Nail Clipping

[Nibbles98]

How do you clip your rabbits nails I have two Netherland Dwarfs and I'm afraid to hurt my little babies. Their names are Peep and Lily!!!:confused2:

 

[missyscove]

Hey there, I moved this to the main forum where you'll get more responses.
Here's a link to our library thread on nail clipping. Take a look through this general overview and see if that helps.
http://rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=12075&forum_id=17

 

[Bunny parents]

When it's time to clip our girl's nails. I need a help from my husband to hold her. She totally dislikes it. Peep and Lily Cute names. good luck with nail clipping.

 

[marymac]

We found that Humperdink likes me to hold him close to my chest while my daughter clips his nails. He doesn't mind the back ones much but hates getting his front nails trimmed.

 

[kuniklos]

marymac wrote:

We found that Humperdink likes me to hold him close to my chest while my daughter clips his nails. He doesn't mind the back ones much but hates getting his front nails trimmed.

My guy and I double team The General as well. He holds the general in a burrito pose and we get as much done as we can in one go. I take my time to make sure I don't cut too low (I only take a little, so sometimes I need to clip a little more often) and sometimes need to go back two or three times during the day to do all his paws and keep him calm. He's pretty good with it.

 

[plasticbunny]

I hold mine on her back and rub her nose until she trances out completely. I sit in a chair and rest her in the groove between my legs so I can have both hands free. If you're nervous about cutting too deep, shine a flashlight through her nail so you can see the quick. Make sure you have corn starch handy in case you do snip too deep, so it will stop any bleeding. If you're really that nervous, you can bring her in for a vet visit and the vet can teach you how.

 

[Mellykins]

I wrapped Bruiser in a soft baby blanket and held him in my lap with his feet exposed and he didn't mind it at all.

 

[alias]

I wrap mine into a bunny "burrito" and pull one foot out at a time. I don't like to risk injury by having them kick, so I like to make sure they can't move too much to get hurt. Just check to see where the "quick" is and make sure you don't cut into it (stay a couple millimeters away from it).

 

[alias]

Also, I keep seeing instructions on how to burrito a bunny and I do it opposite (place the towel on them rather than them on the towel), because it gives me better access to their feet and scent glands. You can see how on my website: http://www.bun101.com/pages/regular-bunny-care.html

 

[LuellaJean]

My husband and I also double team our netherlands. He holds them with their back to his stomach and I sit in front of him and trim their nails. Good luck!

 

[itsazoo]

I do the burrito for Peepers and Jenny, but my previous girl Kari, used to just chill on her back in my lap while I did her nails.

 

[Azerane]

When I first got Hazel-rah, he was nervous and didn't like either his belly or his paws being touched, so at first it took a lot of time to clip his nails so he wouldn't stress out. But after I had him for a while and we bonded, he got used to me picking up his paws to clip his nails. He took longer to get used to be touching his belly, but I gradually got him used to me picking his front half up little by little accompanied with soft petting with one or two fingers on his belly around his side. Once he learned that it was a good experience, he calmed down a lot. Always end the clipping etc positively, if you stop and put him back in his hutch while he is still freaking out, it won't help, if you can calm him first after every time he panicks, it helps to reassure them.

 

[sparney]

how do you know when they need clipping?

 

[Nancy McClelland]

We double team them with one of use holding them like they are standing up while the other (Larry) gets to do the clipping.

 

[Dulmit]

I give another vote for the Bunny burrito! Works very well until they learn to be calm enough. I was also able to clip nails while the bunnies were still on the ground, but I needed help to hold the bun.