I am trying to find out why everytime I let gizmo crawl on my arms, ten minutes later they are red, burning, and itchy. Could it be I am allergic to him or could there possibly be a certain bacteria under their nails. My dads baby Lucy does the same thing. but I can hold them in thier pouches and be around them without any allergy symptoms. It's only when claw meets skin.

We've had quite a few members turn out to be allergic to males. I haven't heard this yet with females. I even have two of my boys from someone that was allergic. :(

are you sure it's not just scratches and puncture marks? When was the last time you trimmed their nails? I get stuff like that and then I know is time for a small clip

Those to me look like scratches and puncture marks from their nails. When I get them they do itch and bug my arms.

See the marks on my back, they were not there when I started. It's just from their little nails.

haha yup! Those are just scratches from your gliders! I get those all the time and everyone at school thinks I'm emo because they see scratches up my forearm, LOL!!

Yes, we have all had marks just like that. And of course, it is possible to be allergic to gliders saliva or urine which could both be on the tips of the gliders nails and is being injected under your skin when your glider crawls around on you.

Have you clipped nails yet? If not, try that and see if it isnt better.

There is now way I could get him to trust me yet for tat. I have had him for a little over a month and we have just made it to him walking on me. How could I get them trimmed without him freaking.

I have to take my glider Jack to the Vet to get his nails trimmed. He won't run in his wodent wheel with the trim tracks enough. The rest of my gliders keep their own nails trimmed on the nail trim tracks. Your Vet could do it if you'd take him in.

Like everyone else has said, when their nails are sharp, they puncture your skin and can burn pretty bad. I used to have allergic reactions to my boys before they were neutered, but I would get huge red rashes that would cover my forearm.

Yep. Scratches. Been there, done that, had the marks to prove it. even a glider whose nails are trimmed or filed will still scratch you up from time to time. They can't help it. And sometimes the marks will swell and burn a little. I always rub alcohol on them after I put the gliders up. It will burn for a moment, but it'll kill the bacteria that's making the scratches itch and burn.

Usually an allergic reaction would include some swelling welts, these look like tiny scratches from their nails to me.

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Originally posted by kyro298

We've had quite a few members turn out to be allergic to males. I haven't heard this yet with females. I even have two of my boys from someone that was allergic. :(

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Now that you mention it..It has been since I got my male glider. My eyes do swell up and itch when I get faced hugged and he loves to rub his head on my face. I just figured it was because when I got my new four they smelled so bad and the cage and their pouches were so nasty and has taken awhile for the smell to subside. Since my eyes started getting puffy and itchy I have been washing my face and hands extra good after playtime and don't seem to be having any problems now maybe itchy eyes once in a while..But I love him to death and don't care if I have to wash 1oo times a day.. He is worth it..

It would be interesting to investigate the bacteria living under your gliders nails. There is some strong stuff living under there and when their nails grab you, they dig in and essentially tattoo you with bacteria deep into your skin. Luckily our bodies can handle the intrusion rather well with little discomfort.

Most people approach this issue multiple ways. First, maintain their nails with clipping or sandpaper in the exercise wheel. Second, keep their cages clean. They walk, climb, sit, grab everywhere that they pee and poo, so do your best. Third, dont bare your skin. Many folks have a towel or a sweater or hoodie to put on when it's time to play. This also helps to protect your good clothing from "spills" that our little arboreal pals love to leave behind.

You could also have some antibacterial wipes handy and scrub heavily in areas where the animals have touched, grabbed or scratched you. I really dont think people are allergic to the animals themselves, but they can be to what they carry and leave behind.

Here's a fun experiment; dig a needle into some human poo and pee and then heavily drag it along your skin somewhere leaving a nice scratch mark. You wouldnt try that one would you, yet, we do this daily with our pets...

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Originally posted by Mrpianowizard

haha yup! Those are just scratches from your gliders! I get those all the time and everyone at school thinks I'm emo because they see scratches up my forearm, LOL!!

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The same exact thing here! They're all like, "I know people cut their wrists and all, but their ARMS? I've never seen that..."

Kazko is right on. my two cents...

Gliders' mouths, and of course their nails, are a veritable writhing petri dish of bacteria. Gliders are well known for a bacteria flora soup in their gut and mouths. They can maintain a pretty high bacteria count without being "sick."

Earlier this year a glider bite landed me in the hospital, with surgery to my hand and index finger. They had to cut open by palm to force a catheter into my finger to flush out all the bad liquid. They kept that in for days. I was on broad spectrum antibiotics for over a month, and for over a week intravenously.

Just as an example, the microbes found included were Streptococcus Anginosus and Abiotrophia (formerly called nutritionally variant strep). Abiotrophia is often obscured by the Streptococcus Anginosus as Abiotrophia is apparently a "satellite" bacteria that rides along with Streptococcus Anginosus but takes a few more days to incubate and show up on the petri dish. It took from friday the 27th of February (leap year) til March 4th (5 days) for them to confirm it in the lab. The Streptococcus Anginosus showed up in two days.

I mention this because we are susceptible to bites where an infection can find its way into the tendon sheath of finger and wrist. The tendon sheath is highly susceptible to infection. Why? Because it is sugary, dark, warm, and has hardly any blood to wash away and attack infection.

Now consider the length of a glider's teeth. It is EASY for them to puncture your skin and drive a load of bacteria into the tendon sheath. Once there, it is EASY, being sugary, dark, wet, warm and bloodless, for bacteria to multiply. Once the tendon sheath is infected, the infection travels up and down the tendon, as if pulled by capillary action through a straw. In extreme cases, this can result in the need for amputation.

My infectious disease specialist who cared for me post surgery said you should wash thoroughly with an antibacterial soap after handling gliders and also use hydrogen peroxide on scratches and cuts - even teeny ones.

In addition to garden variety bacterium, gliders can also transfer more heinous wee beasties. For example, salmonella, giardia and leptospirosis. All are zoonotic, meaning humans can catch those from gliders.

I agree that babykiki's arm photo is very likely not the result of being allergic per se, but just the human body's reaction to having a host of bacteria scraped into the flesh from sharp nails. Our bodies send white blood cells to affected areas to battle the bacteria. Slight swelling and redness are a byproduct of this process. Look, I'm no doctor, but my arms look like that all the time, and I'm not "allergic." And so does my stomach considering I hold gliders against it while cutting their nails. I cut well over a thousand glider nails a month, so I'm pretty cut up looking even when wearing two t-shirts for protection. My arms are also scarred from gliders "grooming" the scabs of cuts received by,... gliders.

Incidentally, a local vet, Dr. Jay Holt of Animal Kindness Veterinary, is allergic to male gliders. This is ironic owing to the fact that he and his DVM wife, Valerie, are marsupial experts and have kangaroos on their farm... But he's not allergic to female gliders...

My back and shoulders have many nicks and scrapes now that my two are climbing all over me. I have been very itchy and thought it was just from the dry winter air-I will now be sure to have my husband wipe me down after tent time. Thanks for all the info.

I guess I am going to have to find a vet to get his nails trimmed. I cant handle him unless I have long sleeves on. My arm will start burning and having welts if I dont.

sounds like nails my husband and i have them from letting the guys climb on us ha ha a nail trim helps to a degree :-)