Last night i was feeding my sugar gliders meal worms when i believe the male started to choke. he was gasping for air and turning blue. i panicked and called the er vet and they told me to get tweezers and try to remove the food. he would hardly let me in his mouth and i think i may have pushed the food down further and did more damage . i rushed him to the er vet and they put a feeding tube down his throat or tried to and gave him oxygen. his nose turned from bluish purple to pink, so the oxygen was working. he stayed on the oxygen for a few hours, the vet wanted him to stay the night on oxygen and wait for the exotic vet to come in the morning and evaluate. I was more than willing to do this until they told me it would cost $500 for him to stay the night on oxygen. i simply could not afford to do this, which breaks my heart. the doctor kept him on oxygen for another hour and he seemed to improve. when we got him in the car he was ok, just very scared. when we got out of the car he then started to hyperventilate again, i put him in his cage and he was gasping for air, he then proceeded to drink some water and eat his leadbeater food, which i thought was a good sign. the gasping stopped. i checked on him this morning and he was in good color (very pink) but when i took him out of the cage he started to gasp and hyperventilate again so i put him back in his pouch. i just checked on him again and hes not gasping. im wondering if the gasping could be caused by anxiety? i am leaving him alone for the rest of the day to rest although its very hard. if his lungs or trachea were damaged would he be constantly gasping and hyperventilating? i dont know if because hes sleeping and not being active that is causing him to breathe ok for now. please help im worried sick i cant eat or sleep im so scared i will lose him

Honestly...I'd be contacting the exotic vet that is there during the day. As difficult as it is, this really is what needs to be done. We can give you several ideas, but we aren't vets and can't possibly give you an answer to what this may be. Maybe the skin is still lodged somewhere down his windpipe but if so, it will probably need to be removed while the glider is under anesthesia.

In the meantime, to get some advice on what to do in the meantime, you may want to contact Val (Jackie_Chans_Mom) - I'm not sure if she has dealt with anything like this, but she may have some thoughts. Here is her profile - her number is there. Call her at any time.

Jackie_Chans_Mom

I'm so sorry you and your little one are going through this.

The best thing for him right now would be to take him into the exotic vet. We can speculate all day long, but none of us are trained vets, therefore we can't tell you if he's okay or not.

If he's gasping for air, I would get him in sooner than later.

Good luck and keep us updated on your little guy!

So sorry I have nothing to add except and best wishes for you and your little one. The vet will know best. Keep us posted on how he's doing.

thanks for replying, the vet told me last night to monitor him to see if the hyperventilation starts again, it only seems to happen when he is startled. i may just bring him in anyways but im afraid it will traumatize him more bringing him in the car again and also scared i will not be able to afford what they recommend. does anyone have a ballpark of what an x ray would cost? because im sure that is what they will have to do. hes sleeping right now in a little ball in his pouch, hes not breathing too heavy or hard like he was when hyperventilating. i just keep praying all he needs is rest.

It's difficult to say what an x-ray will cost because every vet is very different in what they charge. My vet is quite expensive for most procedures - take a neuter, for example. Mine charges $215 but your vet may only charge $45. Give them a call and ask - they'll tell you. A little stress in the car will be worth it if you figure out the problem. You can also always ask your vet if they take CareCredit (a credit program for vet expenses) or maybe they will work out a payment plan for you.

You can call the vet as many times as you need to.
Call them and ask how much it would be... only they can tell you. veterinarian offices have a very wide range of charges.

Don't feel bad asking as many questions as possible before you bring your baby in.

Also, you may want to look into "care credit". That is a special credit card for animal owners/lovers that will help cover vet costs when you just can't afford it.

Hope all goes well. Poor baby...

we tried to apply for credit care and with my credit just starting to be repaired and my boyfriend has no credit at all, we were unable to get it im going to call the vet and ask how much office visits and x rays are..

Call around, too. And if you click on the word vet, it will bring you to a link where you can look up vets in your area. You may be able to find one that is knowledgeable in gliders AND will help you out.

I wish we could do more. Sorry.

I do hope you'll be able to take your glider in to be seen. Please keep us updated if you're able.

I am going to move this to Health & Hygiene now.

Aimee, I think it would be cheaper if I sent my gliders to you and you had the neuter done lol. Except the stress on getting him there...

Oh and I'm sorry that you are going through this Kristie. Gliders are so fragile. Good luck!

I had a sick girl who required a Thursday evening through Saturday evening stay at the vets office, in an oxygen tank the entire time, anesthesia for the x-rays they did, and the x-rays themselves. They also gave me a small amount of meds. Seems about similar to what they may do to yours...at our emergency vet, it cost me about $800. I had to use two cards at checkout, because neither of my accounts would let me take that much out at a time. Call ahead and ask if they will let you make monthly payments or if they can offer any assistance. Especially if they're smaller practices, they usually just want to know the animal's going to be okay first.

Wishing your baby health and luck! <3

sami- was yer sick glider having trouble breathing too?

i fed him a little bit of honey and he started gasping again, i will be taking him to the vet first thing in the morning, hes in his pouch now cuddling with mokey, my female glider and he seems very content and relaxed with no gasping. seems like he gasps when he eats and the nurse i talked to just now said it could be pulmonary edema from the choking. we will get to the bottom of this in the morning. hope my little man makes it til then, hes strong so i believe he will.

It's important that he eat and drink - I'm concerned that he isn't able to do this and without, he will not sustain well.

Did you contact Val like I mentioned in the first post? If not, I HIGHLY recommend that you do this tonight.

i did contact her, she said it sounds like he is having seizures. if he does not come out of his pouch tonight on his own i will feed him from my finger, he seemed to be ok doing that earlier, although it triggered the gasping. i will also make sure he drinks. going to vet first thing tomorrow morning.

fes is at the vet right now. they said his lungs sound good and they think there is something in his wind pipe. they are gonna sedate him and try to see if they can see anything in his wind pipe.. hes stable in the oxygen tank so hes not top priority (its and er clinic as well)ive been waiting about 4 hours, i hope they call with good news soon.

Well, you know he's in good hands now. Hopefully they figure it out quickly and put him and you both at ease. Keep us posted and best wishes!

*fingers crossed*

I hope your baby will be ok...I'll say a few prayers for him and you. It's a shame vets have to cost so much.

well there was nothing that was visible in his wind pipe.. they did x rays and saw a small mass that could be 3 things... pneumonia, aspiration pneumonia (which is when something foreign is in his lung) or a tumor. we will try anti biotics first...im trying to be positive about this but given his age its just really not looking good for my little guy

My heart goes out to you and your baby

How old is he?

I'm sending prayers for your little guy!

hes 10. hes on baytril for 2 weeks, i really hope it works.

has anyone else had experience using baytril? i just got note that it will decrease his appetite and may not even work

Baytril is very commonly prescribed for gliders. It is a broad spectrum anti-biotic. Some gliders will have less of an appetite. In these cases, just feed him whatever that is glider safe for him to eat and worry about balancing out his nutrition after his appetite returns.

I'll say some extra prayers for your baby kristie. Hopefully it is just a bit of phneumonia from choking that the baytri
l will help. Keep him warm and love him lots.
Dang I shouldn't be reading gc tonight it's all making me cry

i am beyond depressed about this, vet said he needs rest but i keep checking on him to make sure hes alive..his breathing is much better when hes resting so i really need to not disturb him. its just so hard. ive had him for 10 years, im very attached to all my animals and i wish i could trade places with him. my sweet little boy

I understand how you feel. We will all say some prays for you and your baby.

Just an update on fes...hes been on baytril now for 2 1/2 days, i havent seen an improvement, hes not worse, but not better. called the vet, if hes not improving by monday back to the vet he goes. the dr either wants to put him on another med along with baytril or do blood work to determine what the cause of his breathing impairments are. hes eating fine but not really drinking, and i noticed he seemed to be a little constipated, tried pedialite, he wasnt interested, hes enjoying watermelon immensely though, which the dr also suggested i try since its a very liquid-y fruit. im glad hes not worsening but also sad hes not improving and really wondering now if he has a tumor in his lung.

You said Val mentioned it sounded like he was having seizures. Was this discussed with your vet and if so, where did that conversation lead? I'm concerned there is no improvement and afraid that maybe this vet is exploring the wrong avenue. Might want to be in contact with Val again tomorrow and see if she has any other recommendations or thoughts on where to go from here.

hmm i did think about that but i really dont believe he is having seizures, the vet did an xray and found patches in his lung..i will mention seizures to him but you can tell that fes is having trouble breathing because when he is not active he is not having trouble, but when he becomes active he gets out of breath and has to stop. ill message her again to see if being active triggers seizures..

Message her anyway, especially given the fact that the X-rays showed patches. Val has much experience with tumors in gliders and will be able to help you go in armed with good information and knowledge when talking with your vet.

ok i messaged her..this is all very concerning because if he doesnt have any infections i am giving him antibiotics which will kill all his good bacteria. i am giving him yogurt in between doses to get him some probiotics. but that is why if no improvements by monday the doctor wants to do blood tests...to determine if it is cancer or not..

Antibiotics are never good if they are given when unnecessary and ised for a long period of time But at this point, you're trying to rule things out and a few days of meds isn't going to hurt. It's okay .

My biggest concern right now is nutrition for your boy and if he is eating and drinking enough. Since he seems to choke when he eats, is he getting anything down? What about purees?

he is having a better time eating, hes eating his leadbeaters, yogurt, and watermelon. i may get some baby food peas tomorrow since im scared to give him solid veggies. i have not seen him drink water or pedialite, but the watermelon was a great idea since he just peed all over me twice, and it was a lot! never thought id say "good boy" after he peed on me so much. his appetite is good and he doesnt seem lethargic, its just really sad when he tries to play he becomes winded and breathes through his mouth. i had to take the wheel out because he would go around once and would have to stop. i also read that a sign of pneumonia is when you hear popping sounds when they breathe and i heard some popping last night, not sure if that would also be consistent with a tumor..

fes went back to the vet today and was finally diagnosed with laryngeal paralysis... hes an old guy (about 11) and the vet said although hes never seen this in sugar gliders hes seen it in old aged dogs..basically his larynx stays open,..doesnt expand when hes active to get more oxygen in and doesnt close when hes eating to prevent food from entering his lungs.. he does have a small touch of pneumonia probably brought on by the laryngeal paralysis, and will finish out his antibiotics. i dont plan to give him anymore solid foods and plan to make the rest of his life as comfy as possible. thanks to all who prayed for my baby, but now it just seems like a matter of time.. he can live with this disease, he just cant do what he used to do and love..he cant be active because he will become winded very easily.. im so so sad for my little guy, he is my heart and i hate to see him this way..but he has lived quite a long and happy life and he will be surrounded by love when god chooses to call him home.

I am glad you now know what his problem is so you can try to keep him as comfortable as possible. He seems to have lived a happy long life in your loving care.

In addition to having trouble with solid foods he probably will not be able to drink plain liquids like water or pedialyte easily either. Thin liquids aspirate very easily.

Don't try to get him to drink plain water or pedialyte - just offer thick liquids. You can add a little additional water to baby food consistency foods to help him stay hydrated but keep them thick enough for easily swallowing.

If he is drinking with his head up and neck somewhat extended (for example drinking from a water bottle that is higher than his shoulders) it may increase the chance of liquids slipping into his airway. Lapping up his food from a shallow bowl may also help. Hard to explain to a glider but swallowing with his chin down may be easier and safer for him.

(my mother had a similar condition and had to re-learn to swallow thick liquids with her head tucked, chin down)

Hope this is helpful. He does know he is well loved.

i did think of the water bottle thing... problem is i have 2 gliders and the other one needs water..he does not seem to be drinking as often from the water bottle so i am mashing up watermelon and putting it in his bowl..he seems to be ok with that. i thought of separating them so she can have her water bottle and he can just use his bowl but they would be way too sad without one another...not really sure what to do in this situation..