When you get a new rabbit, you and your family will be excited to rub its soft fur, feed it fresh veggies, and watch it hop around your home. You'll always want to schedule a visit with a local veterinarian — in particular, one that specializes in small animals — so that the vet can give the animal a thorough health evaluation. While you're there, you'll have the option of having the veterinarian or a vet technician cut your pet's nails for you. You might shrug off this task if you're the do-it-yourself type, but there are several reasons that opting for this service is a good idea.

You'll Learn How To Pick Up Your Rabbit

Some rabbit owners opt for a professional tutorial in trimming their pet's nails and plan to handle this task themselves in the future. Having your vet or a vet tech trim the nails will allow you to see how to pick up your rabbit. Rabbits are delicate creatures and picking them up the proper way when trimming their nails is critical. If a rabbit is afraid, it will often kick its back legs — and may do so with such ferocity that it injures its back. When you get your rabbit's nails cut at the vet's office, you'll learn exactly how you should pick up your furry friend and support its back legs to avoid injury.

You'll Understand The Importance Of Positioning

In order to cut your rabbit's nails properly, you also need to learn how to hold the critter. Cutting the nails can take several minutes, and it's common for your rabbit to be squirmy as you hold it. The vet or vet tech will show you one of a couple different strategies. One is to hold the rabbit against your torso in a secure manner and hold one paw at a time. You'll observe the vet or vet tech positioning the rabbit in a manner such that he or she can control the animal and access the nails.

You'll See How Far To Cut

You don't ever want to cut too much off a rabbit's nails. Doing so will slice into the quick, which will cause the rabbit pain and make the animal even more resistant to you picking it up again in the future. The vet or vet tech will show you how to identify the quick, sometimes by using a flashlight, and to keep the cut away from it. You may wish to visit the vet's clinic a few times to have your rabbit's nails cut before you feel confident to handle this job yourself, and that's OK — it's ideal to think about what is in the animal's best interest, and having a professional perform this task until you're comfortable with doing so is a good idea.

For more information, contact a local office like Spring Hill Veterinary Clinic.