In Reply to: ANOTHER LOSS...TWO gliders in TWO days...PLEASE READ posted by Virginia on March 11, 2000 at 15:10:21:

: I don't feel much like reading the board today...but i wanted to come in here and post this so others will know why i'm disappearing for a couple of days until I can emotionally handle reading the board and helping others.
: I hope that everyone will take the time to read this even though it probably will be a very long post. Last night another one of my gliders, Buster, Magnolia's father, became ill. The last 4 days he had became very sweet and I thought I was making a break through with him....Last night he sat in my hand as to comfort me...when i went to put him back in the cage he began to spit up some orange looking stuff...which was odd because he hadn't had anything orange in color to eat. So of course I first called Ellen to see if she knew of any Emergency Vets that would see gliders in my area..since she used to live here. I called every emergency vet...NONE with gliders experience :( So after talking to Cynthia and Ellen I proceeded to hand feed Buster gliderade to make sure he had something in his stomack. I checked on him every hour last night and he was only out of the pouch one time. This morning I got him to my vet asap. They worked us in since we didn't have an appt. Buster's breathing became labored and I let the vet know that it wasn't normal for him. They did a fecal exam...no parasites...They went to set up to do an x ray and blood work and when they came back to get poor Buster he was using his entire body to breathe. I knew then he wasn't going to make it. As soon as the vet took Buster back he arrested. They tried cpr but that didn't help. I have requested a necrospy on Buster because I need to know if my other two are at risk for whatever caused both magnolia and buster's death over a two day period. They did a gross necropsy in the vet office before they sent him off to a specialist. The gross necropsy revealed an enlarged liver and because of the enlarged liver he had become anemic. He was also underweight (i had noticed a gradual weight loss since dec but had not realize how much he had lost). He was down to 69 grams...way too small!!!!! Now i'm left wondering if it was something genetic, something that they may have ate that was tainted, etc? I am keeping a close eye on my other two gliders. I don't know what I will do if i lose them. I feel like I have lost two children over the last two days...and I just can't bare the pain. I know that it wasn't anything I did though...I cannot blame myself because this is the first real problem I have had with my gliders and I've had gliders for 3 years.....I just wish I knew the answers.
: I cannot stress, that if this is genetic...that you should know your gliders history. I have no clue how clue how old Buster was...his previous diet before i got him...nothing!!!!! It is sooo important that you know your gliders' history...especially before you breed them...because if there is something wrong with him or her it could be passed on to the offspring.
: I wanted to share all of this with you in hopes that the finding of my necropsy may help other gliders. I will post the full results when i find them out in a few weeks.
: Until then please keep my other two gliders in your thoughts...my life would be unbearable without them.....

I have to write to give you my sympathy. I have only had Alexis for 3 wks 2 days, & I am always concerned. I am sitting here crying & want you to know how I feel for you.
I hope the others will be ok.

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