Getting a new bun NOW WITH A PIC

I'm getting a new bun. She's a nethie cross, and she's been being kept in a friends sisters shed, in an indoor cage. She has really long nails, is not comfortable being around humans and is literally living in her own dirt. Her cage is full of dirty bedding (urine and faeces). A while ago I went to see her and she was looking nice and healthy. Anyway I went again today, and her nails are so long they have curled under.

I need some advice about how to cut a buns nails who firstly isn't used to human interaction, and secondly the nails are so long they're almost digging in her flesh. Do I attempt to do a bunny burrito and risk getting bitten, or do it some other way?
Any help will be appreciated.

I would take her to the vets for a check over.The vet will show you how to cut her nails If she runs on concrete it will keep her nails cut down

id deff reccomend getting a vet to do it if its your first time cutting nails and they will be able to show you how to do it. you really need to see how to do it i think because its hard to grasp it just from a description.
basically you can only cut a certain amount of the nail as they have blood vessels which can be hard to see in darker colour rabbits. should only be afew quid extra if you take the bun for a check up.
letting the bun run around on a hard surface like concrete will also help keep them trim as will digging.
poor little thing for being kept like she is. shes a lucky bun to go to someone who obviously cares about her health

I would say vets would be a good plan - not just for the nails but for a general check up if she's been kept in such poor condition. He will be able to check her teeth too which may be useful.

I know how to cut buns nails because I have a bun of my own, and I cut his nails myself. I was just wondering if I should do it differently because her nails are longer. I'm taking her for a checkup, but I just wondered if cutting the nails would be different, seeing as my own buns nails have never got that long.

I had a similar thing when I collected the 'Derbyshire Buns'. They all needed nails cutting and generally thoroughly cleaning, and none of them were impressed about being handled. I wrapped them in a towel very tightly and just did them as swiftly as possible, to minimise the distress.

ahhhhhhhhhh so sorry totally misunderstood that lol

i had to get my vet to do my piggies nails because the previous people didnt bother and they were so long and curled under - i managed to get a couple done but the others he just went crazy. i suppose you could try and do it.i dont think its really any different just alot more kak handed to hold them and try and see what your doing when they curled under.

Aww poor bun .. With the nails being so bad I would take her and have them done at the vets.. You know how to cut bunny nails so you'll be fine to trim them when they are in better shape, but for starters vet I would say .... Do you know why this person treated the bun like this ?

Well the person who previously owned this bun (I'm mentioning no names, but it is the sister of a close friend of mine) got two of her sisters at the same time, and then left them in her living room in a cage and she returned home after going out to find that her German Shepherd had killed two of the three buns. They placed the bun in a shed in an INDOOR cage (shed isn't heated) and gave her some hay. She now gets her food thrown through the bars into a corner of her cage and she had no water at all today when I went by to visit. I'm just waiting for the call to say that I can definitely take her (if not I'll be reporting them to the RSPCA, but I was told previously when I didn't have the room or the money to have her, that I could have her) and then if I can I'll be bringing her home tomorrow. I'll take photographs of her nails to show you how bad they are, once I get her home. It infuriates me that someone can be so cruel, because to them, she's 'only a rabbit'. In my eyes there is no such thing as 'only a...'

She's also not used to being around humans, so she's not socialised or friendly. Will I need gloves or anything to pick her up incase she bites me, or shall I just take my chances?

Sparky said:

Will I need gloves or anything to pick her up incase she bites me, or shall I just take my chances?

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depends how brave you are :lol: :lol:

seriously though, you wont be able to do nails with gloves on :roll:

I wouldn't bother with gloves I'm sure she'll be okay.. I took a bun in a few months back and he hadn't had a good start in life and had never been handled before with weeks of work hes come of lovely and is now quite a tame boy

Thats so sad about the dog killing the bunnies some people make me sick that they dont try to protect their animals

So pleased she's going to be with you soon.
If she's a nethie cross, she should be little enough to be handled, and if handled correctly, she may be ok. I suspect her experiences so far of being picked up have been a little traumatic.

Just got the call to confirm that I can collect this girly tomorrow at 11.30. I think she's a nethie crossed with something rather large, because she is a substantial size but her mother was a nethie. She has little nethie ears, and she's cute. I won't bother with the gloves then, I'll just risk getting bitten.. I've been bitten by buns before and although it brings a tear to the eye I'm sure it'll be ok!

I'm glad that she's coming to me soon too. If circumstances had been different she would have been with me a while now. Before Christmas I wanted to take her, but the person I was living with would only allow me to have one bun. :roll:

Thanks for the advice everyone.

Just had a realisation. I was laid in bed thinking about what breed (I know she's a cross nethie) the little doe I'm fetching tomorrow is, and then it clicked.

She's a nethie cross Chinchilla. She looks a lot like http://home.earthlink.net/~bunny2u/4cf847d0.jpg that. And she's beautiful

look forward to the pics.

If you are able to clip the nails then it would be better that you do so as this would establish a pattern and routine. Vets, unless experienced in actual nail clipping, are no better than most pet owners although probably much more confident in handling animals which helps!.

If you have an experienced rabbit carer or breeder close to you get them to show you as vet trips to cut nails are expensive and traumatic for the bun when they can be done at home if the bunny owner can be shown and given the confidence to do what is, or should be, a routine job!

That poor wee thing. She's bound to be so traumatised :shock: Thank goodness you are taking her on.

capel said:

That poor wee thing. She's bound to be so traumatised :shock: Thank goodness you are taking her on.

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Yeah.. I'm pretty sure she'll be fine after a while though, she looks in good health except from her nails. She's a really pretty lady aswell

Just been to get the new bun, and she is absolutely gorgeous. I had no trouble whatsoever cutting her nails, she's scratched me once but never bitten. She likes being handled apparently, and is really content to just sit on my knee. She's a really friendly little lass, like i said before she's a nethie cross chin and is the friendliest bun I have ever encountered.

Heres a pic - Its only small but I only have the camera on my mobile phone to take photographs with :lol:

She is gorgeous! I'm so glad she's found a lovely home at last. Claire x

She is lovely Thank god you sisters friend let you have her