We were given an approximately 2 year old intact male glider in mid-February we named Gimli. We were told nobody wanted him because he was mean and a biter, and had been in several homes (gee-wonder where the biting could come from?). In any case, this little guy is a sweetheart-a bit mouthy but nothing mean or vicious. He also has no tail-just a stub. Here's the question: it appears (we couldn't get a straight answer on this) that his tail was forcibly removed (as in pulled off) and his cloacal area is not only dislocated as a result, but he dribbles urine continually. He drinks more than any glider I've ever seen and stays fairly well hydrated, but I'm wondering if anyone has ever seen a glider like this and if there's anything I should be alert for, like possible infections, etc. he may be prone to because of the constant urinating. (We have to clean his cloacal area and tail base regularly because he can't keep up with grooming the area due to dribbling). He's very manic on occasion, okay, alot (after what he's been through I don't blame him,though)and we're hoping neutering might calm him down a bit. Looking for any thoughts, advice & thanks in advance. Attaching photos. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/muchlove.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/littleglider.gif" alt="" />
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
And here he is with a death grip on a feather teaser he attacked for 20 min until he was good and sure it was dead! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/roflmao.gif" alt="" />
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
It couple be he has a Uniary Tract Infection. I myself think a vet check would be in order if he is drinking excessive water as well as constantly wetting. When a glider appears ungroomed...this usually indicates the glider is ill.
Judie-even though the dribbling has been apparently going on since long before we got him, and he seems well otherwise, I haven't ruled out that possiblility. We'll be making him his vet appointment very soon to be neutered, and I intend to have urine, fecals, blood and cultures done at that time. Of course if I notice any other symptoms before then, he'll get immediate vet attention. (The prolific new Dad will be neutered at the same time). I know in other critters the forcible removal of a tail can cause internal damage with bowels and bladder, and loss of control. Was wondering if same could be true of suggies?
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
I have no answers but I just wanted to say that you are an angel for taking him in. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frostyangel.gif" alt="" /> He is very lucky to be with you now. Best of luck to both of you.
Ohh, that poor little guy. He's had it rough. I almost hate to see him get neutered after all he's been through.
Constant dribbling is interesting given his tail trauma. Several possibilities come to mind with dribbling, including urinary tract infection, hormonal disturbances such as diabetes insipitus, irritable bladder with excessive muscle tone of the detrusors (the muscles that squeeze the bladder leading to peeing), nervous system lesions, and many others. Given the tail trauma, one would be tempted to consider nervous system injury. This might have been related to traction on lower spinal nerves or spinal cord when the tail was avulsed. The asymmetric cloacal position could also be related to disrupted neural innervation of the urinary bladder sphincter muscles, which normally pinch off the urine flow until time to pee, leading to dribbling.
Hopefully your veterinarian can help you determine whether Gimli has a neurogenic bladder. There are meds that might help, but in people they can cause some annoying side effects. They can also cause the opposite effect of urine retention (can't pee) or increased risk of urinary tract infection.
Does he dribble constantly, or does he just pee more frequently than normal, never with a large amount of urine? In general I would expect infection to cause frequent small pees, perhaps painful. Diabetes insipitus (not sugar diabetes, but inability to concentrate the urine) would more likely be frequent LARGE amounts of urine, and a voracious drinker. This is a central nervous system problem, brain and not down below. Again, given his lower trauma, nerves innervating the bladder from the lower cord seem suspect.
Hopefully your veterinarian can help. Neurogenic bladder victims have an inordinate number of infections. Finding an infection doesn't exclude that he has a bladder filling/emptying problem. I hope he does OK, and am glad he now has you to help look after him.
Re: Gimli...
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#20143 05/06/0403:48 AM05/06/0403:48 AM
Bourbon, I do have a pic, haven't uploaded from the camera yet-will try tomorrow. Sorry it's taken so long to reply, I was in the hosp. myself a few days for an operation, and still having a bit of trouble sitting. Gimli and William were neutered today (yesterday?) and he's doing fine with it. We'll be up all night with William, though-he started 'picking' at his incision as soon as he woke up. (Doing okay now, but I won't take chances & he's staying on me tonight-We had him in a collar before leaving vet's.) Gimli had fecals done (float, smear, and gram/wright stain) and the vet said they all came back great & looked really good. They said they couldn't get any urine (this with a glider that wherever he walks around on you leaves a trail of wet spots) but gave us the option of coming back to try again in a couple of weeks or to put him on a broad spectrum antibiotic for 10 days just in case (and I'll take him in a couple of weeks anyway). We figured it couldn't hurt with his incision and all, so elected for the antibiotics. After physical exam, the vet thinks that the tail trauma is the most likely cause of his dribbling. Wanted to say thanks for all the info on that last post <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />-Very helpful/informative-that's what we were wondering about-and to everyone else, as well. I'll let you all know how things progress with him and get the pics up as soon as I can. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> *Edit- Oh, and yes, it's the same broker we got Riker from. Apparently she was attempting to make some sort of amends for the deaths of the two babies my husband bought from her last summer (while I was in TX for back surgery) that died within a few days despite immediate vet care. She finally disclosed that most if not all of those two shipments were infected with Giardia before they arrived and nearly all (somewhat in excess of 100 babies, died <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />).
Last edited by Xfilefan; 05/06/0411:07 AM.
Re: Gimli...Pictures
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#20144 05/07/0404:53 AM05/07/0404:53 AM
Have 2 pics of Gimli's cloacal area-needed to hold him to get them. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to get one with him on his feet to show relative position -- It sticks out off the back of his rear end, instead of being underneath like our other guys'. The stub of his tail that's left he tends to hold rigidly up (kind of like a flagpole) when awake; it relaxes some when he's asleep, but not much, we suspect from damage in there to the musculature. Here's pic #1.
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
Re: Gimli...Pictures
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#20145 05/07/0404:55 AM05/07/0404:55 AM