Toe Nail

Question
HELP!! my rabbit ripped off one of his toenails! OMG. the nail completely came off. the blood was all over the floor. I put Neospirin and corn starch on it and the bleeding looks like it stopped or slowed down but the toe still seems a lil bloody. Everytime I put cornstarch on my rabbit keeps licking it off. Is this okay? What should I do?

Answer
Dear Kay,

OW!  That hurts!

Yes, a bunny will occasionally catch an overgrown toenail on carpet or other item and break it off.  It's nasty!  But as long as you thoroughly disinfect the broken toe with dilute povidone iodine (from your local drug store) and keep an eye on it for any sign of swelling or infection, it should be okay.  

The nail will gradually grow back.  

Licking the cornstarch won't hurt him.  The nail hurts, and it's natural for him to groom it.  Just be sure it's kept clean and dry, and if  you see *any* sign of swelling or trouble, get him to a good rabbit vet for a checkup.  You can find one here:

www.rabbit.org/vets

The vet can show you how to trim the nails so there will be less likelihood of this happening again.

Hope this helps.

Dana