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How to trim skittish buns nails

Mervinius

Mama Doe
Hey,

So we normally get Archie and Pip's nails trimmed at the vets, because they are very skittish and we've never had any luck doing it ourselves. Unfortunately with the lockdown this is not an option.

Has anyone got any useful tips for trimming nethies paws?

I tried the burrito method and the monsters squirmed straight out of it.

We don't have anywhere up high, and weirdly our buns love being up high, so not sure this would help anyway.

They are starting to look like eagles!!!!
 
I've just clipped Rupert's nails and I thought he was going to be a nightmare but I had him sat on my knee and he tried to climb up over my shoulder but I held him quite firmly, he is a biggish Lop and I managed to do them. By the time I got to the last foot he had calmed down so phew managed to get them done! With difficult bunnies it is best to get someone to hold them for you, but I wouldn't have been able to do that with this social distancing rule so it was a bit of a worry. Good luck with yours.
 
Mine are just so small and wriggly. My OH is useless. He's scared of hurting them. I suggested we try putting them on the kitchen counter and he wasn't keen. Might have to try treat giving and cutting one claw at a time whilst they are distracted.

Arghh don't know what to do.

Well done for doing ruperts
 
Try doing them in a room they aren’t too familiar with if possible, I find they are better behaved in that situation.
 
Try doing them in a room they aren’t too familiar with if possible, I find they are better behaved in that situation.
We have no room they don't go in... They are free roaming monsters. We could try the garage I suppose but it's quite dark in there!
 
I don't have any helpful advice (the vet always does ours!) but you have my sympathy as we have also got this task to do this week with our 3!!
 
I hope this doesn't come across like I'm rough with the buns [emoji51] but if they're getting out of a burrito, it's not a secure, snug enough one ime, mine don't need burritos anymore but at the beginning they'd only wriggle out when I hadn't tucked it properly and wasn't holding them securely in it. For doing nails whilst they're wrapped you'll need someone to be holding bun securely wrapped whilst someone else holds the paw and clips it I'd think [emoji38]

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I've trained my lot that me saying "paw" and picking each foot up is ok. I start by picking up a paw and gently separating the digits to see which claw needs trimming before starting to trim. When I started out I just picked up a toe, gradually moved onto the paw and just it put in down then the next time did it a couple of times before I even started to attempt to do any trimming. Dew claws are the most difficult though and I still have issues with getting those done as you're lifting up then out a bit.

Each bunny is different though; Harley doesn't bat an eyelid at having his paws handled as I started doing this as soon as I got him, Logan generally needs distracting with pellets as she's a nosy fidget-**** and Sylvester prefers each claw to be picked up in turn and only a few done at a sitting. They also sit on top of my hay wheelie bin so they don't have a massive amount of space to maneuver.

Don't know whether that will help you now but operant conditioning might be worth trying.
 
It's hard with a soft OH, isn't it! I know Lopsy would be straight off whatever surface we put him on as well, he has no personal safety fear when it comes to heights, he just goes for it :S I don't have any advice, I'm glad neither I nor the vets have ever needed to do Lopsy's though! I suspect Chibbs might need hers doing sometime soon...
 
It's hard with a soft OH, isn't it! I know Lopsy would be straight off whatever surface we put him on as well, he has no personal safety fear when it comes to heights, he just goes for it :S I don't have any advice, I'm glad neither I nor the vets have ever needed to do Lopsy's though! I suspect Chibbs might need hers doing sometime soon...
Michaels like that, he won't even pick them up incase he hurts them.. Won't give medication incase of aspiration, won't do sq fluids incase he does it wrong, won't do injects for the same reason, won't apply anything like cream or ointments, won't handle the hamsters...(he will pick up Gus now if he has to, but he doesn't like too, he's fine handling him once he's out though) I'm hoping he won't be like this with the kid [emoji38] it gets a lot having to do all animal medical stuff, I mean I'm no expert, my Vet seems confident for me to do injections and stuff at home though so that's reassuring I guess [emoji38][emoji38] he also won't clip nails, buns are fine, hamster ones are a challenge though to do alone [emoji21][emoji21]

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I hope this doesn't come across like I'm rough with the buns [emoji51] but if they're getting out of a burrito, it's not a secure, snug enough one ime, mine don't need burritos anymore but at the beginning they'd only wriggle out when I hadn't tucked it properly and wasn't holding them securely in it. For doing nails whilst they're wrapped you'll need someone to be holding bun securely wrapped whilst someone else holds the paw and clips it I'd think [emoji38]

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haha, yes, a loose burrito makes things even more complicated/chaotic :lol:
 
I feel better knowing others have softy partners! All mine will do is give them treats and play with them. Pah. No wonder they like him the best.

Thanks for all the tips this has given me a few ideas. Not offended by the burrito comment, I'm probably not going it firm enough.

They are both bun loafing with paws out and they let me stroke their paws and nails with my finger. So maybe I'll go with that technique and introducing the clippers slowly. They are scared on timid buns, just full of beans and certainly won't sit on laps. Haha
 
I feel better knowing others have softy partners! All mine will do is give them treats and play with them. Pah. No wonder they like him the best.
Exactly! They follow him round the garden. if they see me come outside, they might come over if I'm near the run, or bedning down to see them, but if they see him they're straight towards him! He does defluff them as well tough, so I'll take that :lol:

They are both bun loafing with paws out and they let me stroke their paws and nails with my finger. So maybe I'll go with that technique and introducing the clippers slowly. They are scared on timid buns, just full of beans and certainly won't sit on laps. Haha
Mine seem to have gotten past the 'WHAT are you DOING?!' reaction when I stroke their paws so that's a good sign :D Lopsy doesn't like me anywhere near his back feet though: they're his best weapon (we all have the scars XD) and he's not going to let me treat them like a soft tough :lol: Best of luck!
 
I bit the bullet and did Treacles a couple of days ago, she was a little angel and let me pick up one paw at a time. I'd kept putting it off, as I've no one to help me, so much relieved. Good luck anyone with skittish buns !
 
Well I've done a few front feet strokes. They seem confused, but arent totally freaking out. Hahaha. They've never bitten or lashed out with their feetsies, so not worried about them hurting us. They are good as gold in that way.

Just not sure they will sit still. I'll keep you updated. Just got to convince OH that we need to do it next. [emoji1751]
 
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