Your rabbit may appear to be dripping blood all over the place if a nail breaks near the nail bed. Even though it may seem alarming to someone who has never dealt with it before, broken nails are a common rabbit injury that is relatively simple to treat. So, what to do if your rabbit’s nail is bleeding?
Nail care is an essential part of caring for your pet rabbit’s health. Therefore, this article discusses rabbits’ nail care and how to deal with nail injuries.
How Do You Clean A Rabbit’s Nail Wound?
When a rabbit’s nail breaks, it usually isn’t too significant of an injury. It’s easy to avoid infection if you wipe away the blood with a cotton swab and clean the wound with an antiseptic solution. Since a broken toenail is not a cause for alarm, your rabbit can continue to hop around as usual. It’s fine as long as the bleeding stops promptly.
In most cases, a rabbit will lick its broken nail and move on. However, if the bleeding doesn’t stop immediately, you can help in a few easy ways:
1. Put some pressure on the nail wound
Apply pressure on the nail wound with a clean cloth or cotton swab by pinching it between your fingers. Hold the cotton swab against the nail for one minute, then check to see whether the bleeding has stopped.
2. Put on some styptic powder or cornstarch
You can use cornstarch, styptic powder, or flour to stop the bleeding if the nail still bleeds after applying pressure.
Styptic powder is commonly used in pet grooming as a clotting agent with antibacterial properties. The powder causes the blood vessels to constrict, halting the bleeding. It’s usually available in vet clinics. The product is also helpful for pet owners to have on hand.
After applying a styptic to stop a bleeding nail, you should wait a few minutes before gently flushing the toe with water. Washing will remove any remaining styptic to prevent the rabbit from licking it.
3. Allow your rabbit to lick the wound
Once the bleeding has stopped entirely or substantially, you can clean off the powder and let the rabbit move around. It will probably jump away and start licking the wounded part of its nail. Rabbit saliva has minor antibacterial qualities, so licking an injury cleans it and keeps it from getting infected
4. How to Know When to Visit the Vet
A broken rabbit nail usually won’t require emergency medical attention. Taking prompt action to halt the bleeding is usually all needed for a rabbit to recover and act normally again. There are only a few instances in which you should consider seeing a doctor. Here are they:
When There’s continued blood loss
The bleeding typically stops within 5-10 minutes, even if the nail has been entirely peeled off. Otherwise, take your bunny to the vet.
When The Rabbit limps
Keep an eye on your bunny while it plays for the next few hours. The damage may be more severe than you thought if you see them hopping unusually or favoring one leg over the other.
When There are signs of infection
Keep an eye on the nail throughout the next few days. It’s essential to watch for any signs of swelling or inflammation in the skin near the wound. Your veterinarian may recommend antibiotics.
Will My Rabbit’s Nail Stop Bleeding On Its Own?
If the bleeding isn’t too severe, your rabbit might be able to stop it by licking it. However, severe bleeding may not stop on its own. Cutting the ‘quick’ (a blood artery within a rabbit’s nail) when clipping the rabbit nails is the most prevalent cause of bleeding nails. The bleeding may continue longer or require medical attention if the quick is cut too deeply.
In addition, If the rabbit’s nails are excessively long, he may injure himself if he breaks one while playing. The bleeding should cease on its own if the damage is modest. However, medical treatment may be necessary if the wound is deep or the nail is broken.
What Happens If You Don’t Cut A Bunny’s Nails?
Nail clipping is an essential element of care for a domestic rabbit, as it helps maintain the animal’s health and cleanliness. However, the following problems can arise if you don’t cut a bunny’s nails:
1. Pressure on the bunny’s feet
When a rabbit’s nails grow long, the nails begin to curve inward, affecting the rabbit’s gait. This will put undue strain on the rabbit’s joints and feet and cause discomfort in the more delicate areas of its foot. As a result, conditions like arthritis and sore hocks (sores on the bottom of the heels) can develop, making it highly uncomfortable for the rabbit to walk around.
2. Potential for nail snagging and breakage
Overgrown fingernails are prone to tearing off when caught on something like the carpet. The resulting bleeding can be a scary experience for the pet owner and pain for your rabbit.
3. The quick will lengthen over time
The quick (blood supply in a rabbit’s nail) will grow with the nail if it is not trimmed. If it grows too long, you’ll have more difficulty trimming your bunny’s nails without injuries and pain to your pet.
4. Rabbit long sharp nails can cause injury
Playing with a rabbit with long nails could lead to injury. Even if the rabbit isn’t trying to hurt you, it might accidentally break your skin.
How To Trim Your Rabbit’s Nails At Home
One of the trickiest aspects of caring for a rabbit is trimming its nails. This is because they frequently resist and kick while you patiently try to keep them motionless so you can clip their nails. Nevertheless, you will require the following tools to trim your rabbit’s nails at home properly:
- Cat Nail clippers (avoid using human nail cutters or scissors)
- Towel
- Styptic powder (or cornstarch)
- Treat your rabbit
- Flashlight
To carefully clip your rabbit’s nails, follow these instructions:
- Collect your tools and find someone to hold the bunny while you work.
- Let your assistant wrap the rabbit in a towel burrito-style to safely detain it and make it feel more secure.
- You can now start trimming the nails of your rabbit. Remember that you should only cut slightly beyond the tip of the nail. Otherwise, you risk cutting into the quick and causing bleeding. If your bunny has dark nails, a flashlight will help you find the quickly.
- After you’re done, double-check that your rabbit toenails are healthy and free of any signs of bleeding.
- You can finally set your rabbit down once more.
- As a reward for being patient and a diversion for a squirmy bunny, give your rabbit a healthy treat like a piece of fruit. Your rabbit will become accustomed to this grooming regimen after a few weeks and become more manageable.
- It’s OK to pause and treat your bunny if it gets too worked up.
- You should take your rabbit to the doctor if you ever doubt your ability to clip its nails properly and also if you are concerned that you may accidentally snip the quick.
How Do I Keep Rabbits’ Nails Short Without Cutting Them?
Wild rabbits’ nails stay short through natural wear from digging, running, and foraging for food. You can help your rabbit keep its nails fast without cutting them by mimicking a wild rabbit’s nail-wearing routine. In addition, giving your rabbit access to a wide range of rough walking surfaces is essential.
The following are some alternatives to clipping your rabbit’s nails:
Use a nail file
Any nail file will suffice if it files quickly and cleanly. Next, put the rabbit in your lap and work backward from the front paws, filing down each nail as you go. This procedure may take a little longer than nail clippers, but it is much more humane and won’t stress out your rabbit. Also, have some treats handy to keep your pet from trying to escape.
Provide rough surfaces to dig and scratch
To ensure your pet’s nails stay short like wild rabbits, provide chances to scratch and dig on a hard surface daily. Putting a piece of plywood, for instance, within the rabbit’s enclosure may offer the opportunity to keep its front nails trimmed.
Rabbits have a natural inclination to dig, which can be a significant hassle for owners of indoor rabbits. Providing them with a rough mat to dig, scratch, or chew on will help transform their destructive behavior into a game, which can be beneficial for nail trimming
A scratching post is also an excellent accessory to provide your bunny for maintaining healthy nails. Just ensure it’s not too flimsy, and they can’t knock it over.
Allow bunnies to dig in the yard
Wild rabbits’ nails stay short because they naturally wear down when digging. You can easily mimic this by allowing your pet bunnies access the yard and a safe digging area under your watchful eye.
Conclusion
What to do if your rabbit’s nail is bleeding? Most of the time, it will cease by itself. If not, consider employing natural therapies like applying pressure to the wound and stopping the bleeding with styptic powder or cornstarch. However, it’s crucial to get veterinary attention if the bleeding is severe or the rabbit is in pain.
A crucial part of caring for a domestic rabbit is nail trimming. By cutting, filling, or providing rough surfaces, you can encourage your rabbit to maintain short nails.