How To Trim Your Rabbit's Nails AND Survive The Experience
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Rabbits need their nails/claws trimmed regularly, unless you happen to live with them on rocky outcroppings, in which case they probably have other things to worry about. Rabbits have constantly growing nails, and if they are left to grow unchecked, they can lead to health problems and pain for your rabbit. Think of it like your own toenails, would you leave them to grow long and curl over on themselves, and become horny and thick and yellow? You probably would not, (unless you were going for some sort of Guinness World Record.) If you're new to rabbit keeping, you may find that clipping the nails/claws is a scary proposition. You don't want to hit the nerve and make your darling rabbit bleed of course, and you will probably find that the rabbit isn't all that keen on having his or her nails clipped either, which means you will be entering into a battle with a tiny creature that isn't afraid to hurt you or itself. It can be a difficult and dangerous task, but here is a basic guide that should leave you both unscathed:
Get the nail clippers.
Get the bunny. If the bunny is not used to being handled, then you should spend some time familiarizing him or her with being petted and handled. You should be doing this over a period of weeks, and by the time it comes to clip the nails, you should at least be on nose butting terms, if not, you haven't been spending enough time with your bunny, and may be a bad bunny owner. Spending time with your bunny should not only be enjoyable time for you, but it makes necessary tasks like nail/claw clipping much easier and safer.
Even if the bunny is used to handling, the bunny may not be overly pleased about having his or her nails clipped. The bunny views him or herself as an autonomous creature who doesn't need you for anything. They are the Masters and Mistresses of their domain. They will not willingly submit to your clumsy manhandling, any more than a pretty princess would go willingly to live under a bridge with a troll. This means that you are going to have to get a firm grip on the bunny. I find it is easiest to place the rabbit on your lap whilst you sit cross legged, and use the forearm to keep the bunny pressed snugly to your body whilst the hand of the same arm takes hold of the foot gently but firmly and isolate the claw to be trimmed. This position allows the bunny to be pinned and lifted a little, rendering struggles useless in a safe fashion that won't get the bunny hurt. At all costs, make sure the bunny is safe and don't pin it by its neck or head. Bunnies are well known for being unable to asses the consequences of their struggles before they ensue, and you want a bunny with nicely clipped nails, not a dead bunny.
Carefully clip the tip of the nail, do NOT go too far along the length of the nail, even if it has grown a little long. Unless the nerve is very clearly visible, which is often not the case with rabbits who have darker claws, you must be careful. Trim back slowly, taking a little at a time. You may have to repeat this process over several days.
If you do go too deep you will hurt the bunny, the bunny will bleed, and probably kick or bite the living hell out of you. This will be your fault, as you were told to be careful, weren't you.
Let the rabbit go gently, and be prepared to dissuade it from biting you in revenge. Give a treat instead to help ease the mortification that the rabbit no doubt feels. You may be in his or her bad books for a while, the subject of haughty looks and disdainful foot flicking. Don't let it get to you, being a bunny owner isn't just about the good times, sometimes you have to be firm too.
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Comments
Kitten nail clippers work much better for this thab people nail clippers.
Well yes, I probably should have mentioned that there are special nail clippers designed just for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. Get your mitts on some of those! :)
Well yes, I probably should have mentioned that there are special nail clippers designed just for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. Get your mitts on some of those! :)
I have had my bunny for 3 months and haven't clipped her nails yet, but they are getting pretty long. How often should I be trimming them?
Check the nails every couple of weeks. If you've noticed that they are getting long, trim them.
thanks a lot i really need to cut my rabbits nails coz it is scratching me all the time and im getti tuns of scars:(
ive carried out the course of the instructions for 2 weeks now every time i attempt it my rabit scratches me and my rabit still hates me : (
Does anyone know what to do if my bunny is absolutely terrified of being handled? Sometimes, she even runs away when I try to pet her (we don't keep her in a cage).
Any advice would be appreciated.
my rabbit is mean
Thanks a lot for the info....I was cutting my bunny's nails, one toe nail a week to avoid stressing her.....this method worked wonderfully...I just successfully did all toes with absolutely NO fuss at all.....Good stuff!!!! Thanks!!
Thanks! that was very helpful.
What kind of clippers should you use to cut them though? Regular people toenail clippers? and how often do their nails need to be cut?
do you trim the back nails too?
It is better to turn the bunny upside down, lying on its back on your arm, and use the other hand to cut the nails. The bunnies goes into a "bunny-trance" in that position. It will not move for a while; and will not kick while you cut. This makes nail cutting a quick simple process. Do it while sitting on the floor, as the bunny may snap out of its trance anytime.
I have had my bunny for 10 months, handling him is a nightmare (my first bunny was a joy). could you please post some photos of the hold you have described here? I take him to vet right now for nail trims but it is stressful getting him in the carrier to go.
I got my bunny when he was 6-years-old, and I don't think they ever took the time to do anything right with him! It tooke me weeks to get him to eat his vegetables, and it was impossible to hold him, and he still hates being held!When I realized that the people hadn't trimmed his nails, I had had him for only a few days, so I had to go through all the "hi atti, I'm niki... let's be friends" for a few weeks. I spent 4 months doing the "bunny burrito" and the old 1 nail at a time stuff until the groomers had a sale for half off everything when we took our dog to get groomed. They said they did bunnies! So now for $8, I can put atti in a room, and put his carrier in it so he hops in and I take him.
I highly suggest that if you're uncomfortable with trimming your rabbits nails, you go to the vet or groomer. It may be semi-expensive, but it's better than being scratched and stressed out. I would not say to put a bunny on it's back unless you're 100% comfortable and the bunny's secured in a towel. They can easily kick out and break their backs.
Are dog nail clippers ok?
Could you use a pedi paw on a bunny?
I have a guinea pig and everytime i cut his nails just a tiny bit but they always bleed i bit but im not even taking a cm off and because his nails are almost black so i dont know where the blood stream so they always bleed how can i stop this because they are quite long for a guinea pig ??
Nish x
I'm in 4-H and have been taught a lot about bunnies over the years. People nail clippers work just fine and are almost easier. For bunnies with dark nails, I would reccommend just cutting a very little bit of the nail at a time: a millimeter or so.
My rabbit is about a year old. When he was smaller clipping his nails wasn't a problem - he'd just sit in my lap chewing his favorite toy and i was able to clip all his nails, front and back, without a problem. Now that he's fully grown and the size of volkswagen beetle, he just doesn't want anything to do with it. He's a free range bunny and is really loving and well-behaved... until it comes time to clip his front toe nails.
His front nails are in desperate need of a trim and I'm really tempted to just take him to the vet. I use people nail clippers - I've tried two different brands of rabbit nail trimmers and they've never been sharp enough to just cut the nail without pulling unnecessarily. I was considering inventing some sort of digging box that would simultaneously file his nails, but with my luck he'd sniff it twice, rub his chin on it all possessively, and then never look at it again.
This is really where scientists and inventors should be expending all their time and resources- clipping bunny toenails.
nish:
a centimeter on a guinea pig's nails is way too much!!!!!! ive had guinea pigs for 5 years, and one had black nails. just trim off a little bit, like 1/5 of a cm. and do it more often.
What do u do when your bunnies nailstart to bleed?? does it stop bleeding or would i need to call a vet??
thanks for the advice it really helped cause i didnt have a clue how to trim my bunnys nails and what should i do if my bunny eats the cage
my rabbit just wont sit still ive tried everthing
hello
when i take my rabbit out for a hop i cant catch it again any advice
What about giant breeds? Whats best to use to clip those?
Thanks for any help, I'm a new house bunny owner and a giant bunny owner at that.
Jacqqui do you live in MI?
When my mom was trying to give my rabbit a grape my rabbit thought that my moms finger was the grape.He bite my moms finger and was trying to get a piece off of it.It gave my mom a blister.
thank you know me and my bunnie actualy are starting to like each other
Whoever wrote this is a douche.
I've had my bunny for three years now, and she was either a few months or weeks old when we got her - the idiots at the pet store didn't know.
Huh.
Anyway, I just had a discovery that sent me to, probably overreacting, tears. My bunny has a cut just down from her left ear, in the soft part of her fur. She goes mad if you try and see it, but I read places, and it said to apply Neosporin, as long as it was not the plus kind with bensocane.
That's exactly what she did.
But now she's scratching at it and biting it like crazy.
We've also never had much success with her nails. We do, very often, try and trim her nails, even with the "bunny-trance" method. It doesn't work.
She puts up a biting, scratching, mad fight, until we free her.
Also, though she was always a tame bunny, we've always had trouble with her getting out of the cage.
Her cage is kept inside, and she always has pellets, what we like to call "bunny nibbles," and timothy and alphalfa hay. Sometimes, it's a journey getting her out of her cage, and I seem to be the only one up for the job.
We've "fenced" off a large space in one room for her to play without being harmed. The only problem is, when it's time to go into the cage.
She seems to know when it's late, and time to go to bed. She runs like the dickens, trying to stay free. It's not like we don't let her out - she's out for many hours a day. Sometimes I'll get lucky and catch her when she's about to flee.
I've read that throwing a blanket on them can be officent?
But, is that harmful?
PLEASE REPLY!
(email: twilightt4@gmail.com)
That is the best article on bunny nail clipping I have read. At least you are honest!
I have a 16 week old Lionhead and a guinea pig too. They both became friendly really quickly and are happy and healthy but I am still so scared to chop their nails. Especially guinea pig as he has enough personality for the both of them, bunny is really chilled out with everything.
Here is to hoping that he still will be!!
Agree with earlier post thought that a picture would really help.
Pretty please?
My bunny is lovely and tame, a little nipper though i may say. I havn't clipped his nails yet but i am scared to when it comes to having to do the job.
He has white nails so should i be able to see the veins?
I am thinking of taking him to the vets or a groomer, does anyone know any costs or an estimate of how much it would cost?
Also, as above, any pictures?
A trip to the rabbit vet for a nail trim is well worth the $20
but my French Lop is older and can't see so well so he prefers not to go anywhere. He is a loose rabbit so he has a sense of freedom that makes nail clipping even worse but otherwise, I wish for the old days when a quick trip to the rabbit vet got the job done!
My bunny lets me clip all her nails EXCEPT the "thumbs" (the nails that are further up the front leg on the inside.)She never bites when i clip her nails, but when I go to clip the inside nail, she pulls away or sticks her nose in the way so i cant reach.
What do i do?
Michelle says:
2 years ago
Thanks for the info. Very comical and useful at the same time! Nothin better than that. I will trim and trim regularly.