Here's the news from the vet:

The vet saw the girls today, checked their lungs and heart and activity levels, and palpated their abdomens. He said their lungs were clear, and their organs felt normal. We asked for a fecal smear/float, but the doctor said that since they had already had three doses of antibiotics, we were unlikely to find anything. He said to keep the girls on Bactrim, twice a day for nine more days just in case.

We also brought in Joey for the necropsy, which the vet did himself. I was happy to hear that, because he had done a two year internship in Australia after he had gotten his VMD, and he had done sugar glider necropsies before. Also, it meant we got the results today. Joey's gross (= organ) necropsy revealed some hyperemia in the lungs (= more blood in the lungs than there should be), and some spots on the liver. However, we don't know how long Joey was dead before Brendan found him (2-8 hours), and the spots on the liver are similar to those that form a few hours after death through normal deterioraton. The lungs and liver have been preserved for histological (= tissue) examination, but that will take a while because it has to be sent out, and with Christmas coming up, a lot of labs are closed this week or next.

So what does the hyperemia mean? The vet says it is consistent with a respiratory infection like Meeko's, but that Joey was hiding the symptoms better than Meeko. We might have saved him if we had brought him in with Meeko and started him on antibiotics at the same time, but perhaps not, because he only lasted two more days than Meeko did. It may also have been that the stress of being separated from Meeko, and then Meeko dying, pushed him over the edge.

The girls had been with Joey for a week, but the vet said their lungs sounded great, so he thinks they will be fine. They will stay on the meds, though, just to be sure, and Brendan is to watch them for any signs of lethargy or darker noses or other indications of a respiratory infection.

One good bit of news is that Sugar, who has been on a diet and has been exercising for the last two months, has lost 16 grams (this is expected and the weight loss is something I had noticed already, before Meeko was sick).

Please continue to keep us in your thoughts. I really so appreciate all the love, kindness and support we've received so far.

Oops! One thing I forgot---the Bactrim is a broad-spectrum antibiotic that works especially well on bacteria. This means that the good intestinal bacteria will be killed along with anything bad living in the girls' intestines. So, we should expect a little diarrhea from them. The vet recommended keeping fluid levels high and feeding them yogurt with active cultures during and after the medication in order to restore the normal intestinal bacteria (thank goodness they love yogurt!).

The main lesson learned from all this seems to be, make sure your bring your sick glider's cagemates in to the vet along with the sick one, just in case. I should have brought Joey in with Meeko, and maybe that would have saved him. Thank god I still have my two girls... and I am praying that my second decision, to put Joey with them, won't cause me to lose them, too.

Oh, Sarah! I'm so very sorry... I'll be praying for the girls that the Bactrim will help to get them healthy again...

One thing that is important: the girls are still acting healthy (they never appeared sick). Their lungs are clear so hopefully they ARE healthy. But the meds are just in case some nasty bugs are hanging out in their lungs, waiting to cause problems.

Sarah I am so sorry to hear about your babies... I send my thoughts and prayers to you and your boyfriend...

I am sorry to hear that it is never easy to lose a glider