Vogue was in her ball having some time to run around the living room, I know that balls aren't always the best thing and people have different opinions about them but I feel safer with her in the ball then just running around because we have 3 cats. Anyways she got her toe some how caught in the lid of the ball where you open and close the ball at. It is not just hanging there, there is no open wound or anything like that but it is obviously broken.

I have no idea what to do, the vet is closed today, I don't know when I would be able to get an appointment for a visit and I will have to travel to a different vet because the vet I take my other animals to knows nothing about sugar gliders.

It is her middle back toe, she made no noise, no anything. I have no idea how long it was stuck in the lid or anything like that.

Is there anything we can do? How serious is a broken toe for a sugar glider? What should we do?

She needs to go to an emergency vet. And this just further proves that balls are not safe.

I agree you need a vet as they can end up chewing off their own foot to get rid of the pain..and hamster balls are very dangerous.

Needless to say she is never going back in the ball. I'm going to call the vet today, turns out the main vet office is actually open today. I literally cried for a half hour over this. I feel so guilty. I can't stand to know an animal is in pain, I literally get sick over it. I hope I can get an appointment.

The best thing for your baby to play in is a tent. And keep us posted and let ys know what the vet says.

i hope she gets to a vet soon. their toes are so tiny! i wonder how they fix them. i will not be getting a ball, ever!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by sjones5254</i>
<br />The best thing for your baby to play in is a tent. And keep us posted and let ys know what the vet says.
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Exactly! A tent or a glider-proofed bathroom is the best thing to use for "out of cage" time when other animals are involved.

Regardless, thank you for posting this. Hopefully new owners will find this post, realize it's a mistake to use a hamster ball and will try to find other solutions.

Best of luck, let us know what the vet says.

I'd put an ecollar on her so she does not start chewing off the toe. Gliders will self-mutilate sometimes if they can't feel someting or if there is a lot of pain. Of course of course get her to a vet but in the meantime put an ecollar on...

i think i remember everyone telling you recently that the ball was not safe for this exact reason. i hope this shows other stubborn owners that we dont just say things for fun...we know from experience that balls are not safe for gliders.

Sigh....I'm sorry for your glider. Really wish that I didn't have to read posts like this. If people wouldn't be headstrong and think they know everything, this wouldn't happen.
I hope your fuzzbutt stays healthy until a vet visit can happen.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by misscarl</i>
<br />i think i remember everyone telling you recently that the ball was not safe for this exact reason. i hope this shows other stubborn owners that we dont just say things for fun...we know from experience that balls are not safe for gliders.
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http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=34909&SearchTerms=hamster,balls

Is that the post you're referring to? If so, it's not really fair to say CiaraN816 is stubborn when it was someone else asking about hamster balls and getting advice. If you're referring to another post I do apologize, but this is the most resent "hamster ball" discussion that I remember.

CiaraN816, do you have any update on your little one?

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by dpatters28</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 misscarl</i>
<br />i think i remember everyone telling you recently that the ball was not safe for this exact reason. i hope this shows other stubborn owners that we dont just say things for fun...we know from experience that balls are not safe for gliders.
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http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=34909&SearchTerms=hamster,balls

Is that the post you're referring to? If so, it's not really fair to say CiaraN816 is stubborn when it was someone else asking about hamster balls and getting advice. If you're referring to another post I do apologize, but this is the most resent "hamster ball" discussion that I remember.

CiaraN816, do you have any update on your little one?
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that was the one, you are completely right. sorry for saying it was her. sometimes i mix up the new people on here. my apologies to you claran816.

Happens to the best of us!

I think this thread should be added to a section on how not to care for your glider so newbs can see just why you can't put gliders in hamster balls. I know I bookmarked it and will post it when someone comes through asking why not.

I hope that baby is ok! should we be nasty to her she certainly understands the reason why they are unsafe and surely she feels like an ass for not listening.

It is not that we didn't listen about the balls, everyone has their own opinions on the hamster balls. Some people are for them and some people are against them. I don't think that because I let mine play in the ball that I am headstrong or stubborn. I don't think that makes me a bad sugar glider owner and that I should be made and example of. The previous owners that had Giz before we did let him run in a ball every single night for 11 months straight and nothing happened to him. Of course I don't just through my gliders in the ball and leave them unattended to, I watch them, put up baby gates and move things out of the way in the living room so that they only thing they could even bump into is the bottom of the couch. What happened was an accident. The lid wasn't on all the way, it was on crooked, yes that was our fault but it was an accident. I would never hurt my gliders and I love them, as you can see I am taking them to the vet on Monday.

I posted this looking for help, not looking to be made an example of for bad glider own-age.

So for everyone that gave a bit of info on helping her or wanting to know if she was okay, thank you.

Regardless of whether some people are for them or not, hamster balls are dangerous. Gliders toes can get caught in the air slits of the balls. Nothing happening to him for 11 mos is great, but that doesn't make it ok or not dangerous. People drink and drive and sometimes nothing bad happens, does that make it safe?

~Michelle~

Yeah I get what you are saying, but like I said there hasn't been like an official post in which we have read about hamster balls on here. It's just been comments here and there of various opinions, I just didn't see the post that was talked about previously. We didn't even think anything of it, since Giz was sent with a hamster balls, ya know? She is going to the vet tomorrow, super early. I wish she could have gone today but I couldn't get an appointment.

I am a new owner, I'll be bound to make mistakes, which I'm sure many of you have made some mistakes too. Her claw didn't get stuck in the slots, the lid wasn't screwed on straight, and her little toe got stuck in there. But It's not like I was not taking care of her properly.

I agree there should be key things that new owners should definitely know about. I'm new on here, and I just yesterday figured out you can actually search posts about stuff you are looking for.

Whoa!! Chill out! I didn't say you were going to be made an example of cuz you're a bad owner. I just said new members will find this post and realize that accidents can easily happen if they use hamster balls. I love, love, love Michelle's analogy of drinking and driving. Hamster balls are NOT recommended for gliders. End of story.

I really like the idea of adding this to a "what not to do" post. Sometimes we get so caught up in learning anything new about "what TO DO" that it's helpful to have a reminder of what NOT to do. Great suggestion!

Regardless of everything, I think we have to calm down and look to what is important in the here and now-we need to be praying for this poor glider. Please keep us updated on her and get her into a vet first thing tomorrow morning!

the people that are "for" hamster balls have not seen all the posts in which gliders are injured because of them. thats like saying youre for pellets, because you havent done enough research to know they are bad. if you do enough research, you see how easily a glider can be injured because of a hamster ball and that it is not rare for them to get hurt in one. so those that are for them feel that way because of lack of knowledge. they are not making a knowledgable, well-thought out decision, they just havent seen the effects of it.

That's how I feel, I didn't even think twice about it, because of the lack of know how. I would never have been "for" hamster balls if I would have done the research but why would I have thought twice about it? Ya know? It was a 50/50 opinion pretty much, plus Giz, I thought nothing of it.

To dpatters28, I apologize, I misinterpreted what you meant. I thought you were picking on me specifically, not making a general statement.

I hope you little one's toe heals well. Did you put on a ecoller like LG suggested? There are video's on youtube showing you how to make one.

No we have not, we have just been watching her closely to make sure she is not chewing or anything like that. We are night people so we are up most of the night anyways which makes it easier to keep an eye on her but thank you for telling me about the youtube videos. I will check them out and most likely make her one. I didn't know how or what to even make it out of so thank you so much.

Clara - I don't think you need to be made an example of. But, you are exactly right - new owners DO make mistakes.

By posting this mistake here, hopefully you just taught someone else not to make the same mistake in the future. It is vital that we learn from one another's mistakes, because the gliders can't afford for us to make them all ourselves!

No one needs to rub anyone's nose in it - although I can usually count on Kazko to do so - But I appreciate your posting about the accident. I hope other new owners will learn.

If circulation is cut off in your glider's toe, it will turn black. It could become seriously infected, and the infection might easily spread and kill her. Please get her to a vet when you are able.

Here is a link to a video LG made. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67Zn5rsPW5Y

Anything made my LG is worth watching! =D Please keep us updated

Ciara, good luck at the vet. PM me if you need an e-collar, I have the supplies and live in Cincinnati.

~Michelle~

Take him to a vet, and next time use better judgement. You were aware that people had conflicting opinions about the balls, and for good reason. Why not avoid the risks altogether and choose something else?

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by TwilightSora</i>
<br />"I have no idea how long it was stuck in the lid or anything like that. "

This means that you were not watching them as closely as you think. It is not an accident when you could have taken preventative measures.

Take him to a vet, and next time use better judgement. You were aware that people had conflicting opinions about the balls, and for good reason. Why not avoid the risks altogether and choose something else?
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This is the epitome of a drama-starting post. There is absolutely no reason to attack CiaraN816 like this! She is getting her glider to a vet for treatment, which at this point is exactly the right thing to do. This post does nothing to benefit the situation and shouldn't have been written.

I've edited my post to be less attacking, but my point still stands: why did they take the risk when half of the people said they found it unsafe? Why not seek alternatives?