FlKeysGlider, I added the
links in for the sm's on the "Will Your Glider Self Mutilate" it has everything you need to get you started there.
Danielle , yes you are on the emergency contact list as well.
Charlesex, </font><blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr />
i like to think that is what we are all here for. to learn and to help each other out.
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In most cases I would agree with you, where the SM's are concerned however I do not. I don't think that just anyone can help out the owners of sm's in an emergency, or even at the onset, with the exception of getting them to the people they need to talk to. learn yes, everyone can learn from each case. Far too many times, I have seen well intentioned people try to offer help to owners of sm's. and the owners trying to take care of the situation on their own, to be honest it is like the blind leading the blind, you can read till your face turns blue, but until you experiece it, you never get the real grasp of the situation.
The best way to help the owners of possible SM's is to get them in contact with the sm community, It IS a specialized problem that REQUIRES specialized help.
Many times I want to scream when I come on the board and see multiple posts to possible sm owners.
if you see a post that may need immediate help, contact to the sm community needs to be made. there is an emergency contact list it needs to be utilized in these cases, have them speak directly to one of those people, we can help in many many ways. we don't sugar coat anything and we tell them what they need to hear.
everyone that helps prolongs the ecollar and
vet care, is assuming partialy responsible for the life of that glider.
SO many times we watch the same thing over and over again. it is not just the well intioned people it is also the owner themselves. It is their responsibility, to heed the advice of those that know what is going on.
in a recent case, the owner was told to contact one of us, and was also told to put a collar on, they chose to ignore the advice, and chose to find other things to do, advice was given, but it was the wrong advice. The right advice was also given, it is natural to want to help, but it also more common for the owners to take an easy way out.
These are special cases. I an only plead to everyone to please, please help the owner the best you can, make them contact one of us, make them get a collar on (this is best done under either one of our direction or the
vets.) We know what to expect, we know how they will react, and we know what to watch for, let us decide whether the problem is a true sm or not. Make them learn what is happening BEFORE damage is done.
the Chances of the
vet knowing what to do with a sm is slim, the owners ned contact numbers and tests lists, and the support of the sm community to help their
vet help them.
Bindy and Danielle can both tell you the horror story of Bindy's glider Spike, when a well intentioned person told her not to put a collar on him. and gave a bunch of reasons why not. she didn't know who to listen to, he was well established in the exotic community, and she placed her trust in him. In the end, she realized the importance of the personal experience that we could have shared with her. She is now part of the sm community, trying to help others not make the same mistakes. we all have made them, and many more will. Preparation is EVERYTHING.
to anyone else that thinks I sound pompus on this, and they think they have more information that we do, contact us, lets discuss it, these are not simple hair losses or tip of tail chewers, these cases chew HOLES in their cloaca and gut, and die. they can rip their chest wide open or tear holes through their pouch, sometimes only in a matter of hours.
These cases are life and death cases. There are times, no matter how hard we try, (owners as well) that it is just too late. we MUST work harder on catching them early (be prepared), and getting them in a collar BEFORE it gets worse.