Posted By: minkasmom
One Jacked-Up Little Girl - 02/16/09 03:15 AM
It seems to me that my sweet lady Minka being pregnant and the month of February combine to a TERRIBLE end result. I only wish I knew WHY this happens (two years in a row now), because dealing with it is a real grate on my nerves.
I came home from the SGGA to one of the boys having their tail chewed on (AFTER having to take Magellan to Tulsa because the same thing happened to HIM)...I thought I'd found the culprit (MoJo) and got him neutered for several obvious reasons. Well, I guess I didn't get it done SOON enough: Morticia came along in September, and now Mambo made his grand OOP on February 1.
Life through the first week of February was going pretty well...nobody had any injuries, no squalling or loud crabbing coming out of the M-cage, I thought the problem pretty much resolved. Until last Monday night. I noticed a spot on Minka's tail where some fur was missing: just a small spot, maybe the size of a pinhead. Yes a need to watch very closely...the next morning, the same spot had the skin broken! So I pulled Minka and Mambo out of the colony cage, put them in a reptarium (credit please for thinking that A YOUNG JOEY CAN GET THROUGH ANY SIZE BARS!) and putting a bandage combination of Neosporin/vetwrap/big straw with Gorilla tape. I watched her Tuesday night and Wednesday night....no problem. She was leaving it alone, Mambo was gaining weight, nursing regularly. Thursday night I came home to a DISASTER: She had chewed her tail just beyond the end of the straw (just above the black part of her tail) and it was BAD. I could tell that it was beyond hope of healing and pulled Mambo away from her.
Friday (the 13th) I spent over 3 hours in the vet's office with getting her tail amputated just above the second injury (he thinks the original spot will heal with time IF SHE LEAVES IT ALONE). Now the amputation itself didn't take that long....GETTING AN E-COLLAR ON HER DID!!! You see, she's one of those "fluffy" gliders (she weighs 146 grams) who has no neck, and I spent the better part of an HOUR trying to get it on, only to have her pop it back off in seconds. I finally got so fed up that I paid my bill, packed up my e-kit and came home to try and create something that would WORK.
I eventually did come up with something (and I will HAVE to borrow my husband's digital camera so I can get a picture of this): The vet gave me an 18-inch piece of Nich bandage (stretchy, mesh-woven bandage) that's about an inch wide and daffodil yellow. I made her a "jacket" by taking a 3-inch piece and sliding it over her head and front paws (think hourglass-shaped corset at this point) then cut 2 small slits to put her front paws through. Now I had something to tape the e-collar to (besides her fur) that she couldn't scoot forward or backward out of, yet still breathe and move around. With my black Gorilla tape to hold the e-collar in place, and the red and orange vetwrap on her tail with a royal blue straw over it...
You just gotta see my retro-colored glider. She's so sad....but she's getting stronger day by day. That counts more than anything, but it breaks my heart to see her like she is right now.
So the bottom line of this whole story is this: if you have a "fluffy" glider who lives in your cage or reptarium, you might want to swing past your vet's office and ask them to furnish you with a piece of Nich bandage. Then treat yourself to an Oreo Shake at Burger King....the royal blue straws that come with it make an AWESOME tail cover.
And Mambo...? Well, his story will be posted over in "Breeding and Babies. He's doing INCREDIBLY well, adjusting to the life of a spoiled bra baby quite nicely. And at 2 weeks OOP, he's already been to several places and is a good traveler!
I came home from the SGGA to one of the boys having their tail chewed on (AFTER having to take Magellan to Tulsa because the same thing happened to HIM)...I thought I'd found the culprit (MoJo) and got him neutered for several obvious reasons. Well, I guess I didn't get it done SOON enough: Morticia came along in September, and now Mambo made his grand OOP on February 1.
Life through the first week of February was going pretty well...nobody had any injuries, no squalling or loud crabbing coming out of the M-cage, I thought the problem pretty much resolved. Until last Monday night. I noticed a spot on Minka's tail where some fur was missing: just a small spot, maybe the size of a pinhead. Yes a need to watch very closely...the next morning, the same spot had the skin broken! So I pulled Minka and Mambo out of the colony cage, put them in a reptarium (credit please for thinking that A YOUNG JOEY CAN GET THROUGH ANY SIZE BARS!) and putting a bandage combination of Neosporin/vetwrap/big straw with Gorilla tape. I watched her Tuesday night and Wednesday night....no problem. She was leaving it alone, Mambo was gaining weight, nursing regularly. Thursday night I came home to a DISASTER: She had chewed her tail just beyond the end of the straw (just above the black part of her tail) and it was BAD. I could tell that it was beyond hope of healing and pulled Mambo away from her.
Friday (the 13th) I spent over 3 hours in the vet's office with getting her tail amputated just above the second injury (he thinks the original spot will heal with time IF SHE LEAVES IT ALONE). Now the amputation itself didn't take that long....GETTING AN E-COLLAR ON HER DID!!! You see, she's one of those "fluffy" gliders (she weighs 146 grams) who has no neck, and I spent the better part of an HOUR trying to get it on, only to have her pop it back off in seconds. I finally got so fed up that I paid my bill, packed up my e-kit and came home to try and create something that would WORK.
I eventually did come up with something (and I will HAVE to borrow my husband's digital camera so I can get a picture of this): The vet gave me an 18-inch piece of Nich bandage (stretchy, mesh-woven bandage) that's about an inch wide and daffodil yellow. I made her a "jacket" by taking a 3-inch piece and sliding it over her head and front paws (think hourglass-shaped corset at this point) then cut 2 small slits to put her front paws through. Now I had something to tape the e-collar to (besides her fur) that she couldn't scoot forward or backward out of, yet still breathe and move around. With my black Gorilla tape to hold the e-collar in place, and the red and orange vetwrap on her tail with a royal blue straw over it...
You just gotta see my retro-colored glider. She's so sad....but she's getting stronger day by day. That counts more than anything, but it breaks my heart to see her like she is right now.
So the bottom line of this whole story is this: if you have a "fluffy" glider who lives in your cage or reptarium, you might want to swing past your vet's office and ask them to furnish you with a piece of Nich bandage. Then treat yourself to an Oreo Shake at Burger King....the royal blue straws that come with it make an AWESOME tail cover.
And Mambo...? Well, his story will be posted over in "Breeding and Babies. He's doing INCREDIBLY well, adjusting to the life of a spoiled bra baby quite nicely. And at 2 weeks OOP, he's already been to several places and is a good traveler!