Sugar Glider Community Calendar

Please click here to see larger view
Articles
More coming soon!!
Today's Birthdays
B1u3sky, StellaLuna
Member Spotlight
KarenE
KarenE
LittleRock, AR USA
Posts: 43,318
Joined: March 2000
Show All Member Profiles 
Last 10 Posts
Gliders of the Round Table 10
by Feather. 03/27/24 07:04 PM
Logging in Problem
by Feather. 03/26/24 06:07 PM
Cloaca swollen?
by Hutch. 03/16/24 11:51 PM
Wheels, Toys, Toy supplies, pouches and more.
by Ladymagyver. 03/07/24 11:16 PM
Gliders of the Round Table 9
by Hutch. 03/07/24 10:52 PM
Stewie:" It's MY Mouse!"
by Hutch. 03/04/24 12:12 AM
2024 Sugar Glider Calendar and Cafe Press Store
by theresaw. 02/29/24 08:55 PM
Custom Cage Liners Machine Wash & Dry
by gr8pots. 02/27/24 04:23 PM
Google+

Facebook
Join Us On Facebook
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? #656216
10/14/08 12:26 PM
10/14/08 12:26 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
USA
G
GlideyLousMom Offline OP
New Member
GlideyLousMom  Offline OP
New Member
G

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
USA
I haven't heard anything about the possibility of any illnesses passing between gliders and other pets, and haven't had a lot of luck with google. My glider seems to be perfectly healthy, but there is some kind of mysterious cold passing around between my cats. They get down in the dumps and lethargic, feel feverish from time to time, sneeze and cough,have exaggerated respiration, and have clear discharge from nose and eyes.
Since several of them have this at once, it seems communicable to me. But my household is a "closed circuit" with no outside animals visiting the house, and no animals allowed to go outside, so where would this come from? Glidey Lou has been in our house less than two months, and I keep her in a closed study so that I can control cat access. When we use the study, we allow certain well-behaved cats to come in and hang out part of the time. The cats who are sick are the cats who are allowed in the glider room, and NONE of the cats who are banned from the glider room are sick.
I don't feel like I can ignore this connection in puzzling out what's happening with the cats. But on the other hand, I don't want to get the vets all riled up about there being an exotic pet around, unless I have good information that this could be the cause. I don't think any of our cat vets know much about gliders and I don't want to stir up any unnecessary paranoia. Can anyone help?

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: GlideyLousMom] #656222
10/14/08 12:32 PM
10/14/08 12:32 PM

M
Monster
Unregistered
Monster
Unregistered
M



Keep in mind that your air ducts make it impossible to keep your cats completely separate from your gliders - anything they breathe, your gliders will also breathe. Also, unless you are changing clothes/shoes/washing/showering, etc each time you enter the room where your glider is, you are potentially carrying in anything that is in any other part of the house or anywhere you have traveled. I would definately get a vet involved at this point, and I would let them know you have a glider that you want to prevent from getting ill. I would not suspect that the glider is causing this, but I WOULD be worried about what IS...

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: GlideyLousMom] #656225
10/14/08 12:35 PM
10/14/08 12:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 21,060
Kansas
L
LSardou Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
LSardou  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
L

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 21,060
Kansas
First and foremost you MUST contain all the cats in one isolated area in your home. Without knowing the cause of your cats getting sick, the danger of exposing your gliders is a high risk!
You mentioned that you've had the one kitty of a couple of months. Where did you get this one from? Is there a chance that this kitty was sick prior to coming into your home?
I also suggest that you wash everything thoroughly of your gliders, and whenever you go into their area, make sure that you wash thoroughly before preparing food and handling them.
It would be wise to take your kittys in to see a vet to find out exactly what is going on with them.
I hope that they will be alright.

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: LSardou] #656253
10/14/08 01:11 PM
10/14/08 01:11 PM
Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,089
Central Connecticut
BCChins Offline
Glider Addict
BCChins  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Nov 2005
Posts: 3,089
Central Connecticut
Your cats need to see a vet ASAP. You have something contagious and unless you get proper medication you will not get rid of this. It can be anything from an Upper Respiratory Infection to Calici (spelling ?) Virus or something else. Some of these things could be contagious to the gliders but no one really knows. Plus the cats are never going to get better unless you treat them with vet care.


Have a Good Day
Brenda &
Mr. Magoo

Friendly Reminder please have an e-collar ready before you need it......
Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: BCChins] #656341
10/14/08 04:27 PM
10/14/08 04:27 PM

M
mommabear82
Unregistered
mommabear82
Unregistered
M



Originally Posted By: BCChins
Your cats need to see a vet ASAP. You have something contagious and unless you get proper medication you will not get rid of this. It can be anything from an Upper Respiratory Infection to Calici (spelling ?) Virus or something else. Some of these things could be contagious to the gliders but no one really knows. Plus the cats are never going to get better unless you treat them with vet care.

That's exactly what it sounds like. The cats need antibiotics. I don't think your gliders can catch it, but it's not worth the risk. Please get your cats to the vet, so that they can be treated and feel better. Best wishes.

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: ] #656389
10/14/08 05:46 PM
10/14/08 05:46 PM
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,720
Perry, Iowa
josefine Offline
Glider Addict
josefine  Offline
Glider Addict

Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 2,720
Perry, Iowa
could the cats maybe be allergic? if the only ones sick are those that went into the room w/you to be w/them.


Larry & Josefine Vodenik
2014 4 St
Perry,Iowa50220
515/321-6081cell#
j.vodenik@hotmail.com
Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: josefine] #656399
10/14/08 05:59 PM
10/14/08 05:59 PM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
sugarglidersuz Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
sugarglidersuz  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
I may be mistaken, but from the way I read the originator's post, the concern is not about gliders getting sick from the cats but vice versa. It seems like the concern is that the cats may be getting sick because they are exposed to the gliders...

So, to answer that question - I have never heard of any type of illness that can pass from gliders to cats. Since I do have both in my home and my cats have free access to both rooms my gliders are housed in, I would think if that was the case that my cats would have become ill by now after 10 years of owning gliders. Also, as Linda/LSardou pointed out, there is no way to totally isolate the gliders from the cats and if the gliders were the cause of the illness in the cats then all the cats in household should be sick, not just the ones allowed into the glider room.

Definitely check with the vet and have your cats examined. They may be fighting a viral or bacterial respiratory problem that needs medication to be cleared up.


Suz Enyedy
:bb: Carina & Coobah
Allira & Gizmo :grey:
:grey: Picasso, Trinity Joy & Luna
:rbridge: DaisyMae; Darwin; Mareki; Mambo; Pika; Cricky; Reggie & Bobo, Pepe & Bittah


Suz' Sugar Gliders
Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: sugarglidersuz] #656568
10/14/08 11:39 PM
10/14/08 11:39 PM
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
USA
G
GlideyLousMom Offline OP
New Member
GlideyLousMom  Offline OP
New Member
G

Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 17
USA
Thanks everyone for your concern. I was specifically asking if the CATS could catch anything from the glider. I've had the glider about two months, and everything I know of her background is hearsay from her previous caretaker. My cats have been with me for a range of 18 months up to 16 1/2 years so I know much more about their health.
Ever since I got my glider, people keep "helpfully" reporting to me that they heard on the news or read in the paper that people can catch diseases from exotic pets like gliders, hedgehogs, etc. I'm more the type to kiss-n-cuddle first, ask questions later, so I usually don't worry too much as long as basic common sense like clean dishes and handwashing is followed.
I just wondered if I was remiss in not telling the vets about the intro of the glider to the household. I wanted to find out whether there was any genuine cause for concern that something could be passed between these species. One of my vets is the type to be very doom-and-gloom and always look for the worst, so I like to be prepared!
But for an update, we had a vet visit and only one cat is deemed serious enough for treatment. He is on steroids for an immune problem right now, so that may have made him vulnerable to an opportunistic infection. I'm taking my "special needs" cat in again tomorrow for a follow-up visit, because her problems are lifelong and usually unrelated to anyone else's.
Thanks again everyone for your prompt concern. Just making sure I wasn't ignoring an important link - for all I knew it could be a documented issue that these species can infect each other. It's good to be able to turn to everyone here and know you'll get a well-informed answer.

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: GlideyLousMom] #656591
10/15/08 12:19 AM
10/15/08 12:19 AM

7
7glider7
Unregistered
7glider7
Unregistered
7



My vet has said that very few (if any, she knows of none) zoonotic diseases can be passed from gliders to humans, and also didn't mention any that could go back and forth between gliders and other animals.

Since gliders are marsupials they are in an entirely different class of mammals than placental mammals (like us and cats). Their resting body temp is way lower, and most diseases in general are pretty species specific.

Unless you have a general parasite going around (and I agree it sounds much more like a virus), chances of the gliders passing it to cats or vice versa are probably really low.

That said, I'd still isolate the sick cats and take them all in for treatment.

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: ] #656677
10/15/08 06:18 AM
10/15/08 06:18 AM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
sugarglidersuz Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
sugarglidersuz  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
Originally Posted By: GlideyLousMom
Ever since I got my glider, people keep "helpfully" reporting to me that they heard on the news or read in the paper that people can catch diseases from exotic pets like gliders, hedgehogs, etc.
This is untrue and totally off base. A number of years ago there was a Monkey Pox epidemic. Widespread panic ensued and some state legislations banned all exotic animals even though there was no factual data to back up the ban. This is probably the basis of the reports you have heard and is completely untrue.
HTH


Suz Enyedy
:bb: Carina & Coobah
Allira & Gizmo :grey:
:grey: Picasso, Trinity Joy & Luna
:rbridge: DaisyMae; Darwin; Mareki; Mambo; Pika; Cricky; Reggie & Bobo, Pepe & Bittah


Suz' Sugar Gliders
Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: ] #657030
10/15/08 04:29 PM
10/15/08 04:29 PM
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 708
Melbourne Australia
Marz Offline
Glider Guardian
Marz  Offline
Glider Guardian

Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 708
Melbourne Australia
Originally Posted By: 7glider7
My vet has said that very few (if any, she knows of none) zoonotic diseases can be passed from gliders to humans


Whilst I agree that the cats in question in this thread are probably not sick from the gliders, your vet's statement about zoonotics transmission to humans worries me.

Every course/workshop I have attended on Australia wildlife, wildlife care and management etc STRONGLY emphasises prevention of zoonoses and strict hygiene practices. Whilst the exotic zoonotic diseases are not common, it can happen and people must be made aware of the steps to prevent this. Zoonotic diseases don't have to be exotic either. Transmission of ringworm,hydatid diseases,other parasites etc from pets also fall under the zoonotic catergory and are much more common. To minimalise such things, is just asking for people to become slack in their husbandry practices.

Mostly it's commonsense and strict hygiene procedures but one of the top wildlife vets in Australia spoke in a course only last weekend that she was victim to a nasty zoonotic disease from a possum! She described it as the most painful experience and one should would never ever want to repeat. She is also a big exponent of amazingly strict hygiene practices and you can understand why.

As for gliders in particular, zoonotic concerns include Salmonella, Giardia, leptospirosis, and toxoplasmosis as all of these have been known to occur in sugar gliders. This fact came directly from the Merck Veterinary manual. Again probably quite rare but documented and owners should be mindful.

Considering Giardia has been recorded in mill bred gliders, then this would be of definite concern in itself.

I guess the bottom line is, if you handle or have animals of any sort, then you need to be informed and do the right thing. We should never become complacent.

I also agree gliders should not be singled out as it is something that needs to be considered by anyone in contact with animals of any species.


Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: Marz] #657048
10/15/08 05:00 PM
10/15/08 05:00 PM

L
lindayaks
Unregistered
lindayaks
Unregistered
L



Kudos to Australia. Everything you said makes sense. I wasn't thinking of parasites as I read this topic, just more of diseases. Parasites can always be transmitted, and ringworm is very commonly passed. Except for Giardia, I haven't heard of any Gliders with any of the other things you mentioned, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

The vet that got a painful disease from a possum....what kind of possum, and what was the disease?

Re: Help! Diseases passed between cats and gliders? [Re: ] #657368
10/16/08 07:09 AM
10/16/08 07:09 AM
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
sugarglidersuz Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
sugarglidersuz  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 14,788
Cleveland, Ohio
Originally Posted By: Marz
As for gliders in particular, zoonotic concerns include Salmonella, Giardia, leptospirosis, and toxoplasmosis as all of these have been known to occur in sugar gliders. This fact came directly from the Merck Veterinary manual. Again probably quite rare but documented and owners should be mindful.
When my Pika and my Cricky both came down with neurological damage, it was strongly suspected that the cause was toxoplasmosis from the cat's litter box (which was in the next room over from their cage). I never had a necropsy done to determine the actual cause of the neuro-damage but have been very cautious about the cat's litter box ever since...


Suz Enyedy
:bb: Carina & Coobah
Allira & Gizmo :grey:
:grey: Picasso, Trinity Joy & Luna
:rbridge: DaisyMae; Darwin; Mareki; Mambo; Pika; Cricky; Reggie & Bobo, Pepe & Bittah


Suz' Sugar Gliders

Moderated by  Feather, KarenE, Ladymagyver 

Sugar Glider Help Page



Please click above to see how you can help!!

Moon
CURRENT MOON
Who's Online Now
0 registered members (), 155 guests, and 86 spiders.
Key: , , Owner, Admin
Newest Members
Mellefrl, klowvrrr, gracefulguardian, KiyokoTheDoll, Hazelneko
7324 Registered Users
Forum Statistics
Forums132
Topics10,374
Posts159,160
posts in the last 24hrs0
Members7,324
Most Online2,693
Jan 2nd, 2020
Last 10 New Topics
Logging in Problem
by Anonymous. 03/24/24 11:43 AM
Gliders of the Round Table 10
by Hutch. 03/07/24 10:50 PM
Cloaca swollen?
by Mellefrl. 03/04/24 02:39 PM
2024 Sugar Glider Calendar and Cafe Press Store
by theresaw. 08/15/23 02:37 PM
Stewie:" It's MY Mouse!"
by Ladymagyver. 05/25/21 09:57 AM
Gliders of the Round Table 9
by Hutch. 02/12/19 11:35 PM
Custom Cage Liners Machine Wash & Dry
by gr8pots. 06/03/14 10:25 AM
Popular Topics(Views)
849,547 TEXAS
679,062 OHIO
487,124 OKLAHOMA
432,131 UTAH
321,659 NORTH CAROLINA
Supported Browser
This site was tested and is best viewed in Google Chrome & Mozilla FireFox



Firefox 3

Download your copy today!!!
Home Forums Links Sitemap Vets Breeders Sounds Contact Us Names Rules & Policies

GliderCENTRAL
©1998-2024
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software
(Release build 20180918)
Page Time: 0.056s Queries: 15 (0.013s) Memory: 1.3461 MB (Peak: 1.5667 MB) Zlib enabled. Server Time: 2024-03-28 08:48:35 UTC