Simbas glands were swollen again so we went back to the vet this morning and they had to be cleaned out again. They were not as impacted as last time, but they were filled up again.
We are going to change him back to his regular diet without the added water and other modifications at this point. The vet told me that for the glands to clean themselves out better the stools will need to be firm.
No pain meds at this time, since Simba seems more uncomfortable than in pain.
I printed out the advice I have been given from Jen and also put her vets # on there for him. He said he hs treated gliders with this issue before and has not had to remove the glands yet, but knows that they can be removed (similar to a ferrets), but there are alot of risks incolved. So I am just keeping my fingers crossed that Simba won't need a surgery.
OT Dr. Ness is rewriting his chapter in the Veterinary Medical Text on Sugar Gliders, and he told me he is going to include information about these glands that was not there before.
Oh and I guess when I posted originlly I put the wrong medication! I was pretty upset then...anyway Simba is actually on Bactrim. We are continuing the medication and will have a recheck in a week or two unless he needs to go in before that...
I'm sorry they swelled again, but glad to hear that they weren't as swollen as the first time. This is what I have found with Cayden as well, it seems to get less and less until they stop swelling.
I hope he is out of the woods soon.
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
Some of you may remember my Simba had problems with impacted anal glands recently. He was doing better but had gone down from 107 grams to 100 grams in a month.
He was at 100 grams two weeks ago, when I brought him in b/c he had a cold. We got just got him over the cold and then last night he was hissing again when he pooped
So back to the vet today and one good thing, he is up to 105 grams, but his glands were impacted again. He was also very stinky yesterday, a foul death like odor. Dr.'s doing a culture again to see what's going on and if there is an infection. I am so scared for my baby, he has had to take so much medicine these past couple months...I am just so worried about him. Between this and everything else I really struggling here, drowning ...this year is really not treating me well
I am so sorry to here about your sweetie Simba I know exactly what your going thru so here's a big hug and just hang in there. everything will work out. I will keep both of you in my prayers .
Thank you for the hugs and prayers. Simba seems to be feeling better already (he munching a treat and making trouble right now). He is seperate from his mates so I can monitor him more closely.
Update: Simba is still having issues Now there is a staph bacteria resistant to Bactrim and Batril. He is on Clavamox. His glands are looking full again, they were expressed last week.
...is today. I drop him off in a half hour. He will be having his anal glands removed in addition to being neutered.
Last night I set up his new cage and after speaking with Bourbon we put the e-collar on so he could get used to it. (VS thrashing and trying to get it off post op) He stopped struggling as much after about an hour or so. I watched him until 2:30 AM,(2 and 1/2 hours in the collar) the collar was on when I finally went to sleep. This morning I found he had escaped from it somehow. I had to put the collar on by myself this morning (not as hard as I thought it would be actually), and on the third try I *think* I got it good.
He does very well in the collar and was even jumping around a bit and playing with his toys after a while. He never fell that I saw.
Please pray that my little Simba's surgery goes smooth and he has a speedy recovery!
Sorry everybody, I really messed up and lost the thread. But it was still viewable on my computer by going to the previous screen. So I will copy what I can. (I took out the non-advice posts, so it would be easier/quicker to read).
Originally Posted By: SugareeErin
Simba is going to have to have his anal glands removed. For the past two months we have been fighting impacted glands and infection. The current infection was resistant to Bactrim and Baytril we tried Clvamox this time. He has been off meds a few days and the glands have swollen back up, he is hissing again. There are very foul excretions so I believe there is still infection present.
He will be going in sometime this week, and he is also being neutered the same day. I am wondering if the neuter is still neccesary now that we are removing the glands anyway, seems like a lot to put him through.... (we were hoping the glands would not swell after the neuter, but today my vet said to schedule the surgeries at the same time) Is there a reason why he would have to be neutered if he has this surgery? Note: Simba is non-producing, but is developed.
Originally Posted By: LSardou
I'm sorry to hear that Simba's problems haven't cleared and now has to undergo surgery. Having him neutered will decrease the hormones which will help reduce his aggression/frustration levels. I would say to go ahead and have the neutering do too.
Originally Posted By: SugareeErin
Thank you. My vet was out for the weekend so could not ask him, but I assumed there was a good reason.
I hope the suregery goes well, I am really nervous. This will be my vets first time doing this surgery on a glider. (I have total confidence in my vet, but I'm scared none the less)
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
The surgery is scheduled for next Thursday, I'll drop him off in the morning. Dr. Nye (sp?) is actually doing the procedures. I have not seen Dr. Nye yet, but heard has a lot of experience. I have Spring Break so I will be able to keep watch of him 24/7 until he is healed.
I will keep him in the ecollar, I am going to ask they put one on him before he wakes. I need to figure out how to make things easier for him with the collar on. He is not going to be a happy camper
Originally Posted By: Cora
Hi Erin.......sorry you are going through this. Have you talked with JackieChansMom about this surgery??? I think she knows something about this. I dont want to scare you so I am saying nothing else as anything I would say is second hand and may not be right. my prayers will be with you all.
Originally Posted By: SugareeErin
Thanks Cora, I actually did talk to her a while back when Simba started having these problems. I am hoping that Simba does okay, he is in pretty good shape otherwise and had started to gain some weight back. I also got some advice from Jen who's glider Binx survived this and is doing well. I have her vets info to consult if needed.
It is very risky but I think its the only option at this point. I am just praying that things go smoothly.
Originally Posted By: Jackie_Chans_Mom
Erin you can absolutely call me any time you want. Apollo did have his anal glands removed, and he did very well with that. His death was not related to his anal gland removal. The procedure itself is not so difficult - Dr. Walsh actually said it was very easy - much easier than removing the anal glands from a dog or cat. Healing time is not horribly long either.
I'll be thinking about you. Call if you need or want to.
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
Thank you! It's good to know that is not how Apollo died. Gives me some more hope for my little guy. Right now since I have not talked with my vet about the surgery very much or after care I am somewhat in the dark. I am hoping to get in there before hand to discuss the surgery and after care.
In the meantime does anyone have tips on caring for him after? What kind of food dish can you use for a glider in an e coller?
Right now I am tring to decide if I will bring him in to have the glands expredded this Firday, he was hissing a couple days ago, but not yesterday...one side seems impacted again. He was crying alot last night which worries me... The vet said if he seems uncomfortable I can bring him to have the glands expressed, but we want the glands full for the surgery...
I will be keeping an eye on him and my plan at the moment is to wait for the surgery, depending how he seems to be doing.
Originally Posted By: Jackie_Chans_Mom
When I have a glider in an e-collar, I always hand feed them using my fingers and a measuring spoon. I adore the extra bonding time. BUT, if you don't relish the thought of getting up repeatedly in the night, you can use the trough style feeders that you can easily pick up in the bird section of any pet store.
diet will be important after the anal glands are removed. The function of the anal glands is to kinda lubricate the feces so that it passes easily. Without this function, it is very easy for a glider to have a lot of discomfort with pooping. So, a very moist diet and one that has a minimum of binding foods (such as protein, veggies, yogurt, etc) is really best.
Let me know if you need anything.
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
Bourbon and I talked to Erin yesterday evening, and I told them I'd provide some pics...unfortunately I was unable to access GC last night. Erin, I'll attach the pics, and had a few items to clarify from our talk, and one other piece of advice...
diet: Dry, high fiber veggies such as peas, squash, pumpkin, can constipate and should be lightly used. Other items to avoid are meats, either babyfood or cooked regular: chicken, turkey, beef, lamb, veal, mice. Avoid eggs. Avoid grains, ie oatmeal, baby cereals, etc. A Wombaroo High Protein based staple is ideal, such as Dr. Katherine Johnson Delaney's leadbeater's that contains no meats or cereal-it's what I changed all mine to after Binx's surgery. It does contain eggs, but not quite as much as the other HPW varieties, and so much liquid it doesn't pose a problem with Binx.
Worms are fine in moderation, but do watch your guy close. Because of their high fat content, they don't tend to pose as much of an issue as other protein sources, although extras aren't a good idea.
Yogurt is fine, but avoid cheese, cottage cheese, etc.
I did mention oil, but forgot to add that for the first month post op, Binx got about .01 ml veggie or olive oil by syringe once or twice daily to help lubricate the stools while the swelling went down. DO NOT use Mineral oil! ONLY veggie (canola is okay), or olive oil. We also still use it with him when he does occasionally get a bit dry and has trouble pooping. You also may want to discuss that with your vet.
If you use the Betadine, it needs to be diluted at least 5 parts water to 1 part betadine and dabbed on the stitches lightly, follow with the Silvodine/E mixture liberally. Keep in mind that both Betadine and Silvodine are oxidizers, and should not be ingested by the glider. Apply the silvodine/E liberally as often as needed to keep the stitches area soft, but take care not to let him ingest any if at all possible.
Now I'll attach the pics B wanted you to have, one of the danger if the collar's not right, and a couple of Riker in his shotglass style collar. There is also one of Binx day 3 post op that will show some of the swelling I told you about.
I'll send Xfilefan a note asking for her to repost her pictures. Again, I'm sorry about the mess up.
Originally Posted By: 7glider7
I feed Dr. Cathy Johnson Delaney's diet if you want more info on it...she is my vet.
Actually the "nectar" part of the diet is somewhat similar to BML, but rather than using baby food and such for protein it uses high quality insectivore fare instead as the main protein component. It does 1 egg per batch. I'm unsure of whether or not this would bother a glider with no anal glands. I do find that one of my gliders tends to get a bit constipated on the diet, so I'm sure Jen knows best about what modifications work best for the diet for a glider with anal glands removed. Just be aware that if you are taking out the insectivore fare from that diet, you are removing most of the protein...but in your case, that sounds like it's what you're going for.
I wish you guys the best of luck
~Gretchen
If we never loved, then maybe we would never feel pain. Love anyway. It's worth it.
Thank you for all the well wishes! Simba is in surgery now. They called me about an hour ago to let me know. My vet did get a hold of Dr. Harris (the vet that did the surgery on Binx) and discussed the surgery with her. She agreed with their plans for the procedure. I am just holding my breath and praying it goes well. Hopefully I will have more of an update soon! Dr. Ness will be taking some pictures of the surgery as well, hopefully I can get copies to share here.
Simba is home! The surgery went great, the vet said it was the best neuter they've had in a while, and the anal glands were removed with no complications! The incisions are very small. Simba is doing wonderful, he had some water, applesause and a piece of Mango when we got home. (He hasn't eaten since 12 last night b/c of the fasting). I am hoping he will get some sleep now, but I will take some pics later of the incisions to post. Dr. Ness is going to send me the photos of the surgery sometime as well.
They sent me home with metacam for the pain, and also put something on the site to numb it temporarily, so he is feeling pretty okay at the moment at least. He was very happy to get some food and water. He still is fighting the collar a bit, but it's not budging.
Now for the hard part, the recovery....Simba will be with me 24/7 until he is healed. I will be watching him to be sure he does not escape the collar and mess with the site.
Thank Goodness! I am so happy to hear that his surgery went well, and he's doing great! The worst is over at least, and now all you need to do is spoil him with tons of attention and love.
Simba managed to get out of the collar again I got it back on right away. He just sat there for a few seconds, and did not try to go after himself. While he was out of the collar he peed on me too No hissing or signs of discomfort either.
He refuses to sleep so I took some pictures. Three are of the site and one is of him in the ecollar.
Erin I am glad Simba is doing so well after his surgery. His little bum looks so ouchy but better then I thought it would. We will keep him in our thought for a speedy recovery.
Have a Good Day Brenda & Mr. Magoo
Friendly Reminder please have an e-collar ready before you need it......
Erin, I'm so glad he's doing well! Your next couple/few days will be the worst for potential swelling but just remember it will go down. Keep an eye on his pooping (to make sure it's coming regularly), and give a shout if I can help. You guys are in our thoughts!
Jen/Colin Commander Riker 12 16 02-10 04 12 you will be FOREVER missed Sinbad, Gabby, Baby, and Alley