Tara,

I'm sure you felt very attacked. It was unintentional though. We are very compassionate and defensive when it comes to these little guys. You should not trim a gliders teeth. They are not rodents so their teeth don't grow.

I'm sure you meant well by taking them to this flea market guy. I would go back to the guy (which i sincerely hope you didn't pay) and ask him if he's going to foot the vet bills from now on,since he caused the problem by trimming her teeth.

I know you feel bad and I'd like to say it isn't your fault, you just need to make sure from now on that ANYONE who trims anything on them either knows what they are doing or is a vet.

I do my guys nails. I get nipped a few times, but I'd rather be the one doing it then to have someone else do it and hurt them. My opinion on that part though.

If you choose the HPW diet, the REAL HPW diet, here's a link for that. She sells samples so that you can try it and see if your guys like it. http://www.thepamperedglider.com/products/supplements.php

There is also a section on here,under nutrition at the top, that has quite a few recipes with the correct ratios.

I hope all works out well for you.

Karen

Just for the record so everyone has a clear understanding. I did not get these gliders because my son wanted them. I was simply trying to explain that we have been planning on "maybe" for 3 years now. My son has yet to even hold either one of them out of their bonding pouch and he is a very gentle child. Regardless, I would never intentionally submit a helpless animal to cruelty no matter what kind.

I just didn't know what to do after this guy did this to my poor girl and sometimes it's better to get a second opinion or in this case... lots of them. Yes, what he did was horrible. My husband is so mad and even madder now that I have explained to him in more detail the troubles she could face. I live in Bowling Green KY. I'm not aware of any vets close to me other than the one I spoke of earlier. I have searched and the closest I found was Nashville TN. I don't even think I will be able to sleep tonight because I'm so concerned with her pain levels now. I know she has to be in pain because she was the aggressive one and wouldn't even let you put you hand near the pouch but right now as I type, she is inside my shirt, curled up in a ball. I tried giving her some soft fresh fruit because she hasn't eaten since this happened earlier today (and still won't eat) so maybe her not eating much will be enough for the vet to see her sooner. I checked her teeth and I hated doing it b/c she was squirming around and wanted to be left alone but I pryed her little mouth open to try to see about how much of her teeth are left. When they retracted out, they don't appear to be any shorter than they were before so I'm not sure how much he clipped off. She tried to bite me but it was just a nip. When she bit the guy at the market, apparently she brought blood but I wasn't aware of it b/c I was off looking at pouches.

oh my gosh!!!!! Bowling Greene?? Did this guy work for Gliders R Us??? The Bowling Greene Flea Market is where I got my girls and I ever heard them saying that they nueter males right there in that booth so I def don't doubt it to be them who did this! GIRL!! We need to go to that stupid booth together and tell them the F off! I am telling you! I want to stand by that booth and hand out printouts of all the things they sold me that are horrible for gliders! I bought my girls bc of the way they were treating them! on leashes tied to a frikkin tree in the middle of the table! ugh ugh ugh!!!!!

Here's a link to some vets from the glider vet database:

http://www.sugargliderhelp.com/links/pages/Sugar_Glider_Vet_Database/North_America/United_States/Kentucky/index.html

http://www.sugargliderhelp.com/links/pages/Sugar_Glider_Vet_Database/North_America/United_States/Tennessee/index.html

Here is a list of extremely knowledgeable sugar glider vets that will consult with other vets only:

Dr.Tim Tristan
OSO Creek Animal Hospital
361-994-1145

Dr. Bradley Walsh
Village Vet Animal Clinic/All Creatures Veterinary Hospital
918-258-0040

Dr. Andrew Grzanowski
Canton Center Animal Hospital
734-459-1400

Dr. Kate Zimmerman
TriCounty Animal Hospital
(has 24hr emergency contact info on her office answering machine)
423-391-0303


Dr. Teresa Bradley
Belton Animal Clinic
816-331-3120

Dr. Kristen West
Mandel Veterinary Hospital
216-321-6040

please do not wait two weeks, they need to be seen asap and you pobably spoke with a receptionist who is not glider knowledgeable.

It really may be worth it because of her to go to Nashville. I drove to Bowling Greene from Nashville to get my girls. I would make the trip back to go to a vet. Call Avian and Exotics Center. The office number is 615-360-0944 and The Emergency number is 615-838-3139. She is amazing. She talked to me on the PHONE for 45 MIN when I first got my girls. I kept apologizing for asking so many questions but she didn't mind at all. The address is 432 Bell Rd in Nashville. I have no idea about her prices but she was very sweet and seemed to know about gliders. Maybe she can get you in sooner or give you an idea for something for her pain. Good Luck. (if I offended you earlier, I didn't mean to. I know you are not at fault at all.. it is just so hard to read about what they did to her)

Yeah it was a guy that worked at Sugars r us or whatever. I just went to get pouches but never expected this. He didn't even ask if he could do that. Yes, I gave him permission to trim their nails but nothing else. He was very contradicting about stuff. He said to buy this and that & then would turn around and say not to give them something he just tried to sell me. I was ready to go and when I found out what he did, I was ready to punch him.

oh girl! I know! We spent $100 on pellet food and a wheel and an igloo and some other stuff we cant even use! I HATE them with a passion! I am going to complain about them to the BBB. You should sue them! I would if they had done that to my girls! FOR SURE!

Check your messages again...

The only advice I have to offer is that I believe you have solid grounds for lawsuit against that man and the company. They really need to be sued.
That horror story makes me cringe, I'm so sorry for your babies. Best of luck, I know you'll be a lot more careful from now on about who handles your gliders. I think everyone who reads this will be.
I hope you find solutions fast, it sounds like you should definitely check out that vet in Nashville. If you can't handle the extra drive, you won't be able to handle caring for 2 special needs gliders at all, so you should be looking for a new home for them.

Tara, welcome to the forum. I hope you can keep a thick skin and get past this initial hiccup with your gliders and get settled in calmer waters.

You should be able to get a glance at the tip of the bottom teeth and see if they look ok. ie: if you see any darkness in the center tip such as veins or whatnot, well, odds are the animal is in pain. If they look white as the rest of the teeth, it may be ok.

If you guys have capability to do macro focused pictures with a camera, you can try to get some shots and upload a few so we can see what you are working with.

And in the meantime, find some big nail clippers and go clip the flea market guy's teeth for me.

The bottom teeth should be very long and pointy as in this image.


You can restrain your sugar glider in a hold like the image below and get a good long look at the teeth.

Sorry if I came off rude..I was in shock, as I'm sure others here were also.
It just turns my stomach that the "flea market jerk" could do that.
I feel bad for You Tara..It was out of your control..I don't think anyone wants You to feel guilty..But the poor gliders need to see a qualified Vet.
Where I work, we trim rabbits teeth, and it grosses me out completely.
Tara, You WILL have to keep a close eye on the one w/ the clipped teeth..Make sure she is eating period, and hopefully a recommended diet..If she acts depressed, paws at her mouth, or You notice any redness or discharge? She will need immediate Vet care, as she could easily develope a life threatening infection.
Good luck..And again, sorry for the bad start here..You really DID come to the right place for info..Everybuddy does help each other, and ALWAYS have the gliders best interest at heart..Belated welcome.

I am so loss for words. Poor Baby! I am also very angry at this flea market A__ for doing this to a glider. It makes me so sick to my stomach to think if he did that to my babies, and I would probably be sent to jail because I will kick the crap outta that guy.

Do you happen to have the name of the man who trimmed the teeth? I would love to report him to the proper authorities! I think a lot of people here would.

Ugh - what a heart-breaking story. But you're not the first person with gliders that have cut/no teeth. I'm sure there are solutions that will allow them to live a happy, healthy life. I would suggest you get your husband to learn more about glider husbandry. Have him join the forum too.

just a reminder to anyone who skimmed this thread and may have missed it...GLIDERS TEETH DO NOT GROW AND NEVER NEED TO BE TRIMMED. EVER. If you have a vet that recommends it, get a new vet! They are not rodents. Their teeth are set. Please, please keep us updated, Tara. I also sent you a message.

Ok I just have to ask where exactly is this vet so I can avoid it at all costs...I don't want to support anything like that either >.<

I'm scared now cause I got my little girl from a flea market and I'm scared to ever take her back there :(

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by inlovewithtak</i>
<br />I'm scared now cause I got my little girl from a flea market and I'm scared to ever take her back there :(
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Don't. You need to find an exotic vet with experience in sugar gliders. Where are you located? I'm sure one of our members will help you find one. And when you get your glider a friend, either go to a breeder or - better yet - rescue or re-home one.

I know I came off rude, and I am sorry, but I was partially in shock, and partially upset because there are so many people who buy these animals on pure impulse and I get sick of them getting upset that they aren't the perfect pet they thought. I have seen an influx of impulse buyers on here, and I thought that you were another one who bought these animals for your son. I do apologize for that, but I don't apologize for being upset at trusting anyone at flea market. I would let the flea market people know that you will be contacting a lawyer and that you are considering suing for medical bills due to them maiming your glider when you did not give them permission.

What a sad story. I hope others learn from this...

UPDATE:
She seen a vet last night. The vet I spoke of ealier is on ALL the lists for approved sugar glider care. She said her teeth do no appear to even have been touched. They look perfectly fine. I posted this on another forum and asked the people on there if they thought MAYBE she was acting so strange yesterday b/c it was the first time they have seperated. We finally renamed them after finding out they are girls instead of boys. Their original names were Toby (the one with no teeth) and Mac ( the one who "might" have clipped teeth. Now they are Toby, and Macy. (My son loves Toby Mac and we decided Toby could keep her name since it is kinda universal) Anyway, I would like to refer to them by their names so....
Yesterday was the first day that the girls have been seperated. Like I said before, they were in a neglectful situation and have not been taken out of their cage for 7 months. We are their 4th owners and even though this is not an "ideal situation" for first time owners, we will be their last. We realize what kind of responsibility we took on. It wasn't a fly-by-night choice. Back, to what I was saying, I read while researching that it is best to seperate them during the day in their bonding pouches so they can bond with us & not rely so much on each other. Yesterday was the 1st time. Macy wasn't eating her treats (the trimmed one) but Toby was fine with it. When we took them in last night and they were reunited, Macy started eating her treats and acting fine. She was playing and everything. The vet said that her teeth do not appear to have even been touched so if he did clip them it had to be just a tiny bit, b/c my DH is certain that he seen a little get clipped off. She said that antibiotics weren't needed right now (since they didn't appear to have been touched) and that she would check her over again real good when we come in for their wellness check in a couple weeks. After we reunited the girls last night they have been fine. Macy has been eating today and doesn't seem to have any issues. I was just really freaking out last night! I even took them to church with me this morning b/c I didn't want to leave them alone. (Yes, I got a couple of odd looks when Macy decided to start crabbing in church. I was trying to hide them since animals are not allowed) But I'm wondering if maybe she wasn't eating right b/c she was seperated from her sister. I am not able to take pics of her teeth b/c we only got them a couple days ago and she is not used to us yet. It was crazy just me trying to get a quick glance. I am a nurse and EMT but animals are different than people and I wasn't sure if I was seeing them right.
We are not just going to pass it off as nothing though, we are keeping an extra good eye on both of them since Toby has no bottom teeth. The vet said I could feed them baby food veggies and fruit until I get their powder mix stuff in the mail just to be on the safe side since we were so worried she was in pain.

I was told thay these girls have never been given protein before in their lives, strictly veggies and fruit and the vet suggested some soft baby beef sticks for protein but I was so worried I forgot all about them not ever having protein before. Is that even healthy for them? I have seen some people say stick to veggies & fruit and some feed theirs mealworms and stuff too. There's just some info that you don't find in research b/c so many people claim to know everything and some is so contradicting!

do baby food chicken for protein , i was told beef is bad for them !

Wow that's a huge relief! I was soo worried about that little one.

I'm not sure where you read that you should separate them during the day to bond. I've always read that separating a bonded pair just stresses them out and it's best to leave them in a pouch together.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the names! (love Toby Mac, too!) I am so glad that your baby is fine. I'm also very glad that you have them now and that they are in a home that cares so much about what happens to them.
Welcome!

I am real sorry for the reactions and comments you received here in the beginning! The people here are very passionate about the welfare of ALL gliders! But with that said, some need to think before they type! all that is read is that your glider had its teeth trimmed and that your 6 yr old wanted them, not the parts that said you had been visiting that store for 3 yrs and your son adores them. Also, that you HAVE done alot of research yourself and KNEW that trimming teeth is a NO NO! I feel for your hubby, he must feel really bad that happened (or not, hope that her teeth were not touched)but it WAS NOT his fault.
The man at that store should know that is cruel, I mean it is called GLIDERS R US and any research done is clear on that! I am glad to see that people did come back to apologize to you! This site is really resourceful and the people here can be of great help! I do hope that in the future people are mindful that we come here for HELP and unless otherwise stated are willing to act on the advice given!
I am sooo happy and thankful that your babies were lucky enough to get you guys as thier forever home. You seem to be very concerned in there health and how to make things better for them. Youv'e done some research and are continuing to learn what you can about them. It is obvious that you did not get them just because your boy wanted them or you would have done so a long time ago.
I would keep them together for now until they settle into thier new home! It is ok to bond with them seperately, but after the initial adjustments are made.
Please don't be discouraged by everything that has happened, it will all work out and you will be a great suggiemom!

For protein-stay away from beef sticks. Until you find a good diet consider cooking eggs up for them, or cooking chicken breast/ground turkey (no seasoning). You can also give them plain or fruit yogurt (I use the greek which is higher in protein). Papaya is a great fruit high in calcium, so if you can purchase some of that!

I wouldn't separate them for bonding, they usually bond better together. I suggest taking them both out in the bonding pouch during the day and petting them. Also put a shirt you wore all day ontop of their cage so they get used to their smell. Feed them treats through the bars at night.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by filly47</i>
<br />The guy who trimmed their nails and teeth is apparently a complete idiot and probably sentenced your guys to a hard life. They aren't rodents, and their teeth do not grow-so by trimming them you have crippled them. I'm sorry to be rude, but this is why people need to research before they buy an animal. And I wouldn't trust a medical procedure to be done at a flea market. I would take them to an exotic vet right away to assess the damage. I am sure that they are in pain if he trimmed their teeth.

Did you get the gliders from a flea market? What diet are they on? You are probably going to have to give them a full liquid diet if they have no teeth. Your vet will know more than I will.

I'm usually very nice, and I'm sorry but this makes me mad. I am very glad that you came on here for information, but did you research before you got these guys? And please, a flea market? I get buying things from there, but you shouldn't have a procedure like this done by anyone but a vet or yourself. Also, you shouldn't let your gliders outside unless they are firmly secured in a pouch. They can and will run away-and then they have to face the elements, finding food, and becoming food.
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I think you missed the part where she said she only took them to get their nails trimmed and that he took it upon himself to trim the teeth. So it's not very nice of you to tell her that she crippled them.

She rescued them from a bad situation and she is here to get as much information as she can so why don't you just help her with that instead of being rude.

Okay, I feel the need to defend Laura (filly) here. She is one of the most polite members around here and always extremely helpful. She never said the OP crippled the gliders (I took her "you" as being universal, not directed at anyone in particular), she did say the gliders ARE crippled. And they are! It's definitely the fault of the guy at the flea market, but her husband OK'd it! Maybe he needs to learn a thing or ten about sugar gliders too. Anyway, she's apologized repeatedly for coming off as rude, which I don't think was even necessary because she wasn't rude.

NOBODY was rude in this thread. Not one single person. If you're so thin-skinned you can't be told the truth then you shouldn't be on this forum. End of story.

I think the OP got the information she needs and this thread should be closed, since it's to the point we're just picking on each other. That's all I have to say.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by inlovewithtak</i>
<br />I'm scared now cause I got my little girl from a flea market and I'm scared to ever take her back there :(
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There should be no need to ever take her back there. In fact, you should NEVER take her back there!!! Do you have an exotic vet? If not, let us know and we can help you find one.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Rita</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 inlovewithtak</i>
<br />I'm scared now cause I got my little girl from a flea market and I'm scared to ever take her back there :(
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

There should be no need to ever take her back there. In fact, you should NEVER take her back there!!! Do you have an exotic vet? If not, let us know and we can help you find one.
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I completely agree. I will never be going back there either. Not to even purchase products. I will be ordering mine from a lady who handmakes things for her glider rescue business.

As said before, my husband didn't okay it. The guy did it before he had a chance to even speak but he didn't know to begin with. It only took that to happen before he was on here researching himself. He is a very very busy man and depends on me alot. I felt like I had let these girls down and him. I just never thought that someone would do that. Everything I had read was referring to: If you have a "VET" that suggests trimming their teeth then DON'T LET THEM. I never dreamed that would be something you might deal with outside of a vet's office and since I would be the one taking them to the vet, that info wasn't first on my list to relay to my DH.
The point is, I don't have thin skin, so no need for remarks like that. But I was very upset, turned here for help where I had read so much great info before getting them and everyone was freaking out about what happened and the fact that I just went into the flea market. I went there to buy pouches, nothing else. And I had them in a pouch when I took them in. That man was not a horrible man, he was very friendly and seemed very knowledgable. I trusted him to clip their nails. It happened so fast. That was the one thing my DH didn't realize was a no no. When the guy pressed on Macy's head, my DH told him not to do that b/c he was afraid he would hurt her so it's not like he just stood there watching the guy hurt these girls. I just felt like many other people did, I needed info on what to do next. Before I ever got a reply from anyone, I had already called my vet and since she said that Macy should be fine I was even more lost.

I posted the same situation on a different forum and had so many people reply trying to help me. I don't mean this in a rude way at all, I am a very nice person, but maybe if a similar situation arises in the future, everyone can learn from this. That what is done is done and what should happen next. I was already upset as it was and regretting even letting him TOUCH my girls just to clip their nails. I didn't need a lecture on what I did wrong at the time, I needed to know what to do next for her. I didn't know if anyone knew of a safe home remedy for pain since the vet was not concerned. I wanted to know what to do to keep her as comfortable as possible. I understand completely why you guys are so passionate about these little babies. They are wonderful.

I think my point is, as a Nurse & EMT, when a kid jumps off a swing and breaks their arm and the bone is sticking out, you address the issue at hand first. You don't lecture them about jumping off of swings until they are stable.