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Sugar Glider Medical Terms D-H
Dehydration:
Occurs when the body does not have enough fluids
to function at an optimal level. Any dehydration is a
life-threatening situation and the condition is fatal,
but reversible if caught in time.
Causes:
Fluid loss (usually
through vomiting or diarrhea)
Fluid loss due to
excessive urination (as in diabetes or kidney disease)
Strenuous activity
Appetite loss associated
with acute illness
I nadequate water supply
Prevention:
Always provide fresh
water / Pedialyte / Gatorade mix for your gliders at all
times. Do not ever use tap
water. Bottled water only.
Add an open container of
water if in doubt (weighted ash tray works well)
Always thoroughly wash food
and check for safety before giving it to your gliders
At the first sign of any
problems with your glider, seek veterinary care
Research:
Medline Plus Medical
Encyclopedia: Dehydration
Hendrick Health System
Access Med Health Information Library: Dehydration
"Sugar Gliders: Gotta' Love
'Em", Kevin Schargen, Former President, ISGA, Critters
Magazine
Signs and Symptoms:
Loss of fluid through
vomiting or diarrhea
SEIZURES and/or WOBBLING
If
the skin on the back stands up when you pinch it, your
glider is dehydrated
Delayed capillary refill
time (when you press on the gums of your glider with
your finger, the spot remains white for an extended
period of time)
Membranes lining mouth and
nose lose moisture
Decreased or absent urine
output
Constipation
Deep or rapid breathing
Sunken eyes
Lethargy
Treatment:
Immediately print out
Day 4 Special Report: How do I know if my baby is
sick?.. Follow instructions.
Administer water or
Pedialyte using eye-dropper or a needle-less syringe
Seek medical attention
immediately! This is an emergency situation. A glider
can dehydrate completely and die in a matter of twelve
hours
Depression:
Depression is a term that people commonly use to
refer to states involving sadness, dejection, lack of
self-esteem, and lack of energy. In sugar gliders,
depression can lead to mental illness, self-mutilation,
and death. Severe, persistent depressed mood and loss of
interest or pleasure in normal activities, accompanied
by decreased energy, changes in sleep and appetite, and
feelings of guilt or hopelessness are all signs of
depression and/or mental illness.
Causes:
Keeping a lone sugar
glider without playing with it on a regular basis
Owner neglect
Prolonged illness
Loss of a companion
Prevention:
Keep more than one
sugar glider or play with them regularly
Provide your gliders with
toys, a large enough cage, and play with them
Provide your glider with a
healthy, well-balanced diet
Provide your glider with
annual or bi-annual check ups at the vet to alleviate,
treat, and/or prevent illness
Research:
Medline Plus:
Depression
"Sugar Gliders: Gotta' Love
'Em", Kevin Schargen, Former President, ISGA, Critters
Magazine
Signs and Symptoms:
Loss of interest in
playing
Decreased activity
Change in sleeping patterns
Decreased communications: no
barking
Treatment:
Lots of love, bonding
time, and attention
Provide a glider companion
for your glider
Ensure that the glider has
an enriching environment
Diarrhea:
The passage of an increased amount of stool. Mild
diarrhea is considered to be the passage of a few loose
or mushy stools. Severe diarrhea is the passage of many
watery or unformed stools.
Causes:
Viral or bacterial
infection
Stress of moving to a new
home
Parasites: Typically a
Giardia bloom
Malabsorption (lactose
intolerance, intolerance to specific foods, milk protein
intolerance)
Bowel disease
Prevention:
Provide your glider
with a healthy, well-balanced diet of Glide-R-Chow &
Glide-A-Mins
Avoid trying new, fun
foods. Test new treats ONE at a time after you have had
them for a minimum of 6 weeks.
Keep cages well-cleaned
Remove any uneaten food as
soon as possible from the cage
Carefully monitor stools
when offering gliders a new food item. Discontinue if
watery stools appear
Research:
Medline Plus: Diarrhea
Signs and Symptoms:
Loose bowel movements
Treatment:
Immediately print out Day 4
Special Report: How do I know if my baby is sick?..
Follow instructions. Check to see if the diarrhea is
diet-related (citrus fruits, pumpkin, and milk products
are common culprits)
If diarrhea is bad,
administer Pedialyte to prevent dehydration
Seek veterinary attention to
rule out such causes as internal parasites or bacterial
infection.
Giardiasis (Giardia bloom):
A diarrheal illness caused by Giardia
intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia), a
one-celled, microscopic parasite that lives in the
intestine of people and animals. The parasite is
protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive in
the environment for long periods of time. All Sugar
Gliders carry Gardia as a natural part of their
digestive sytem. It can remain dormant for up to six
months, and only manifest systems when the glider
becomes stressed. If this happens, diarrhea can set in
and death can occur within hours. There has never been a
single documented case of a Glider ever passing Giardia
along to humans.
Causes:
The parasite is
passed in the stool of an infected person or animal
Accidentally swallowing
something that has come in contact with the stool of a
person or animal infected with Giardia
All Gliders naturally carry
dormant Giardia as a part of their digestive system. It
only becomes a problem when it blooms in their
stomachs under prolonged periods of stress. This makes
them feel full, and they stop eating/drinking.
Prevention:
Always thoroughly
wash your hands
Always thoroughly wash
and/or peel fruits and vegetables before feeding them to
gliders
Do not use or ingest water
that may be fecally contaminated
Research:
Medline Plus:
Giardiasis
CDC Giardiasis Fact Sheet
Signs and Symptoms:
Change in behavior
Lameness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Yellow tint to belly
(Jaundice), indicating liver problems
Green color to stools
Dehydration
Treatment:
Immediately print out
Day 4 Special Report: How do I know if my baby is
sick?.. Follow instructions.
Seek veterinary care if case
is severe or no improvement is noticed.
Quarantine the animal with
symptoms. Giardiasis is HIGHLY contagious to other
Gliders.
Take special care with other
animals and yourself. Wash your hands thoroughly after
handling the infected glider and keep hands away from
your mouth
Clean other glider cages
Thoroughly sterilize the
cage and everything in it using Squeak-E-Clean
Sterilize the cage and items
again a week after improvement is noticed.
Hind Leg Paralysis
A common symptom of nutritional secondary
hyperparathyroidism, hind leg paralysis (HLP) is not a
disease in and of itself. Low calcium levels result in
calcium being leached from bone to compensate for low
calcium in the bloodstream. This condition is fatal if
not treated, but, in many cases, reversible.
Causes:
Inadequate calcium absorption due to poor diet
(low calcium, high phosphate, low Vitamin D) leads the
glider's body to produce increased parathyroid hormone,
which removes calcium from the bones
Prevention:
Feed a well-balanced,
nutritious diet of Glide-R-Chow and Glide-A-Mins
Make sure they are eating
their Glide-A-Mins every other day as outlined in the
Special Reports (link to my baby wont eat his food or
vitamins). If they wont lick them off the apple, mix
them into a flavor of yogurt you already know they like
or applesauce or peach syrup from canned peaches
Whatever it takes to trick them into getting their
vitamins.
Maintain a positive calcium
to phosphorous ratio in the overall diet
Research:
The Pet Place:
Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Bristol BioMed Image
Archive: Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Hind Leg Paralysis in Sugar
Gliders: A Personal Experience
Signs and Symptoms:
Paralysis
Lethargy
Limping
Fractured bones
Tremors
Weakness
Loss of use of hind legs or
favoring one leg
Poor gripping ability
Treatment:
If caught in time,
this disease is reversible
Immediately print out Day 4
Special Report: How do I know if my baby is sick?..
Follow instructions. Seek veterinary care immediately if
no improvement is noticed.
Sugar Glider Medical Terms
Continued...
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