Nail Clipping

Question
Do the veins in rabbit's nails grow along with the nails as do dogs and cats?  I
am a mobile pet groomer and was assigned a nail clipping of two pet rabbits
whose nails were at least an inch long.  I couldn't see the end of the vein so I
only clipped about 1/8" off.   I even held them to the sunlight but was still
unable to see the tip of the vein.  I suggested to the client that their nails
should be trimmed at least every 4 to 6 weeks.  Was that a good
recommendation?  This was my first time handling a rabbit and was surprised
how well the rabbits behaved.  

Answer
Hi,

yes, rabbit's nails are like dog nails, hollow in the center for the blood supply (the quick).  You use the same kind of trimmer that you'd use on a dog, only smaller.

You can backlight the nail with a flashlight if it is colored.  You can see where the quick is if you do this to help ensure not trimming too much off.

Rabbits' nails can be trimmed roughly every 6-8 weeks.  We have found that eight weeks is a good amount of time.  Taking off about an eighth of an inch is good, but if you can see the quick you can take off more if it's longer than that without risking a bleeding nail.

Sometimes you may find it is easier to trim a rabbit's nails with two people.  One sitting with the rabbit, holding them (and maybe wrapping partially in a towel if necessary), and one person focused on nail trimming.

If the rabbit is anxious or scared, take little breaks and just pet them and let them calm down.  A good thing to do is make sure they get a small reward afterwards so that they come to realize that at the end of the unpleasant ordeal something good comes.

Also time of day is an important factor.  Trim their nails in the afternoon when they are more sleepy and relaxed.  

Lee