OK so tonight I went to give Spice his meds and it appeared that half of his left ear had just rotted away. This morning it was fine and this afternoon it was all dry and crusty like a big scab. I have seen the pictures of the suggie with ear mites so I took him to the vets. This clown gave me ear mite meds for a cat. I basically had enough to treat all 7 (which I did-just in case). I have no idea where this might have come from...New sleepy pouch is the only thing I can think of. He is seperated from all the others right now and I don't know what to do. I am attaching the best picture I had of his ear. You can see its all black. I am going back to the vets on Monday...since I have no idea how long it takes to go away and he has to have a clean bill of health before I can put him back with Finlay and Sugar...and he is going to loose half of his ear... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />
Re: Ear mites
[Re: ]
#141680 09/03/0602:10 AM09/03/0602:10 AM
OH and when I took him to the vets, the vet didn't really act like he had a clue...and the tech smelled like he had just come from the bar! They gave me ear mite medicine in dosage for a cat. Rather than drown his little ears I put enough on to cover them and get down into the canal. Then I went ahead and treated all the others just in case. I have no idea where it came from. Could my cat and dog get it? Could it be in the carpet? I mean where does it come from. The only thing he has been in contact with besides the vet over the last 3 days is a new sleepy snuggly that I ordered for their new cage. It was bigger so I thought he would like more room. Did I inadvertently make him sicker than he already was????? I am getting repetitive can anyone help!!!!
Wow, I didn't know suggies could get ear mites YIKES! That's creepy. I don't know exactly where they come from, but I know cats get them from somewhere and then they can give them to dogs. Man, now I'm worried about my suggies ears <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />
Re: Ear mites
[Re: ]
#141683 09/03/0608:29 AM09/03/0608:29 AM
[:"green"]Yes, gliders definitely can get ear mites & if not caught early on it can cause the damage to the ears that your little one is exhibiting. In all likelihood, he got them from a cat or dog that has them. Treatment for ear mites in a sugar glider is not the same as treatment for cats. For ear mites in gliders, an oral dose of Ivermectin Therapy for Mites is what is called for. This is a very small dose of oral medication that is administered in the vet's office. The dose needs to be repeated every two weeks until the mites are completely gone. Don't panic about the topical drops he gave you. I don't think they will hurt the gliders at all, but switching to the proper treatment at this point would be a good idea. Please keep us posted on your glider's progress. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
So him getting the topical stuff is no good. The vets office isn't open until Monday and half his ear was gone in the first 24 hours.....???????????????
Arienth, please don't panic. If nothing else, it may keep them in check and keep further damage from being done for now. I would: 1) treat any animals in the house 2) Wash all pouches/toys/dishes/tent, etc. in boiling water regularly until after treatment is complete to help prevent reinfection. 3) Clean your carpets, linens and bedding in the HOTTEST water possible-up to and including boiling. Also couches or any other fabric that could possibly harbor them and reinfect your babies. I'm not sure if they make a anti-"bug" --sorry, not sure what to call it-- treatment for carpets, but you might want to look into it. Especially in any areas the glider is likely to be.
4) NOTE: most mites are species specific. I'm not sure what kind of mites from what animal is responsible for infecting gliders in this country...it hasn't been in any of the few stories I've read. I can tell you it is very rare for a glider to actually contract them.
In thinking where your glider may have picked them up...if your other animals go outside, they could have brought it in with them, even if it's not a species that will attack that animal, and passed it to the gliders. If your other animals do go outside, I'd say keep THEM treated regularly from here on out...to keep your gliders from picking something up.
I hope this helps, and I'm sorry about your baby's ear. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
Last edited by Xfilefan; 09/03/0612:20 PM.
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
Thanks... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" /> I washed all the bedding. it just baffles me that he got it period since all the literature I read says the dont live long off the host. Still waiting for vet to call me. I have read several posts that say to use the bird mite spray on their toys etc. Many of the vet sites say that you can treat the mites to keep them from spreading using flea powder but I am really afraid to do that without talking to the Doc first. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> For now he is in his own little cage seperate from everyone. I am hoping that maybe he may have nicked his ear and gotten blood all over it...although that doesn't look like it either. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/shakehead.gif" alt="" /> I am going to wait on treating the rest of the house for mites though since Neither the dog or cat are exhibiting symptoms (I have had new pets from SPCA that had them) and they are frontlined which should stop them from bringing any bad fleas/ticks/mites into the house.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/question.gif" alt="" />
I have had many cats...but Frontline is after my time, I'm afraid. I don't believe I've heard of it working on mites, but I could be wrong. If the ear turned black at the edges, and started crumling off (like the attached pic)-It's mites. I wish I knew which species attacked gliders (then we'd know WHERE they were coming from).
And yes, mites can survive a VERY long time without a host...like ticks can. They go into a kind of hibernation, and wait for a suitable host to come along. They are a parasite. Maybe your vet guys just DID come from the bar! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ohwell.gif" alt="" />
And if you can use flea powder (I think I'd check with a second vet, like by phone, first-to make sure it will work against both the mites AND their eggs) to help keep them from spreading...just wrap the cages tightly in sheets when you put it down....then wrap them again and put somewhere like a closet while you vaccuum it up so the powder isn't becoming airborne when you walk thru it. Ask how LONG you need to leave it for for it to work...or if a liquid or spray might be better.
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley
Ok so I spoke with the Doc and she says that its does no appear to be ear mites if its only in one ear. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yelclap.gif" alt="" /> More than likely she says it happened when he went into surgery. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" /> She says sometimes their circulatory pressure gets low and they loose ciculation...especially if they get chilled...she doesn't think he did... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/read.gif" alt="" /> This has happened once before to her and she has heard of it happening to others. He has been such a rascal about this that if anything good comes of this its that we learned a bit more about how he works. Next time he goes to the Doc he goes with a heating pad.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/agree.gif" alt="" /> So for now he is on the baytril only once a day now and I am to monitor his ear... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dance.gif" alt="" /> We will go in on Thursday to verify and make sure...for now though <SIGH> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/littleglider.gif" alt="" />
Well, I'm not sure if that's good news or bad <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" /> I guess it is better than knowing he has mites, but it's so sad that this happened in the vets <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />
I have never seen chewed on ears but it doesn't have that look about it. It actually looks like a piece of flesh that has been frost bitten. Black and basically dead. But isn't crumbly like it would be if there were ear mite. Doc said it would be highly unlikely that he got ear mites from anyone (since nobody furry or otherwise) has any. But since that was the only pix I had to compare it to well...I thought it was ear mites and treated it accordingly.... <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thanx.gif" alt="" />