feel more comfortable. Hang onto her bum and back legs...as long as those are supported, and you're hugging her close, she'll calm down. You've gotta take the time at first to help her calm down...tell her she's okay, think "secure" in your mind, let yourself be CALM (that'll help HER stay calm), and then do what you've gotta do.

If you need to trim her nails, give meds, groom, and other such things, take her to a flat surface that's a good height so you don't have to bend over TOO far, and put her down, but keep her head covered to keep her calm, and let your body kinda drape over her so she still feels secure, hugging her to you.

Then, just take out one paw at a time from inside the towel (being sure her head's still covered by the towel, so she doesn't SEE what you're doing), and clip her nails (being sure to clip so you don't cut the quick...which is the pink area you'll see in the nail...if she has black nails, shine a light underneath the nail and you'll see the quick) one at a time.

If you're giving meds, take the meds in a feeding syringe, and put it in the side of her mouth, where there's a gap between her teeth...syringe a little at a time, and you'll know she's getting it if she's "chews" a bit.

My suggestion: Try holding her in your arms, just holding her, the first few times...give her about a week before you start doing other things...so she knows it's fine, and she's safe. That way you're also used to holding her.

And first and foremost: BE CONFIDENT!! Be, as Buck Jones would say, the Big Kahuna Bunny. Let her know you're boss, and don't worry about hurting her. Also, hold her tight when she struggles...so she cannot get away. The more confident you get in holding her, picking her up, etc, the easier it will get. Remind yourself that you WILL NOT HURT HER...it's necessary for a bunny owner to be able to pick up their bunnies when they need it.

Now, this is not to say I'm perfect at it, or even seasoned...but I recently had to do A LOT for my Fiver that involves picking him up twice a day, and doing all sorts of things. And with my getting eleven buns total soon, I had to buck up and be that Big Kahuna...and it WORKED!! I was SHOCKED!! I got to be able to trim nails, groom, medicate, I even learned how to do Sub-Q fluids with a needle and fluids from my vet! I NEVER thought I would have the guts...but I just forced myself to be strong and confident, and WENT FOR IT...and it was FINE!

Hugs to you, and here's sending you lots of confidence!

And feel ABSOLUTELY free to PM me if you need a friend to remind you that it's all okay...

Rosie*

 

[SDShorty]

Thank you all for your suggestions. I actually have done the towel thing, and when I pick her up and hold her, I hold her firmly but calmly and try to comfort her. But the entire time she is breathing super hard, and no matter how calm I am, she is just freaking out. On the floor, she'll come over to me and loves being petted, but she will not jump on me or lay on me, if she even senses that we are trying to do anything other than pet her on her head or back, she leaps off running, its like she knows way ahead of time our intentions to pick her up. I will keep trying tho ugh. Usually when I try to pick her up I have to corner her, because I cannot catch her when I try to pick her up, she immediately jolts off into her cage, and I don't want to force her out of her cage because its her safe zone. Even when I'm holding her and siting on the couch, she freaks out, I don't know what was done to her in the past that she is so afraid of being held, no matter how close to the ground she is

 

[polly]

maybe she got dropped badly maybe she just doesnt trust humans bare in mind when you take her to the vet she will be in a carrier and when you put her on the table she will thinki ts the ground so less likely to wig out maybe?? i wouldnt force her!

 

[gentle giants]

It is possible to do nails without picking her up off the floor. Simply lean over her, lift one paw at a time, and do the nails that way. It makes dew claws a little more complicated to do, but when you have one that is a squirmer, it makes it worth it for the lesser stress and scratches for you. Taking her to the vet and the like may still be a wild time, but I think like Polly said, she will probably be less wiggly for the vet because of the stress of the car ride. Most of mine do that, and I have several bunnies that are emotionally traumatized.

 

[cmh9023]

Two of my buns are similar to Dori. They hate to be held and one of them just about has a heart attack if I even try to touch her. I don't even try to clip their nails at home even if I have a helper because it upsets and stresses them so much. And, if you happen to nick a nail and it bleeds (which I did once with a different bun) it's traumatic for both Dori and you. I felt so horrible when that happened.

Anyway...I just decided it's worth the cost and time to take them to the vet. I usually only have to make an appt with a vet tech for just a nail trim. If you go to a rabbit experienced vet, like I do, they should have a lot of past experience with nervous buns. My tech does just what Gentle Giant suggested. She has another vet keep her in place on the table with all four of her feet still on the ground. Then shelifts just one foot off the ground at a time and does the clipping. THey also seem to have better luck with the bunny burrito than I do.

 

[gwhoosh]

My bunny is the same way and I've had her for over a year since she was a baby. But it got x10 worse after she was spayed, I think that made her really untrusting of being held. We're working on handling right now...

But as for the nails, I've obviously never been able to do them myself. I just take her to the vets and warn them that she HATES being handled. They always tell me not to worry, take her in the back, and come out 2 minutes later with everyone alive. It sucks having to pay for that every other month, but it's really worth it for me.

 

[SDShorty]

Thank you all for the advice. I think the first time I'll take her to the vet and ask if they can show me how they do it and maybe I can do it at home after that. She needs to go to the vet for a check-up anyway since she hasn't seen a vet since I adopted her ffrom the Humane Society back in July.

 

[jordiwes]

Your confidence and the bun's confidence will come with time. We just cut our buns nails ourselves for the first time last week (we've had them for 3 years).

We usually take them to the vet who provides this as a free service. They are a very bunny savvy vet place so they know just how to handle them.

At home we found out that Jordi works best when tranced (but she's easy to trance).

We've never tranced Wesley, so he works better up on the counter, on a towel, all four feet on the towel, with my husband holding him and me picking up his paws one at a time.

 

[ec]

I'm finding that time is bringing a lot of changes with my bun, Nibbles. I've had her for 1 & 1/2 years now and she's only just beginning to allow me to handle her so that I can trim nails. I adopted her from a shelter, and noticed right away that certain kinds of restraint terrified her. I've always been able to pick her up and carry her, but *anything* to do with towels or being on her back made her panic.

That's not the case as of this November. I'm not sure why she now trusts me to do this, but my guess is that whatever it was that happened to her before I got her is fading from her memory... or that she simply trusts me to not mishandle her.

I still haven't attempted to clip her nails on my own, but am planning to try soon. it would be nice for her (I think) if going to the vet for a trim could be eliminated, though they've been very good and patient with her.

All this to encourage you to give your bun - and yourself - some time.