[:"red"] DO NOT have a glider's teeth clipped! [/]
I have recently come across (not here but else where) a few people that have either had it done or have said it needs to be done... One person said they take their glider to the vet every 2 months to have their nails and teeth clipped. That poor little glider! The constant pain it must be in. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />

[:"red"] Gliders are NOT rodents! They DO NOT need their teeth clipped or filed or "floated". [/]

This is a very painful and cruel thing to do to a glider. It would be like a dentist doing a root canal on your teeth without pain meds! It causes long term health problems for the gliders in that many have trouble eating after.

Sadly, many vets don't seem to realize how detrimental this is to gliders. Or they just don't realize that gliders are not rodents. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />

Please please please, make sure you let people know! Glider's teeth do not continue to grow and do not need clipped!

Oh Teresa, I know where you saw that. I posted back that it was inhumane to do and the vet ought to have his/her license stripped for not knowing more about what they were doing. The person who posted originally was SO oblivious to what we were trying to tell him. he was like, well, my vet recommends it and so that's what I'm going to be doing and y'all are crazy cuz you're not vets........

That is so awfull... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" />

I'm speachless... I didn't realize people could be so mean and stupid! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/upset.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />

WOW! I can't believe that there are people out there that hasn't heard that it is wrong. Even a vet for crying out loud! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> Poor babies!

With all the stories I've read on here maybe I can believe it. It is just that I studied and researched for like a year before I got my babies. I made sure that everything was perfect. I can't even count all the times that I've read that you are never to trim your gliders teeth. It is on just about every website.

Yea, the vet part is what is so bad because ok, granted, the guy was ignorant because he was so unwilling to listen to us because we were NOT vets, but some people RELY totally on their vets which was obviously the case here. it's just very sad that this vet doesn't have a clue and it not only causing long term issues for the gliders, but they're probably in constant pain as well which just plain STINKS!!

A vet should loose their license for something like this. If a vet is willing to take care of a creature, then that vet is required to know anything and everything about that creature beforehand. Unbelievable and scary! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shakehead.gif" alt="" />

Why would a vet want to clip ANY animals teeth to begin with? We have Chinchilla's, mice and hamsters and have NEVER even had them to a vet to begin with. They all have their toys, chew blocks, wood etc. and treats to chew on and none of ours bite us.

I don't understand that even if a vet is stupid enough to think a Sugar Glider is a rodent, what would make them think their teeth needed to be clipped. Wouldn't they assume they would "file down" on their own at home? I hope this makes sense.

I would run from vet that thought my suggies were rodents!! I would let him know a few things but find another vet.

I know first hand how horrible it is for a glider to have trouble with their teeth. Not because of clipped or floated teeth, but due to peridontal disease. It is an awful thing to watch your baby go through......the trouble they have eating, the pain, the frustration that they feel when they can't do what should be natural. If your vet suggests that you ever want to have your gliders teeth clipped or floated........DON'T!

Sometimes just sometimes. In some areas we are smarter than vets like dancing and chaungo should be vets?!!!

If a rodent's teeth looked like a glider's lowers, most vets would trim. The difference is, a glider is not a rodent, and their teeth, like yours and mine, grow in and it's all they're going to get. And unlike us, gliders ONLY get the set they're born with, and they do not grow through their life, or at all once in, so a mistake on teeth when they're young won't fall out with "baby" teeth to be replaced, either. I've had a couple of teeth broken, and I can tell you, it is HORRIBLY PAINFUL. Some vets without experience with marsupials see the big, black eyes, and bare ears, and body conformation, and "assume" that they must be like a rodent with bottom incisors that grow...and that just isn't the case. A gliders long bottom teeth are there because, UNLIKE a rodent, they have to get thru the bark of a tree regularly in order to eat, and they are solid and strong to accommodate that. A rodent may chew-in order to build nests, etc, but eats mostly grasses and grains in the wild. There is a biological, habitat related reason they are so different, and require different care. Like with people however-vets can be just as guilty of judging an animal by appearance...and in the case of gliders, they are the ones who lose. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

In all fairness, when I very first started, I may have believed a vet if they told me that, thinking that they knew more than I. Thank GOD I didn't run into one that did, found GC early on, and learned from those with experience, and knew better pretty quick. Much more with exotic pets (than domestic pets or human doctors-and there are some bad people docs in the world, too), you really need to know your stuff so you know if you're told something like that to go "Hey, that's not right". And if a vet still insists they know what they're talking about and you don't-esp with no better reasoning given than "I'm a professional and you're not" (a trait I really despise in a vet)-you know to go and find one that really DOES know what they're talking about.

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tantrum.gif" alt="" /> AHHHHH!!! Where are they?!!!!!!

Let me at 'em!!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Mikey <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" />

Please rename the title so anyone searching or browsing will know exactly what you mean (I just wanna help so it is really clear). Maybe you could rename the thread "Don't File/Clip a Gliders Teeth" and then put in the first sentence to have anyone PM you and you will give them the numbers of numerous vets (I volunteer my own who would love to educate people)who will back up what you say.

Please make it a sticky so everyone can see it who comes here and know right away this is a cruel practice.
The thought makes me feel sick! I have had a cracked tooth before and it was soooo painful! Those poor poor babies!!

I really wonder how a vet can get confused: rodents and gliders' teeth are so different. I've both at home and I can tell you one can make the difference!! Rodents' teeth are like razors and gliders' like needles (well, that's what it feels like when you get bitten by a rodent or a glider <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />.

Poor gliders who have to suffer human stupidity and stuborness <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

How very sad!
This topic came up several years ago on GC & I went straight to an Australian friend - Rosemary Booth,(at that time she was in charge at Healesville) because I figured no one would really listen to me - especially some idiot senator from down south!
To say the least - Rose was un-glued - to say the very least!
Rose told me to relate to others how serious & inhumane that practice was & anywhere in Australia they would be very heavy fined, probably serve jail time as well as possibly lose their license!
She was really very very upset!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rosemary Booth has since wrote about this awful inhumane practice in her newer publications, to have her voice heard in the USA by the veterinarians who treat gliders.

No one I have ever spoken with in oz can believe that the vets are so incompentent in the USA & are out-raged to say the least!

Go Rosemary!!!!!

I sure hope that we can get the information out to the vets in the US that treat gliders. This is one of those times when I wish I had access to the "vets" only websites where they share information.

Well, if you are wanting to help educate those who are mistaken..here is your chance... When I bought my glider last weekend she came with a kit. In the kit was a book on sugar gliders written by Todd Bacon. On the front of my copy of the book is a yellow "bubble" that states " This was the first ever book written about sugar gliders ". On page 17 and on page 33 it clearly states that gliders' teeth continually grow and they need either chew things or clipping by a vet. The kit was sold to me by Samantha Twombly. Here is her website: GliderPlanet.com . The book is distributed by
Brisky Pet Products
P.O. Box 186
Franklinville, NY 14737
www.brisky.com
1-800-462-2464

Now I went to the Brisky website and clicked on Todd's book to view the description. The copy of the book on the web site states " Newly Revised Edition " in that yellow bubble. Perhaps the teeth growing info was revised. So Samantha Twombly must be giving out the old copy. She should be educated and the company should know that she is giving out wrong info in their name.

Go ahead..educate them. But do it nicely and calmly or they won't listen to you or even consider what you saying. Let Brisky know their outdated info is still being distributed as correct and current (the first book ever written..) and Samantha should cease giving out the wrong info to new owners who don't know any better. I wonder how many vets are reading the old edition? (assuming the new edition no longer says their teeth continue to grow)

JBoopy,
Thank you for sharing that information. I will call them and ask them to check their current book. Sadly, most of the books out there on sugar gliders are sadly outdated. There are many out there that still promote diets that we now know are not in the best health interest for the gliders.

Ok, I sent a very nice email to GliderPlanet.com. If anyone is interested in what I sent, I'll be happy to forward it to you. I only addressed with them the concerns about the book and asked if they could put an insert into the book offering the updated information about not clipping a gliders teeth.

I really wanted to also adress with them a few of their other practices (heating pads/rocks, diet and selling joeys to young) but decided that one issue at a time was the better approach.

I took four of my babies to the vet almost a year ago and I had the veterinary tech tell me i needed to have Sugar's teeth clipped. I got very upset with her and said- no way! they donot grow like a rodents. SHe looked at me shocked and amazed.She couldnot believe what i was telling her. I donot know who told her that but the actual vet knew better....*shrugs* all we can do is educate.

well, i sent a very nice simple letter also stating to please update their info on that book, i sure hope that they've heard this. It's really to bad that someone dosn't just make a huge specail on animal planet about gliders and have a hour show on sugar gliders and all about them! That would be awesome because in that hour someone could go over health and feeding and caring and what they need to survive and being pets and how to intro them together and so on it'd be awesome, hopefully one of these days they'll have one such person to do this, just like the merrcats story they've got on now, lets do a sugar glider story too!!!!!!

Thank God the lady we got our Glider from was much more educated and pointed us in the right direction to begin with. Ugh, I cannot the pain some of these babies have gone through <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

T .... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/agree.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" />