Do sugar gliders have to have their nails trimmed? Is it a danger to their health if they don't? I tried sandpaper on their running wheel but I was afraid they would hurt their paws and it just seemed like the sandpaper was getting dirty more than it was getting used. They are not bonded to me and no one else likes them enough to help me with the trimming. I have no idea how to hold them in my hand that long let alone clip their tiny nails without cutting a toe off. What will happen if I just don't trim them? I see them every night so I'm not too worried about a nail getting stuck in fabric or possibly ripped out. And they do have some wood and branches in their cage but I doubt it's enough to keep their nail length down. Help!

In the wild, they jump around in trees and their nails get worn down naturally.
In the cage this does NOT happen. sandpaper can help a little, and you must
install correctly. I just bought stronger sandpaper hoping it will work better.
but my sandpaper only helps a little.
so their nails grow long, and if they get stuck and get in a panick, they can
actually bite off their feet, is what I have read.

I have a video posted here several times that show the way to cut glider nails. their are several other good one on youtube. but I require me and my wife to cut
our gliders nails, our way works with bonded and unbonded gliders.

www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=60877#latestpost


you are going to need to find a partner IMO, someone to hold or cut. family, friend, neighbor?

+1 to BYK_Chainsaw's point about needing to do it, and it can cause accidents.

I use a different method just to show some other options www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTD4_RbZvZU

This works well for me and only requires 1 person. The biggest advice is to make sure you know where their head is when you start holding them down. I got a nasty bite my first time trimming them because I wasn't paying attention. Try to be calm, they respond to you being calm and confident. Also talk to them, use reassuring tones to help them out.

It does suck. I dreaded clipping their nails for the first 6 months that I had them. I even drove an hour to have my breeder clip them for me for a while. But you get used to it.

I'll have to try that. I've heard of that being a risk but does it really happen that often? Everyone I know hate the gliders and they don't want to risk being bitten or cutting off a toe. I have seen a method with the glider in a pouch and one leg sticking out a hole but I would be lucky if I could get a glider in the pouch and even then get a leg through the hole. It just seems so overwhelming and difficult the times I have tried. I'll watch up on some videos and see if I can find a way that works. They already barely like me. I can only imagine if I clip their quick what they would do to me/think of me

Yes it really does happen quite often. When it does happen it usually results in toes, feet, or entire legs getting amputated.

Honestly it doesn't matter if the gliders are bonded to you or not I've trimmed many gliders that aren't mine nor bonded to me.

Confidence is hugely important so is being able to see what your doing. Use a good hands free LED light, reading or magnifying glasses and clippers that are comfortable in your hand and easy to use.

Clipping the quick is more traumatic to the human than it is to the gliders. If you do hit the quick just dab some corn starch on it to stop the bleeding. They really don't bleed that much but it makes us feel better.

Don't worry about clipping all the nails in one sitting. Do a couple then take a break if you or the gliders need to. Once your both calm again clip a couple more and work up to clipping them all at once.