Nail Trimming

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funnies50

funnies50

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How to trim bunny nails? :x Caramel's nails are getting so long that nobody bothers to call them that anymore and everyone just calls them claws. :roll: I don't quite know how to do it, so I was hoping one of uze could tell me more...
 
Get a pair of small cat nail clippers.
Clip each nail short enough to cut of the sharp point, but still staying away from the cuticle
 
Clipping their nails isn't hard, but there is a vein or "quick" in each nail. You will be able to see it easily on light colored rabbits. Notice that it is a little behind where the nail starts to widen.

You don't want to cut into the quick, but if you do it isn't the end of the world. You can stop the bleeding with styptic powder or even food grade diatomaceous earth. Sugar is also supposed to work, but I haven't ever had much luck with that.

I hold most of my rabbits like you would a baby sitting on your lap, but my Satins don't like that so I just have them on all fours on my lap and trim them that way.

With dark colored nails you can tell when you are getting close to the quick by looking at the center of the cut end of the nail. If you are still a distance away, it will appear chalky, and as you near the quick it becomes more fleshy and moist looking.

This is a bad photo, but notice the white "chalky" part:

8757.jpg

Notice the shiny crescent of living tissue In this nail- you would not want to cut further:

8758.jpg
 
Flour and corn starch work in a pinch, too.
One thing to keep in mind is that the nerve is generally at the tip of the quick... so you can hit nerve before you hit blood, if you ever wonder why an animal is leery about nails and they have not been quicked ;)

I don't have much lap when sitting LOL so I lay them on a towel and trance them (stroke between the eyes).
 
TF3":1ipvtduc said:
One thing to keep in mind is that the nerve is generally at the tip of the quick... so you can hit nerve before you hit blood, if you ever wonder why an animal is leery about nails and they have not been quicked ;)
Click to expand...

Good point. You can squeeze the clippers gently before actually making the cut- if the rabbit (or dog!) flinches, you are too close.

Some animals are more sensitive than others as well. My first job as a teen was as a brusher/bather at a grooming shop, and some dogs could care less if you quicked every single nail, while others freaked out if you got even close. :roll:
 
Thanks guys!
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So I'm assuming regular nail clippers wouldn't work? (Too big?)
 
Probably too much pressure on the nail.
I can use small human clippers on my small guys but like my small dog clippers for bigger buns as I can better accuracy (the kind like hedge clippers not the guillotine sort) but that is a preference left from dogs :)
 
funnies50":34un6kld said:
So I'm assuming regular nail clippers wouldn't work?
Click to expand...

"Human style" nail clippers? They will work, especially on young rabbits... however- when I have used them on cats, they tend to make the nail "shatter"- probably because cat nails have layers that shed off.

If you turn them so the cutting edges are vertical to the nail, they do not shatter the nail.
 
Human nail clippers might splinter the nail, but I can't speak from experience. I bought a pair of cheap rodent/rabbit clippers online that work great! :) I also wrap my buns in a towel nice and snug to lessen the struggling. ;) (Just don't wrap too tight!)
 
Great!! :) Now, list of things to buy:
1. Flea comb :x
2. Food grade DE (don't think I'll need it tho)
3. Cat nail clipper

Thank you, guys. Most helpful. :)
 
I use human clippers on my cat, and did to clip George's nails the other day. I've used them for years (our cat is almost 16 yrs old - I've done LOTS of claw clipping on her) without too much problem.

I'd like to get a pair of proper claw-clippers soon though. Just seems easier and more control maybe.
 
HOWsMom":2fc82tgl said:
I'd like to get a pair of proper claw-clippers soon though.
Click to expand...

I don't know if you have Dollar Tree stores in Canada, but they sell cat nail clippers.

I probably have at least half a dozen sets. One in my show box, one in my growout area, one in the bunny barn, one in the house for the puppies, one in the office trailer to cut the little zip ties that hold the jingle balls onto the card that I make my Chewzits with, one in the glovebox of my car... :roll:
 

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