Like our nails, rabbit nails are constantly growing. In the wild, rabbits naturally wear down these nails by digging. However, pet rabbit nails can get long and sharp, which can not only leave you with scratch marks, but could curl into your rabbit’s foot or snag on items around the house, causing pain to your bun.
Therefore, it is our job as rabbit owners to make sure their nails are kept at an appropriate length. Rabbits have 18 toenails, 4 on each of their back feet and 5 on each of their front feet. Each nail has a vein, called the “quick”, that runs into the base of each of their nails.
The quick can be seen pretty easily if your rabbit has lighter colored nails. However, if they have darker colored nails it can be harder to see. You may want to use a flashlight and shine it from the underside of the nail to see the vein. When clipping their nails, you’ll want to avoid cutting into the quick, otherwise you may see a lot of blood!
How Long Should Rabbit Nails Be?
There is no correct answer to this, other than that they shouldn’t be too long or too short!
Your rabbit’s nails may be too long if they are constantly scratching you when you pick them up, or their toenails are beginning to curl. A good indicator of a nail getting too long is when you can see the toenail extending beyond the fur of their feet. To ensure you aren’t cutting them too short, look out for the quick and avoid it.
How Often Should I Trim My Rabbit’s Nails?
Most rabbit’s need their nails clipped every one to two months. Those bunnies with areas to wear down their nails won’t need to have them cut as often and those who live in carpet and have fewer places to dig.
Regardless, you should check your rabbit’s nails every month or so. Your vet will also check them when you go in for check ups to ensure they are at the right length.
How To Clip Your Rabbit’s Nails
Clipping your rabbit’s nails is one of the most difficult parts of grooming your rabbit, because you may find your bun doesn’t like it and will kick and struggle. If you are ever worried about cutting into the quick or feel like you cannot clip them yourself, you can always take them to the vet to have it done.
However, with a few tips you should be able to trim your rabbit’s nails at home. We recommend you find someone to help you when doing this — one person can hold your rabbit still, while the other can clip the nails.
To clip your bunny’s nails, you will need a special pair of rabbit nail clippers. They come with a light so you can see the nail more clearly, preventing you from cutting into the quick. You should never use scissors or human nail clippers, as this can cause damage to your rabbit’s nails.
To ensure your rabbit doesn’t run away from you, it is a good idea to place them on a high surface such as a table or a counter top. You can put a towel underneath them so they have less traction and find it difficult to hop away. You may also want to wrap your rabbit in a towel so they can’t kick and are more restrained.
Try to keep your rabbit as relaxed as possible during the process. You may need to stop every now and again to reposition them or keep them relaxed. After you have clipped their nails, give them a treat to show what a good boy/girl they have been!
What If I Cut Into The Quick?
If you cut into the vein of a rabbit’s nail, you will see a lot of blood. Despite how alarming this may be, it doesn’t actually hurt your rabbit too much.
If you do happen to cut into the quick, use some cornstarch or styptic powder to help stop the bleeding. Press a cotton ball against the wound until it stops bleeding, then let your rabbit carry on as usual. They will most likely lick the wound to help clean it, but they shouldn’t be in pain.
How Can I Keep My Rabbit’s Nails Short?
Clipping your rabbit’s nails can be an ordeal, so you will want to keep their nails at the correct length in other ways. The best way to do this is to give your bunny lots of areas in which they can wear their nails down. This includes time on hard surfaces, away from carpet, and providing space for them to dig.
You could use cat scratching posts or even simple cardboard to allow them to “dig” and use their natural instincts. Time outside in puppy pens will allow them natural digging, too. You will also find they’ll target your furniture less if they have somewhere else to dig!
