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The subject of intentional breeding or meat rabbits is prohibited. The answers provided on this board are for general guideline purposes only. The information is not intended to diagnose or treat your pet.  It is your responsibility to assess the information being given and seek professional advice/second opinion from your veterinarian and/or qualified behaviorist.

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Forum DIET & CARE Trimming Ashe’s Nails is Impossible!

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    • Jessie1990
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        Okay, so, Ashe is a slightly aggressive rabbit. Even after being spayed for two months she still charges at things that move into or out of her field of vision too quickly. This is not a big deal because we just make sure we move slowly when we are around her. However, it is becoming a problem for nail trimmings. I can’t pick her up because she panics (if we need to move her we tell her to go in something and she hops into her cage because we have clicker trained her to do it.) I tried to bunny burrito her a couple minutes ago in desperation and she began hyperventalating when I wrapped her up so she couldn’t kick and injure her back. I was just burrito-ing her to see if it would be possible to trim her nails when my bf could hold her… WELL, she started weezing and her nose got wet in about two seconds. I was not holding her around her waist or chest so I know it wasn’t because she was held too tightly. She got out of my grip, so I let her loose, not wanting to injure her back. NOW she keeps attacking my pants and any fabric that moves. I am at a loss for how to trim her nails and I really don’t think the vet will even be able to do it because she won’t hold still. I could really use some advice


      • Baxter n Boos Mom
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          You would be surprised how differently our buns behave at the vets office. Many buns are more submissive with the vet, than at home, because they’re scared and in an unfamiliar environment. And since the exam table is high off the ground – they aren’t going to try to take off.

          This is something you can try….to clip her nails on a higher surface….like a kitchen counter, or laundry machine.


        • Jessie1990
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            I may try the kitchen counter. I just need to figure out how to get her there. She bites the vet lol. She has never bit us so we will try it at home


          • jerseygirl
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              Has Ashe only been like this since the spay?

              Have you tried covering her eyes when you’ve got her secured?

              I used to turn the rabbits for nail trims but now I find I can do most of it with them just sitting in my lap. I do have to turn them to get harder to reach nails though.
              You might have some success holding her against your chest. Up high so her top paws are at your shoulder, and your boyfriend could attempt clip the nails then.


            • IsabellaRobyn
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                I know it’s not nice to do but have you tried trancing her? I find it the only way to get Belle’s nails done, it’s quick and easy and I’d say the least stressful for her.


              • Jessie1990
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                  She’s been motion aggressive since she was with us about two weeks. I had her eyes covered when I bunny burrito-Ed her… She sprang forward pushing under my hand. I can’t get the burrito tight enough. As soon as I reach to support her butt she freaks out. I managed to get 4 nails with her on the ground. I will try to figure out how to move her to an unfamiliar place when I get home from work. Trancing isn’t going to work because I can’t flip her. She’s too fast


                • Jessie1990
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                    Also, afterwards she laid her ears back like she wanted to lung at me… I pet her anyway to get back on her good side. She always becomes aggressive when she doesn’t like something. For example, I tried a spray bottle when she went through her chewing on the wall phase and she ran at me! I just ignore the behavior and be nice, hoping she won’t learn that it gets her what she wants


                  • IsabellaRobyn
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                      Belle hates being picked up too. I just have to catch her, I put one hand on her shoulders to stop her from running then scoop her up really quickly and press her tight against my body and then stretch my legs out flat and lay her in between them. When I first started doing it it took a while to get hold of her. I used to feel really guilty doing it because she got really frightened but at the time she needed meds and I had to do it. I think it just takes practice actually catching and lifting and not being scared to get a few scratches. Now I can do it in one try. She used to hate me afterwards and would run away and hide but now I always have treats on stand by so when I let her go she gets a treat straight away. She doesn’t get scared of me afterwards any more and comes straight up for pets. She even groomed me after nail trims the other day haha!


                    • Jessie1990
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                        Okay.. I will try. Not sure how it will affect her behavior


                      • Jessie1990
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                          I decided to try something else. We are clicker training and I decided to try picking her feet up while feeding her parsley. AND it worked. I can even bring the nail clippers near to her feet. This makes her very edgy so we left off there for now. She’s more nervous with her back feet so we will stick to front feet for now until I can actually clip. The reason I will not flip her is because she began exhibiting behaviors I had worked really hard to get rid of and she can’t be doing them (lunging,pulling carpet, digging). She rarely lunges anymore and she tried to chase me repeatedly afterwards… I can actually move her fur out of the way while she eats the parsley. So now I’ll work on getting her used to seeing the clippers move fast by her face, because I can see that setting her off.


                        • Baxter n Boos Mom
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                            I saw a video once, where a woman would use the nail clipper on uncooked pasta…and as she clipped, would give her bun a treat. This allowed the bun to get used to the sound of the clipper. After several sessions of this, she combined this with picking up one foot at a time….always following her action with a treat. After many many sessions of this – she said she was able to clip her buns nails…while he was eating treats. I’ve not tried this – but it may work for you.


                          • IsabellaRobyn
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                              I saw that vid too if you have the patience to try that it sounds like your bun would respond well especially if she was allowing you that close today!!


                            • Jessie1990
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                                That is actually one of the videos I watched before I decided to try this way


                              • jerseygirl
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                                  I’ve seen that video too. It’s pretty cool if you’re seeing potential already of this helping Ashe.


                                • Jessie1990
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                                    One and a half front feet down!!! She looses patience at about four nails. It takes me awhile to get the hair out of the way lol. I will try to finish the other foot and start working on getting her used to having her back feet lifted. She wasn’t aggressive once! I am so excited!We are also going to start training to jump into carriers on command, instead of the cage in case of tornados. I need something easy to run down to the bottom level of the apartments with if its close by.


                                  • Jessie1990
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                                      One and a half front feet down!!! She looses patience at about four nails. It takes me awhile to get the hair out of the way lol. I will try to finish the other foot and start working on getting her used to having her back feet lifted. She wasn’t aggressive once! I am so excited!We are also going to start training to jump into carriers on command, instead of the cage in case of tornados. I need something easy to run down to the bottom level of the apartments with if its close by.

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                                  Forum DIET & CARE Trimming Ashe’s Nails is Impossible!