| T O P I C R E V I E W |
Rowangel Posted - Mar 01 2012 : 12:53:20 PM
Hi my name is Chris and this post is going to be looong...I'm sorry in advance.
I am reluctant to post as most health-related posts get a ton of hits from trolls looking for potential drama, and I am not much into drama posts. I also don't believe in posting on forums where your question is easily searchable because it has been discussed a 100 times already. However after the stressful events of last night I'm just looking for a little advice and support from experienced glider owners.
Background:
(because this always comes up and I think it is important for people to have a basis of understanding on those they are trying to help).
I met my first glider in Texas in 2000 while visiting a friend. She told me her neighbor had some kind of 'cool flying rodent' and being an animal person I was very curious. Upon meeting said 'cool flying rodent' I was instantly in love, even though this glider was particularly aggressive and the owners said that they didn't handle it because it was 'too mean and bites.' What I saw was a neglected animal the owners had failed to understand when it didn't behave like a gerbil and I wanted to learn more.
Upon returning home I blasted through what I could find on the internet, however in 2000, most of what I did find was confusing, complicated, costly, time consuming and most importantly contradictory. For me it could not pass the 5-C's test for pet owning. I had neither the money or time to devote to gliders, much less the patience to wade through all the conflicting information.
Flash forward to 2009 I came across Sugar gliders again. Boy was I excited! I had the time, money and ability to actually consider glider ownership. I support research before pet owning, but I am not perfect nor immune to cute faces and 'time-limited' opportunities. Enter the dreaded PP (insert ominous music here)I had no idea if I would ever get the opportunity to purchase these guys again...and they had promising new information on glider ownership that seemed FAR more reasonable than I had remembered from years before.
So I purchased my new babies, ran home and spent the next week (FOR HOURS on end) searching the internet and going 'wtf, nothing this idiot told me appears correct.' Anyway, long story short (too late I know), I made many changes; Pricilla Price diet, large cage, supplements and I do not value much, if any of the PP information. I follow several forums although I am not a poster, I try to find my own answers first and know there are far more experienced people than I to give advice.
Situation:
Last night we had an incident. My roommate and I own several cats and have for many years. I do NOT let the gliders interact with the cats; ALL cats have prey instincts and that toy mouse you toss across the room for them...same size as a glider. Cats don't care what it smells like-if it moves it's a toy.
At 4 am today my boy Casey decided to be an escape artist (we still do not know how) and my roommate awoke to loud glider crabbing. With in minutes He had the lights on and saw Casey running across the floor with the cats following behind. I was up seconds later. On first once over he seemed fine other than completely freaked out. Their was some slobber on his back, but that appeared to be all. I sat down with him in my hands and planned to stay with him all night to make sure he didn't go into shock. After about a minute I pulled my hand away to check and re-adjust and when I did there was blood on my hands. I can not put into words the feeling that went through me at that moment...I have no doubt my heart stopped beating, my chest hurt so bad and I completely freaked out. My roommate and I grabbed gauze bandages and while I held pressure (and this is were I am sooo happy my boys trust me)we were out the door in less than 10 minutes of having woken up.
We are very fortunate, our emergency clinic is 5 minutes away from us and we saw the vet within 10 minutes of our arrival (although it felt MUCH longer). The wound was cleaned (it had already started to clot) and we found two puncture marks on his lower abdomen. The vet could find no other injuries, he was moving well, even climbing. He received an antibiotic shot and I insisted on a sub-q shot because I am always freaking out about dehydration. We are picking up a 7 day regiment of antibiotics in two hours and i am on a 24 hour snuggle watch to make sure he is drinking/eating/voiding, the wound stays closed and he does not mess with it. I do have an e-collar ready for him when he gets energy back and a hospital cage for recovery. In all we got him help in under half-an-hour and I am praying that will make a difference for his chances.
He is currently at home and snuggling on me, but I can't stop shaking! I have a lot of 'what ifs' rolling around in my head and I can't help but feel like a complete failure, I didn't do enough and I f-ed up. We still have no idea how he got out. Both cage doors were down and his brother Cody was still in the cage.
He has eaten 4 mealies and every half-hour to hour I've been offering Gerbers Yogurt juice used in the BML diet and he's been liking that. He has pee'd twice and seems to be moving all limbs fine, but I can tell his energy is gone and when he doesn't move for awhile I get freaked he died...I'm soo stressed, I've read the horror stories. Does anyone have happy ending stories?????
So my Questions:
1. So is their ANYTHING else I can do that I haven't yet?
2. What are his chances realistically? I neeeed to stop freaking out, I can't think about ANYTHING else...I took today and tomorrow off work and cancelled all my apts.
3. What should my biggest concern right now be or what should I be looking for? The vet said to just watch the wound for swelling and abnormal behavior...I need more info than that.
4. I no longer trust his cage, I want to get him a new one today. What is the best cage you can recommend? It's prolly the shock talking, but I'm not very worried about price, I just don't want sleepless nights wondering if he can get out.
I currently have the Deluxe Rectangular from Suncoast. 66" tall, 24" deep and 28" wide. I don't mind going bigger, but I really don't want to go smaller.
I welcome any questions or advice.
One things for sure, I am so very proud of him, through the entire exam he only nipped a warning once while cleaning the wounds. Even in obvious distress he behaved wonderfully. He currently making my favorite 'popping' noise as I snuggle him close to my heart. I like to think my body heat, sound of my heart and pressure is helping him feel safe and therefore calm enough to allow his body to heal. I hope he can't feel my fear...
I'm so sorry for such a long post, but seeing as this is my first I realize their is quite a bit of info you may need...maybe it would have been a good idea to introduce myself before today...
-Chris
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
StellaAnLuna Posted - Dec 06 2012 : 10:20:53 PM
yay, casey!
Thank you so much for the update. :)
~Erica~ |
karensink Posted - Dec 06 2012 : 10:16:29 PM
It makes me so happy to see him doing so well!! I love his little kisses! |
bschuettler Posted - Dec 06 2012 : 09:14:05 PM
Aw what a little fighter you have there! So very glad he is doing well! |
Omis n Kais g-ma Posted - Dec 06 2012 : 08:25:14 PM
Thank you for the update. Makes me very glad I contacted you. He looks awesome and spoiled. They are all so beautiful. |
Aiden Posted - Dec 06 2012 : 08:18:46 PM
Since this crazy year is coming to a close, I was asked to do a nice update on Casey for you all. He is doing superb and you could never tell that we almost lost him. He has very minimal scarring and his range of motion or movenment are not imparied at all. He still loves his wheel and can be found most nights getting dizzy with Caylee. They both just love to run as fast as possible to get it really going and then hold on and enjoy the ride as the wheel just spins them around. Cody has become a good little Alpha of the group, and ensures his little family stays close to him. He is very protective of them and can be usually found at the top of the pile.
Also as previously mentioned we have gotten thier cages setup and joined. It worked quite well and has really added alot of space for them. Again we cannot even begin to thank you all enough for all the help that was given. Here is a video of Casey enjoying his Thanksgiving mealies as well of a couple photos of the cage. Also included is all 3, Casey, Cody, and Caylee enjoying snack time.
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StellaAnLuna Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 09:42:06 PM
I have been thinking about Casey! Thank you for the update! :) Glad you are doing better, Casey! <3
~Erica~ |
Skyfire Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 04:57:22 PM
Ty for the update! I am so happy he is doing better! |
LuckyGlider Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 04:38:40 PM
Great news Chris thanks for giving us an update!!! |
Tappy4me Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 02:12:04 PM
Just came upon this topic and read all the way through it. Way to go on EVERYTHING! So glad Casey (and the others) have all pulled through so well. :) |
Omis n Kais g-ma Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 02:06:15 PM
Don't be like that. The cat did what was nature. So glad Casey is recovered and everyone is happy and healthy. Just went through a giardia bout too. It sucks. Thanks so much for the update. quote:
Originally posted by jandrasek
<-- really despises all felines...
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jandrasek Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 12:21:06 PM
<-- really despises all felines... |
crazed_girl Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 12:17:58 PM
 
YAY! That is great news!! |
MamaBird Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 12:05:35 PM
So glad to hear they're all doing so well! |
fazioli Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 11:28:35 AM
This makes me so very happy!!!!!!!!! I was just thinking of Casey the other day. Thanks so much for the update. |
Rowangel Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 11:15:16 AM
Well it's been awhile since I've updated. I've been very busy attempting to get my business up and started, but anyway on to important things!
Casey is doing amazing! All the hair on his back and arm has completely regrown. He has gained all of his former weight back and is around 95 to 100 grams. Other than a minimal amount of scar tissue under his left arm you would never know that he had been injured!!! I love him so much and can not explain how happy I feel to see him return to his former self with no permanent damage!
Casey, Cody and Caylee have all recovered from giardia and now spend all their time happily romping in the new huge cage or cuddling in their pouches. We picked up a bunch of new "little people" toys for them at summer garage sales. With a variety of options they can now choose between a farm, noah's arc, a GIANT Easter egg ball pit and car port with roads they actually use as slides.
Caylee particularly LOVES toys and her high energy gets the boys to be more adventurous. She is VERY attached to Casey (he is definitely still 'THE MAN') and Cody has become very protective of them both. He can always be found on the top of the fur pile with little Caylee on the bottom. He is also quite the nester, bring all sorts of little toys to the pouch.
Again I want to thank everyone here for all the support and well wishes. I am so happy to give good news as it could have turned out so much worse. I will get some pictures uploaded soon so you can see Casey in all his glorious handsomeness with his siblings.
Hope all is going well here!
-Chris
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StellaAnLuna Posted - Jun 01 2012 : 10:35:40 PM
Thanks for the update. :)
I'm so glad things are going better.
Still in my thoughts and prayers. <3
~Erica~ |
FeathersNFur Posted - Jun 01 2012 : 07:36:38 PM
Great news! Glad that he and the others are doing so much better. |
Aiden Posted - May 24 2012 : 01:26:07 AM
Well it has been a little while since an update and I wanted to share the news. So far we have seen vast improvements with all the gliders. They seem to have all responded to the meds and are improving. With the biggest news being, for the last 2 days Casey's weight has been 93 grams. To even be in the 90s again is a big sigh of relief. There are no words to describe the fear you get when your little one drops from 103 grams to a low of 76 grams in less than 2 months. His fur is growing back nicely and getting to the point if you dont look closely you would never knew he was shaved. On one crazy note, we have created a monster though. Casey now expects 20+ mealies every day, and he has this little habit of being lazy to the point of funny. He expects us to hand feed him his treats, like he is remindng us we did it for 2 months so we should be used to it. Cody is doing soo much better as well. You can tell he is so happy to have his buddy back. All 3 have been able to have pouch time with Chris on a regular basis and soon tent time. While things feel like they are getting back to normal, my over protective self is constantly looking over my shoulder waiting for something to happen. Guess its a good thing my boys like to sleep inside my shirt on my shoulders. So I am happily guarded 
Thank you everyone who has lived through this with us. The range of emotions and stress Chris and I went through was helped by the support we had here. Honestly without some of you, this story could have turned out so different. We thank you all so much!! |
karensink Posted - May 14 2012 : 10:37:24 AM
thanks. i am hoping and praying for your 3 to get cured from their illness! |
StellaAnLuna Posted - May 14 2012 : 10:09:11 AM
Casey is still in my prayers.:)
Keep improving casey.
~Erica~ |
Rowangel Posted - May 14 2012 : 09:49:52 AM
omg what a cutie!! He's got a sweet little face!
quote:
Originally posted by karensink
Finally here is a picture of my Casey. All of the hair on his bald spot was gone and he had a few bloody scratches from overgrooming. half of his hair has grown back since i got him a buddy!
Hoping your Casey is doing better
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KritterCare Posted - May 14 2012 : 09:38:00 AM
Glad things seem to be improving! You are still in my prayers! |
Aiden Posted - May 13 2012 : 09:00:37 PM
Sorry for the delay, has been a long weekend here. Well this mothers day has gone off with Casey still fighting. We are still treating for the giardia in all 3, Casey, Cody and Caylee. We are starting to see signs of improvement in Caylee and Casey as thier fecals seem to be slowly getting less fluid. Casey has also started to put a little weight back on and was holding around 83 to 84 grams today. Caylee has also jumped up 5 grams since being on the meds and is hovering around 55 grams. Due to the giardia we have been less hands on with them and it has been really hard. Where they normally would be out and with us they have been caged with minimal toys and fleece. Thier activity has been good and they have seemed to stay better hydrated in the last 3 days and Casey seems to have an appetite again.
So we have progress and signs of improvement but we are still being cautious until we get the all clear and normal fecals again. |
karensink Posted - May 12 2012 : 07:16:43 AM
thanks! now anxiously awaiting update on the original Casey. Chris, Aiden? |
sugie bandit Posted - May 11 2012 : 10:56:52 AM
Another lucky glider. He's adorable. |
karensink Posted - May 11 2012 : 10:55:11 AM
Finally here is a picture of my Casey. All of the hair on his bald spot was gone and he had a few bloody scratches from overgrooming. half of his hair has grown back since i got him a buddy!
Hoping your Casey is doing better |
Rowangel Posted - May 09 2012 : 01:17:55 PM
quote:
Originally posted by karensink
Casey is in my thoughts. i even named the unwanted glider someone gave me a while back after him. turns out the little guy is a sweetheart, just like your casey
Ahhhh! I teared up a little, that is so awesome...want to see pics. |
karensink Posted - May 09 2012 : 12:50:41 PM
Casey is in my thoughts. i even named the unwanted glider someone gave me a while back after him. turns out the little guy is a sweetheart, just like your casey |
StellaAnLuna Posted - May 09 2012 : 12:43:59 PM
Oh no! Still praying for you casey. You have made it so far, keep fighting casey.<3
~Erica~ |
petluv15 Posted - May 09 2012 : 12:00:07 PM
quote:
Originally posted by Rowangel
Any suggestions as to the best cleaning method? I know the cysts can survive and re-infest for up to a month...I was thinking of bleaching EVERYTHING.
I would make their cage pretty bare for awhile. Just a pouch, their wheel, and a plastic toy or two(easily bleachable). I know its recommended to clean daily - I'd take them out(in their pouch) in the morning, bleach the cage, swap pouches, and clean the toys/wheel. Rinse well and then you can return them to the cage to the clean pouch and bleach the one they were in the night before.
Hopefully the giardia is killed the first round of treatment and Casey will continue to stay on track! |
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