Patience and practice (for both human and bun bun)
What have you tried doing so far to trim bun bun’s nails?
Fabulous_Audience300
(just realized my caption didn’t upload, oops!) exactly what the title says.. I used to take him to the vet to trim his nails but I recently moved and there’s no exotic animal vets close enough for me to go to regularly. it’s only me taking care of my little bun so I don’t have anyone to help me hold him while I trim his nails or vice versa. he freaks out whenever I try and he doesn’t like being held at all so whenever I try to hold him still while I do it he freaks out even more and it’s just scary/stressful for the both of us. anyways I’m open to any suggestions but I thought some kind of short-term sedative might be easiest 😣 (upvotes appreciated so this is at the top of the comments)
Ok_Entrepreneur_5942
Put him in a crate up somewhere high so he’s too scared to move haha
adamisapple
I try to distract my rabbit and sneak the clippers over one nail at a time. It’s tedious but it works for rabbits who are slippery when you hold them lol
ButteredCopPorn
Do you have anywhere unfamiliar you can take him, so he’ll be uneasy and less likely to try and escape? Like a bathtub or anything like that?
I have heard of cbd oil for rabbits for anxiety, but I don’t recommend trying this without thorough research *and* consulting the vet whenever he goes in for his next checkup.
Lavender also has a calming effect, and my bunnies like to eat it, but I don’t know if it’s strong enough to calm him down for nail trims. If you decide to try it, remember that lavender has a really strong smell so don’t try to give too much at a time.
edit to add: if you have any pet shops nearby that sell rabbits and/or have grooming services, it wouldn’t hurt to call and ask if they do bunny nail trims.
Dublinkxo
I take mine to the vet, 2 technicians do it, one holds and the others clips. Quick, easy, painless for $18.
Strange_Aioli_246
bunny burrito that boy, do one or two feetsies then do the others some other day
Vibes-room
Get a pillow case and cut some holes. That’s how mine lets me do it. Also lots of treats and patience
KillerOfAllJoice
A question I ask myself monthly
TheMightyYule
I think others have already weighed in on the nail trims. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but consider the fact that you don’t have an exotic vet close and what that means for your bunny in the case of an emergency.
inthepipe_fivebyfive
We don’t even attempt to cut our buns nails. The breeder we got her from offers a nail trimming service. More than worth the £6 trim a couple of times a year to let someone else far more confident do it!
dogood4all
Never tried to do this. Took George to the vet and used it as an opportunity to have his weight checked as Rexes are prone to weight issues as they get over. Took two folks to accomplish this even with him wrapped up as a bunny burrito
WanderingDahlia82
Burrito, treat, and repeat. Start with just a couple nails so he knows it’s safe, be very careful not to injure, and then have another session later. I usually do one or two paws at once, especially if it’s the clompers in the back
Unique_Technician246
My buns HATE being held and having their nails trimmed, so I’m forced to do the burrito trick and go slowly. I usually have help, so it’s easier. Hope you get it. Also, I always give them a couple of treats right after
aseedandco
I’d use clippers.
tucci007
roll him up in a towel, commonly known as a ‘bunny burrito’
give treat when finished so they will associate something good at the end of the ordeal and over time and repetitions will become less opposed to it
dont give drugs
Rexel450
No drugs!
Not needed.
Specialist-Donut-518
I have two cats and a bun who all really dislike nail trims. I sit on the floor and wait for them to come to me and trim a nail or two as I am petting them, rinse and repeat. It takes much longer by myself but none of them freak out like they do with the two person hold and trim method. Also the bun is the absolute best with this method and I can get like 3 or 4 done at once.
Wrap the bottom of your shirt that you have on/sweatshirt whatever over his head and body and pull out one foot at a time,turn him to the other side once you got one side done
Professional-Bowl413
My bun is a fighter and has black nails so I always take her to the groomer for a nail trim, I help hold her while they trim her nails and it takes from 5 to 15 minutes depending on how crazy she will act there but it’s definitely better than doing it at home where she kick and bite me and gives me a claw attack while I’m struggling to see her black nails and taking 30 minutes on each nail🤷🏼♀
Iphigenia305
I just got my man comfortable with me plucking him up and holding him on my chest because he’s my ESA and the. Turn him slightly to the side I’m going to trim and get them done before he realizes we are doing what we are doing
Medical-Funny-301
I’ve a nurse so used to doing all kinds of procedures, had bunnies for 15+ years, and my hands still shake from nerves during nail trims! I wish there was a safe sedative to do nails. Unfortunately, any drug will carry risks. You could ask your vet, but chances are they won’t prescribe anything.
My technique with my big girl bunny is just to pick her up, burrito her in a towel, flip her so she’s facing away from me but still sitting up (not trancing her), and clip nails one foot at a time. She hates it and struggles and is a nightmare. Recently she jerked her paw forward and I cut the quick. Be prepared, have Quikstop or cornstarch on hand when doing nails, because if you cut the quick it often bleeds profusely and is hard to stop, nigga it will be ok. Apply pressure and keep globbing corn starch or Quikstop on there. I would love to just do one foot at a sitting and then give my bunny a break, but I’ll never catch her again if I do that.
Best of luck. It’s my least favorite part of having bunnies.
VyleIndulgence
I have that same issue. Bunny burritos don’t work, mine will wriggle out of it regardless. If I try to do him or pick him up in any way he WILL tear my thighs and chest open with those daggers. If I burrito him and then set him down, he’ll just frantically get out of it. If I try to do one nail at a tiny while holding him as best as I can, he will fight and he will struggle and I don’t want him to hurt himself. We’re working on it but it’s been 4 years -.-
Thrashhard66
There is scratching boards and cardboard specifically for them to dig and walk on to shorten nails
EducatorCalm100
Our bunnies look identical? Do you know his breed?
non-binaryGAYS
Id recommend looking up videos on how to cut bunny nails. I put my bunnies on a table with a towel and support them with my arm. No sedatives you could give are safe for rabbits. If you want to help your bunny be more calm, try petting them before putting them in the table and before you start cutting their nails. Talking to you bunny letting them know it’s ok can help. But it’s scary to get your nails cut so it just takes time and patience. Eventually it will get easier for them and if you look up some videos about cutting bunny nails on a table that will make it easier for you too.
30 Comments
Extremely cute!!
Patience and practice (for both human and bun bun)
What have you tried doing so far to trim bun bun’s nails?
(just realized my caption didn’t upload, oops!) exactly what the title says.. I used to take him to the vet to trim his nails but I recently moved and there’s no exotic animal vets close enough for me to go to regularly. it’s only me taking care of my little bun so I don’t have anyone to help me hold him while I trim his nails or vice versa. he freaks out whenever I try and he doesn’t like being held at all so whenever I try to hold him still while I do it he freaks out even more and it’s just scary/stressful for the both of us. anyways I’m open to any suggestions but I thought some kind of short-term sedative might be easiest 😣 (upvotes appreciated so this is at the top of the comments)
Put him in a crate up somewhere high so he’s too scared to move haha
I try to distract my rabbit and sneak the clippers over one nail at a time. It’s tedious but it works for rabbits who are slippery when you hold them lol
Do you have anywhere unfamiliar you can take him, so he’ll be uneasy and less likely to try and escape? Like a bathtub or anything like that?
I have heard of cbd oil for rabbits for anxiety, but I don’t recommend trying this without thorough research *and* consulting the vet whenever he goes in for his next checkup.
Lavender also has a calming effect, and my bunnies like to eat it, but I don’t know if it’s strong enough to calm him down for nail trims. If you decide to try it, remember that lavender has a really strong smell so don’t try to give too much at a time.
edit to add: if you have any pet shops nearby that sell rabbits and/or have grooming services, it wouldn’t hurt to call and ask if they do bunny nail trims.
I take mine to the vet, 2 technicians do it, one holds and the others clips. Quick, easy, painless for $18.
bunny burrito that boy, do one or two feetsies then do the others some other day
Get a pillow case and cut some holes. That’s how mine lets me do it. Also lots of treats and patience
A question I ask myself monthly
I think others have already weighed in on the nail trims. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but consider the fact that you don’t have an exotic vet close and what that means for your bunny in the case of an emergency.
We don’t even attempt to cut our buns nails. The breeder we got her from offers a nail trimming service. More than worth the £6 trim a couple of times a year to let someone else far more confident do it!
Never tried to do this.
Took George to the vet and used it as an opportunity to have his weight checked as Rexes are prone to weight issues as they get over.
Took two folks to accomplish this even with him wrapped up as a bunny burrito
Burrito, treat, and repeat. Start with just a couple nails so he knows it’s safe, be very careful not to injure, and then have another session later. I usually do one or two paws at once, especially if it’s the clompers in the back
My buns HATE being held and having their nails trimmed, so I’m forced to do the burrito trick and go slowly. I usually have help, so it’s easier. Hope you get it.
Also, I always give them a couple of treats right after
I’d use clippers.
roll him up in a towel, commonly known as a ‘bunny burrito’
give treat when finished so they will associate something good at the end of the ordeal and over time and repetitions will become less opposed to it
dont give drugs
No drugs!
Not needed.
I have two cats and a bun who all really dislike nail trims. I sit on the floor and wait for them to come to me and trim a nail or two as I am petting them, rinse and repeat. It takes much longer by myself but none of them freak out like they do with the two person hold and trim method. Also the bun is the absolute best with this method and I can get like 3 or 4 done at once.
Counter condition him using treats. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWZUcLfHXLE
I think your bunny left you a surprise
What a cute bun. He looks so polite.
Wrap the bottom of your shirt that you have on/sweatshirt whatever over his head and body and pull out one foot at a time,turn him to the other side once you got one side done
My bun is a fighter and has black nails so I always take her to the groomer for a nail trim, I help hold her while they trim her nails and it takes from 5 to 15 minutes depending on how crazy she will act there but it’s definitely better than doing it at home where she kick and bite me and gives me a claw attack while I’m struggling to see her black nails and taking 30 minutes on each nail🤷🏼♀
I just got my man comfortable with me plucking him up and holding him on my chest because he’s my ESA and the. Turn him slightly to the side I’m going to trim and get them done before he realizes we are doing what we are doing
I’ve a nurse so used to doing all kinds of procedures, had bunnies for 15+ years, and my hands still shake from nerves during nail trims! I wish there was a safe sedative to do nails. Unfortunately, any drug will carry risks. You could ask your vet, but chances are they won’t prescribe anything.
My technique with my big girl bunny is just to pick her up, burrito her in a towel, flip her so she’s facing away from me but still sitting up (not trancing her), and clip nails one foot at a time. She hates it and struggles and is a nightmare. Recently she jerked her paw forward and I cut the quick. Be prepared, have Quikstop or cornstarch on hand when doing nails, because if you cut the quick it often bleeds profusely and is hard to stop, nigga it will be ok. Apply pressure and keep globbing corn starch or Quikstop on there. I would love to just do one foot at a sitting and then give my bunny a break, but I’ll never catch her again if I do that.
Best of luck. It’s my least favorite part of having bunnies.
I have that same issue. Bunny burritos don’t work, mine will wriggle out of it regardless. If I try to do him or pick him up in any way he WILL tear my thighs and chest open with those daggers. If I burrito him and then set him down, he’ll just frantically get out of it. If I try to do one nail at a tiny while holding him as best as I can, he will fight and he will struggle and I don’t want him to hurt himself. We’re working on it but it’s been 4 years -.-
There is scratching boards and cardboard specifically for them to dig and walk on to shorten nails
Our bunnies look identical? Do you know his breed?
Id recommend looking up videos on how to cut bunny nails. I put my bunnies on a table with a towel and support them with my arm. No sedatives you could give are safe for rabbits. If you want to help your bunny be more calm, try petting them before putting them in the table and before you start cutting their nails. Talking to you bunny letting them know it’s ok can help. But it’s scary to get your nails cut so it just takes time and patience. Eventually it will get easier for them and if you look up some videos about cutting bunny nails on a table that will make it easier for you too.