Well, I've been watching Piper closely for about the past week or maybe a little more because I was starting to get that niggling feeling that something wasn't right, but there was nothing concrete.
For those that don't know/remember, my gliders have had some nasty bouts with diarrhea and intestinal parasites in the past. But it's been about almost a year since the last time.
So you know when there's just that slight hint that gives you the feeling that something's up, but it's not anything you can really tell a
vet? I mean, she was coming out and playing at night, but it
seemed like she was in her pouch more often than usual when I checked on them. On the other hand, maybe I just happened to be looking in when she happened to be taking a nap. A couple of times there was some poo smeared in their wheel, but maybe she just happened to step in it while it was fresh and she was running in the wheel. I wasn't sure it was diarrhea, and there were plenty of completely normal poos around.
I checked her frequently for dehydration. I even weighed her and she's still the right weight (74 grams. She and Peeps both have always been petite.).
Well, finally this morning (Sunday, of course) there was a definite gooey bit of diarrhea on the bottom of the cage. I started to take her to an e-
vet I knew of but had not yet used, and they said they don't treat gliders. I could have sworn someone had told me they did and I even thought I'd called and talked to one of their
vet techs about them a couple of years ago, but okay. If she had been dehydrated, I probably would have bullied them into seeing her and at least subQing her, but she's not that bad.
Oh, and this morning I took the sample of diarrhea and put it under the microscope I bought "for my daughter" last Christmas. I could see some organisms in it, but I don't know enough about doing fecals to know if they were actually trichomonads or just bacteria or something normal in the poo. I suspect they were trichs, though. I've looked at their poo a couple of times before when they weren't sick and I don't think I saw these organisms in it.
Tonight, Piper doesn't want to come out of the pouch, but she is still eating when I offer her food from my finger. She only took a couple of licks from the water bottle I offered her though. I switched her to my version of the "BRAT"
diet a couple of days ago, before I was even really sure she was having diarrhea. I think that made a big difference in her recovery last time. It's basically just rice, applesauce, oatmeal and maple syrup. Obviously not a complete
diet, but very bland and easy on the gut.
I'm trying not to panic. We've been through this before. Hopefully tomorrow I can get a
vet to do a fecal, confirm it's trichs and get us some metronidazole for both of them. Then a BIG
hopefully it will clear it right up and everything will be fine again. I just hope I don't ruin all their
pouches and
toys when I start bleaching and boiling them again.
I guess I'm not really asking a question. I'm just making this post to keep you guys informed, request some prayers, and get a little moral support.
Thanks,