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.
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