Posted By: Sugakooky
What to do when a glider is wet - 03/14/19 02:58 PM
Okay, so first off, I am not in ANYWAY acting like I am certified to know how to deal with a wet sugar glider and that this information should be used in place of a vet. This is just for during the time until you can get a vet because for me it was a three-hour drive and three hours for a wet sugar glider can mean a lot. Ok now that I got that out of the way here are some things I learned to keep your glider warm in case they get wet.
First
Double stuff your pouches, what your sugar glider needs are warmth. So take one pouch and stuff it in another.
Second
DO NOT USE FLEECE. I know it is the safest material for sugar gliders, but when they are in a near death state you need something to absorb their wetness. instead, USE COTTON. I had fleece in their pouch for two hours and it did nothing, but when I put in cotton socks, it took away a lot of their wetness.
WEAR LAYERS
Put them next to skin and put layers above them, they lose a lot of heat when they get cold, and I noticed that it takes them a while before they can start regulating their own heat again, so until you feel them getting warm, create heat for them.
Lastly,
GET THEM TO A VET. A wet sugar glider can contract illness easier than a dry one. A vet visit is never a bad thing, making sure your suggies are healthy is the most important step.
Also in case you didn't know, AVOID CAGES WITH NO FALSE BOTTOMS AT ALL COST. If a water bottle leaks(which happened in my case) the water will lap up at the bottom until it is like a pool of water, and if you know anything about sugar gliders a pool of water and a sugar glider are not a good combination, so please avoid getting a false bottom unless you have no other options.
As I said, I am not a professional nor do I claim to be one. This is just what worked for me in a bad situation, and it may not work for you, the point of this post is to help the suggies until you can see a professional and get them warm again. My suggies are now fine and healthy and just had an extremely bad scare.
First
Double stuff your pouches, what your sugar glider needs are warmth. So take one pouch and stuff it in another.
Second
DO NOT USE FLEECE. I know it is the safest material for sugar gliders, but when they are in a near death state you need something to absorb their wetness. instead, USE COTTON. I had fleece in their pouch for two hours and it did nothing, but when I put in cotton socks, it took away a lot of their wetness.
WEAR LAYERS
Put them next to skin and put layers above them, they lose a lot of heat when they get cold, and I noticed that it takes them a while before they can start regulating their own heat again, so until you feel them getting warm, create heat for them.
Lastly,
GET THEM TO A VET. A wet sugar glider can contract illness easier than a dry one. A vet visit is never a bad thing, making sure your suggies are healthy is the most important step.
Also in case you didn't know, AVOID CAGES WITH NO FALSE BOTTOMS AT ALL COST. If a water bottle leaks(which happened in my case) the water will lap up at the bottom until it is like a pool of water, and if you know anything about sugar gliders a pool of water and a sugar glider are not a good combination, so please avoid getting a false bottom unless you have no other options.
As I said, I am not a professional nor do I claim to be one. This is just what worked for me in a bad situation, and it may not work for you, the point of this post is to help the suggies until you can see a professional and get them warm again. My suggies are now fine and healthy and just had an extremely bad scare.