My sugar glider is dragging her back fee but when we carry her she moves it but does not grip. . .she had long toenails and it looks like one got plucked off. . .and she holds her foot and babies it. Could she have HLP or do you think she sprained her feet/foot? We are brining her to an exotic vet today but needs some peace of mind

Thank you for your reply! I have two and the one is. . .well looks healthy and moves ALOT. . .his name is Oreo and he was our first one the one with the problem shes very tiny but shes about 4 months now (she looks like she was the little one. We feed them glider pellets once a week, yogurt once a week, baby food including the chicken and banana mixed with baby oatmeal once a week. Fruits: Cantaloupe, apples (with seeds and middle taken out) avocado, kiwi, blueberries, watermelon and once here and here strawberries; Veggies: Kale, lettuce, fresh sometimes frozen carrots, frozen peas and frozen green and beans frozen corn. Last night is when we noticed it. . .I didn't see them in the morning when I left but normally I do and Sunday morning she was up and about. Last night she was eating and I noticed she went to her avocado and she dragged both her feet but then she grabbed the one with the missing nail and was licking it. So I moved their bedding on the lower part of the cage she she don't or can't climb. This morning she was chatting and I gave her a treat (a worm that had a little vit w/D3) that was the first time I put that vitamin on it and she ate it and she was eating more avocado. She didn't come out of her tube so I put her avocado in front of her soft tube and gave her the worm while she was in her soft tube and she moved forward so I couldn't tell if she was moving her back legs or not. . .she was looking at me and it sounded like she was stretching and shaking her legs?

While at the vet, please take both in and have them clip their nails.

I read through all the food you listed and I see way too much phosphorus, and very little calcium. The ratio should be 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus. (2:1) It is possible he's suffering from HLP.

I would also recommend a better diet. (Click on the blue word and it will take you to the database)

The BML diet ingredients are available locally at your nearest pet store and grocery store. I have fed this and it is proven to give your gliders a balanced meal.

I currently feed Critterlove (critterlove.com ). It is also a proven diet.

Please keep us posted on your baby.

And, welcome to Glider Central!!!

Thank you so much! I clip their nails but they grow so fast and I use that wheel with the sand paper thing but that's a great idea to bring both in for their nails. . .maybe I can have Oreo checked as well since I need to bring Sugar in. I been praying all night and morning that shes going to be ok. I am hoping this is reversible. I will keep you posted for sure!

Thank you so much! I clip their nails but they grow so fast and I use that wheel with the sand paper thing but that's a great idea to bring both in for their nails. . .maybe I can have Oreo checked as well since I need to bring Sugar in. I been praying all night and morning that shes going to be ok. I am hoping this is reversible. I will keep you posted for sure!

Ok brought Sugar to the vet's office last night and they took blood and ran tests and came to HLP. They gave her an injection of calcium, water under her skin so she don't get dehydrated and gave us oral liquid calcium to give her and return in a week. Shes still eating and still strong aside from her back legs dragging. I found her on the second landing in their cage in their wheel. So I took her wheel out because she cannot run poor thing and I'll put it back when she can start moving her back legs. Has anyone gone through this to let me know how long until we see real results? Docs said we'll be able to see results as soon as today but Im curious if anyone else has gone through this?

Do you have a way to keep her in a smaller cage till she heals?

How fast did the symptoms come on?

There is a bacterial infection in the gut that mimic the symptoms of HLP. They would need go do a culture and sensitivity on her stool and also swab inside her cloaca.

I saw her on Sunday morning and she was ok and walking and I saw her Monday night and that's when she was dragging her legs. The doctor did do a culture on her stool and they did a swab then they did a blood test and xrays etc. . .the who shebang and I paid way over $600 for all the test and xrays and shots to make her sleep to take the blood etc lol. They gave us options on not doing some of those etc but hubby said to just do everything to rule out things. I have my bird's carry travel cage but is that too small? I'll see what I can come up with to make it safer for her. I have another sugar his name is Oreo. . .they did tests on him and hes fine but they want me to change their diets so they can get enough calcium. Did anyone go through this to see how long it'll take to heal? We caught it that day so docs said that was good that we found her early enough. She is super tiny and Oreo is a healthy size.

I haven't dealt with HLP, so I'm not sure how long before you will see progress. Did the vet set up for a follow up visit? I do know you want them to be in a smaller cage. At this point, she only has he front arms are carrying all her weight. And you don't want her to fall from a high place to complicate you issues.

Give her some foraging toys and a small toybox she can rumage through.

As far as diet (click on blue word it will take you to the database), there are several to choose from.

There are a few proven ones. I have used BML, which you can get the ingredients at the local grocery store and pet store. This recipe has to be followed as written.

I am currently using Critterlove. It is also proven. You can go to critterlove.com to order the nectar and they have a list of salads that should be served along with the nectar.

I would recommend ordering some Pet-pro kibble. You can get it at Critterlove, to help save on shipping. Or you can order samples from Pet-pro with a phone call to them.

Please stay away from Exotic Nutrition's diets and staple. They have been tested to the point of the ingredients don't actually match what's listed on the package, and I have seen brand new bags of it full of dead and live bugs.

I'm sorry I can't help you with when you should see improvement, but I hope the rest was helpful. If I were to guess, I would say a week or less. Please keep us posted on her progress.

I don't know how long it will take to see improvement. My glider that got the bacterial infection got the use of her hind legs back, but her front legs are bowed.

Did they give you any antibiotics?

Did they get the culture back?