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Sudden Blindness #87231
03/09/06 09:03 AM
03/09/06 09:03 AM

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Yesterday morning, I discovered that one of my gliders wasn't acting right. I got him out of his cage and soon realized that he could not see. So, off to the vet I went. My vet examined him and did a fecal float and smear and a urine analysis. Everything came back normal. He did have a small amount of blood in his urine, so my vet is having me treat him for a kidney infection with sub-q fluids and oral baytril. He is eating and drinking well. Pooping and peeing pretty normally, though he is somewhat dehydrated from the kidney infection, but he can't see at all. Also, his scrotum has been hanging constantly since yesterday, which hints at a heightened body temperature. We have no clue as to what's going on, but my vet agreed that if he doesn't regain his vision in the next 48 hours (72 hours after onset), then we'll need to do some blood work. Now, as for history on this glider... This is a joey that I hand raised. His mother refused to feed him when he came OOP. He's been extreamly healthy his whole life, but his full sister passed away from a kinday infection when she was about the same age as he is now. My vet doesn't see reason to believe that his illness will be fatal though. Both of his parents are still alive and extreamly healthy they are about 5 years OOP...

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87232
03/09/06 01:04 PM
03/09/06 01:04 PM

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wow! Im sorry to hear this! Well wishes are on the way!

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87233
03/09/06 01:16 PM
03/09/06 01:16 PM

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Oh Leyna, I'm sorry to hear that! I hope you and you're little guy are doing alright and I wish you the best of luck. (and Isabella too!!)

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87234
03/09/06 01:55 PM
03/09/06 01:55 PM

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Can I ask how you checked the vision? When you did check was the lights on? I am only asking because I have read about people's gliders becoming blind but I don't know how they actually check that. Thanks

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87235
03/09/06 02:54 PM
03/09/06 02:54 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,889
Springfield/Eugene, OR
kitsune Offline
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Posts: 1,889
Springfield/Eugene, OR
my vet confirmed blindness in one of my rescues by taking her into a dark room and shining a bright light into her eyes to see if the pupils would adjust. one pupil didn't, the other was slow to react. he thus concluded that she was blind in one eye and mostly blind in the other. he also said her pupils were "ragged" rather than cleanly shaped.

this girl didn't become blind overnight though, she went blind due to bad diet and probably a nutrition issue when she was a joey.

leyna, i hope your little guy gets better. the only time i've ever heard of an animal going blind is when my aunt's dachsund went blind from age. seems to me that kidney function may have some kind of relation to vision though? at least that's what i seem to recall. i also remember that old oscar had blood in his pee before he passed.


Beth

mlove Glide free :rbridge: :bb: Dimitri and Tegan :wfb: :rbridge: and right-side up! mlove
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87236
03/09/06 03:32 PM
03/09/06 03:32 PM

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Unfortunately, this morning he took a sudden turn for the worse and passed away on the way to the vets. I'm having test done to figure out what caused this... According to my vet, everything looked totally normal inside of him. His brain, liver, and kidneys are being sent out for pathology.

His blindness was easy to diagnose. He was actually acting much like a blind person. He was tossing his head back and feeling his way around with his front feet. Also, he didn't respond at all to movement, including batting at his face/eyes...

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87237
03/09/06 03:56 PM
03/09/06 03:56 PM

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Maybe this is dumb but . . could it be diabetes? I know diabetes and kidney infections go hand in hand with humans. i'm so sorry for your loss. I guess this will be going to Real Stories now, sniff, sniff.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87238
03/09/06 11:59 PM
03/09/06 11:59 PM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 7,297
Quincy, IL
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Leyna, I'm very sorry for the loss of your baby. I'm going to move this to real stories now for you.


Chris
Illusion, Malcom, Isabell, Annabelle, Zach, Isis, Aly & Indy
AND Miss Emmy & Miss Chloe kitties

:rbridge: My Angels: You are always in my heart.

You've flown to the rainbow
and wait there for me
Someday I will join you
together to be


Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87239
03/10/06 12:47 AM
03/10/06 12:47 AM

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Sorry to hear he passed <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87240
03/10/06 12:49 AM
03/10/06 12:49 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 16,800
St. Johns, Florida
Srlb Offline
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Posts: 16,800
St. Johns, Florida
Leyna I am so sorry for your loss. I see you had several things sent off, did your vet also suggest sending the spinal cord as well?
Sorry for asking I know this has to be very upsetting to you but just know that there was nothing you could possibly do. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />


Peggy
Critter Love
Critter Love� Diet Center

If you want to know what a person is like, watch how he treats others.

You'll never know what the outcome is if you don't step up and try.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87241
03/10/06 01:44 AM
03/10/06 01:44 AM

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I would really prefer this to stay in the health section. The loss of this glider isn't my main concern, it's the fact that there is some type of genetic, degenerative condition. This post wasn't intended to be about the glider, but his condition. Considering that both he and his sister both died at almost the exactly same age and had very similar symptoms, this is most likely genetic. Not many geneticly linked conditions have been found in gliders and I think it's important to look into this from a medical prespective.

Lexi, it's interesting that you mention diabeties because my boyfriend mentioned the same thing and his diabetic... Also, it is believed that the gliders father was hypoglycemic, which is actually a form of diabeties.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87242
03/10/06 02:21 AM
03/10/06 02:21 AM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,889
Springfield/Eugene, OR
kitsune Offline
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,889
Springfield/Eugene, OR
oh, leyna, i am so sorry to hear that your boy didn't make it ;(

i've been doing some research on my babies' genetic condition. i agree that this should be kept in a place where people will be more aware of it. i don't mean to sound all doomy but i believe gliders are starting to show their genetic flaws. we've got my dimitri and tegan's mental and functional issues, we've got becky's boy with the heart defect, i know you've got a boy with epilepsy, and other little abnormalities and afflictions are showing up here and there.

what lines did the parents come from? is there any way to trace to siblings or related gliders that may be passing on the same gene?


Beth

mlove Glide free :rbridge: :bb: Dimitri and Tegan :wfb: :rbridge: and right-side up! mlove
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87243
03/10/06 02:47 AM
03/10/06 02:47 AM
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 3,071
u.s.a.
the gliders angel Offline
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Posts: 3,071
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in all my e mails to australian vets. they tell me the more we breed for color the more sickness and genetic problems will arise. same goes for purebreed dogs. they all have genetic problems too.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87244
03/10/06 08:29 AM
03/10/06 08:29 AM

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I am so sorry Leyna.... seems a lot of our little friends are passing onto the bridge lately... please keep us updates as I would love to know what the histology shows.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87245
03/10/06 09:30 AM
03/10/06 09:30 AM

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The gliders parents are from 2 different local breeders. They are both classic grays, no color breeding involved with them what so ever. Both parents are very healthy with the exception of the father having a hypoglycemic episode when he was about 3 and the mother used to be obese (she never was while pregnant and lost all of her extra weight in a safe manor).

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87246
03/10/06 11:37 AM
03/10/06 11:37 AM
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,158
Tampa, FL
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Glideritis Anonymous
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Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 11,158
Tampa, FL
Leyna - so sorry for you loss...


* ~ * John * ~ * Sorry store is closed at this time.. <br>
Link -> [b]~~ XtremeGlider ~~ Home of the original Re~set Toys! ~~[/b] <br>
Oct 2012 update.. miss my gliders and my
glider family and think of my friends often!!!
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87247
03/10/06 02:31 PM
03/10/06 02:31 PM

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*John moved this post back to heath & hygiene at my request*

I want this post to focus on the health issues that my glider was having and not his death. I'm very concerned about the possibilty of a genetic defect amung my gliders... Both of his parents are currently with different mates and they are both expecting joeys with their new mates. I'm also having a necropsy preformed on his body, in hopes of getting some answers.

Now again, here is a list of sympotoms that my glider had...

- First, he suddenly went blind.
- At that time, I noticed he was dyhydrated (most likely from not being able to find the water bottle).
- I started hand feeding him water and ensure.
- Then, he was having small tremmers.
- I took him to the vet when he was given sub-q fluids and baytril.
- A fecal float and smear were done, as well as a UA. Everything came back normal.
* There was some blood in his urine*
- Condition remained stable for about 24 hours. No noticable changes. He was eating, drinking, pooping, peeing, and breathing normally.
- Suddenly the gliders becomes very limp.
- I rush him to the vet, but on the way, he slowly starts to go. His oxygen level dropped until he died...
- Took his body to my vet when she started the necropsy. Preliminary results came back as normal. Heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, intistines, etc all normal.
- Currently, his brain/spinal cord and kidneys are at a path lab. Results are pending...

Last year, his sister died very similarly. The only noticable differance is that her kidneys were enlarged, but my vet now feels that was most likely secondary...

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87248
03/10/06 07:52 PM
03/10/06 07:52 PM

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Leyna, I am very sorry to hear about this little one, and I hope that you get the answers to your question. Tonia is right, glider owners, all over, seem to be having a greater number of glider losses than I can remember ever having seen before. I'm truly sorry that this little guy didn't make it. You did ALL that you could do for him, and he passed knowing that you loved him.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87249
03/11/06 02:24 AM
03/11/06 02:24 AM
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,899
Jacksonville, FL
Xfilefan Offline
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Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,899
Jacksonville, FL
Leyna..I'm sorry for the loss of your boy. Genetic issues, aside from color breeding, can also be due to mills and other issues-I would think even grandparents on a bad diet could cause problems. My BabyBoy (William, father), and Peek (his first joey)-greys-died a day apart in age with nearly identical symptoms, lasting only hours after symptoms appeared, and nothing the vet could do to stop or slow it. It seems to have been a defect in the intestinal tract. Peek took most after his dad in temperament and physical appearance. His two siblings who took more after their mother in appearance, are fine and approaching their second birthday-though I was very worried as the 1 yr, 1 month mark approached. Whatever it is appears to have been in Dad's genetics. The remaining male joey is fixed, and lives with his mom and sister, so the line will not continue. Unfortunately, there seems to be little the vets can do to identify this kind of thing before the crisis point, or stop it once it's apparent, other than not continuing the genetic line with the problem.


Jen/Colin :bb: Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed :wfb: Sinbad, :wfb: Gabby, :grey: Baby, and :grey: Alley
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87250
03/11/06 08:24 PM
03/11/06 08:24 PM

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I wouldn't be so certain here of the genetic defect theory. There are so many more likely and simple explanations for what happened. I would expect a genetic inborn error of metabolism to manifest itself over a period of time, not show up one day and kill within 24 hours.

The father's episode of hypoglycemia is less of a diagnosis than it is a symptom. Kind of like fever. What caused the hypoglycemia would have been the key for understanding his issue at the time, and likely has nothing to do with this little guy.

This would be a course of illness very consistent with sepsis. A very tragic part of the natural history of sepsis is vascular collapse and shock with poor perfusion. A CVA (cerebro-vascular accident or stroke) could also lead to sudden blindness and then a rapidly-progressive course toward death. The fluid issues would also fit with either. Uro-sepsis could fit the finding of blood in the urine. A coagulaopathy (tendency to bleed) might be related to both the urine finding and a possible CVA. Seeing metabolism go from normal to profoundly ill to the point of death indicates the progressive nature of the offending problem and loss of vital organ system function. The necropsy will be interesting.

So sorry for your loss.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87251
03/12/06 05:05 PM
03/12/06 05:05 PM

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i'm so sorry for your loss. i hope you and everyone else get some answers for this sudden, confusing death. i know it is something that other people need to be aware of. i just wish we knew if there was any sort of preventative measure to keep our babies safe. once again, i'm so sorry for you loss.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87252
03/13/06 07:53 AM
03/13/06 07:53 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
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Wallis Texas
Not trying to be controversial but most sudden illnesses of gliders are diet related. We try as hard as we can to come up with the suitable diet for our gliders but we seem to be still falling short. There are too many gliders dieing from liver, kidney, and heart failures at young ages. If the cause could be traced back I think we would find that it is not one specific thing in the diets but a combination of ingredients. We just haven't gotten the diets right yet. But I do think we are overdoing it with supplements. Just my opinion based on observations of all the gliders we have worked with over the past several years.
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87253
03/13/06 08:26 AM
03/13/06 08:26 AM

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Well, we'll find out soon enough... I should be getting his pathology report in a few days.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87254
03/14/06 12:58 AM
03/14/06 12:58 AM

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Not to be a killjoy, but I would suspect that many necropsies will not yield a cause of death. It may be helpful to rule out certain problems, but may often not show a definitive cause either. In a glider with Charlie's concern, I doubt that the path report will clearly show a diet related problem. Some well-delineated dietary deficiencies might show up with their characteristic lesions, but those are indirect signs. I hope you find answers. It is always easier to deal with the known.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87255
03/14/06 06:42 AM
03/14/06 06:42 AM

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To be efficient, a necropsy should be made within the 24 hours following the death (that's what my vet said). And the sooner, the better. But sometimes a necropsy arises more questions that it gives answers.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87256
03/19/06 12:28 AM
03/19/06 12:28 AM

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The gliders necropsy was done within 30 minutes of the gliders death... The results from the path lab just came back yesterday.

There was no apparent cause of blindness, nothing unusual with the brain, eyes, or spinal cord. All organs seemed healthy. There was a slight infection in his kindeys (identified by a high white blood cell count). The same thing was found with his sister. Both glider died almost identical deaths, but his sister had more inflamation in her kidneys. They had both been on different diets. The male was on an ensure based diet, similar to darcy's without extra calcium. The female had been on BML. So, it most likely wasn't diet related. Their mother has produced perfectly healthy 1/2 siblings to the 2 effected gliders with different males and they have all been perfectly healthy. The male has produced other offspring with different females as well, but 2 were rejected by the mother, the other 2 are adults and very healthy.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87257
03/19/06 05:51 AM
03/19/06 05:51 AM
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 1,659
Wallis Texas
Charlie H Offline
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Wallis Texas
Sorry you didn't get the answers you were expecting from the necropsies. This is usually the case though. You only get generalizations and no definite answers. We go into these things thinking we are going to get answers like the lab on CSI gives but rarely do we get closure. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> It's no wonder we can't learn more about gliders health and dietary requirements.
Charlie H


Rescue & Rehabilation
http://www.angelfire.com/tx/glidertree/
[]glidertree@toast.net[/]
Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87258
03/19/06 10:47 AM
03/19/06 10:47 AM

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I'm curious, and completely new to this (only knowing what I've researched thus far), so this may have no legitimacy at all, but it's always good to consider everything...

Earlier, you mentioned that you thought it was related to the father's genes. You also said that when he had babies with another female, two of the joeys were rejected. It is my understanding that with animals, mothers usually only reject their young if they feel it is physically weak, or if there is not enough milk. These two joeys that were rejected, how many other joeys were born with them? How are those to joeys doing now (assuming you hand-raised them)? I think they will be two that you should keep an eye on. Also, with your two gliders that died, did their mother reject them?

I am terribly sorry for your loss.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87259
03/19/06 11:08 AM
03/19/06 11:08 AM

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The mother that rejected the joeys is a very nervous glider and those were her first joeys. She hasn't had joeys since and is currently paired with a non-producing male.

Re: Sudden Blindness [Re: ] #87260
03/19/06 01:34 PM
03/19/06 01:34 PM

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Sorry you did not find your answers. I don't want to discourage others from pursuing necropsies, but such is the nature of them. Necropsies will show organ structure abnormalities, but function is missed. Significant insult may be apparent, or one might see signs if the animal lasted long enough after the insult to repair some damage. The "repair work" is evident, such as inflammation, scarring, tissue destruction, etc. In a brief illness that progressed rapidly, such is not always the case.

I don't know if they only did gross specimen review, or microscopic on all organs and tissues. I would suspect a more focused or limited exam led by what was seen on gross exam. The yield on these just isn't going to be what we wished it was.

White cells in the kidney might reflect some level of pyelonephritis being present, but not as a pathway to death. Overwhelming sepsis and the like should leave plenty of markers of a significant, systemic infection all through the body. So would kidney failure. The answer remains unknown.

It is harder when there are not good answers. So sorry.

Last edited by schlep; 03/19/06 05:49 PM.

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