Regarding nail clipping. Cher, there isno "right" type of clippers. Whatever works best foryou. I've tried them all and prefer the guillotine type thatyou describe because it is easy to slide the nail through, has a bottomblade to judge my cut, and cutting is a single action process due tothe spring in the clipper.
I generally do it outside at a picnic table, so I can utilize sunlightto better see the quick. The quick, in a white nail, appearslike a tiny pink worm encased in translucent "ice." Cut aboveit.
In darker nails, in direct sunlight, it often has a slightly morepinkish cast than the "dead" end of the nail. Sometimes, itjust appears more dense. If you can see it in one nail, itmakes it easier to spot in other nails, sometimes. You canalso nip a little bit off at a time. As you approach thequick more closely, bunny will often react with a knee-jerkmotion. Sometimes, you can cut right to the quick, see theend of it, but not cause bleeding. In any case, I always havestyptic powder, a Q-Tip, and water on hand to dampen the cotton on theQ-Tip, to staunch any blood flow that may accidentallyoccur. Flour, talc, corn starch, are viablealternatives. Most buns forgive the indignity in a shortwhile, should you accidentally cut too close to the quick, so while notexactly painless, it is not a major injury. Those of us whocut our buns' nails have all done it at one time or another.
I grasp the bun and turn it upside down on its back, and cradle it inmy right arm. I place its back on a towel cushioned picnictable top, with my arm still cradling it, and grasp its two rear feetin my right hand. With my left hand, I stroke its head andtalk soothingly, in an effort to calm and "hypnotize" it into a relaxedstate.
Having accomplished that, I use the thumb and forefinger of my righthand, which is still grasping the rear feet, to isolate one nail, andplace in in the guillotine blade of the clipper being operated by myleft hand. Sometimes, I use my right thumb as anindex markerto NOT cut below, by placing it on line with thevisible quick. Having completed the rear feet, I switchhands, and arms, and bunny's orientation to work on the front feet in asimilar manner.
Buns will often wiggle and squirm out of my grasp. Some will"startle" out of their entranced state when I snip, or somenoise grabs them. In any case, I simply, and swiftly, replacethem in the position I desire, because I am, as Carolyn mentioned, theAlpha rabbit, the big Boss Rabbit, and the Big Kahuna Rabbit and theymust recognize that fact to finally acquiesce and submit quietly.
Sometimes, buns will whimper and moan and sniffle, but rest assured,you are not killing them. Once the ordeal is over, they aretreated to a long grooming session with brushes and combs, until theybegin to "chatter" with pleasure. Then, I am sure all isforgiven.
Couple of pointers... Front nails, grow much morequickly than rear, because in Nature, they were used more frequentlyand formidably in digging borrows.
Don't forget the little dewclaw in the inside of the leg, an inch or two above the paw.
Yellow, commercially obtained from pet stores, styptic powder, mixedwith bunny blood often stains clothing permanently, so don't wear goodclothing.
Styptic pencils, that men may use shaving, are worthless for this application, in my estimation.
Usually, if you cannot see the quick in direct sunlight orwith a powerful flashlight, you will cause no injury by cutting off the"hooked" portion of a nail.
Cutting nails every two to three months is adequate. I do ourbuns monthly, because I don't want them to lose a nail by hangingup on something, and I weigh, visually and manually inspectthem, and record everything on a permanent, informal monthly recordsheet.
Another holding technique is to wrap the bun up in a towel, burritostyle, extracting each foot as necessary. You may have tore-wrap frequently.
Some people cradle buns on their backs between themanicurist's knees, and grab one leg at a time. Works best ifyour bun will "trance."
Some people enlist the aid of one, or two helpers, but I find that itis unnecessary, as one becomes more familiar and at ease with theprocess.
If Carolyn thinks it may be useful, our buns will need a manicure rightabout the time of the Beach Bunnies Party 2004, and I'd be more thanhappy to put on a demonstration for those who are squeamish aboutit. Bring your own clippers and we can do it along side oneanother, or you can use mine, under close supervision. It isnot rocket science and no one should have to make an unnecessary tripto the vet's office for this. Save those trips, and money,for the big and serious events.
Buck