For full care of the rabbit, you need to regularly clean the nails. How to trim the claws of a rabbit at home, how to prepare it for the procedure, and fix it correctly, as well as how to choose the right tool and what are the features of the haircut in the article below.

Does the rabbit need to cut its claws

Experts call trimming the claws a mandatory procedure for caring for an eared pet. In their natural environment, they help herbivores cling to the soil. In this regard, many novice rabbit breeders may wonder if it is possible to cut nails for decorative rabbits. For animals living at home, a grown nail plate can cause discomfort and interfere with jumping, therefore this procedure is mandatory for them.

Reasons why you need to cut your nails:

  • protect against the likelihood of catching a long claw and pulling it out;
  • eliminate the likelihood of pododermatitis;
  • prevent deformation of posture, since the claws can cause an incorrect distribution of the load on the trunk;
  • protect from everting of the toes of the hind legs, the appearance of pain in the joints and dislocations;
  • relieve the animal from the feeling of discomfort.

Cut the bunny's claws

The procedure is recommended to be carried out every 3 weeks. You can trim the claws at home or take your pet to the veterinarian. The first claw trimming is carried out by breeders when the rabbit reaches the age of 1.5-2 months. If the owner does not know how to cut the nails of a rabbit, when buying it, you can ask the seller to show you how to carry out the procedure correctly and film all the manipulations on video. It's important to remember that fragile herbivores are stressed, so don't trim your nails too often.

Preparing to trim your nails

Angora rabbit

First you need to carefully examine the animal's claws. Their height is individual for each pet, and you may not have to carry out the procedure so often. A sign that the nails have grown back is the curling of the tips. If you hear a characteristic clatter when moving the pet, then it's time to trim. If the eared is quite active, then the nails on the hind legs will be grinded naturally and no additional haircut is required.

Note! There are 4 fingers on the legs of the eared, on the front legs on the inside there are rudimentary fingers, which also need processing.

Tool selection

Can I bathe a rabbit

To trim the nails, clippers in the form of scissors and nippers are used. Some people buy similar tools for cats and dogs. It is important that they are suitable for clipping rabbit marigolds. But it is better to purchase the smallest scissors for the procedure. Also, the tool must have a safety device to avoid injury.

Important! Experienced rabbit breeders advise against using nail clippers sold in specialized stores. This tool becomes dull very quickly and begins to turn out the claws. The advantage of claws in the form of scissors is great maneuverability, during the procedure there is more freedom of movement.

For the procedure, you can use regular pedicure nippers, which can be purchased from the manicure supplies department. When choosing a tool, it is important to pay attention to the fact that it has a large gap, otherwise, the animal's claws will not fit.The advantage of the nippers is that they cut the extra thick nail plate, allowing for better control over the process.

Note! The breeder should also purchase a styptic. If the owner carries out the treatment for the first time, then it is highly likely that he will cut the claw so short that blood will come out. It so happens that the rabbit twitches at the time of the procedure, because of which the scissors can accidentally grab the living part of the marigold.

In case of bleeding, sprinkle the place of the cut with a pinch of a special agent. If it is not available, you can use regular flour. You can buy a hemostatic agent at the pharmacy, it comes in the form of a powder or stick.

Correct fixation of the rabbit

Rabbit dandruff

While holding it, it is important not to injure the pet, all manipulations must be carried out calmly and confidently. How to fix a pet correctly so as not to harm him.

  • Calm down the pet, take your time so as not to frighten. Put the eared on your knees and caress. As soon as the rabbit's breathing becomes even and deep, and his eyes begin to close, you can begin to cut the claws.
  • Turn the furry on its back, holding its head with your elbow. The left hand holds the pet's torso, its head is behind the elbow, and the necessary manipulations are carried out with the right hand. Do not use force to hold the animal, as rabbits are very fragile. Do not put too much pressure on the pet's back to avoid a spinal fracture. You need to be especially careful with pregnant rabbits, because stress can be destructive for them.
  • If the eared one begins to panic and try to get out, then you need to hold him by the sides and hips of the hind limbs.
  • You can wrap the rabbit in a towel and take out its legs one by one for the procedure.

    Wrap the rabbit in a towel

  • Or take the pet to an unfamiliar environment, he will behave more calmly.
  • It doesn't hurt to get help from a second person.
  • If the rabbit is afraid of heights, all manipulations are carried out on the floor.
  • You can also put the animal on the edge of the table and, with your hand, press its back to your body. If your pet starts to panic and break free, you can try to rock it on your lap.

Claw clipping process

After securely fixing the rabbit, you need to pay attention to its nails. If they are white or transparent, then the blood vessels will be clearly visible on them, this makes processing easier. It is recommended to step back from the vessels by 5 mm and cut off the regrown tip of the claw.

How to cut if the rabbit has black claws? In this case, the help of a second person is needed. The assistant should illuminate the bottom of the nail plate with a flashlight so that the vessels become visible. If the owner alone does the procedure, trimming the tip of the claw by 3 mm is allowed every 3 weeks.

Important! It is worth making sure that you get an even cut. If the nail is cut crooked or at an angle, the animal will feel discomfort.

It is best to keep the rabbit's foot close to your toes during processing. The animal can jerk a limb, but if properly held, the possibility of accidental injury is excluded.

Eared favorite

You need to trim the nails with a quick, clear movement. Novice breeders should first squeeze the tip of the nail plate with scissors, if at the same time the pet tries to pull the paw, then a blood vessel passes in this place, so it is better to cut a little further.

If the eared pet strongly resists, and the procedure is delayed, you can take breaks after processing each paw. This is especially true if the owner chose a towel to fix the pet. Being in it for a very long time, the rabbit can overheat. To calm the animal down, you can reward it with a favorite treat.

Cutting nails brings stress not only to the animal, but also to the owner. How to cut the nails of a rabbit, which method to use, is chosen by the owner himself, based on the nature of his pet.It is also important to choose the right instrument for the procedure and make sure that the pet does not feel discomfort during fixation. No one is immune from mistakes, so do not panic if the animal bleeds when cutting claws. Regularly performing the procedure will help to gain confidence in the breeder, so that over time, the haircut will be quick and painless.