The importance of nail trimming.

Time and time again, I read on the forums about people wanting to purchase nail trimming devices for their wheels, because "I can't trim my gliders nails".

Nail trims should be "standard operating procedure" when you have gliders. They are in my home. I do have inserts in a couple of my wheels, but they are not there as a replacement, nor should they be. Anyone that knows me, knows that I am vigilant about keeping my gliders nails trimmed, but this morning, I had a scare and it reminded me that we can never be too careful and reiterates just how important nail trims are, whether you have inserts or not.

One of the little girls in my home, Neala, has one nail in particular on her right hand that grows at a much faster pace than the others. For this reason, I'm especially careful with her and check her often. When I see her having trouble walking across the bridge in the cage, that's when I know we're at the point of trimming and I do so right away. She hates it. With a passion. She will fight, crab and do everything she can to bite. But it is what it is, and they ALL get nail trims, like it or not.

The day started as usual here, coffee and computer LOL, when I hear crying. But this was a terrified crying sound. I race downstairs to the monkey room and realize immediately that it's Neala. I get to their cage and she's in her Monkeycliner™ - but facing backwards, her nose in the corner, crying at the top of her little lungs. Her right hand is stuck to the fleece, she has spun herself around and she is licking her hand, all the while, making this horrible sound. She was REALLY stuck - I had to shield her head from my hand because it took more than the normal "stick your finger under their palm and pop it out". I finally got her nail out of the fleece and promptly stuffed her in a pouch to trim her nails. All is well now, she's not injured but she sure was scared.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to trim your gliders nails. Just having an insert in your wheel is simply not enough. I am on top of my trimmings, yet this still happened so think what can happen if you DON'T do it? Please...if you are afraid, ask someone. If you don't know how, ask someone. Then learn! And if you're either unable or unwilling to learn, have someone else do it for you to keep your babies safe.

I hear people say this all the time as well and what I think they don't realize is that even if you use the wheel trimmers for maintenance, they'll still need that initial trim. If their nails are already long, the trimmers don't do much. I know my vet will trim nails for $6 or something like that, so that's always an alternative too.

Oh gosh Aimee, I'm so sorry you had that scare, and bless your babies heart. I agree with you, we have to keep a check on those nails. Only 1 of mine gives me trouble, but we get them done. I do wish someone could show me how to roll them up like a burrito though.

I don't burrito wrap mine. I use the pouch/drop treats in/pull one foot out and clip method and can clip the nails of even very aggressive gliders this way.

At every gathering that I go to, I show people how to trim nails --- and I clip nails for a few people every time I am around them. LOL. It is not my favorite glider chore, but it is not one I ever regret doing either.

Oh Gosh, Aimee. Good thing you happend to be home when she got stuck. Poor baby. Nails...so important. My sis in law's glider passed away from getting stuck. I CAN happen!

I do feel very lucky. Talking with Val today, I said "you know, everything might have been just fine and she could have just gone to sleep". Then there's that voice in my head that says, "but what if she hadn't". I know that accidents happen, and we can't always be here for everything. I just thought this was a good time for me to bring this up because it can happen even to those of us that have a good routine and are sure to do it on a schedule.

I have not trimmed their nails before. Is there a link someone could post to either a video or good written directions for this procedure.

Val, I use the same method on mine. I watched a video that someone has for us. LOL can't remember who did the video, but you drop in yogies and pull out 1 foot at the time. But the struggling that Little Johnny does makes me wonder how I would control them if something happened and I had to hold them still. Praying that it never does , but anyway. Someone did a video of the burrito roll when something bad might happen and you needed to do it. Well, I have not figured that out (almost said ain't figured that out ) , and this subject just made me think of it.

I am much better now at doing the nails than when I first started last December. I still get really HOT though, I break out in a pure sweat. But it is coming faster and more efficient each time. I even got all Johnnys done in one session instead of 2 , YEAH ME :)