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Romeo, our little love... is gone. #69778
11/23/05 07:48 PM
11/23/05 07:48 PM

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Mods: this is suitable for either Real Stories or Breeding and Babies -- move it as you see fit. I couldn't decide

**** WARNING: GRAPHIC WORDS AND DETAILS****

Romeo, we have loved you from the moment that Auntie Leyna first told us that you existed. What a surprise you were to us... we had no idea... for the short time that you were with us, know that you were loved tremendously. You and your little sister, Anna, were the loves of our lives, and we were so proud of you. Losing you the way I did hurts so bad, and I feel so badly that I let you down... that I wasn't there for you when you needed me to be. I thought you and your mommy were just playing a little game, and I just wish that I could "take it all back." You were our special little love... and I will miss you forever. Your sister, Anna, misses you and the snuggles you'd shared... Rest In Peace, our little darling... you will live on forever in our hearts. For always. This is how we will always remember you, our dear sweet Romeo...


Well, I am afraid that I have some sad news on the twins. As some of you know, my mom was scheduled for hip replacement surgery on Monday, Nov 21st at 6:45 a.m.; so, we got a hotel for her Sunday night to make things easier for her (clinic is about 70 miles away from home).

We packed up the gliders, their toys, and everything that we'd (thought) we'd need and - everything was going fine - until about 10:30 (I'd guess - it had been a really long day). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> Anyway, we had the gliders out, and we were playing with them while I prepared their dinner, and then as we placed them back into their reptariums - complete with full buffet service... it happened.

Reese had been such a good little mommy, and she had even "mellowed out" since she had the twins, but "something inside her changed" Sunday night. Little Romeo was very playful, and Andrea had been loving on him, and - again - everything had been just fine. When we placed Reese and the twins back in the rep, Romeo tried to latch on to mommy for his normal piggyback ride... and Reese threw him off. AnnaBear had pouched herself and was all snuggled up, but little Romeo just wanted to play. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> We had placed him back in with mom in case he had wanted to/need to nurse. Romeo once again, tried to latch onto mommy, and again, she threw him off. We thought it was a game - but it wasn't. In less than, not even five minutes, I'd guess, because this all happened really fast, Romeo was down. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />

What we can't understand is that John and Andrea had been watching them so all of this makes no sense... evidently, at some point when she was throwing him off, she hurt him, but we saw no "violence"... we saw no danger... it was just like a "hey little monkey man, get offa my back, I'm playin right now " kinda thing -- but it didn't seem like a bad thing. We honestly just thought they were playing, and since they had had a long car ride up, we thought they were just stretching and playing. Wrong assumption.

I heard Romeo cry, and when I went to his rep, I found him on the bottom of the cage, all curled up. I knew then.... I swooped him out of that rep and cupped him in my palm -- hoping that this wasn't death... that this was only shock... but I could see his skin had been ripped on his lower back... you could have "peeled it away." My heart broke. I just can't see how this could have happened. I can't stress enough how fast (and sneaky) this all happened.

When I picked him up - he was still a little warm - but was chilling fast. I cupped him in my hands and immediately called the vet numbers I had available in the Columbus area. Dr. Burton was the best, and he talked me through everything, but unfortunately, there was nothing that we could do. Romeo had passed and our hearts were broken. Andrea was simply devastated, since she had just been playing with him.

We wrapped Romeo in soft fleece and placed him in his little pouch, and then I called Dr. Burton back to ask him what we should do with AnnaBear, since I didn't want to lose her too. His advice, initially, was to have placed her back in with mom, and he explained to me that Reese must have been stressed - that maybe she wasn't producing enough milk... he told me that "mommy knows best..." and that "sometimes nature takes its course" ... and "that maybe mommy wasn't producing enough milk for the twins". My mind was reeling, since I knew she had been fed so very well. She had been spoiled during her pregnancy, but nevertheless... Romeo was gone.

Anyway, while we were in the process of placing Anna back in the rep with mom, Andrea saw the little tiny red marks along Anna's palagium. I called my vet back and described everything to Dr. Burton and he advised us to isolate Anna from mom. He instructed us to keep her warm until he could see her in the morning (yesterday, Monday, the 21st, at 8:20).

I apologize for the time lapses, because I hadn't had much sleep and have been really "running on empty" with all that was going on with mom, dad, and just everything... here I was, on Sunday night/early morning, in another city with a tiny little girl, AnnaBear, who wanted and needed her mommy - but she had to be kept away from her. I had very little to work with, and at this point, everyone (human family-wise) was all tucked into bed, and in the wee hours of the morning, I had NOTHING to give to little AnnaBear - she obviously wasn't going to be able to nurse with mommy....

Thank God for Helen @ TheGliderPlayroom, who I found online at the most un-Godly hour (which was a miracle in and of itself as my internet coverage was really touch and go). Helen was really there for me. She "held my hand online" and talked me through things... Helen, thank you for being there. Words can not express how re-assuring you were to me Sunday night/Monday morning.

I didn't have any of the things I'd need for handfeeding a joey - never thought I'd need anything. A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON - LEARNED WELL!! Reese had been a good little mommy. I was scared to death I would lose Anna too. After talking to Helen, I remembered that I had some plain yogurt with me - just a little left over from the adult gliders' dinner... and I mixed up just a little bit of yogurt and water - enough to make it runny, but thick enough for sustenance, just enough to be licked at... and I offered it to Anna. She licked it off my fingers... very tenderly. All snuggled up in her little blankies. I wrapped her up in soft fleece and held her against my chest and sat up with her all night/morning, and I kept a soft blankie over my chest just to be extra sure she'd stay warm.

Monday morning, after dropping mom and dad off at the hospital, I drove straight to the vet's office and had Romeo examined. Dr. Burton said that he had been a perfectly healthy little boy and that his weight was about 23-24 grams. His words were "Romeo has been traumatized." He said that he had very likely died of internal damage to his organs. The skin had been ripped on his lower back -- so that it could have been "pulled back"... but we never saw any of this going on, or we would have pulled him right then and there. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> Upon closer examination of his tiny little body, we could see what looked like a little puncture wound...

I just wish I that had pulled him after he had been tossed that first time. I just wish that I had known what would have happened. I just wish that I could "take it all back and start over".... all I can do is to explain what happened and to advise anyone who is traveling with joeys of the things that I WOULD have done differently....

Make sure that when traveling with joeys to have an Emergency Glider Care Kit on hand... even a simple one. At first, when I talked to Dr. Burton, his advice was to keep Romeo warm and place a band-aid on his wound until he could see him -- I was only 15 mintues away... but Romeo had passed before I had the chance to go there....

Make sure that you have something to offer a joey -- just in case you have to pull it from the mother -- I had nothing but yogurt. I had never thought there would have been a problem. Reese had been a good little mommy. I would advise to carry some Vanilla Ensure and a few syringes -- just in case.

Once I was out of the vet's office - my mind (no doubt due to lack of sleep) just couldn't stay focused on anything. I called everyone who's number I had with me (or that I could find) to ask for details on "How to handfeed a joey." BINGO!! I found Leyna, and she told me what I could do on the road in an emergency. I pulled right into Kroger's parking lot, and BLAMMO found a very nice pharmacy tech "Jocelyn" who took the time to find just the right-size syringes I'd need (here, I had donated things to the SGGA and couldn't remember squat). We fed Anna in the New Albany Kroger's parking lot, and she seemed so happy. Finally, some hope... when Jocelyn met our little AnnaBear and just gave me the syringes... she had fallen in love with her.

Thankfully, I had remembered seeing AngieH's video on "how to handfeed a joey." I tried to emulate how I had seen AngieH and hubby feed little Prince and Princesss... it worked!! THANK YOU ANGIE FOR THE EXCELLENT VIDEO, even as long ago as I had seen it, I remembered.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />

Right now, it's Tuesday, 9:22 a.m. and AnnaBear is all tucked into her sleepy snuggly little fleece after having taken her 7:30 feeding (she ate about .6 ml, which is a little less than she has eaten previously, but she has also had some water this morning). The first feeding she had, I am pretty sure she ate the full amount the syringe could hold!!! What a little piggy. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> AnnaBear is peeing and pooing on her own.

I just wanted to journal these events, just in case someone else should find themselves in such a horrible position. Maybe this post will help. Anna's weight, at the vet's office Monday, Nov 21st at 8:20, was 27 grams. Dr. Burton gave her Sub-Q injection(s). I haven't found the "famous Wal-mart postal scales" yet, but I see if I can find some electronic ones elsewhere... I want a high degree of accuracy, and I just don't trust the "springy" ones.

Thank you for reading this exceptionally long post... I hope it helps someone else in the future.

Special "thank yous" to my incredibly loving "emergency pediatric glider care and support team":
1. Dr. Burton of Animal Care Unlimited, Dublin, Ohio;
2. Helen, of The Glider Playroom;
3. Leyna, of Furballz and Oddballz; and
4. Suz, of Suz Sugar Gliders.

Without your advice, help, and patience, little AnnaBear wouldn't be here with me today.

As soon as I can get the boys schedule in over holiday break, my darlings: SugarBear, BooBoo, and Oliver will each be getting neutered.

PS: I have filled out the info on Lucy's database.

PPS: AnnaBear is doing very well... she just had a syringe and a half of Vanilla Ensure and some water, too. We are trying to move her to BML, but for now, she is eating well.

Attached Files
494408-ROMEO15.JPG (64 downloads)
Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69779
11/23/05 07:52 PM
11/23/05 07:52 PM

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And another...playing with his surviving sister, AnnaBear... we are handraising her. So far, she is eating and doing very well.

Attached Files
494409-TheTwins4.jpg (55 downloads)
Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69780
11/23/05 07:58 PM
11/23/05 07:58 PM

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Goodbye, my little man... we loved you so very much. If we could just go back... things would have been so different. Sissy misses your snuggles... We miss you... and we will never forget. Ever.

Attached Files
494412-SnuggleUs.jpg (46 downloads)
Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69781
11/23/05 08:31 PM
11/23/05 08:31 PM

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Oh Cyndi, I am so sorry! I know that you loved him very, very much. Sometimes things like this happen and its hard to understand why. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />
How wonderful there were so many people that were able to help you when you needed it, this is what makes me so proud of the glider community. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" /> I am so glad that AnnaBear is doing well and that the video of Jerald feeding Prince helped. Perhaps Romeo is now with our little Princess at the bridge. I am keeping you and your family, and AnnaBear in my thoughts and prayers.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
Angie

Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69782
11/23/05 08:39 PM
11/23/05 08:39 PM
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 16,800
St. Johns, Florida
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Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 16,800
St. Johns, Florida
Cyndi, I am so very sorry to read this. What a trauma that must have been. Thank God you acted quickly and had the help from the glider heros that are attached with this ordeal. I will be moving this to real stories, but please DO post in breeding and babies and keep us updated on Annabear.


Peggy
Critter Love
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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: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69783
11/23/05 08:58 PM
11/23/05 08:58 PM

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Thank you, AngieH... that video of little Prince helped me quite a lot. You are right, there is a "certain magic/chemistry" with glider people, who are always so giving, so caring... I was so grateful to everyone for all the help and support that I was given.

Thank you for taking the time to show us how the feeding was done, Angie! Peggy, I just wasn't sure which was the better place, since I had a topic for both, so thank you for moving this topic.

Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69784
11/23/05 09:12 PM
11/23/05 09:12 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 2,113
Michigan
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Michigan
I'm so sorry.it's hard to lose a little one. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/gliderangel.gif" alt="" />My prayers are with you and your family. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />


Karen
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The Pampered Glider

The Glider Initiative
Have you educated someone today?


Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69785
11/23/05 10:22 PM
11/23/05 10:22 PM

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My thoughts and prayers go out to you and all of your little furrybabies! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> I know how tramatic it can be to lose a joey. God bless all of yours (human family and suggies). <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />

Re: Romeo, our little love... is gone. [Re: ] #69786
11/24/05 11:51 AM
11/24/05 11:51 AM

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Thank you, Karen and Amber...

MODS: this post can be closed. Any updates on Romeo's twin, AnnaBear, will be posted in Breeding and Babies.


Moderated by  Feather, KarenE, Ladymagyver 

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