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nail clipping

B

bunnygran

Warren Scout
Could anyone tell me the best way to hold my bunnies to clip their nails. I have never done it before and am a bit nervous about it, but my vet charges £5 for each bunny so I though I would have a go doing it myself.
Also, can you buy special nail clippers to do this job? Thanks a lot
 
U can buy special clippers , ive seen them in pet stores!

I havent done my own yet!! so not sure about how best to hold them!!
 
It depends alot on the rabbit. Mine wont lay on his back very long so i cant do it that way but some rabbits may let you do it while they lay along your lap on their backs.
To do mine i hold him the right way up across my stomach and lift each leg to clip his nails. Sometimes he lets me.. sometimes he wont and i sometimes have to do one foot, let him run around, then do another foot.
The clippers are on sale in most petshops or if u have a wilkinsons they have them also. They are pet nail clippers.
Hope that helps a little.
Chris
 
hi,
i do all my rabbit nails on a regular basic, some will kick up a right fuss, so i wrap them up in a towel and keep close to my body and keep one arm rapped around them so they dont fight me and use the hand to hold the paw and make sure eyes r covered as ir calms them down and reduces stress then i get one of the paws and hold firmly but not too tight and start to clip there nails but watch out for the blood vessels in the nails. white nails r easy as u can see them but with dark rabbits the nails r dark and cant see the vessles so dont cut too short i have dont it once and caught the end of the vessle and it did bleed but held a towel over it till it stopped but its not too bad as the dew claw is quite brittel on rabits a break off quite easy esspecially when bouncing around like some do but they dont complain as iv notices some have come off and never realised
my clippers r just normal cat and dog clippers
becky
 
I cradle mine in one arm, much the same way as you would hold a baby and use the other hand to clip, if you have a bigger rabbit you may find it easier if someone else holds it for you, leaving you both hands free to do the cutting.

Yvonne
 
I invested in a special pair of nail clipper for rabbit (the case looks like a rabbit, which is cute)

We sit Branwen on my brother's lap then just take a front paw and do that. Then for her back feet tip her so she's on her back but well suppourted.

Haven't tried it for Casey yet. It's hard enough getting him to stay still.
 
Sorry to bring this thread back but how long is too long?

We picked up Anna tonight and noticed that hers are quite long but not sure if they are too long. I would say they are just over 1 cm in length. Seem to fit in quite feel with her feet but worth a small trim?
 
bunnygran said:
Could anyone tell me the best way to hold my bunnies to clip their nails. I have never done it before and am a bit nervous about it, but my vet charges £5 for each bunny so I though I would have a go doing it myself.
Also, can you buy special nail clippers to do this job? Thanks a lot
Click to expand...

Good on you! it's a piece of cake once you get the hang of it :)
Just think of all that money you will be saving! I was gobsmacked when my friend told me her vet charged her £3.50 to clip her hamsters claws!

I can't really add anymore to what the others have advised other than "Good Luck!" :)
 
WonderBunn said:
Sorry to bring this thread back but how long is too long?

We picked up Anna tonight and noticed that hers are quite long but not sure if they are too long. I would say they are just over 1 cm in length. Seem to fit in quite feel with her feet but worth a small trim?
Click to expand...

I always thought that it was when you could see the claw poking out from the fur. :?
 
We do ours whenever we can hear them clattering on the floors. Chips gets picked up and held and then Bertie cuts his claws with a proper rabbit nail cutting thing, then for the others they lie on my lap, Bertie holds them down and I do the cutting - they have dark nails so it's much trickier, and that way I'm the one who gets in trouble if there's an "accident".
 
It may be ok with Anna and Eamon to get them to stay still but the other one, Thora, little trouble she is, may be different!!! I tried to trick her last night into letting me stroke her whilst she sat in a box lid with hay in it and soon as aI moved off she hopped. She doesnt stay still!!!
 
I clip them when the nails can be seen sticking out from the fur.

I put all my rabbits on their back, head towards my belly. That way I can sort of hold them down with my whole arm and clip with one hand holding the leg and clipping with the other hand. I use dog clippers.

Vera
 
:? I had to try all sorts of things to clip my bunnies nails one of my french lops daisy would just sit there but tulip just wouldnt sit still i would have to wrap her up in a towel!! I havent tried with Sugar yet when ever i pick up her paws and just get the clippers round her claw she would whip it away and growl then stump off, (she has just reached her 'teenage' years) So i havent had much luck with her just yet :wink:
 
clipping nails

With my lot I have made the effort to pick them up every day and hold them by just doing that even if its only for a quick cuddle they get used to it even if they dont like it.When clipping I put them on my garden picnic bench/table.Its the right height for me to stand over them keeping my elbow/arm around the back end so they cant shuffle back and gently picking front paw up with gentle preassure on the pad of the paw the nail will stick out a bit. Do both paws on one side and then turn bun round to do the other side. You only really need to clip the sharp pointy end off so it doen't scratch you !! With light colored rabbits clear nails its easy to see their blood vessel so you don't cut too short.We are talking millimetres here. With dark nails of you can get someone to shine a torch from underneath that will show the blood vessel up. Even if you do spill blood have a small container of cornflour(used in cooking) handy to dip the paw in.It will stop the bleeding and wont harm the bun.Hope this helps-try the nurses clinic at the vets-mine do it for free.
lynne
 
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