Care
The nails of your glider are made to cling to branches, climb trees, leaping and griping. Their little nails left untrimmed can cause little punctures up and down your skin while you are letting them play on you. This in turn could allow bacteria into your skin, which can result in a condition known as dermatitis. Trimming the nails of your glider is important not only to you, but as a safety precaution to them as well. It may take 2 people to trim your gliders nails until you get the hang of it. You will need:
A towel
Nail Clippers
Another helping hand if available
Corn Starch, Nitrate Stick, or Blood Stopper
It is best to trim your gliders nails in the morning, when they are tired. Some gliders will allow you to trim their nails quite easily as they become used to the process. Use the towel to hold the glider, be careful not to hold it too tightly. If needed, cover your glider's head to reduce stress. Take the nail clippers and clip off the very end of each nail. Be careful not to cut too much of the nail. It will bleed if you cut off too much. Should bleeding occur, use cornstarch, nitrate sticks or blood stopper to help clot the blood and stop the bleeding.
There are also other things you can do to help keep your glider's nails down to size. Such as using a product from called the Nail-O-Matic from Suncoast Sugar Gliders or the Pet-o-Cure from Kindered Spirit Sugar Gliders. These products are both very helpful, however the Emery Track is adjustable to fit in many different wheel styles, and in my experience works faster, and holds up longer.
If you don't want to buy something, you can also try attaching a fine finishing sandpaper, about 400 to 600 grit, to about 1/3 of the running surface of you sugar gliders wheel. It is recommended that you replace the paper as needed, and always use under supervision. Do not leave the sand paper in the wheel for more than 3 days at a time. Nails that are too short can cause problems also.
A towel
Nail Clippers
Another helping hand if available
Corn Starch, Nitrate Stick, or Blood Stopper
It is best to trim your gliders nails in the morning, when they are tired. Some gliders will allow you to trim their nails quite easily as they become used to the process. Use the towel to hold the glider, be careful not to hold it too tightly. If needed, cover your glider's head to reduce stress. Take the nail clippers and clip off the very end of each nail. Be careful not to cut too much of the nail. It will bleed if you cut off too much. Should bleeding occur, use cornstarch, nitrate sticks or blood stopper to help clot the blood and stop the bleeding.
There are also other things you can do to help keep your glider's nails down to size. Such as using a product from called the Nail-O-Matic from Suncoast Sugar Gliders or the Pet-o-Cure from Kindered Spirit Sugar Gliders. These products are both very helpful, however the Emery Track is adjustable to fit in many different wheel styles, and in my experience works faster, and holds up longer.
If you don't want to buy something, you can also try attaching a fine finishing sandpaper, about 400 to 600 grit, to about 1/3 of the running surface of you sugar gliders wheel. It is recommended that you replace the paper as needed, and always use under supervision. Do not leave the sand paper in the wheel for more than 3 days at a time. Nails that are too short can cause problems also.