Health & Your Glider
Health & Your Glider
Pika was about 13 years old when she passed away on March 12, 2007.
The potential lifespan of sugar gliders in captivity is 12 - 15 years; sadly, however, the average lifespan is only 6 - 8 years. Why is there this large difference between potential and actuality? There are a number of factors that account for this difference.
Many sugar gliders die each year due to accidental death. They are very small animals and consequently they can get into very small places. The most common cause of accidental death is drowning in a toilet. Glider owners need to make sure that toilet lids are kept closed at all times - even when gliders are "secure" in their cages. As many have found out, a glider can use its opposable thumbs to open cage doors and "escape". Although gliders can swim, they can not get out of a toilet once they have fallen in. Eventually, they become exhausted and end up drowning. Other causes of accidental deaths include electrocution, poisoning and having been caught by other pets within the household. Other factors that reduce the lifespan of a glider include poor nutrition, exposure to toxic chemicals, untreated illnesses and illnesses treated too late.
By educating yourself about the various risks and illnesses that gliders can succumb to, you will be able to help your glider live a full, healthy and long life. To that end, this web-page has been created to help you learn about the important facets of keeping your glider healthy. Many of the articles have been written by sugar glider owners who have become experts. Their articles are based directly on their own experiences. I am deeply grateful to these owners for taking the time to write about their experiences so that we can all learn from them.
I strongly suggest that you read this page and its links in their entirety. Bookmark it on your web browser so that you can refer to it in the event of an emergency. Feel free to print out any or all of these articles so that you have them available when needed. Please keep in mind that all pictures on this site are copyrighted by the individuals who took them. Do not use these pictures for anything other than as a reference in conjunction with the articles.
To skip to a specific article, you can click on one of these links:
If you feel your glider is sick, please seek immediate veterinary assistance. The information on this page and in the correlating articles is for general educational purposes and is not intended to replace proper vet care. Please do not try to self-diagnose or self-treat your glider.
Finding A Veterinarian
Finding A Veterinarian
Finding a veterinarian who is familiar with sugar gliders is a very important thing to do BEFORE your glider gets sick. Sugar gliders are exotic pets and glider-experienced veterinarians are still rare. All too often, gliders become ill and their owners don't have a clue where to bring their glider for emergency care. I live in the metropolitan Cleveland area, where there are well over a hundred veterinarians listed in the yellow pages. However, of all those vets, there is only one within 30 minutes of my home that accepts sugar gliders as patients. I am very fortunate because she is an excellent vet and is actually relatively close to my home. However, for after-hour calls, I have to drive almost an hour away to an emergency hospital in Akron. I have my regular vet's phone number memorized and it is written down and kept next to all phones in my house.
Even before getting a sugar glider you should phone around and find out where the nearest vet is that is glider-experienced. Phone each number in the yellow pages and ask two specific questions: 1) "Do you accept sugar gliders as patients?"; 2) "Does the veterinarian have experience with sugar gliders? If so, how many other gliders has he/she seen?" Don't feel awkward about asking these questions. They are vital to the continued well-being of your glider.
Once you find a glider-experienced vet, find out what the vet's normal office hours are, not just what the clinic's hours are. Find out if the clinic is available 24/7 for emergencies. If not, inquire about where your veterinarian would recommend that you bring your glider in the event of an emergency. Follow up by checking with the emergency facility to make sure that they also accept sugar gliders as patients. Many do not. Find out where the emergency facility is located and print out a map to keep in your Emergency Medical Kit.
I can not stress the importance of knowing, in advance, where the nearest glider-experienced veterinarian is. It could mean the difference between life and death for your glider in the future.
Wellness Exams
The Importance of Wellness Exams
Sugar gliders should have a wellness exam at least once a year. The first exam should be done within the first two weeks of bringing your glider home. This allows your veterinarian to meet your glider and familiarize him/herself with your glider. This initial exam will be the beginning of the important relationship between you, your glider and your vet. It will also serve to ensure you of your glider's good health and will help to detect any underlying disorders that would be otherwise indiscernible until reaching a critical state. During this exam, your vet will check your glider's weight and physically examine your glider's eyes, ears, nose, mouth, hands, feet, cloaca, tail and overall coat condition. They will also palpate your glider's abdomen to make sure that your glider is healthy internally and they will listen to your glider's heart and lungs with a stethoscope. In addition to these routine checks, the vet will obtain a fecal sample and run an intestinal parasite screen. Sugar gliders do not need any type of immunizations the way that cats and dogs do. Your vet may also, but not necessarily, show you how to trim your glider's nails - you can always ask about this if they don't volunteer the information, although there may be an extra fee involved.
Please note that a sugar glider's incisors (bottom, front teeth) do not continually grow throughout their lifetime the way that a rodent's upper incisors do. Therefore, under no circumstances, should your vet trim (or "float") your glider's teeth. This practice is inhumane and can cause extreme difficulties and health problems as your glider gets older. Recently on GC, Jen B. (Xfilefan) had the following to say about this practice, "Some vets without experience with marsupials see the big, black eyes, and bare ears, and body conformation, and 'assume' that they must be like a rodent with bottom incisors that grow...and that just isn't the case. A glider's long bottom teeth are there because, UNLIKE a rodent, they have to get thru the bark of a tree regularly in order to eat, and they are solid and strong to accommodate that. A rodent may chew (in order to build nests, etc) but eats mostly grasses and grains in the wild. There is a biological, habitat related reason they are so different, and require different care. Like with people, however, vets can be just as guilty of judging an animal by appearance...and in the case of gliders, they are the ones who lose. In all fairness, when I very first started, I may have believed a vet if they told me that, thinking that they knew more than I. Much more with exotic pets (than domestic pets or human doctors-and there are some bad people docs in the world, too), you really need to know your stuff so you know if you're told something like that to say, 'Hey, that's not right'. And if a vet still insists they know what they're talking about and you don't (especially with no better reasoning given than 'I'm a professional and you're not') you know to go and find one that really DOES know what they're talking about." So, if your vet recommends this procedure, you may want to find a different vet whose knowledge is current with today's practices.
Bourbon & Ruth's Sugar Glider Info has a wonderful article by Linda Altman titled "What to do when you know your pet needs help". I strongly suggest that you read this article and print it out for future reference.
Emergency Medical Supplies
Emergency Medical Supplies
Having a well-stocked Emergency Medical Kit on hand can mean the difference between whether or not your glider survives in the event of an emergency. Recently, I was called to the home of a glider owner whose glider was "acting sick". Fortunately, I brought along my kit. Upon arrival, the glider was extremely dehydrated and was not getting adequate oxygen because of it. It was apparent that immediate care was needed if this glider was going to survive. I used a 1.0 c.c. syringe (without a needle) to administer Pedialyte to him. En route to the emergency vet hospital in Akron, I continued to administer Pedialyte to him and was able to get him to drink about 3.5 c.c.'s by the time we reached the hospital. Although they were unable to determine what had caused his dehydration to begin with, they administered 8 c.c.'s of sub-cutaneous (sub-q) fluids and he revived. If I had not had the supplies on hand, he would have died before we even reached the hospital. He is now on the road to full recovery without any adverse effects from his bout with severe dehydration.
The following items are those that I recommend stocking in your Emergency Medical Kit. Keep everything together in an easily accessible spot. Although you may not ever need any of them, it is better to be safe than sorry...
- Q-tips [for cleaning wounds and applying topical medications]
- -12- 1.0 c.c. Needleless Syringes [for administering oral medications and for force-feeding]
- Pedialyte [for treating dehydration]
- Esbilac Puppy Formula -or- Wombaroo Marsupial Milk Replacer -or- Brisky's Booster Milk [for emergency feeding]
- French Catheter #5 [for emergency feeding, used in conjunction with needleless syringe]
- Neosporin [antibiotic ointment for treating sores and wounds]
- Neosporin Plus Pain Relief [antibiotic ointment with analgesic for treating sores and wounds - only to be used in conjunction with an e-collar]
- Baby Fingernail Clippers -or- Cuticle Clippers [for trimming nails]
- Sterile Cotton Balls -or- Sterile Gauze Pads [for cleansing sores and wounds]
- Self-Adhering First Aid Gauze Wrap [for dressing wounds]
- Spare Small Cage [for use as a "Hospital Cage" to isolate sick gliders]
- Human Heating Pad without auto shut-off [for heating the "Hospital Cage"]
- Corn Starch [for treating nail bleeds]
- Sterile 0.9 Saline Solution [for cleaning wounds]
- Vitamin E Capsules [for treating wounds]
- Tweezers
- Small Scissors [for possible thread entanglements]
- Moleskin Plus Padding [for use in making an E-Collar]
- Molefoam [for use in making an E-Collar]
- Heavy-Duty Clear Mylar (sold as notebook covers or as "flexible cutting mats") [for use in making an E-Collar]
- Clear Duct Tape [for use in making an E-Collar]
- Bird Feeder Dispensers [for feeding glider wearing an E-Collar]
- Microwaveable Heating Pad [for keeping glider warm during transportation in cold weather]
- Several Large Fleece Blankets, (12" x 12") stored in airtight bag or container to keep clean [for wrapping glider]
- Bonding Pouch [for confining glider during transportation]
- Emergency Contact Card with normal & emergency vet's names, addresses & phone numbers
- Map and Directions to Emergency Vet Hospital
