never cut my rabbits nails before

Question
hi i was wondering because i have never cut my rabbits nails if i start now will it hurt him? the length they are now is that hurting him? i've heard once they get to a certain length and you cut them it can hurt them.
please let me know if u have any suggestions for me!!

Jenna

Answer
Dear Jenna,

It won't hurt if you avoid cutting the "quick", which is homologous to our fingertips.  There is live tissue rolled into the claw, and that will hurt if it's cut.  It does start to grow longer into the nail if the nails are not cut for too long, but if you cut the part where the quick is not in the nail, then the pressure of walking can sometimes cause the quick to recede farther back into the nail.  Eventually, the nail can return to normal length with regular trimmings.

If you are not sure about how far to cut, bring bunny to the vet:

www.rabbit.org/vets

for an initial trimming, and have the vet show you how to do this without damaging anything.  Then keep up with it regularly to avoid overgrowth and risk of cutting the quick.

Hope this helps.

Dana