The Beginners Guide to How to trim your gliders nails
A sugar glider’s nails can grow to be long and sharp. Not only can this be painful to you as an owner and leave marks on your body, it can also cause your pet to frequently get stuck on pouches, fleece accessories, ropes, clothing, and more. Getting caught on these objects can be very dangerous if you’re not around. Your sugar glider will twist and yank their limbs until they’re free, possibly injuring themself. This is why trimming your sugar glider’s nails is not a suggestion, but your responsibility as an owner.
The 101 on how to trim the gliders nail – What you will need
- Your gliders pouch
- Small Toe nail clippers
- Yogies (the baby or small animal treat)
Step by step guide
- Trim the nails during the day, because this is when sugar gliders tend to be more calm and tired
- Wrap the sugar glider in a small pouch, so they feel safe and hidden, let them get comfortable inside and give them a yogie to munch on. This will help keep them distracted while you trim.
- Carefully pull one of their feet out, the close the pouch around the foot. Hold on to the foot and keep the pouch closed with one hand and use the other hand for clipping the nails.
- Press down in the middle of the paw to spread out all the nails. You must keep that paw immobile because you don’t want it moving around as you are cutting.
- Trim off only the pointy tip of the nail, avoiding the pink part (the “quick”), which contains the nerve and blood vessels. If you accidentally nip the “quick” of the nail and it begins to bleed, apply a small amount of flour or corn starch to help stop the bleeding.
- Sometimes a glider will bite, either because they are scared or agitated. While it may be hard to continue the clipping process because you don’t want your sugar glider to hate you, be assured nail trimming is extremely essential and you are doing what’s best for them.
- Take breaks in between clipping nails if necessary, let your sugar glider get comfortable and tired again.
- When trimming the nails on the back paws, note that two of the toes are fused together. These two fused digits are used primarily in grooming and it’s recommended that you don’t trim those two claws. It is OK to trim the remaining three claws on each back paw.
- Sugar gliders nails grow fast and this method may need to be used every one to two weeks, or as needed.
- Clipping often leaves nail a bit ragged and actually more likely to cause scratches than before. You may want to consider using a nail file to smooth them down.
Tips for Success
- Be patient and try to keep your glider calm.
- Another option to help but NOT to replace actual trimmings, is the wheel, get a wheel with a sand-type paper lined inside it. this can help file the nails down a tiny bit. BUT you still need to trim them properly.
Check out our How to video on how to trim your sugar gliders nails
The Last Thing You Need to Know
- Don’t be afraid. Animals smell fear. Just be confident and don’t back down even if they start crabbing at you.
