# My bunny wont let anyone cut his nails



## STEPHANIE11 (Mar 11, 2007)

i have tried cutting his nails and he wont stopsquirming around so i called the vet and he said ok bring himin,the vet tried cutting his nails and he still wont stopmoving around after about half an hour trying to get him to stay stillwe both gave up. I called a different vet and he tried to but still weweren't able to cut his nails they are so sharp its even gettinguncomfortable for him to hop around and clean hismelf. What should itry?


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## caramel (Mar 11, 2007)

sorry i dont know, i need to cut caramels soonand she is one heck of a squirmer so i have no idea how to do it butthey are quite long and she is always scratching me:great::great:


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## nangobi (Mar 11, 2007)

I'm a very new bunny Mum so not really in aposition to give out advice but when I had to syringe feed Bugsy Ifound I was able to trance her - she relaxed enough for me to be ableto feed her and even hold her paws in my hand and take a close look,something she'd never let me do any other time.

There's a section trancing in the Bunny 101 sectionI think.

Admittedly, it's much harder with my new bun, Neddy, but he seems to like my daughter so I'm going to teach her to trance him.


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## BEAUKEZRA (Mar 11, 2007)

I always hold the bunny's back to my chest whilemy husband cuts their nails, I rest my chin on the top of their headsand hold their feet out. They usually stop squirming once I put my chinon their heads. It works for us. Good luck.


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## STEPHANIE11 (Mar 11, 2007)

thanks i will try that tonight


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## caramel (Mar 11, 2007)

ill have to try and trance caramel


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## naturestee (Mar 12, 2007)

Were the vets trying to do everythingsingle-handedly, or were they teaming up to do the job? Howfrequently do they handle rabbits? That would concern me alittle bit because from the few vets I've met, their ability to handlea difficult rabbit is often as good as their ability to treatit. My regular rabbit vet is so good at handling scared andaggressive rabbits that it's shocking. Not to say that allgood rabbit vets are fabulous at handling difficult rabbits, but theyshould have more experience at it.

With difficult rabbits, which most of mine were at least at the start,I've found the easiest way to clip their nails is to have one personhold them while the other person cuts the nails. One way tohold them is to keep the rabbit snuggled on your arm and chest withyour other hand on top of his shoulder, keeping him in place.The other way is to have him upright with his back against your chest,one hand under his butt and the other hand around his chest just underhis front legs. It will look a bit like he's sittingup. I'll have to get my hubby to take pictures of thissometime. Anyway, that lets the second person use one hand tohold the paw and the other hand to cut the nails.

Trancing can work, but most of mine come out of the trance very easilyand will bolt once they do. Which can be dangerous becausethey aren't watching where they are going. I can trance mostof them now, but it's usually difficult and I have to becareful. If they're giving me issues I'd much rather have asecond person help me.

Hee hee! I just wrote a book!


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## AngelnSnuffy (Mar 12, 2007)

What Nturestee said, and all I can add is thatyou get them as comfortable as possible for this, or they will not sitstill and try to run off.


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## TinysMom (Mar 12, 2007)

Do you use the "bunny burrito" method where you wrap them in a towel with just the foot exposed?

We rarely have to resort to this method as our rabbits have alreadylearned that mom and dad are the "top kahuna" (isn't that what BuckJones called it? OR was it JimD?).

Basically - you take the bunny and wrap him up in a towel so that justone paw is exposed. One person holds him while the other one trims thenails.

If we need to - I may be able to try and take some pictures tomorrow..

Peg


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## Gussy (Mar 12, 2007)

The bunny burrito method failed metonight. Of course I had to do it myself as my wife is toscared to either restrain the bunny or cut the nails!


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## jil101ca (Mar 12, 2007)

what about covering up their heads with your hand or a small cloth.It calms mine right down and they don't move


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## petkeeper (Mar 12, 2007)

I have trouble too...it would be nice if theywere like the ferrets, the ferrets you can just scruff them and they golimp and let you cut their nails!! lol

I have to do the bunny burrito method...but I can't do it by myself..Ihave to get my daughter to hold while I cut. Once in a whileI can do it my self.

Is there anything you can put in their cage that would help trim downtheir nails naturally...like some sort of digging box with a nail filein the bottom??? lol


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## ~BunBuns~ (Mar 12, 2007)

try getting her attention away from the vet oryou by giving her treats or toys (s)he likes or try peting her fav spotand be gentle and try to be patient my rabbit gets her nails trimmedfrom the place i bought her so they kinda know and she knows them soshe lets them cut her nails. Let your bunny smell the vet or something.:?

hope this helps


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## STEPHANIE11 (Mar 12, 2007)

All the vets I have been to are exotic pet vetsand they team up with like 3 people and still can't cut his nailsbecause he will start kicking and biting, one time he bit the assistantso hard she ran off with blood running down her hand :XMybunny has a terrible fear of getting his nails cut its terrible.Yesterday I tried the bunny butrito method he bit me hard and when imoved my hand he managed to run, I tried holding him down that didntwork he scratched my arm pretty bad and escaped then I tried trancinghim he comes out of the trance before I can even get a hold of his paw.LOL he really is trying to make it impossible, when he sees me gettingthe nail clipper he runs behind the couch.


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## Gussy (Mar 12, 2007)

The breeder where I got my bunnies had to sitdown in a sturdy chair and tucked the bunny between her legs with justthe nose and front legs exposed. However, this was on adifferent bunny than the dwarf that I was going to do.


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## JimD (Mar 12, 2007)

*TinysMom wrote:*


> We rarely have to resort to this method as our rabbits havealready learned that mom and dad are the "top kahuna" (isn't that whatBuck Jones called it? OR was it JimD?).




It was Buck


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## JimD (Mar 12, 2007)

Some of my buns will actually let me clip their front nails while they are sitting in their cages.

For back feet it's burritos for all. I leave enough of a flap at thetop so I can drape it over their eyes....which seems to calm them downconsiderably.

Tootsie is the only one I haven't been able to clip yet. She normally goes to the vet and it takes 3 of them to get it done.
She doesn't like to be handled or picked up at all.
I keep saying "Next time I'll do it!"


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## Gussy (Mar 12, 2007)

I'm resorting to filing for now. At least it dulls the edges without me worrying about cutting too much.


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## Offspring2099 (Mar 12, 2007)

This is what we do.

We flip the bun on it's back, with full and total support of theback. You need to be confident, and have the buntight but not too toght in the blanket. Then we open each pawone by one. 

If the bun become agitated and starts squirming the person that isholding would distract the bun by petting the rabbits head at the timeof actual cut.


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## Rusty (Mar 13, 2007)

i put a towel over him and wrap him up. then iput him in a trance and cut all his nails and check his scent glandsand teeth in under 5 min. and i do it by myself. if you know how totrance properly its very easy.


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## chrisl1976 (Mar 13, 2007)

something that has helped us is rubbing thierfeet while you have them out and are petting them.....so they get usedto people handling thier feet. One of our buns absolutelyrefused it for awhile and now he tolerates if for a coupleminutes....even try cutting them when they are lying on thefloor.....if you can cut one or two a day....it might be easier thentrying to tackle them all at once. 

Good luck....


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## Offspring2099 (Mar 13, 2007)

*Rusty wrote: *


> iput a towel over him and wrap him up. then i put him in a trance andcut all his nails and check his scent glands and teeth in under 5 min.and i do it by myself. if you know how to trance properly its veryeasy.


By yourself? Very impressive.


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