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glider hypoglycemia

Posted By: Anonymous

glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 03:07 AM

I had the flu the other night and completely forgot to feed my sugar gliders. The next day they were cold, and hardly moving. I called a vet and they said that they probably had hypoglycemia and to feed them honey or corn syrup and they should get better. They have improved a lot since then but are still not 100%. It's obvious that their coordination is still off. A sugar glider book said it could take a couple days for a sick glider to get full coordination back. I am just wondering if anyone has ever had this problem or heard of it and how long it might take before they are back to their old selves. Thank you
Posted By: SugarBlossoms

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 03:55 AM

I've never had this happen to me but you should always keep a food staple in the cage at ALL times. All of mine have an extra dish with yogurt drops, zookeeper's, cereal (baby flavored cherry or other) just in case something were to happen. Also, I keep 2 water bottles in each cage. Once we had a bottle get stopped up and another time one leaked out empty.

I hope your gliders get better fast!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: KattyM

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 04:29 AM

I hope you're feeling better. Having the flu can really wipe you out. Be sure to wash your hands before handling your babies.

How old are they? What diet do you have them on? If you haven't already, check out the diet page. If, for example, you feed them BML, you don't need to keep anything in their cage during the day.

It is a good idea, as SugarBlossoms suggested, to keep more than one water bottle in the cage, for the reason stated. The last thing you want is for them to get dehydrated as well.

Not to go against what your vet recommended, but giving them sugar doesn't seem as healthy as giving them their real meal right away. Other choices (especially for dehydration) might include Pedialyte and (if they're not constipated) Ensure.

The first thing, too, is to make sure they're made warm. You might tuck extra fleece blankets in their sleeping pouch.

If they don't improve, I'd take them to a glider-knowledgeable vet. Have they had their wellness checks yet?

Good luck, and be sure to give us an update!
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 04:36 AM

Actually, it's Ensure you DON'T want to give to a dehydrated glider-it turns claylike in the gut when the water gets pulled out of it too fast, and if they regurgitate they can choke on it, or it can slow down the intestines, causing blockage issues.

The standard initial treatment for acute hypoglycemia is to administer sugar to get the blood sugar levels up. I would follow that up with a vet visit. Also check for dehydration (pinch the skin between the shoulder blades, low on the neck-if it stays up, or 'tented', or goes down slowly, the glider is dehydrated).

A vet can administer subq fluids with glucose, both to rehydrate and get sugars into the bloodstream quicker, instead of the body having to work to absorb it from the GI tract (stomach/intestines). Because they still aren't acting right, again, I would say follow up vet visit to be sure something else isn't going on.

Pedialyte or gatorade-mixed 50/50 with water...will also help supply glucose (sugars), along with salts to help their body retain the fluids they're consuming, instead of it just running through the body.

Keep us updated on how they are.
Posted By: KattyM

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 04:40 AM

Oops! Sorry! Believe it or not, that's what I knew but typed something else. Oy... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" /> What I meant to say was, if they're not dehydrated but need quick nourishment...

Listen to Jen. She knows her stuff! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />

Edited to add question: So, Jen, you give sugar to give them a quick boost. Is it just initially (once) and then give them their regular food?
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 05:06 AM

Initially it will take them out of the hypoglycemic crash so they can begin to stabilize-but it won't last long. The sugars in something like honey burn off fairly quickly-so yes, you do need to feed them to keep the blood sugars up. It's only an emergency measure. If they're really bad, it can make the difference between them living long enough to get to a vet for better stabilization or not-similar to a diabetic until they get to their insulin. Depending on how long the blood sugar was too low, is why I recommended a vet-if they are still showing issues now, a couple of days later...something is not right and could have been damaged. A vet will know how to treat.

(On a side note-that's one of the reasons straight honey is not good to feed as a regular licky treat-it will make blood sugar levels spike really high-and the body then has to work harder to normalize the levels. )

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels in the body. Energy levels, in people or gliders, depend on the utilization of glucose in the bloodstream. The amount of glucose in the blood is regulated by the body's release of insulin. When glucose levels go above a certain point, the pancreas secretes more insulin into the blood to help get the sugar from the bloodstream and into thd body's cells. When blood glucose levels get too low, the body releases glucose from stores kept in the liver and triggers you to eat. All of the body's cells need glucose in order to funcion properly, especially brain cells.
Too much sugar in the blood (hypERglycemia) too long will build to toxic levels. In hypOglycemia (not enough sugar), symptoms will include (there are more), tiredness, lethargy, depression, mental confusion, headaches, heart palpitations, blurred vision, cold extremities.

If blood sugar is too low for too long, it can cause cell damage, including the brain and other organs. So if symptoms persist there may be damage present.

Hopefully this helps.
Posted By: Pockets

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/14/06 06:24 AM

Agree with Jen & would get them to the vets asap!

I believe they need fluid therapy - lactated Ringer's solution Na/Cl or dextrose in saline (will not post the amounts as your veterinarian should know)

Intraosseous route could be considered in critial cases

Hoping for the best for your <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/littleglider.gif" alt="" />'s
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/16/06 04:51 AM

Any update on these little ones? I can't stop worrying about them. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/17/06 09:48 PM

Just wanted to let everyone know the both the sugar gliders are doing great. They are back to their old selves. Thank you for all the replies and concern.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: glider hypoglycemia - 05/17/06 11:45 PM

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />That's great news... thank you for the update, everyone here worries about everybody elses gliders <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/agree.gif" alt="" />.
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