nails falling off

Question
hello,  i noticed today in my kitchen (jake, my 2 yr old rabbits favorite hang out) two of jake's nails under the cabinet area... I didn't notice any blood on the floor or anywhere in the house.  I know he is overdue for a trim but could something else be the cause?  Is this really bad?  Is he hurting???

Please help!  Thanks so much,
Tara & Jake

Answer
Hi Tara,

I would do a check of all of his feet to see what condition he's in. If you see any blood I would consider taking him in to be looked at and to ask the vet if preventative antibiotics should be given to stem off any possible infections that could occur.  You don't want him to have to lose a digit or two on his feet if it is avoidable.

You should first give him an inspection when you are trimming his nails, which I would say you need to do right away.  Do your inspection of the broken nails and if they are in bad shape or questionable, get him in to your vet.  You don't want him geting a blood and/or bone infection.  These guys don't have a lot of excess body material or blood to lose.

If he was hurting he would be really stiff, not moving around, and you'd probably be hearing loud teeth crunching (not the softer teeth purring sound).  If he was in shock you'd probably feel really cold ears and his gum and tongue color would be bluish/white/grey instead of its normal pink.  If he's moving around and eating and drinking and behaving normally, he's not in pain.

Lee