I just recently took in a glider from very bad conditions. I've had them before, so I know how to take care of him, but I've never had one in such poor conditions. I guess I'll start out with what he was living in, and then ask my questions afterwards. Sorry in advance for how long this could get.

1.) No proper diet. He was fed when his owner felt like it, and fed things like seasoned chicken, turkey, icecream, or whatever his owner was eating. If it wasn't that there was rotten fruit left in his cage.
2.) Lots of poop. His cage hadn't been cleaned in well over a few months. His pouch stunk and when I cleaned the things in his cage the water was yellow and dark brown. So basically, just plain filth.
3.) Lost two cage mates in the care of this owner. One passed away from illness about a year ago, and one was "lost somewhere" about 3 months ago.
4.) Swollen eye, the underneath right under his eye is extremely swollen. He apparently had his eye swollen shut from a scratch last year, and had surgery to remove the "facial abscess", according to the vet records.
5.) Ignored. No play time, not a lot of human contact, and harassed by the owner's new kitten constantly. He was allowed to run free with no supervision before the cat, but I'm guessing that's how the other was lost.

Now, I have him in a clean cage, everything in it has been cleaned and he has lots of new toys. I'm feeding him the Leadbeaters along with fruits, veggies, and mealworms. I hold him and so does my boyfriend while he's sleeping in his pouch and he seems to sleep deeper (especially when he makes his way into a shirt). I took him to the vet for his eye, he's on antibiotics and has ointment. The vet did his surgery last year for his owner, and said that surgery would be most effective and antibiotics might not work. So here are my questions/concerns:

1.) Change- He's had a lot of it, environment, owner, diet, his eye, everything. He's been very active in his cage at night, and loving the attention. Last night, after the vet visit, he didn't come out much at all except for 5am-6am I heard him awake running around. I'm hoping he's just tired from his vet visit, or could the antibiotics make him drowsy? I'm just concerned about putting him on medicine (and hoping he doesn't have to have surgery) along with all the changes, but his eye has to be treated.

2.)Diet- Since his diet was crap, I fed him LBM the first night with fruits, veggies, and mealworms. He at every bit of it and has maintained his appetite until last night, he ate his LBM but did not want his fruits or veggies. I'm wondering if this change was too sudden.

3.)Cage Mate- I do live in CA, so finding a cage mate for him wont be easy. I do not want him to be alone while I'm not here though. How long should I wait before attempting to introduce him to another glider? Should I get him a female (neutered) companion or try another male since his last cage mates were male? I'm unsure if this change would help or hurt him right now.

4.) Balding- His head, around his scent gland, is beginning to bald. I'm wondering if this is him over cleaning the area because his swollen eye or if he's depressed/overgrooming. The rest of his body's fur has improved greatly from "broken" looking to shiny and soft within a few days.

5.) Attention- He loves attention, he runs down my shirt anytime he gets the chance and falls asleep in my bra for hours. He's done this since day one, so I'm wondering if I should leave him alone to adjust for a few days or if I should let him do this since he's alone.


My vet is the only vet in my area that treats them, and other than the internet and them I don't have a lot of information on how to deal with a glider that comes from such bad conditions. ANY advice on any of the topics above would be greatly appreciated, thank you for taking the time to read! <3

First off, thank you for rescuing him from a certain death. The way you described his living conditions and interactions with his previous owner...or lack there of, makes my heart hurt. Sounds like maybe he is balding because he is neutered? We have two and the rotten ones don't eat everything every night either. It's getting cold out even in your area I'm sure so he may be adjusting by not eating too much. Also, I've noticed ours don't like to get out and play as much at night now that it is cold. They'll play but hightail it back to the pouch which of course is double-lined fleece. I tell ya, they're spoiled.

females cannot be neutered/spayed. he sounds good, not much help with rescues :(

I'm pretty sure he's intact, his previous owner never got him neutered. It has been cold lately though, hopefully we'll get our lovely 70* winter weather here back soon! Thanks for the info :]

Any other advice or info from anyone would be greatly appreciated! :]

Well, first of all...welcome! You have quite the full plate. Hopefully, we can help answer some of your questions. We are suckers for photos too!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Azubin991</i>


1.) Change- He's had a lot of it, environment, owner, diet, his eye, everything. He's been very active in his cage at night, and loving the attention. Last night, after the vet visit, he didn't come out much at all except for 5am-6am I heard him awake running around. I'm hoping he's just tired from his vet visit, or could the antibiotics make him drowsy? I'm just concerned about putting him on medicine (and hoping he doesn't have to have surgery) along with all the changes, but his eye has to be treated. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

He definitely has had a TON of change and people poking at him. Then, he gets stuff he may not necessarily like forced in his mouth. LOL Not fun. However, it has to be done and I'm SO glad you are getting him taken care of. There's another site you really should join, reference and bookmark for medical issues. It's called the Sweet Spot and here is a link for eye issues. http://thesweetspot.forumotion.net/f2-eye-issues-blindness . What medication is he on? Someone may be familiar with it and have experience with it and it's side effects.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">2.)Diet- Since his diet was crap, I fed him LBM the first night with fruits, veggies, and mealworms. He at every bit of it and has maintained his appetite until last night, he ate his LBM but did not want his fruits or veggies. I'm wondering if this change was too sudden.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I'm assuming you mean BML? It's a good diet to have unhealthy gliders on. The thing with BML is, it's meant to be followed exactly and only should be fed with the fruits and veggies allowed with it. Some people have tried pouring the BML over their fruits and veggies or blend them together to get them to eat everything. I don't think changing to a good diet can ever be too sudden.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">3.)Cage Mate- I do live in CA, so finding a cage mate for him wont be easy. I do not want him to be alone while I'm not here though. How long should I wait before attempting to introduce him to another glider? Should I get him a female (neutered) companion or try another male since his last cage mates were male? I'm unsure if this change would help or hurt him right now.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

He should get his health back before he gets a cagemate. There should be a 30 day quarantine anyway so you can start looking any time. Here's the link for introductions: http://www.sugarglider.com/gliderpedia/index.asp?IntroducingNewGliders I really think you should get him neutered and then get a female. There are some members that are in CA so maybe someone can help you find a vet that will neuter. No reputable vet will spay a female. It is too hard on them and chances are, they will not survive that procedure. Obviously, we don't advocate having or obtaining gliders in an illegal state, but the fact is, you already have him and we will help as much as possible.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">4.) Balding- His head, around his scent gland, is beginning to bald. I'm wondering if this is him over cleaning the area because his swollen eye or if he's depressed/overgrooming. The rest of his body's fur has improved greatly from "broken" looking to shiny and soft within a few days.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Yes, my guess is he's overgrooming. It could be a mix of stress and his eye bothering him. He probably also is lonely.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">5.) Attention- He loves attention, he runs down my shirt anytime he gets the chance and falls asleep in my bra for hours. He's done this since day one, so I'm wondering if I should leave him alone to adjust for a few days or if I should let him do this since he's alone.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Lots of people have "bra babies". There's nothing wrong with this BUT when you do get him a cagemate, I think it's important they stay together during the day when sleeping. Either they should both be with you or both stay in the cage.


<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">My vet is the only vet in my area that treats them, and other than the internet and them I don't have a lot of information on how to deal with a glider that comes from such bad conditions. <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Where exactly are you? We may be able to help you find another vet.

I do believe they said California so I imagine finding a vet to treat is tricky.

She did say CA but we have members there.

Thanks everyone for the advice and links!

Medicine he's on-

Trimethoprim Sulphate Liquid- Give .03 cc twice daily for ten days.
Neo-Poly-Back- Ointment for his eye applied 3 times a day.

He hates the antibiotic, and shakes his head when I give it to him. I try to make the syringe end a tiny bit sticky with honey and he seems to eat it but sometimes he shakes and I can't tell if he's spitting it out or what. His swelling seemed like it went down and then was swollen again when I got home from work.

thesweetspot.forumotion.net/t209-abcess-of-eye-photos

The first photo of the glider in that forum, is exactly what his eye looks like right now. Just swollen underneath and no pus/discharge, no cataracts.


And I am in Campbell, CA. I go to the De Anza Vet Clinic.

Thanks again!

Here he is, unhappy about being woken with a bright light but he got half a mealie out of it and now you guys can see his eye and how lovely he is. Swelling has not gotten bigger or worse since his visit, but I don't know when to expect it to begin to go down. I posted on the suggested forum for more advice on this.

Also, the wetness around the eye is his ointment, it is usually dry around his eye.

Aw poor baby! This picture makes me so sad. Thank you for taking him!!!

You've gotten a lot of great advice!

omg
umm the balding is normal
if he turns out ok get him neutred
he will be hsppy with a female
and omg i can belive this, i have a male sugar glider,he is my little miracle...he saved my sisters hamster from the cat...hamster is now one eyed and three legs...gizmo attacked the cat...i was scared for gizmo..when i grabed him he was perfect lol....ps the cat had opened the door...now i have a bibi gun mounted on the wall..gizmo now perpusley teases the cat and then goes up my shirt to hide...i keep the cat away but gizmo is always looking for trouble

Hello. So his eye seems a little more irritated today, the eyelid seems more red/pink. I am going to have to contact De Anza to see if they can work out some sort of payment plan with me because the vet quoted me at $417 for surgery to remove the abscess/drain the abscess. I don' get paid for another week, I really do not know if he can handle it that much longer even on antibiotics, so I hope they will work with me. I cannot get CARE credit for him either because the vet that will treat him doesn't accept it.

Strange thing happened, can't tell if it's good or bad. My boyfriend was holding him in his pouch while I cleaned his cage (I try to wipe everything down every night so not a lot of bacteria gets to his eye), when he started to make what I'm guessing is him barking. It wasn't like his usual bark, it was fsster, almost like a really loud sneeze. When we pet him, he stopped and began to make what my boyfriend described as a purring sound. I don't know if sugar gliders purr, but he was active after that. We turned off the lights and let him run around on us which he was very happy to do. That's the update for now. I'm calling the vet tomorrow and can post another update after.

Normally vets are in the profession because they love animals too. Explain that he's a rescue and you're desperate to help him, and I'm sure they'll work something out with you. Good luck andlots of love for the little guy!

that swelling under the eye may be an abscess. Ask your vet if he or she would consider lancing and then draining it. We have had to do that a few times this past year. Being on the antibiotics is great, but if that's an abscess it should be flushed out.

Hello everyone, the doctor was actually not in today but I did talk to the vet tech who says he used to raise gliders himself. I explained what's happened and he said the doctor will be back Tuesday and he will talk to him himself because he wants to get him the surgery sooner than later and it seems like things are going to go in a good direction. He also pointed me in the direction of the vet in Monterrey (1.5 hr away) in case of emergencies. I'm feeling a lot of pressure is beginning to lift but we're not out of the woods yet! Thanks for all the support and info!

I know it's a big trek for you but in Las Vegas, Cheyenne West Animal Hospital has our favorite vet - Dr. Christine Kolmstetter - who has a lot of experience with glider eye problems. If you don't make that trip maybe your vet can confer with her. She has done numerous under-eye abscess work and an enucleation for us as well.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by LuckyGlider</i>
<br />I know it's a big trek for you but in Las Vegas, Cheyenne West Animal Hospital has our favorite vet - Dr. Christine Kolmstetter - who has a lot of experience with glider eye problems. If you don't make that trip maybe your vet can confer with her. She has done numerous under-eye abscess work and an enucleation for us as well.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks for the info! If you can PM me her contact info I'd love to forward it to my vet.

Whilst being on antibiotics is great, you need to make sure it is one that will work for that particular infection. When you see the vet, get them to do a Culture and Sensitivity test on the abcess contents when they drain it. This will help determine the best antibiotics for treatment..hopefully the one you are currently on!

Whilst a C & S test may be more costly initially, in the long run it works out cheaper & much quicker to correctly diagnose and treat.

Also injectable antibiotics are often more effective on facial abcesses due to the bone density and how infections pocket themselves.They get so deep seated in the facial area, that often oral meds fail to impact on them enough to totally get rid of an infection or maybe slow acting to do so. It is also easier to ensure that they are getting the required dosage and also injectibles do not upset the digestive system like oral meds do.
Of course, injectibles may not be practical so discuss with your vet.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Ko</i>
<br />
Also injectable antibiotics are often more effective on facial abcesses due to the bone density and how infections pocket themselves.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

When I left the vet, they did say he got a shot, but did not tell me what it was. I thought they meant a "dose" of his antibiotic because they said to give it once more that day, instead of twice. They're closed until Monday now, but when I call back I'll find out what they gave to him, and ask about Covenia (?). He was very active last night, and has begun to bark and hiss and make all his lovely glider sounds :]

Hi! Someone mentioned to me that you might be interested in finding a cagemate. . . I have a 5 year old neutered mail I am desperately trying to find a home for in CA. Please let me know if you are interested!

I hope he get better fast

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rebeccam2015</i>
<br />omg
umm the balding is normal
if he turns out ok get him neutred
he will be hsppy with a female
and omg i can belive this, i have a male sugar glider,he is my little miracle...he saved my sisters hamster from the cat...hamster is now one eyed and three legs...gizmo attacked the cat...i was scared for gizmo..when i grabed him he was perfect lol....ps the cat had opened the door...now i have a bibi gun mounted on the wall..gizmo now perpusley teases the cat and then goes up my shirt to hide...i keep the cat away but gizmo is always looking for trouble
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I hope you are not using a BB gun on your poor kitty . . . he is only doing what instinct tells him to do . . . anyway, my glider thinks he is a lion and tries to attack the cats and dogs too! It looks hilarious but obviously I can't let him do it since one of these times I'm sure the cat will be faster than him!!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Dragon Lady</i>
<br /><blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by rebeccam2015</i>
<br />omg
umm the balding is normal
if he turns out ok get him neutred
he will be hsppy with a female
and omg i can belive this, i have a male sugar glider,he is my little miracle...he saved my sisters hamster from the cat...hamster is now one eyed and three legs...gizmo attacked the cat...i was scared for gizmo..when i grabed him he was perfect lol....ps the cat had opened the door...now i have a bibi gun mounted on the wall..gizmo now perpusley teases the cat and then goes up my shirt to hide...i keep the cat away but gizmo is always looking for trouble
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I hope you are not using a BB gun on your poor kitty . . . he is only doing what instinct tells him to do . . . anyway, my glider thinks he is a lion and tries to attack the cats and dogs too! It looks hilarious but obviously I can't let him do it since one of these times I'm sure the cat will be faster than him!!
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Sugar Gliders should NOT be aloud to interact with cats and/or dogs!! I don't care how "nice" your animal is or if it supposedly "wouldn't hurt a fly" point of the matter is animals have <i>instincts</i>. Sooner or later those instincts <i>will</i> kick in and you will be sorry. It's not a risk anyone should take and I would rather you not even share that you allow this! What's going to happen when a new member or owner passes through and sees this?? They are going to think it's ok and it's <i><b>NOT</b></i>!

All i gotta say is...<b> WoW</b>! You certainly have your hands full! But like others on here i am so glad you got him instead of another person who is totally blind to the things sugar gliders need!
You're doing awesome so far and Keep up the good work!
If you want somebody to talk to You can PM me anytime.