GliderCENTRAL

SM on tail

Posted By: itsasugarglider

SM on tail - 01/27/06 05:24 PM

Yesterday morning, I went to say good bye to my gliders before leaving for school. I heard a quiet crabbing-like noise, but I knew it wasn't Karma so I looked. (Karma crabs at anything, she even crabs while I rub her tummy so her crabbing is nothing to us anymore lol.)

In the pouch, Xander was chewing his tail. I reached in and he immidiatly abandoned his tail, grabbed my finger and licked away until I pulled my finger from him. He went back to his tail after a few minutes.

My friend called her vets cell phone, (only patients can do that and I am not one of her patient, so my friend did it for me.) The vet then called me and advised me on what to do, according to her it could have been the stress because we just recently moved the gliders from my bedroom into the computer room and since I just started new school I'm not with them all day and most of the night, so he could be stressed from the changes and missing his mommy. (Me.) But she said not to leave him alone, always be at a distance where I can at least hear him and get to him quickly. So of course I took him with me all yesterday.

Later, while in his pouch with Karma he crabbed loudly. Every few seconds the crab is broke and he'll bark for a bit, then crab again. I reached in to get his tail from him and he grabbed my hand and started licking.

Last night he was playing fine, happy, gobbled up his apple pieces and Karma even gave up a mealie to him. ( <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />) We played with straws all playtime and I went to bed. (My parents were also listening for the noise, so they could get me if it happened again.) I woke up a few times because of it and just slept on the floor in the room.

Since I layed in the floor in the room with them, he did it once. When I jumped up he stopped and reached through the cage bars for me so I let him lick my finger as long as he wanted. After that, he didn't do it again. It seemed like he knew I was there, so he didn't need to do it.

His tail still has it's fur, hasn't bled, and I saw Karma grooming it for a few minutes before going to groom his head. He doesn't care about it as long as he has the chance to be licking me, so he and Karma are going to be hanging out in my shirt today. (Exluding when I go back to bed, I'm still fighting off sleep.)

I know stress can lead to things like this, I don't get how he isn't losing fur or hasn't bled from all the biting so it can't be that hard. But do you think he may really only be doing this from 'mommy withdraws'? The vet suspects it, and I know I should always listen to a vet. But I was just wondering what other glider owners experience was. Thanks!
Posted By: Dancing

Re: SM on tail - 01/27/06 05:40 PM

Rhea, while it can be stress, it can also be an indication of calcium deficiencies. If he has a bacterial infection (which stress can cause) it could be leaching out his calcium. This can cause his tail to tingle. If untreated, it can get really bad, real quick.

The first important thing is to keep him from doing any damage. Take and wrap his tail with some medical tape so he can't get to it. Then get him to a vet for a fecal float and direct smear and a Urine test. Have them check for parasites and bacteria. Probably a round of Baytril as a precauctionary measure and also talk to the vet about oral calcium. Also, possibly some pain meds like Torb.

I would also offer yogurt daily to him to help his digestive system. Anti-biotics kill all bacteria including the beneficial bacteria in their gut that is used to break down their food. The active cultures in the yogurt help to restore the balance of good bacteria in their digestive track.

I would definately get this one to the vet to see what is going on. Stress alone MIGHT be the problem but my guess is there is something else going on that needs treatment.

Also, have an ecollar handy. The thing with the tails though is even with an ecollar, they can still curl their tail up and around and still get to it. Taking a straw, a large one like from McDonalds, and cutting a split down the length of it then putting their tail INSIDE the straw and taping it into place will keep the tail straight so they can't curl it around the ecollar.

It sounds like you may have caught this at a very early stage but it can get bad real quick. Please don't take any chances. Best of luck and keep us posted. If you need to talk, my home number is 913-471-4993 (it will ring busy if I'm online, just pm me and ask me to get off the computer).
Posted By: itsasugarglider

Re: SM on tail - 01/27/06 05:53 PM

Thanks Teresa! I'll make an appointment with the vet and get my baby in right away. I was wanting to put something around his tail but didn't want him to eat it and have it hurt his insides or something because he wanted his tail so bad, so I just let him lick my finger raw.

I'll get the phone book and call each vet until one says I can bring him in right now. Hopefully they'll be willing to let me pay in payments as well.

(Just wondering, does anyone bring in both gliders when going to the vet? I couldn't stand to leave one all alone, and I think that would upset Xander as well, going without his girl.)
Posted By: Dancing

Re: SM on tail - 01/27/06 06:03 PM

It won't hurt at all to take them both in together. And it might help keep him from getting more anxious. Also, if he does have a bacterial issue, you will probably have to treat both gliders to deal with it and having her there will let the vet get a weight so he can do up the meds dosages for her as well.
Posted By: Bourbon

Re: SM on tail - 01/27/06 09:47 PM

Key Question... what part of the tail is it?? could you please go to

http://www.harborpro.com/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=21

and fill out the questionairre.. asap

if it is the base of the tail (near his booty end.. then make an e-collar, and get it on him fast..
get the questionairre filled out so that we can help you.. this is an area, where it may be a life or death situation..

if it is the tip of the tail, make a covering for it, (McDonalds straws are bigger in diameter. ) and place around the tail so that he can not get to it,
figure out a way to keep him from getting to it.. once you KNOW the covering will not come off, you can use neosporin plus on it.. but if he gets it off and licks the neosporin plus, it will numb his tongue and he may bite that off.. so please be careful with it.
Posted By: itsasugarglider

Re: SM on tail - 01/27/06 10:59 PM

Only one vet would see my boy, many never answered the phones or said even if I rushed him in they would turn him away. I took him to a regular animal vet.

I asked him for a fecal and urin tests, he got them pretty easyily. (Poor Xander was having a heart attack while Karma sat calmly on the examining table munching on mealworms most of the time.)

He took those things out of the room and for so long I sat in the room while Xander clung, terrified my bra strap and Karma went in and out of my shirt, I think she was feeding him mealies. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/muchlove.gif" alt="" />

The vet said that there seems to be a bit of bacterias in his poop, but he listed antibodis he didn't want to recomend because it was such a small amount. He had spoken to an exotics vet I guess when he left the room, and was told stress could be a factor in a change of bacterias in the tummy, and they told me to feed some yogurt each day and for an unexplained reason to take all carrots and corn from his diet for at least 3 weeks.

I got a small bottle of pills that don't even have a name on them. He said a half of one each morning, but I'm not sure I should if I don't even know what the pills are called! All that is on the bottle is 'Xander, Sugar glider'

He found scratches on Xanders tail under the fur which is why he wrapped it up with some medical cloth and tape, about halfway up.

He wanted to do a fecal test on Karma, but Xander wasn't letting that happen, when I pulled her from my shirt he peeked out and when he saw the mean ol' vets hand reaching for his girl, he attacked him (and peed on his hand, haha)

Right now he is looking so sad at me as he grooms himself, but can't get his tail. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/upset.gif" alt="" /> He won't lick me at the moment either. Or look at me, just cling to my bra strap.

I'm planning on taking him to another vet soon. I really don't think this one knew at all what he was doing. I was expecting those tests to take a day or two to come back....

I'm so scared! If he can't get his tail what if he moves to a hand or something! I just want to strap on some bubble wrap! (Well, you know what I mean.) Thanks for the advice, but I really don't see myself sleeping tonight or tomorrow, or at all until my baby is happy again! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />

I knew I shouldn't have moved them out of my bedroom!
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