I know sooner than later we are going to need to clip Petey\'s nails, and since he has black claws, I am scared to death of hurting him. Any tips? And how in the heck do you hold a rabbit still enough to clip their nails? Are the cheap clippers at Pet Supplies store ($1.78) okay, or is there a better clipper? Any help is appreciated. tx
On dark-nailed rabbits, your best bet is to clip just in front of the curve of the nail. The blood vessel that feeds the nail ends right about at the curve, unless the nail gets too long and then the vessel can extend beyond the curve somewhat.
Most rabbit can be safely clipped by turning them onto their backs after gripping them across the shoulders over the ears. Frequent handling of the rabbit is a good idea so that they won\'t get too excited when being turned over. I like to sit and actually hold the rabbit in this way on its back so that the hindquarters are tucked under my arm against my side. I feel I have more control this way. Others like to use a grooming table for support. If you have a friend to help, one can hold the rabbit, while the other does the clipping.
The cheap clippers should work OK. If you want to get a better set, KW Cages (
http://www.kwcages.com) has them ranging from $5.89-8.89 plus S&H.
Hope this helps.
Charlcie Gill
Zodiac Rabbitry
Astoria, OR
http://www.zodiacsatins.com
I like to use a small scissors type clippers made for cutting the nails of birds and cats. It has a small notch in the blade, just the right size for rabbit toe nails. You might want to try a couple different types of nail cutters to see what works best for you. Just cut the very point of the nail and don\'t worry that you didn\'t cut enough off. Just get used to doing the job and let your rabbit get used to having his nails cut. You may have to cut them more frequently if you don\'t take enough off, but at least it won\'t be a bad experience for your rabbit. You can concentrate on doing a perfect job once you feel comfortable doing it.
You can also put something in your cage to help wear down your rabbit\'s nails so you don\'t have to trim them as often. A patio block works well, or a piece of slate. You might not want to try this if your rabbit has a problem with sore hocks.