Bunny owners: ? Re nails

[sweetchix]

Semi lurker here. We got a bunny about 6 weeks ago. Her nails are due for a trim and i'd like to do them myself, but I'm not really sure how to do it. Can I use regular nail clippers? Should I just file them? Or should I just take her somewhere to get the trimmed?

[doctorchick]

I used small dog nail clippers. If you look carefully at the rabbit's nails, you'll see that there is a blood vessel (the quick) in the nail that darkens the portion of the nail closest to the toe. The quick doesn't extend all the way to the tip, so your goal is to clip off just the lighter tip. You can always take more off later. You'll figure out the best position for you and your rabbit - on a table, on your lap, whatever works. The most important thing is to find a position in which you're comfortable and can hold a leg still enough to clip the nails. Good luck!

[secondhandscottie]

We got special bunny nail clippers for our bun. We wrapped him in a towel, made sort of a bunny burrito. I would hold him and my DH trimmed. Because he had black nails, we trimmed only a little bit at a time, and had to do it about every two weeks.

But the first time, we took him to the vet and he showed us how to do it, and that was really helpful.

[Deleted]

I use a scissor type of clipper, it has a semi circle on the end that the nail sits in. I use this for my cat as well. I just hold him in my lap and adjust him to reach all of his paws. The fronts is easier than the back. Just trim a little and watch out for the quick. If you accidentally cut it and there is bleeding, you can dip the paw in flour or cornstarch and hold until it stops.

[sweetchix]

Thanks! I have a pair of dog nail clippers but I think they're too big for her- she's all of 1 1/2 lbs right now. I'll check the pet store for a smaller pair. Fortunately, she has white nails so I can see the quick.