Hi everyone, I just noticed what looks like a sore on my glider, Sucrose's neck. Kind of where the neck joins the head almost, but more under his right cheek. It looks like it is raised, kind of small tumor-ish, but if you press it, it isnt hard like a tumor would be. And it doesnt really look to be infected.
I didn't notice it last night before I went to sleep, and I only briefly noticed it this morning, and I got worried as to what it can be.
My mom (who has no real specific knowledge of gliders) thinks it might just simply be where fur came off... I don't understand how that could happen though.
He has been doing nothing abnormal, and it doesnt seem to irritate him at all, even if I touch it.
It also looks like there are two separate spots on the 'wound' itself. One looks like a scab or something like a scab, and the other is just a larger red spot. You can kind of see it in some of the pictures.
I was thinking of waiting a couple days to see how it progesses, and if it gets any worse, I was going to take him to a vet.
I live in Long Island, NY right on the border of nassau and suffolk county, so if anyone knows of a vet they've been to, or know to be good, please let me know.
Thanks in advance. Phil
PS - excuse my dirty hands, they've been stained from working on my truck over the weekend. I'm not a professional hand model, so yea... :-)
Ok, this little guy needs to see a vet as soon as possible. It looks like it could be an abcess. If so, he needs antibiotics before it can spread or become systemic (get into his blood). The vet may try to take a sample from it (probably with a syringe) to culture to see what is going on (bacteria wise).
Another thought could be possibly a spider bite? Not sure. It is really so hard to tell.
I am not one to run to the vet over just anything but if he were mine or in my care, I would be finding a vet today to see him.
620-704-9109 Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.
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On humans, spider bites usually have a hard knot in the center of the bite.
poor little guy. Is he able to eat normally?
Wild animals hide their illnesses and weaknesses as a survival mechanism. Predators look for signs of illness or weakness to select the prey animal easiest to catch. By the time a suggie acts sick, they are very seriously ill. I would try to get your little one to the vet as soon as possible.
My first thoughts as well, abscess or fluid filled cyst, or a bite. Whether or not there is a hard spot can depend on where the bite is-surrounded by soft tissues such as in the neck-it may be there, but there is so much give you can't feel it, and prob. not a good idea to poke around it too much-the vet can do that. Gliders have been known to 'hunt' spiders and other critters (insects, rodents) that find their way into their cage. I agree with a vet asap. Have you looked at our vetlinks to see if there's one close? If not, hopefully someone in your area will have some ideas.
Me 2, or 3 or whatever. This little guy needs to see a vet ASAP. It looks like a fluid filled cyst to me. The vet may be able to drain it completely when he does the needle biopsy. I'm sure it hurts the little guy, I know it would hurt me. Please go ahead and take him to the vet so he can get some antibiotics and pain meds. And pleeeeease let us now how he is doing and what the vet said when you get back.
That looks EXACTLY like my finger did a few weeks ago when I got a spider bite! Oh did it ever start hurting! It got absessed and then infected too. PLEASE take him to a vet ASAP! I did not get the hard bump on my finger until AFTER the infection went away and I still have the hard bump. Before that it was soft and gushy with infection. Good luck with your baby, please keep us posted!
Keeper of Handprints on my Heart, You left your Footprints on my soul. My precious loves that left to quickly, Peanut, Katie Isabella, Kiwi, Bonnie and Monroe.
Spread your wings and glide free of pain, Until the day I see you again.
Well I just got back from the vet about 30 minutes ago after a 45 minute drive each way, plus a 3 hour stay at the vet/ER. (thanks to the vet directory on this site) And Sucrose is back to his normal self, after the anesthesia wears off :-P Although it was kind of amusing to watch him scamper around all dazed and confused when he was coming to again. 8-P
The Dr. said that the abscess on his neck had two punctures and obviously he was not bitten because I only have Sucrose and no other animals are kept near him. He must have gotten cut by something else in my room... probably by falling off things like he regularly does.
The Dr. drained the thing out, and gave me antibiotics for it. It is a liquid taken orally, but I just tried giving some to Sucrose, and he doesn't seem to like it too much. I tried mixing it with honey, but I put out a bit too much honey, and he didnt finish it all. So I took one his dinner grapes and injected the antibiotic into that. Hopefully that will work.
Does anybody know of anything else I can use as a carrier for the antibiotic? Maybe something that will absorb the liquid (which is about the consistency of water)...
I'll post a picture in a couple days after the wound heals up a little, right now its a bit bloody and looks worse than before, except minus all the puss inside of it.. ewwww
Sucrose (and I) want to thank everyone for your help!!
Re: Weird Spot/Sore on neck
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#152736 10/04/0602:41 AM10/04/0602:41 AM
The vet may try to take a sample from it (probably with a syringe) to culture to see what is going on (bacteria wise).
The vet had saved some of the goop inside to be cultured, but it would have costed about another $100 to do so, and she felt it wasnt totally necessary and I agreed, although I was curious. If it ever comes back, then we will have the option to do that again and treat it better, meaning more specific to the bacteria. The antibiotic she gave me she said was a very good all around antibiotic and was the sugar-glider version of whatever is given to humans.
Thanks again everyone.
Re: Weird Spot/Sore on neck
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#152741 10/04/0603:30 AM10/04/0603:30 AM
Glad he is home and on antibiotics. Still sounds like an insect bite or spider bite to me though. I mean 2 puncture wounds? Thats what spiders and other insects leave, 2 puncture wounds. I hope it clears up fast. I'm so glad he is doing great otherwise! I wish I could have laughed like most normal people at the funny dazed walk, I cried my eyes out at the vet cause our little girl looked so pitiful after going under to have her pouch checked. LOL (yeah, I'm nuts I know)
Keeper of Handprints on my Heart, You left your Footprints on my soul. My precious loves that left to quickly, Peanut, Katie Isabella, Kiwi, Bonnie and Monroe.
Spread your wings and glide free of pain, Until the day I see you again.
I am glad the vet was able to drain it and you are on the right track. I usually don't dilute the anitbiotics, the does is usually so small but then right after I give them a mealie or a drink of pedialyte. If its baytril, its a little bitter but I haven't had any that I couldn't get it down easily. I am curious to know if this could have been a spider bite. I got bit by one many years ago. I had been cleaning out a hall closet and didn't even know I had been bite. A few days later my arm was swollen and the area around the bite started to open up. I went to the dr and found out I had been biten by a brown recluse spider. I had to have the ara debreeded and was on antibiotics for months, along with a steriod. It may be worth is just to check for any spiders, they can be so small and hide well. Also your pictures were a big help, would you mind if I put one on our health page and also copy it to share with our group? I would give you full credit for the picture if you agree. I think it would be a great help to other owners to see what an abcess looks like since many haven't seen one. Please keep us updated on your boy. Angie
Re: Weird Spot/Sore on neck
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#152788 10/04/0609:23 AM10/04/0609:23 AM
Also your pictures were a big help, would you mind if I put one on our health page and also copy it to share with our group? I would give you full credit for the picture if you agree. I think it would be a great help to other owners to see what an abcess looks like since many haven't seen one.
yea, that sounds like a good idea. I didn't even look in that section, because I had no idea what it was to begin with. I only found out what an abscess is after I went to dictionary.com... :-P
Re: Weird Spot/Sore on neck
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#152824 10/04/0611:00 AM10/04/0611:00 AM
Good job Phil I have been there done that! If it was caused by a nail it will have the one little hole and a red spot. My vet did a culture on Twinkies and it was nasty! Just please keep the area cleaned everyday so it can heal properly and in no time you will not even remember where it was. My vet said to take warm water on a qtip twice a day to help it heal. They are pretty funny when they start to come out from abeing under. Did you get the see the little nose thingy they use? Glad you got this taken care of and keep us posted.
Thanks for the update, and so glad he's got meds to help him feel better, and you were able to find a vet! I have also only had one that would willingly take a med (some bubblegum flavored baytril the vet hasn't been able to reproduce-rats!)-normally it has to go down the hard way by syringe to make sure they get it all so they can get better. And it all needs to go down him for the full course, even if he seems to feel better. Keep us updated on his progress!
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well as for the meds, I just mix the right dosage with some honey and mix it around and give it to him on a spoon. He likes honey a lot, and the dose is only about 3 drops, so he doesnt even know.
As for the wound, the vet didnt say anything about cleaning it, just to watch it to see how its going away, or if its coming back.
I'll post some after pictures of the wound in a couple days once it heals a little more, unless you guys think I should take some sooner...