I thought I would post an update, but I can't locate my past post. I probably just missed it -- if that is the case, sorry mods!!!

Anyway:
UPDATE on Munchie:

This morning, Munch had an appointment for a check up. The vet took off his splint, and his leg looked.. odd. I mean, we expect it to be stiff and straight, but it was just oddly angled and something looked wrong. We decided to do x-rays, even though we weren't planning to re-check them for another 2 to 3 weeks.

The results of the x-rays were great. I mean, it didn't heal perfect but there is some definite healing, and he has regained the ability to grip with that foot. He can also definitely it now when we touch the bottom of the foot on that leg.. before he was just allowing that leg and foot to lay limp, even when you touched the bottom of his foot. He just wouldn't react. So, healing, regaining sensitivity, able to grip.. YAY. But, like I said, it didn't heal perfectly so we're not too sure what the future brings for how he'll move that leg.

Another plus though -- he's not self mutilating. We took the splint and e-collar off.. they've been off for quite awhile now.. and no self-mutilating. Before, he'd go into attack mode on himself whenever either came off.

Now -- his leg is very stiff. Is this because of the splint? Probably. I know there's some debate on splints, and a lot of people don't like them for gliders...but would I change using one? No. We attempted to take the splint off multiple times, and each time he would go nuts. I don't know if the splint actually helped him, but I don't regret using it. ...regardless, his leg is stiff. It's extremely..just..straight. He gets around okay despite the stiffness of that leg, but I am hoping he regains the ability to bend it. As it is, he's been out of the splint for less than 24 hours, so I guess I can't expect for him to be moving it like normal right away..

The vet expects that he'll slowly start to bend it a bit... going at tiny, tiny little movements, but it will probably take awhile (though, due to how it healed, she did say that he will probably always be "a little long in that leg"). She did say that if it doesn't, obviously alterations to his cage will be needed... that I'm a bit unsure of...maybe lots of hammocks??? A wheel that's a bit lower to the ground and not as bouncy as the one I currently use (and love -- the CC)? We're taking it a day at a time though and really hoping for a good recovery.

Hey Val (and anyone else that might know), should you see this, any tips on how I can make Munch's cage safe for him if he doesn't regain the full ability to bend his leg?

give it time it can sometimes take a long time to heal. but even gliders without legs learn to get around just as good as ones with 4 legs. thats a minor problem at least he has a 4 legs.

I'd have lots of vines or braids with foraging cups with treats/food inside. I'd keep them low and lots of hammocks beneath him, but it would encourage him to use his leg. What about his wheel? Is he allowed to use it yet? Will he let you massage his leg?

I was just going to write a post and ask how your little guy was doing since I hadn't heard in a while. I'm glad hes doing better. I'm also glad to finally know his name...I don't think you ever mentioned it before that I have seen! Get better quick Munchie!!

Having had human family members with broken arms that required casting above the elbow - the unused joint is just about frozen when the cast first comes off. My son and husband reported the first movements of their elbows was very stiff and somewhat painful.(one had a fractured wrist, the other broke both radius & ulna and had them pinned)

Gradual use of the elbow loosened it up and the pain went away after the first day or so.

From that experience, I would guess that your little guy will gradually stretch out those joints that were restricted from moving. The more he moves and grasps things with that foot - at his own tolerance for movement - will help him recover most if not all the use of that stiff joint.

You might try putting things on his foot to encourage him to use the grasp in that leg.

sounds like the little guy is going to do just fine. Great job getting him the medical help he needed so quickly.

He's trying to be active, and he seems to have no problem holding onto the side, so I don't think any encouraging will be needed Even with the splint on, he'd find anything he could climb in and be on it, doing backflips off of it. Active little man....

The wheel...that is still off limits to him for another 2 weeks or so at least. The hope is that he'll be able to bend his leg at least halfway to the normal position during that two weeks.. but right now, when he walks.... He's kind of doing a sort of "bear walk", up straight on all 4s (so, he's not just dragging that limb -- he's trying hard to use it). He gets around really good (fast!), but I'm not sure how he'd do in the wheel doing the bear walk.

Massaging the leg depends on the time that I try. He's a fussy little guy -- only ever wants to be pet when he says its okay. Last night I tried to do it, no luck. Today -- today he was okay for about 5 minutes and then I got the "leave me alone!" crab.

Seems like Munchie has his mind SET on getting better..even while doing the bear walk. Well done to both of you! Go for it Munchie, I pray that you will gain full use of your leg.

I am glad he is trying to get around, he sounds like a fighter. I'm glad he has you to fight for him.

sounds like great news to me!

I know gliders and cats are completely different, but thought I would throw this out there. My cat got an infection in a hind leg while I was at college, mom didn't take him to the vet very speedily (that's a separate rant) and what eventually happened was by the time I could get home to take care of him, the infection had gone into the bone. It took 6 weeks of daily oral antibiotics to completely kill the infection, which you can immagine he just loved. Well by the end of this, the bone had re-modeled itself somewhat around the infection site and such, and he hadn't been using it much. Three months later, you could barely tell anything had ever happened to him. He had a little bit of a limp but still ran and jumped and pounced just like all the other kitties. He did his own physical therapy, bouncing around with his kitty clan members, and the bone has gradually re-modeled itself more to be in tune with his activity level. If I had to guess, I would be Munch Man will be the same way, gradually using his leg again more and more and eventually moving almost if not exactly as he did before.

Jessica, I hope so! He's trying to groom himself now with that leg, which is good. He can't do it quite as well as normal, but he's "sneezing" on his that foot and using it to groom his head. I am glad to see him trying, despite being very, very stiff.

I guess I just get discouraged with the whole thing because obviously a quick fix would be amazing. I'd love to walk in there and see that he's doing normal glider things right away. I'd love to see it in 2 days be right as it always was, like it was never broken. It's hard to remember that these things take time. While we're waiting it out though, he's spoiled rotten. Getting extra mealies.

Funny thing -- he won't touch the live ones! He'll chow down on the freezedried ones..but the live ones? Neither of my gliders will touch them.

so glad to hear he is on the mend...when you get discouraged just remember back to when it happened and how scary that was and now look how far he has come!

Have you squished the live ones for them? Have they eaten them before? My girl had to be shown all the yummy guts before she would eat them, now she'll about take a finger off if you try and hide them from her. She smells them and she WILL find them!

They've a few live ones before. They eat them, but don't really go nuts. They eat a small portion of them and then walk away..

Before, I would only do meal worms very, very sparingly as I don't care for touching them... But I picked up some of the freezedried mealies and they eat every bit of them. I tried offering a live one this morning and they wouldn't touch it.

Just a picture update. He's still stiff and it appears that he will never be able to really bend it.. but he seems to get around okay with it. In this picture, he's holding that leg up, but he does use the leg well. (Also, that pouch that is in his cage -- with the zipper -- is not typically in his cage. It was in there for a few moments due to the fact that he did not want to leave it after tent time. It was removed shortly afterwards).




And just for good measure,
here is his friend, Monk, with whom he will hopefully be living by next week. (She just has to stop nipping at him first!)



Update: 5:20PM on 1/21/10 --
Just got back from getting their nails clipped at the vet... boy do they HATE that! The vet looked over his leg while he was there, and watched him run around. She believes that the joint fused, but gave him the okay to use a wheel, have a completely normal cage, and a cagemate. She doesn't think he's bothered by it in the least.

so glad he is doing better...they are so cute

Wooo!!!! Great news!!!!!

that is amazing news!

Happy to hear the good news! Cute pics!

Great news!!!!

Great news!

Great news!

That is wonderful!!!