Hi everyone!
I have had my babies for over six months and I am FINALLY fully bonded to one of my girls and the other is about as bonded as she's gonna get though I hope for a bit more with her... Anyway.... From the beginning I have had someone help me with the nail trimming as I can't see well enough to trim their nails myself. So, what ends up happening is I hold the glider in fleece and my friend clips nails but we have a really hard time because of the glider flinching as she wants to cut. The reason I hold them is because I don't want my helper to get bit and my gliders will bite. I have watched so many videos but they are basically all the same and I can't figure a better way to trim nails....I know you can get the sandpaper stuff for their wheel but is not an option...so maybe you all can give ideas... oh and I do give treats but at least my one glider doesn't care about the treat she just wants to get away!!! LOL I also know they have small bones that really can't be pulled out of the fleece to much or it could risk injury... I also can't take them to a vet every time their nails need done because I can't afford that. Please give me suggestions to make trimming easier....

I struggled with nail clippings for a long time for the same reason until someone on here I think it was TJones mentioned that she uses reading glasses to trim nails... Well I took that 2 steps further

I use big vision magnifying glasses and a LED forehead light. It's always dark at my house so lighting was a big issue and the forehead is great because it's hands free and I can change the light position right where I want it. The glasses are amazingggggg for doing nails and anything small like that.

I use both the light and glasses for my wood burning too lol For nail trimming they really were a game changer for me. I can trim 11 gliders in less than 15 minutes and that's inspecting each foot as I go. Once you can see what your doing your confidence will grow then the gliders will be more confident in YOU.

You can hold onto their hands pretty good without hurting them they aren't as fragile as we think they are but they do like to twist to get you to let go.. just rotate the pouch in the same direction they turned

The video below is me trimming Amy who wasn't particularly fond of nail trimmings but even she didn't put up a fuss. The video is in real time, all her nails got trimmed in less than 2 minutes

My ladies will not sit still regardless of what I do; trust me, I have tried it all.

I only do it absolutely when I need to and unfortunately for me, I need to. Not looking forward to it.

She is so quiet ! how possible, does the room smell so much weed that she is stone ?

:-)

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Originally posted by SuggieMom17

Hi everyone!
I have had my babies for over six months and I am FINALLY fully bonded to one of my girls and the other is about as bonded as she's gonna get though I hope for a bit more with her... Anyway.... From the beginning I have had someone help me with the nail trimming as I can't see well enough to trim their nails myself. So, what ends up happening is I hold the glider in fleece and my friend clips nails but we have a really hard time because of the glider flinching as she wants to cut. The reason I hold them is because I don't want my helper to get bit and my gliders will bite. I have watched so many videos but they are basically all the same and I can't figure a better way to trim nails....I know you can get the sandpaper stuff for their wheel but is not an option...so maybe you all can give ideas... oh and I do give treats but at least my one glider doesn't care about the treat she just wants to get away!!! LOL I also know they have small bones that really can't be pulled out of the fleece to much or it could risk injury... I also can't take them to a vet every time their nails need done because I can't afford that. Please give me suggestions to make trimming easier....

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here is a video showing the way we do it. it sounds like you are doing it the right way, just the flinching part, I will hold the glider leg hard enough so that they can not move away with a flinch. they will not pull their legs hard enough to hurt themselves, and you can steady the foot hard enough to stop the flinching and NOT hurt them.
so you are doing it right, just hold the leg steady, hard enough to stop the flinching, remember if they get their nails stuck they wont injure themselves pulling, but use their teeth.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJv2yAfkVHg&list=PLNDuthIFR8sPX4Vo99uQ0c0Dkj9K7lqFj&index=3

THANKS SO MUCH for the advice!

Leela, unfortunately the super magnifying glasses won't work for me as I am actually legally blind which is why I have to have someone help me. ("legally blind" is a VERY braud term) The head lamp is a great idea but fortunately I have fantastic lightning in my home...just wish I had a dimmer so it would be better for the girls.

BYK_Chainsaw, I am always afraid I'm going to hurt them if I hold to tightly I am going to try to be a bit more firm next time... Thanks!

ok, the main thing is confidence. If you and your helper are lacking confidence, nervous, worried about the gliders biting and or getting away etc... the gliders pick up and feed off of allllll of that and aren't going to be calm either.

If your nervous and anxious take a minute before you begin, breathe, relax, clear your mind and don't anticipate them biting. THEN start trimming, if your nerves start to rise just pause, calm down breather regroup and close the pouch up until your ready to begin again. Then start again. I have 2 that are biters and they don't bite while I trim nails because I'm confident that I can trim them. If you and the helper are calm.......the gliders will be calmer.

I'd let your helper try to do them themselves. Have them try in a tent or bathroom where its more confined if they get away or out of the pouch. Use the pouch to cover their faces and put gentle pressure on the gliders body with your left hand/wrist while you hold the foot and clip with the right. If you look at the video posted you can see I cover her face and body and gently hold her down while I'm trimming.

**Trim nails when they are the most sleepy I usually do mine no earlier than noon no later than 5

**have treats, clippers, glasses, corn starch ...whatever needed with in arms reach easy to pick up.

you don't have to trim them all at the same sitting. Do one paw at a time then take a break. Even if you only get one or two nails trimmed at a time that is progress and confidence will grow!! not just the person trimming the nails confidence, but the gliders confidence IN that person will grow too.

Well, I am happy to say "yea me" that I was able to trim my girls nails

They did squirm about quite a bit but I would just keep wrapping them back up. I only got bit a few times but not hard enough to draw blood.

I do love my head magnifying glass (haven't put battery in it for light)as it makes it easier for me to see.

Next time, I am going to use the suggestion and do it in the bathroom just in case they escape.

Confidence is slowing building..

Leela,
What clippers are those? What are they called? Would love to get a pair. The kind i have are to Billy for my girls

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Originally posted by Cupcake112

Leela,
What clippers are those? What are they called? Would love to get a pair. The kind i have are to Billy for my girls

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We get ours at CVS/walgreens, they have very good cutters. My wife actually likes the straight cutters best, they cut the cleanest it seems, of course we have 2 people doing it.
I can't seem to find them online but they look like small wire cutters but are found in the nail clipper department of these stores.