I just adopted my daughter's glider which is partially paralyzed in the rear, the vet says due to jumping from too high, but I feel it is more likely a calcium deficiency. In addition, she mutilated her rear toes and is now in an e-collar. I have been hand feeding, watering, grooming, for the past three days and am learning as I go. I have some questions if anyone can help.

(1) How much do they eat a day. She is eating really well, I think, but not being sure how much they actually eat, I'm not sure. I picked her up some baby food with calcium and vit D and she loves eggs as well as grapes. She is resistent to eating the glider diet but will eat beechnut nibbles which are for toddlers and are similar to cereal and have both calcium and vit D as well as other nutrients.

(2) How much water do they drink? I am giving her water with a medicine dropper and she is drinking about 1.0 ml a day, generally about .5 ml at a time, after that she shakes it off. I am worried that is not enough, but she will also suck on grapes.

(3) How long should she wear the e collar? We will probably change it tonight as she is starting to smell, from the baby food, etc. that has dripped into the collar, but we plan on putting on another one. Her toes are not completely healed, but have scabbed over. I don't know how long is safe for her to wear, as she still fights daily trying to get it off, but I don't want to risk her biting her toes again.

She is still very mobile, but we removed her out of her large cage and have her in a ten gallon critter cage I have padded with baby blankets and have in my office while she is healing but let her out a few times a day to play on the bed while I watch her, she crawls all over pillows, etc. using only her front legs. I work from home, so I am able to check on her frequently and am keeping her from sleeping on her back as I read that could cause pneumonia.

Any suggestions or tips anyone has will be greatly appreciated as I know nothing about this little girl but when my daughter called for help, I couldn't turn her away.

Thank you in advance.

is your vet a glider knowledgeable vet? Where in Florida are you? I'm sure someone will know of a great vet you could see about the back legs.

Also have you lookedat the links for the diets yet? If not please get her on one of the diets so that she gets the nutrition that she needs. The diets explain how much to feed her. Do you have a water bottle? She should be able to drink from it even with an ecollar.

So she is not on an approved glider diet? Have you tried all of them? I would say it could be HLP due to a calcium deficiency, but I am not an expert.

As far as how much she should eat, it depends upon the diet. There are many diets in the diet section that are approved and would tell you exactly how much to feed her every day.

I know someone with more experience and knowledge will come along soon.

Lindsay

She is on glider formula, it's called Sunseed Sunscription Vita Sugar Glider Formula. But since my daughter lives on her own, I can't really say how well the glider ate the food. I know she loves grapes, and am afraid she may have eaten more of those than the glider food my daughter kept in her bowl.

I do have a water bottle, but because she can't sit, and with the e collar, she has not been able to drink from it.

I forgot to address the vet, he does specialize in small animals. My daughter worked for a vet for two years and he referred her to this one for the suggie.

http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=2&page=1
Please read about approved diets. The one she is on is not a good one.

I also replied to your intro post and gave you a link to Misty's website that tells all approved glider diets and how to make them.

Lindsay

Sorry but there is a big difference between being glider knowledgeable and specializing in small animals.

Sunscription? That [censored] they sell at Petsmart? Gliders should not have to eat much, if any, dry food. Their systems aren't made for it. And grapes should only be fed in tiny amounts, as they, unlike other fruits, are pure glucose rather than fructose. Some of us don't feed them at all because of studies showing death risks in dogs (it doesn't necessarily translate, but for me, better safe than sorry).

Where are you in Florida? Do you know where your daughter got this glider and how long she's had it? Several breeders would rather have the glider returned to them if there is a serious problem, or will be willing to help you out if there is anything they can do (I know that, when I had a few joeys, I made my adoptees sign a contract to return them if there was ever an issue). Of course, if she got it from a mill or backyard breeder, then they won't care. My link below has a full diet page with pretty much all of the accepted diets and their recipes. Take a look.

Thank you so much. She is actually eating at night, my husband gets home around 12:45 AM from work and is feeding her and I am getting up early and feeding her again. She really can't eat or drink on her own with the collar on and not being able to sit up, so leaving a bowl of food for her does not work at all. The baby food is definitely not her main diet and I only picked it up for the calcium. She is eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, eggs, and I keep trying to get her to eat the sugar glider food, but she spits it out and shakes her head.

I will try to locate another vet that in the area, although the one she went to came very highly recommended, I have also been concerned that he so quickly ruled out calcium deficiency.

Thank you all for your help.

Thank you for your opinion, but I can tell you we would not return her to a breeder. She is part of the family, that is why we are doing everything we can to help her which has included getting her to a vet immediately and joining this group for advice. Yes the sunscription is from the pet store and I'm guessing from your response is not a good food, thus the reason I am here. To get some good advice, not ridicule. The grapes were actually what the breeder told us to give her daily,so again I am learning and doing whatever it takes to help her.

You have come to the right spot, and we are definately here to help get this little back to good health. I would definately look into the recommended diets and maybe another vet? I feed HPW and my kiddos love it!

Kimberly, you are doing an awesome job! I'm so proud of you for wanting to do the right thing for her. Of course, she's a member of your family! She is going thru a rough time right now but I know with you taking care of her, she will be better in no time! We are here to help you any time you need it or just to chat! Many of us have our phone numbers listed if you feel the need to call or in an emergency, if our number is there, we want you to call!

Thank you. I just get frustrated when someone has to "censor" their comments and was very offended at the thought of returning her just because she needs special attention. I feel in my heart that she has a good chance of recovering from this, she is very feisty and even still plays with toys with the e collar on. I just need to learn as much as I can about her condition and so very much appreciate the help I have already received. I work from home and have kept her in my office all day and keep her beside the bed at night. I'm so amazed at how quickly she seems to be bonding with me (and me with her) as she scurries across the bed and climbs into my hand.

Just so you know, if you say any cuss word, the forum automatically censors it lol. It is funny but good. The first part into getting her healthy, is getting her on a good diet with good calcium phophorus ratios and this may help with her back legs.

Hello there! Welcome to GC! Very glad to have you join us!


Juno is lucky to have found you. Everyone here is very helpful and the wealth of knowledge is incredible. Please don't feel as if anyone is "picking on" you that's not what we're here for, altleast I would hope that isn't the case anyways. You will have unlimited resources at your fingertips as this site has many goodies to offer!

You don't even have to say a cuss word! LOL! Try writing the word freak*ing without the * and it censors it! GC is a family oriented board so they don't take chances, for which I'm very glad!

Oh yea hahaha I have done that too

The only reason this was brought up is because many reputable breeders have a contract signed with the buyer that states if for any reason they can't keep the glider, they will return it to the breeder, if the breeder desires to have it returned. I've bought gliders and signed that very contract. We (all GC members) are VERY passionate about ALL gliders, not just our own. We go to great lengths to protect them and now n then, the human equation tends to get a little lost in the shuffle. I assure you, no one meant to offend you in any way by saying that. You have earned the respect of many of us by your determination to keep her and coming here for help. You're a fantastic suggie mom!

Welcome...

Also by contacting the breeder, not to return your baby, but see if they know of a similar problem in other joeys they have raised and be able to offer so insight to the situation.

You truly have found the best place to come and learn..you are doing a great job.

Welcome to Glider Central.

I want to stress the importance of a Good Knowledgeable vet along with a very Good diet. Both sort of go hand in hand. So, when one is lacking it spells sickness and often the demise of the animal.

A Good Healthy diet supplies all the nutrition that is required to have strong bones, healthy teeth, beautifull fur and healthy body. As a whole... when fed properly gliders are Very Healthy. However, gliders can occassionaly contract a bacterial or parasite issue. And at times... this will often display symptoms of HLP. So, with this in mind... a good vet is needed for a sick glider.

Now, I am a small breeder of about fifteen pairs of gliders. And I have been doing so for over thirteen years so you can take my suggestions with a grain of salt if one so wishes. But from my experience...

1)your baby needs to be seen by a more qualified vet with a min of a Direct Fecal Smeal with a Fecal Float. vet should be looking for a Bacterial or Parasitic infection with approperate meds given.

2)better diet that is rich in Calcium and Protein.

There is a diet Forum here on Glider Central with several Approved diets so you may want to research it a bit. diet I feed is Judie's BML which was the BML but is slightly modified as my older gliders would not eat it when the Herptivite Multi Vitamin was added. I have fed this diet along with fresh fruit and veggies for well over eight years or so and never have I had HLP. I also keep a dry food in a small cup for them to munch on as it helps to keep the teeth clean.

Also, I want to add.... glider's self mutilate when they hurt. So, with a chewed foot... my suggestion is to have the vet perscribe an oral pain med... from experience Metacam works well...along with an antibiotic if the foot is inflamed. While E-Collars are necessary to prevent self-mutilation... usually with a pain med it is not necessary for a foot problem. Last thing you need is for the glider to rub a raw area under the collar which will become a nasty issue from being wet and food under it. So, if you continue to use the E-Collar... my suggestion is to remove it daily so the skin can breath and you can monitor the area for signs of impending problems. Clean the area after each feeding well and dry. Make sure there is a nice fold of mole skin between the E-Collar and the glider to prevent it from cutting into the glider's skin. There should not be any odor to the skin under the collar at all.

Suggestions:

1) More Knowledgeable vet to do Direct Fecal Smear and Fecal Smear to look for Bacterial of Parasitic infection. HLP Symptoms may be a secondary issue due Bacterial or Parasite problem. From my experience I would also ask vet about alternative treatment of an antibiotic and oral pain med for the foot to eleminate the stresfull use of the E-Collar on an already sick glider. To properly I.D. HLP... an X-Ray needs to be taken to determine bone density. Glider with HLP will have thinning of the long bones along with holes in them.

2) Change to an Approved diet that is Rich in Calcium and Protein. Go to the diet Forum for information here on Glider Central.

I wish you the best and may your little glider get well soon.

PS: HLP is a very painfull disorder. As the spinal bones degenerate they also compress against nerve endings. It is preventable and also treatable with good supportive care, correction to a Healty diet along with oral calcium and a pain med for discomfort to the nerve endings. However, it is very important that HLP be diagnosed properly by a knowledgable Exotic vet.

Welcome to G.C. - Like all the other members have asked - which part of Florida??? We don't want to slam your vet - we just would like to know - you don't have to give his/her name just location -

And you are such a good person to have taken on the responsibility of a paralyzed glider -

Please keep us informed as to his/her health

Sue
owned by &
mom to

Welcome to GC.

Please feel free to call me about your little one. While it is possible that she suffered an injury from poor diet, it is also possible that there is something else wrong. I am the proud mom of a little one who is fully paralyzed from an injury which severed his spinal cord.

While she heals there is much you can do in the way of cage set up and rehabilitation to speed the process and ensure her safety NOW.

Chewing on her back legs is also something we have experienced a LOT here with my little paralyzed guy (Jackie Chan). I may be able to give you and your vet some insight there and some assistance with treating and preventing that from happening again.

In any case, I would love to talk with you and give you some information to take with you to the vet. Please give me a call
Val 806-274-9177

Thank you all for the invaluable information.

In response to Beezer, I am in Central Florida. If you can recommend another vet that specializes in gliders, that will be greatly appreciated.

In response to Judie, she is on pain medicine once daily and antibiotics twice daily. These were started the day after the mutilation occurred. Juno has regained some mobility over the past couple of days in one of her rear legs and is now curling her tail. She has continued going to the bathroom with no problem and is still very feisty and eats well. My husband was up with her until 3AM this morning supervising her play, to make sure she didn't reinjure herself. The toes are healing and seems to be limited to her nail area. We also have a prescription ointment for her toes that is applied twice daily. My daughter rushed her to the vet as soon as she saw her chewing on her feet and we added the e collar a couple of days later as she did not leave them alone even with the meds.

We are hand feeding her a variety of foods high in protein and calcium as well as water, but she is very picky and will spit out anything she doesn't like.

In response to Jackie Chans Mom, thank you for the information and the hope. I would love to give you a call, if you can provide a best time (are you Central or Mountain Time, I am Eastern), I will do so tomorrow or Saturday.

Once again, I thank you all for the information and links you have provided.

I work from home and am home except the time that I run errands. You can call any time.

Thank you.

Juno is doing good. She is starting to use one of her rear legs and will pick up the other, she just doesn't try to grip with it. We are taking the e-collar off for short periods, but she still goes for the feet, so we have to put it back on. I found her this great soft carry bag designed for ferrets. It has two large window and is large enough she can climb all over the inside without hurting herself. You wear it on the front like a baby carrier and one of the windows is on the top so she climbs up and talks to me while she's playing. It is made of polar fleece with a padded bottom. She loves it and will play with her toys inside.

Please know that you can give me a call anytime. Talk with your vet about giving her some pain medication - just a bit to keep the "pins and needles" pain away from her feet. You should keep her in the collar until her feet are completely healed up.

sounds like you are doing well with her and she is recovering. It is very early for her to be moving her back feet, so that indicates that there was likely a calcium deficiency rather than an spinal injury. I'm praying for and believing she will make a full recovery!

She is already on pain med and antibiotics. Has been for just over a week now. The pain med just seems to knock her out, made the mistake of giving it to her before I fed her one night. She kept falling asleep chewing, then would wake up chew a little, then fall back to sleep. Learned to wait until after fed to give to her. Her rear toes are scabby now, so I'm guessing that is why she is still going for them. They probably itch. She has an ointment for them as well.

I would watch out for the bottom of the ferret carrier, that white fuzzy stuff can cause her nails to get stuck in it. I have that one that I carried my ferrets in. I do not remember if you could take it out though. I am glad to see your little one is starting to feel better

I just wanted to give my input, if you are looking for a great veterinarian in the Florida area, mine is AMAZING! The clinic used to be called Broward Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital but I think they recently merged with Coral Springs Animal Hospital, anyhow, here is the contact information:

Broward Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital
1730 N. University Drive
Coral Springs, FL 33071
Phone: (954) 968-7171
Fax: (954) 968-8414

Susan Kelleher, DVM

They deal with all kinds of exotics, including Sugar Gliders and are VERY experienced, they should be able to help any of you (for future reference) if you are located in the Florida area (south Florida). Also, that baby should be on a proven diet, I recommend researching BML, HPW and The Priscilla Price diet, there is LOTS of useful information on this forum regarding all three, just choose the one that fits your lifestyle best, they are all fairly easy to make too! =P

~Lauren

LSardou,
You are very welcome! =)

Kimberly, how is Juno doing?

I have a question about cage setup for paralyzed gliders. I've acquired another suggie, this one has back leg paralysis. I took her to Dr. Murray (recommended by a member here for neutering THANK YOU) and he wrote her a script for calcium something or other. She has a serious calcium deficiency. One back leg works to help her push her way around, the other leg just doesn't work at all. She can't grip anything so can't climb at all nor can she hold her food. Her hands and feet are sort of curled up and her nails are all weird. Dr. said the BML that my other suggies are on would be fine for her. She ate it like she was starving the first night. I put her in a backup cage until this weekend..I'll have to get a BIG one so she has room to scoot around.I realized after she was in the backup that it's taller than wide. She needs the wide more. I have a saucer for food because she can't lift herself up on a bowl. There's a smaller dish with water as well as a bottle because I don't know if she's ever used a water bottle before. What can I do for toys or stimulation of any kind? She's so scared that she's crabs and lunges at me everytime I put my hand in the cage, so we're taking it slower than usual as to not stress her out even more. I started to put some "monkeys in a barrel" in there until I realized she can't do anything with them. She looks so pathetic in there all alone with no stimulation. Any suggestions at all would be greatly appreciated!

Oh, poor baby! Thank goodness you have her now! I'm not sure about toys for stimulation. Ask Val, Jackie_Chans_Mom. She deals with a lot of special needs gliders.

Best of luck! I have learned so much from this forum and there are so many here who jump in to help at a moment's notice - wonderful people. Very happy to hear she's improving and sounds like she's really bonding to you.

Your little one will heal quickly if given the proper treatment, and will likely recover full use of those back legs. I'm thrilled to hear that she was given a liquid calcium supplement. That is very necessary in this type of situation.

What caused the calcium deficiency? Did you have tests run to determine? Calcium deficiency is very, very rarely a result of bad diet and is most often a result of a long standing, low grade bacterial or parasitic infection.

Please give me a call. I can certainly help you with cage set up and with some tips to help her recover as quick as possible. I have much experience and am thrilled to report today that I have 5 gliders in my home right now who have recently fully recovered from HLP severe enough to cause loss of use of 2-4 limbs. ALL have full use of all legs now. So, please do give me a call. I would love to chat with you and do what I can to help your little one along.
Val
806-274-9177

How's your new little one doing with being on the calcium a week now?

For enrichment stimulation, a small toy box of toys on the floor of the cage is best right now.

If you need any help or more ideas, just let us know.

Well, it took Walmart almost a week to fill the script so Wed. was her first dose. He prescribed a ml and MAN does that seem like a TON of liquid. I had to hold her in a towel and slowly get her to take it. Afterwards, she seemed so exhausted and small and pitiful it made me cry. She's been on a different diet for a week and that seems to be making a difference. She's not drinking out of the water bottle but she can pull herself up shakily to drink out of a bowl. I've been adding a little more of the fruit juice to her food dish so she gets liquid because I'm afraid to leave a bowl of water in her cage when I go to bed. I'm afraid she'll drown. The problem with toys is that she can't grip. At all. If you were to hold her on your shirt for instance, and let go...she'd fall straight to the floor. That's why I'm so lost in regards to enrichment. Thanks for asking about her, it's really nice to know we're not all alone in this adventure.
"What caused the calcium deficiency? Did you have tests run to determine?" Dr. Murray did a regular exam and gave the prescription. He wants to see her again in 4 weeks so I'll ask about testing then. He didn't even wanna trim her nails that day because she was already so stressed out. I'll post her progress.

Tonight when I took her out to do meds and quality time I noticed something awesome. Her back right leg that she was just dragging around with her moved! She would scoot a little bit and then she actually pulled that leg up to her body. I was so excited! She didn't seem as exhausted as she's been after meds and when I touched her she didn't try to run away. I know it's only been 4 days on meds and a week and 4 days on a new diet but I can see a definite change. She's gained a tiny bit of weight.....her behind doesn't come up off the floor anymore when I stroke her tail from underneath. I am so optimistic right now! Her fur is matted down by her behind where she gets in her food when she's eating. She can't really groom herself and she doesn't have a cage mate to help. Would it hurt her at all if I used a wet cloth to try to clean that up? I've never had to 'bathe' a suggie before.

Yeah! That's so exciting! It's really is awesome news!
For enrichment you can stroke her with a feather or some fleece. Let her see how it feels.
Maybe jingle a small liberty bell near her and let her see you doing it so she knows were the sound is coming from.
You could try laying her on different soft textured things so she can feel them.
Give her butterfly kisses so she can feel your eyelashes.
Make kissy noises when you approach her so she can associate that sound with you.
Show her a small mirror and let her look at herself.
Carry her around with you as much as you can. You could carry her in a bonding pouch even when she is sleeping during the day.

Wonderful news! Great progress!!! I think if you used a damp washcloth, you could clean her but make sure she doesn't get wet. Do it in a warm area and make sure she's completely dry before you put her down. You can also use a baby toothbrush to help loosen the mess in her fur.

Little baby girl climbed! She's become very alert lately..more interactive..so I hung a couple of barrel monkeys from the side of her cage. Hubby woke up and caught her climbing about 2 inches to investigate the monkeys! I was so excited. He got a pic of it but I don't know how to post pics. She's using that back leg and moving around more, I'm so excited about it. I really think she may get most of her mobility back. How awesome is that?!!

I think I figured out the picture thing.

Hi Kimberly. I am so proud of you and what you are doing for your little glider. As many of the rest of the bunch here are.
I want to offer you 1 1/4 cups of Wombaroo powder and the essentials such as protein and bone supplements to get you started on your first batch of food for her.
I can send it via priority mail and all you will need is 3 eggs, 1 1/2 cups of honey(I buy mine at walmart) and water.
As with one glider you sure don't need a whole box of the stuff.
This makes the HPW diet listed under the food link many have posted.
And this will make you enough to last several months as you freeze it after making it.
I will also send the instructions on how to make it. If you have a Blender you are ready to go.
Just let me know ok. Send email to me at fishingwithcloe@wildlbue.net and I will get it mailed right on out..
Bless your for taking this job on as I know you are great at doing what you are doing for your little one. Many would not be so loving so know that I for one think you just ttttttttriffic.

What part of Central Florida - we have vets that will consult via the phone - You are being so good about taking care of this glider you deserve a gold star - hehehe - I know there are other members on here that will be able to give you the name of a vet close to you -

Sue
owned by

Most of the time, when HLP is treated properly (by treating BOTH the symptoms AND the underlying cause), this is the case. A full return of function is very common. It is very different than the paralysis seen from injury to the spinal cord - which is permanent (such as with Jackie Chan).

You are still more than welcome to call me any time.

The cage that you posted in the picture has quite a bit of rust, and her tail looks pretty bad. I would like to talk to you about these things and see if we can't get you some more help and increase her rate of healing. Being in Texas also, I know that we can get you everything you need for her to be very safe and to heal much more quickly. Remember those tests I asked you about earlier? They are really pretty necessary, and from the looks of her, she needs at least the parasite screening and bacterial testing ASAP. The pattern noticed on her tail is an indicator of one of these two things. Either of these could be the CAUSE of her HLP, and if not treated, she will not ever heal fully. If you would give me a call, I could explain these things to you more fully so that they make more sense. I have a great deal of experience in treating gliders with HLP, so I am not just repeating what others have told me, I'm speaking from my extensive experience. Please give me a call.
806-274-9177

From that picture, it looks like she does have quite a way's of healing still. Not just with the HLP, a complete nutritional healing.

I'm concerned with the cage your using, it's unsafe. Are you using this type of cage for your other gliders as well? What about the size, most of the time those cage types are no larger than a 2x1. Especially if their the one's from Traders Village.

As with what Val said, she still has a way to go and needs further testing (if not done yet) and additional healing matters to bring her completely around. If I remember right, we are local to each other, I'm sure whatever further things you need for her, I have on hand or can get easily. Don't hesitate to keep in touch.

Just to be clear, the cage in the picture isn't her home. She was only in that cage for about 4 hours. I took her out at 3am to steam clean the cages. When my husband came to move her back at around 7, he found her climbing and snapped a picture for me. (I had already left for work)The temp cage is small, I'll give you that, it's my emergency cage. Up until a couple of weeks ago she wasn't able to go anywhere at all, her back leg didn't work at all and she was unable to grip. Her tail looks so bad because she's been dragging herself through her food..that's the problem I asked advise for in an earlier post. Short of dumping her in water it's REALLY difficult to get it all off. The vet asked to see her again in 4 weeks which is next Wed. so I will ask about the testing Val suggested. I was just so excited to see that she actually CLIMBED..used her limbs...3 weeks ago she could do nothing. And I do mean nothing. Now, maybe I'm being overly sensitive but it seems like the attitude is more towards what's going wrong and not enough to what's going right. I know the cage sucks..It's the one my other two suggies spent their little year and half lives in when they were dropped off here. I know her tail looks bad...soon as I figure out how to get rid of the 'helmet hair' it'll look better. vet in a week. She is using her leg. She is using her hands. I'm excited even if I'm excited all by myself. Val, thank you for your number. Are you sure you want me to call? I might have too many questions. I'm close to Fort Worth so we are close and I appreciate your offer to help. I'd just really like to be able to post progress and share excitement about it without hearing only negatives.

I think it is incredibly awesome that you and your girl have made so much progress in just a few weeks. Well done. Can't wait to see pix of her once she is completely recovered. Certainly seems she is well on her way.

~leigh

I am SO glad she's starting to make progress! Poor little baby has been through SO much! Your being an awesome suggie mom!!!!! You are going to have such a close bond with her after all that you have been through with her! She's going to be your furry little best friend!
I'm sure she is forever greatful to you for all that you have done for her. You have shown her love and care that a lot of people probably wouldn't give.


I don't think the people on GC mean to sound like they are focusing on only the negative. We are all VERY happy she is making progress. I think everyone just wants to see her continue to make progress and make a full recovery. We care very deeply about ALL gliders, not just our own. We want to share every piece of knowledge we have in order to help. Sometimes it may come off as sounding negative or like that's all we are focusing on. We don't mean for it to sound that way. So please don't take that personally. We really do care and want her to be happy and healthy. We know you are going through a really hard time with her. This isn't easy on her or you. You are doing a great job with her.

Please keep us updated on how she's doing.

Of course you are welcome to call. I wouldn't offer if I didn't mean it. And I know the same is true for Nancy.

As to the negativity thing - I'm sorry you see it that way. Having been exactly where you are now with no less than 8 gliders (some of whom where even worse off than your glider to start with), I know that her continued healing NEEDS to be your focus right now. I'm thrilled at her progress as well! Believe me! But I'm not surprised. Therefore, I just didn't comment like others. I'm sorry if you took that as negativity. I'm not at all surprised at her progress - it is very typical for a glider who is getting excellent care and treatment. You are doing a great job with her, and we will always think that. Please don't take it as negativity when those of us with experience are not as surprised as you at her progress. If you continue to talk with us - here and on the phone - I promise you that you will see even more progress with her. My point above was that we could potentially speed up the rate of progress IF you were to do some things a little differently - including going back to the vet ASAP rather than waiting the entire 4 weeks. Wouldn't it be great if she were to heal even more quickly?

You can find more information on HLP and treatment for it on The Sweet Spot. I recommend that you go there, read up, ask any questions you have after reading about what the first vet visit should have included (and what your next should include) and post your story. It will help others in the future.
http://thesweetspot.forumotion.net/hlp-p...isit-t36.htm#77

Ok, damp cloth..baby toothbrush..didn't work. She has BML and fruit juice stuck all over her back end from mid back to tip of tail. It's like a coat of armor. I took her outside to the porch where it's hot and dripped water on her..gently rubbed with a micro-fiber cloth. It helped a little but not enough. How wet can she get? It's 90 something degrees outside so if I use a syringe and squirt water on her, rub it off, etc. until it's cleaned would that be ok? There's no way that concrete fur is comfortable.

You can put some luke warm water in a dish. Then set her in it. Make sure there isn't a lot of water in it. Just enough to touch her belly. Then you can give her a little bath. When you are done make sure to dry her off as as good as you can then put her in a bonding pouch until she's totally dried. That will keep her warm. You don't want her to get chilled.
Try not to give her baths unless you absolutely have to. This can be very drying to their skin which can lead to other issues. Which I'm sure you don't need!
Use the toothbrush after she's all dried to help fluff up her fur. Sometimes it can look funny after a bath.

I have had to give one of mine a little bath before. He decided that playing IN his hpw was SO much fun. Lol. Let's just say mommy gave him a very long lecture as he was getting his bath! Hehe.

I forgot to add.... Once you have given her a bath then in between baths use a wet cotton ball to wash her after she eats. You may need a few cotton balls to get most of the food off. The cotton balls are good for when your giving her a bath too. You can use them to squeeze water onto different areas of her body and then wipe her fur. Once the food has softened a little you can use the cotton ball or your finger nails to gently slide the food out if her fur.

If her skin does end up getting dry you can use a dab of canola oil on a qtip and rub it on the dry spot. Canola oil is safe to use. My vet recomended this when I was handraising a joey and his skin got dry. Just don't use too much or she will be all greasy looking.

Sorry you took my reply and others as negativity. Not meant that way at all. Everyone has their posting style & their focus on a post. Val touched on it earlier, I just see that she has so much more healing to do, that I focus on encouraging & sharing ways to help/improve with that. She's not out of the woods yet, we don't want you to loose focus on that or delay her progress.

I try to encourage along the way, but I'm more of a lets celebrate when we are 100%. Yes she's making great progress, keep up with what your doing and bring in the other ideas and she'll make a great recovery.

I agree with brandi/NavyChiefWife. Once my gliders fell into roach spray. I had to give them a bath like this. Even though they looked like little drowned rats (it was so pathetic) it was one of those rare occasions where it's completely necessary. I kept everything warm, used a drop of gentle no tear baby shampoo in the water. Rinsed and dried them well. They were absolutely fine. I would also agree with the cotton ball or no scent baby wipe technique after meals/ wee wees. Because yes -bathing too much could over dry her skin. I'm sure u are doing just fine, seems like you have great a glider sense You have to remember, you saved her life! Thats already a huge accomplishment for her. Also-I agree with you on the being excited thing. I get excited when my gliders do silly things, even if no one else cares, ha ha! i have like 3,000 pictures of my gliders doing different things, and my friends look at them and say "but they're all the same!" LOL

interesting thing about how gliders eat, mine will "spit" out her food in triangle pieces but its not really spitting, she will suck out all she needs and discard the rest.

This is such an interesting thread and I have learned so much! Hi...my name is Margie and I live in N.Florida about 50 miles from Tallahassee. Last Dec. I was blessed with my first glider who had been knocked out of a cats mouth and looked seriously D.O.A. Our neighbors had a colony that lived off of seeds and were just left to breed. I kept him in a small inclosure with magnets on the top, fed him baby food for the first week and washed him off under running tap water to clean him. THEN...I got online and researched and took a crash course on these facinating little entities and fell hopelessly in love! Long story shortened...he lived and now, eight months later, he uses his hind legs again, unless he is in a hurry, and is able to glide in his cage. Shocked by his diet, I now use the BLM with added fruits and veggies on the side. He also has his own room and an eight by six cage. So, about a month ago, same neighbor finally tired of her gliders and they were brought to my house. There are two females, one with an in pouch baby and a male. Bless their hearts, the first night when I fed them, they thought they were in Glider Heaven! I absolutely MUST get my guys "fixed" and turn OFF the inbreeding machine! I also know that this group of critters will probably have health issues all their lives. I can't seem to find an Exotic vet in my area. I sure would appriciate you Ladies help with this! I have learned so much from all of you and am glad to have found this group.

Welcome- my suggestion to you would be to copy and past this post into the welcome section for newbies...I think more people will read it there. You are such a wonderful person for saving all those glider sand taking on others responsibilities. Glad to hear they "LOVE" their new diet!

Welcome to GC!!!

I think you're from Florida, so here is a list of vets in your state.


Affiliated Veterinary Specialists
Orlando Diaz-Figueroa DVM, MS
9905 South US Hwy. 17-92
Maitland Florida 32715
407-644-1287
407-644-9075 Fax
www.AVSspecialists.com
Email: vet@AVSspecialists.com

All Creatures Family Pet Center
5027 NW 34th Street
Gainesville, Florida 32653
352-335-0041
http://www.drgauvinsallcreatures.com/About.htm
No Email address

All Creatures Animal Clinic
1015 West Pipkin Road
Lakeland, FL, 33811
(863) 646-5683
http://allcreaturesfl.com/index.html
E-mail: info@allcreaturesfl.com

All Pets Clinic
Suzanne T. Billiar DVM
1741 East Silver Springs Blvd.
Ocala , Florida 34470
352-351-3588
http://www.myallpetsclinic.com/
No Email address

Aloma-Jancy vet Hospital
Dr.Greg Murray
3370 Pet Country Court
Oviedo Florida 32765
407-671-1183
http://www.alomajancyanimalhospital.com/
Email: alomajancyanimalhosp@msn.com

Argyle Animal Clinic
6001-2 Argyle Forest Blvd
Jacksonville, Florida 32244
904-771-2781
http://www.argyleanimalclinic.com/
No Email address

Ark & Bark Animal Hospital
Debbie Butler DVM
1707 Canova Street #1
Palm Bay, Florida 32905
321-507-7101
No Website or email address

Avian & Exotic Animal Medical Center
Don J. Harris DVM
Marc Kramer, DVM
12125 Old South Dixie Hwy
Miami, Florida 33157
305-234-2473
www.avianexotic.com
email djh@avianexotic.com

Baker Veterinary Clinic
Susan Baker DVM
1801 S. Congress Avenue
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
561-642-9972
http://www.bakervet.com/
Contact us at: askfluffy@aol.com

Banfield the Pet Hospital North
6248 Commerce Palms Drive
Tampa Florida 33647
813-977-7940
www.bandfield.com

Bay Moorings Animal Hospital
3695 50th Avenue South
St. Petersburg, Florida 33711
727-867-0118
www.baymooringsvet.com

Bayshore Animal Hospital & Bird Practice
3845 Tyrone Blvd N
Saint Petersburg, FL 33709
(727) 381-3900
http://bayshoreah.org/2501.html
BayshoreDVM@yahoo.com
Bird & Exotic Hospital
6147 Lake Worth Road
Greenacres, Florida 33463
561-964-2121
www.birdexoticvet.com
No email address

Bravo Animal Clinic
10901 Quail Roost Dr
Miami, FL 33157
(305) 234-9422
No Website or email address

Broadway Animal Hospital
886 Chapel Street
Oviedo, FL 32765-6590
(407) 365-7297
No website or email address

Broward Avian & Exotic Animal Hospital
Schneider Renata D.V.M
1730 N. University Drive
Coral Springs, Florida 33071
954-968-7171
http://www.exoticanimalcare.com/
No Email address

Care Animal Hospital in Brandon
511 East Bloomingdale
Brandon,Florida 33511
813-684-7387 Emergencies 813-618-4919
http://www.careanimalhospital.org/
No Email address

Bird & Exotic Wildlife Hospital
Chavez, William D.V.M.
9495 Old South Dixie Hwy
Miami, FL 33156
(305) 670-0611 Emergency 305-234-2473
http://www.bewhvet.com/
No Email address

Cocoa Veterinary Hospital
2325 SR 524
Cocoa, Florida 32926
321-636-2230
www.caringforlifeinc.com
Email on website

Countryside Animal Hospital
2740 Curlew Road
Clearwater, Florida 33761
727-785-1211
No website or email address

Dadeland Animal Hospital
9495 Old Dixie Highway
miami, FL 33156
(305) 671-3647
http://dadelandanimalhospital.com/
Email on website

Dr. Don's Mobile vet Service
Nokomis / Sarasota, FL 34286
(941) 480-9707
No Website or email address.

East Orlando Animal Hospital
7600 Lake Underhill Road
Orlando, Florida 32822
407-277-3497
www.eoah.com
Email on website.

Edgewood Animal Clinic
1708 Edgewood Drive East
Lakeland, Florida 33803
863-688-8301
No website or email address.

Exotic Bird Hospital
8820 Old Kings Road South
Jacksonville, Florida 32257
904-256-0043
www.exoticbirdhospital.com
No email address.

Exotic Pets vet
Jack Landess, D.V.M.
405 West Albee Road
Nokomis Florida 34275
941-484-2485
http://www.exoticpetsvet.com/

Extra-Care Animal Hospital
950 S. Flamingo Road
Davie, Florida 33325
945-370-0203
http://extracareanimalhospital.vetsuite.com/Templates/puppylove.aspx
Email ecah@comcast.net

Feline Avian & Exotic Animal
916 Broadway
Dunedin, Florida 34698
727-735-0228
No website or email address.

Florida Veterinary Specialists
Teresa Lightfoot DVM
3000 Busch Lake Boulevard
Tampa, Florida 33614
813-933-8944
www.floridaveterinaryspecialists.com
No email address.

Wildlife & Zoological Medicine Service,
University of Florida, College of Veterinary Medicine
2015 S.W. 16th Avenue
Gainesville, Florida 32610
Small Animal Hospital
(352) 392-2235
http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/patientcare/medicalcenter/
No email address.

Hidden Hills Animal Hospital
12134 Ft. Caroline Road
Jacksonville, Florida 32225
904-641-3384
Has website have to find it.

Jaffe Animal Clinic
950 North Dixie Hwy
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
561-395-4030
www.drjaffe.com
Email : jac@drjaffe.com

Lake Howell Animal Clinic
856 Lake Howell Road
Maitland, Florida 33089
407-628-8000
www.lakehowellanimalclinic.com
Email offered on site.

Lund Animal Hospital
5620 N. Federal Hwy
Boca Raton, Florida 33487
561-998-5863
http://www.bocavet.com/index.html
Email
drscott@bocavet.com
Email drkristy@bocavet.com

Marcum Road Animal Hospital
131 Marcum Rd.
Lakeland, Florida 33809
863-858-1718
http://www.marcumroadanimalhospital.com/
Email marcumroad@aol.com

Miami International Animal Hospital,
9 Westward Drive
Miami Springs, Florida 33166
305-885-2000
No Website or Email address

Native Palm Animal Hospital
Heather Johnston DVM
10076 W Indiantown Road
Jupiter Farms, Florida 33478
561-747-9991
No Website No Email Address.

Nokomis Veterinary Clinic
Jack Landess DVM
405 West Albee Road
Nokomis, Florida 34275
941-484-2485
www.exoticpetsvet.com
No Email address

Orchid Springs Animal Hospital
615 Overlook Drive
Winter Haven, Florida 33884
863-324-6964
www.osahvets.com
Email postmaster@osahvets.com

Promenade Animal Hospital
9850 Alt. A1A Suite 507
Palm Beach, Florida 33410
561-627-8888
http://www.promenadevet.vetsuite.com/Templates/GridCritters.aspx
No email address

Saint Francis Animal Clinic
1225 North Military Trail
West Palm Beach, Florida 33417
561-697-8945
No Website or email address

Shelton Veterinary Clinics
4865 SR 207
Elkton, Florida 32033
904-692-3935
www.shelvet.com
No Email address

South Kendall Animal Clinic
9501 SW 160th Street
Miami, Florida 33157
305-238-2030
www.southkendall.com
Email info@southkendall.com

Southpaw Animal Health
Debora A. Drake, DVM
15421 North Dale Mbry Hwy.
Tampa, Florida 33618
813-968-4025

South Kendall Animal Clinic
9501 SW 160th Street
Miami, Florida 33157
305-238-2030
www.southkendall.com
Email info@southkendall.com

Steele Animal Hospital
5305 Seminole Blvd.
St Petersburg Florida 33708
727-398-7601
http://steeleanimalhospital.net/
Email available on website

The Bird & Exotic Hospital Inc.
Vanessa Rolfe DVM
6147 Lake Worth Road
Greenacres , Florida 33463
561-964-2121
http://www.birdexoticvet.com/
RolfeDVM@birdexoticvet.com

Tri County veterinarians
5965 State Road 207
Elkton, FL 32033-3205
(904) 692-4200 Emergency904- 823-1277
http://www.tricountyvets.com/
Email fred@tricountyvets.com

Viera East Veterinary Center
5405 Village Drive
Viera, Florida 32955
321-639-9888
http://www.vieravet.com/
Email vieraeastvetctr@bellsouth.net

VCA Promenade Animal Hospital
4424 N.University Drive
Launderhill Florida 33351
954-748-9600
http://www.vcahospitals.com/promenade
No Email address

VCA Tampa Bay Animal Hospital
8501 La Due Lane
Tampa, FL 33614
813-933-6609 or 813-879-6090
Murphy Animal Hospital Merged
http://www.vcahospitals.com/tampa-bay
No Email address

Viera East Veterinary Center
Dr.Sandy Helpling
5405 Village Drive
Viera, Fl 32955
321-639-9888
http://www.vieravet.com/index.html
Email vieraeastvetctr@bellsouth.net

Winter Park Veterinary Hospital
1601 Lee Road
Winter Park, Florida 32789
407-644-2676
http://www.wpvh.vetsuite.com/Templates/vector.aspx
Email wpvet@embarqmail.com

I highly recommend the blended diet, most of the stuff can be bought at local store or health store. http://www.gliderkids.com/BlendedGliderDietWeb.pdf

I have also tried priscilla's and there a few other listed here... http://glidergeek.weebly.com/diet.html

I am glad you are helping her:)

The Glider Geek site jeremylexy posted above is mine (as shown in my signature) and I've listed two more diets on there, today as a matter of fact, including Candy's Blended diet, which is at the Glider Kids site also posted above.

Any updates on either of the two gliders?

DO NOT FEED HER GRAPES!! It promotes kidney failure.

CiaAndZitasMom I'm sorry but that just is not true. I've been feeding grapes to my gliders for over 12 years. My 13+ old LOVES them as do all the others here.

YES, grapes may be harmful to other animals but there has not been any indication what so ever that they harm gliders.

Dancing: Every site I have read said that grape skins are bad for Sugar Gliders. Now I understand that you have been feeding your gliders grapes for some time now, but I am not ready to take that leap of faith that they are okay untill it is 100% proven. Thanks anyways! Have a great holiday!

Mine have always eaten grapes too they don't eat the skins, they scrape out the juicy insides and discard the skins for mom to clean up!

Haha Yeah I like to think of myself as their mom but I am afraid I have become the Glider 'Slave'.

Zita
Cia

Your choice.

But you should offer the links to those websites that suggest they are bad for GLIDERS but don't go saying they are bad if you don't have PROOF. There are those of us with YEARS of experience and those of us who have cared for HUNDREDS of gliders over the years that have that experience to offer as proof.

There are also a lot of "bunk" sites out there full of bad info.

Dancing: Hey, I too have cared for my share of gliders so don't go pushing that around like its some kind of trophy. Look I am not trying to start stuff. You have your opinions I have mine. We both have our own proof and experience. But untill they have a proven 100% diet then I think its best you do your thing and I will do mine. I am sure you are doing the best for your babies and I am doing the same for mine. Why can't you just let it drop and have a good holiday?