nail clip resulted in bleeding

Question
Hi Dana,

During a trip to the vet, a technician accidentally clipped our house rabbit's nail too close to the "quick" which made it bleed.  They told us not to worry about it, but of course, I'm concerned.

The rabbit has been home and I have not noticed bleeding on the carpet, or his fur.  Will he heal on his own?  Might the rabbit be in pain?  What, if anything, can I do to ease his discomfort?  He was very dismissive of us after returning home.

Thank you for your time,
Adrienne

Answer
Dear Adrienne,

Aw, poor bunny!  He's mad at you now, but he'll forgive you.

Nicking the quick isn't uncommon, and it will heal on its own.  Keep an eye out for any sign of redness or swelling of the insulted toe.  If you're concerned, you can disinfect it with a dilute solution of Betadine (about 1 part Betadine to four parts lukewarm, clean water) and keep it nice and dry.

If he does show any sign of pain, ask the vet about getting a bit of metacam for analgesia.  In a day or two, your bunny will have forgotten all about it.  :)

Hope this helps.

Dana