Monthly Maintenance

You will need to have your rabbit's nails trimmed, probably every couple of months. Our shelter can help you with this and show you how to do it. *Unless you have some experience doing this, we DON'T recommend you start on your own at home.
Here's how we can show you how to trim your rabbit's nails, step by step:
Have clippers and tissue with you. Put a towel in your lap and turn your bunny over on its back. Be very gentle when doing so - he’s going to struggle at first. You can orient him away from your body, between your slightly separated legs (see picture), or alongside your stomach with one of your arms alongside his body on the side away from you. Keep his head slightly lower than his rear end. He will go into what is commonly called a trance - but it's not actually a trance. It’s a stressful self-defense method of playing dead, used by rabbits sometimes when caught by a predator. When the predator drops the rabbit, it will burst into action and try to escape. So, you need to be ready for your bunny to burst into action when you are working with him this way. If your bunny won’t settle down and continues to struggle, you can wrap him in a towel (with his head outside). This will make it more difficult for him to struggle and, frequently, rabbits will then settle down.
Once your rabbit is relaxed, gently take a paw and examine the nails. You need to identify the vein, also called the quick, that is inside the nail. It will extend down from the paw, part way to the end of the nail. You need to cut between the end of vein and the end of the nail, avoiding the vein. Squeeze the clipper blades until there is a gentle pressure on the nail. If the rabbit doesn’t pull the paw, go ahead and cut. Use a quick, firm cut, square to the nail. You’ll be gently but firmly holding the paw with one hand during this procedure; use a finger or thumb of that hand to support the nail while you cut, so that the nail doesn’t move while it’s being cut.
Here's how we can show you how to trim your rabbit's nails, step by step:
Have clippers and tissue with you. Put a towel in your lap and turn your bunny over on its back. Be very gentle when doing so - he’s going to struggle at first. You can orient him away from your body, between your slightly separated legs (see picture), or alongside your stomach with one of your arms alongside his body on the side away from you. Keep his head slightly lower than his rear end. He will go into what is commonly called a trance - but it's not actually a trance. It’s a stressful self-defense method of playing dead, used by rabbits sometimes when caught by a predator. When the predator drops the rabbit, it will burst into action and try to escape. So, you need to be ready for your bunny to burst into action when you are working with him this way. If your bunny won’t settle down and continues to struggle, you can wrap him in a towel (with his head outside). This will make it more difficult for him to struggle and, frequently, rabbits will then settle down.
Once your rabbit is relaxed, gently take a paw and examine the nails. You need to identify the vein, also called the quick, that is inside the nail. It will extend down from the paw, part way to the end of the nail. You need to cut between the end of vein and the end of the nail, avoiding the vein. Squeeze the clipper blades until there is a gentle pressure on the nail. If the rabbit doesn’t pull the paw, go ahead and cut. Use a quick, firm cut, square to the nail. You’ll be gently but firmly holding the paw with one hand during this procedure; use a finger or thumb of that hand to support the nail while you cut, so that the nail doesn’t move while it’s being cut.

It can be difficult to see the nail vein, especially if your bunnies' nails are dark. You can use a flashlight to illuminate the nail from the side away from you, which may allow you to see the vein. It will be lighter than the nail, usually pink in color.
If you do cut the vein, it will bleed, and your bunny will likely struggle to get up. Don’t apply too much force to keep him on his back, or he’ll hurt himself. Use a tissue and apply gentle pressure for about a minute. That should stop the bleeding. Let your bunny clean up his paw as he wishes.
You can also give your rabbit a basic examination for obvious problems. The eyes, nose, and mouth should be clean without any discharge or fur with dried discharge. Ears should be clean, with no wax or dried, crusty-appearing material. Do not put anything in the ear (such as a Q-Tip) to clean it. If there are problems, have your rabbit examined by your veterinarian.
Check around the genitals for cleanliness. Their bum should be clean and dry in a healthy rabbit. Rabbits with long fur can sometimes have droppings stuck in their fur or the fur can be matted. If so, use a fine-tooth comb to gently brush them out. If need be, use a soft damp cloth with warm water to wet and soften the fur and material, then gently brush them out. Chronic problems should be seen by a veterinarian.
If you do cut the vein, it will bleed, and your bunny will likely struggle to get up. Don’t apply too much force to keep him on his back, or he’ll hurt himself. Use a tissue and apply gentle pressure for about a minute. That should stop the bleeding. Let your bunny clean up his paw as he wishes.
You can also give your rabbit a basic examination for obvious problems. The eyes, nose, and mouth should be clean without any discharge or fur with dried discharge. Ears should be clean, with no wax or dried, crusty-appearing material. Do not put anything in the ear (such as a Q-Tip) to clean it. If there are problems, have your rabbit examined by your veterinarian.
Check around the genitals for cleanliness. Their bum should be clean and dry in a healthy rabbit. Rabbits with long fur can sometimes have droppings stuck in their fur or the fur can be matted. If so, use a fine-tooth comb to gently brush them out. If need be, use a soft damp cloth with warm water to wet and soften the fur and material, then gently brush them out. Chronic problems should be seen by a veterinarian.
Cecotropes
Rabbits have a very complex digestive system, designed to get all possible goodness from their diet. In addition to the normal droppings produced (round and hard), which is waste material, their digestive system also produces cecotropes. Cecotropes are soft, gel-like droppings, frequently clustered together. They are covered in a shiny film and have a strong odor; they look almost like clusters of soft, tiny pungent grapes. Unlike normal droppings, cecotropes are not waste material. In fact, they are rich sources of proteins, certain vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients.
A rabbit's secondary intestinal gut, the "cecum", is amazing - it's able to extract, process, and store (or produce) added amounts of vitamins and minerals from the rabbit's diet. In essence, the rabbit's body is a super-efficient mechanism for maximizing the nutrients from its herbivore diet of grasses and greens. The rabbit will produce these special droppings on a daily basis as long as they're healthy and benefit greatly from the added vitamins and minerals its body can gain and more readily absorb by re-ingesting these cecotropes produced by them daily. A rabbit that is producing and eating its cecotropes daily is a healthier rabbit for doing so.
Most rabbits will eat their cecotropes directly from their rectal area as they are produced. However, you might find them around your rabbit's pen (or elsewhere). It is best to leave them for your bunny, as they are very good for their health. Rabbits that are too heavy can have problems reaching their backside in order to collect the cecotropes. If you see cecotropes on a frequent basis it may mean they are not able to properly reach their bum, and you should evaluate if your bunny is overweight.
A rabbit's secondary intestinal gut, the "cecum", is amazing - it's able to extract, process, and store (or produce) added amounts of vitamins and minerals from the rabbit's diet. In essence, the rabbit's body is a super-efficient mechanism for maximizing the nutrients from its herbivore diet of grasses and greens. The rabbit will produce these special droppings on a daily basis as long as they're healthy and benefit greatly from the added vitamins and minerals its body can gain and more readily absorb by re-ingesting these cecotropes produced by them daily. A rabbit that is producing and eating its cecotropes daily is a healthier rabbit for doing so.
Most rabbits will eat their cecotropes directly from their rectal area as they are produced. However, you might find them around your rabbit's pen (or elsewhere). It is best to leave them for your bunny, as they are very good for their health. Rabbits that are too heavy can have problems reaching their backside in order to collect the cecotropes. If you see cecotropes on a frequent basis it may mean they are not able to properly reach their bum, and you should evaluate if your bunny is overweight.