For those on multiple sites I have also asked this question at The Sweet Spot, but haven't had any response so I'm hoping someone here has experience with this.

I got a little boy joey to be introduced to my female as a buddy (no future breeding intended). He was 11 weeks old when I got him last Wednesday, on Friday I took him to the vet for a fecal check and to ensure that his previous yeast infection was cleared up. His fecal came back fine and the vet said his skin looked healthy with no signs of yeast or any other issues but he didn't run any test except for the fecal.

Now that he has been home with us a few concerns have come up but the most pressing is that on Saturday evening he began to over groom the base of his tail (hair missing but no skin broken). I put the yucky smelling meds his previous owner had given me on the spot and he left it alone. Then on Sunday evening he began to do the same thing to the tip of his tail. So I again put the yucky stuff on it and he has stopped. However, based on what the vet said about his exam I am worried he might be stress grooming. He has had a ton of changes for such a little guy, new home, cage, no family, diet (HPW original), no wheel, smaller cage (until he is introduced to female). How can I help him stop the grooming other than wiping yucky stuff all over him. He seems to do it more if I put a freshly human scented cloth in his pouch (so I have stopped doing this for now). I give him tent time, but he only stays attached to me and doesn't move unless he flinches at a sound. I also have been doing pouch time with him, he has little toys in his cage and I have seen him playing with them (monkeys, bracelets, fleece pieces, ball pit and his favorite is the monkey's barrel). Has anyone else encountered this and how have they helped their joey cope. He is also expressing other symptoms of stress such as lunging and biting, crabbing and not eating all his fruits/veggies. Any help or suggestions are welcome.

He hasn't chewed his tail since Sunday, but I have also been keeping the meds on him. Sorry the images are dark I was using my cell, and it's harder to see in pictures than what it looks like in person, loss of hair but skin not broken. These are of the base of his tail, the tip is to hard to show in a picture.

I'm so sorry! I cant give any facts, and cant really give you any absolutely true answers, because I don't even have sugar gliders yet, but did he have another cage mate with his previous owner? If so he might have been depressed about not being with his cage mate and therefore over groom, I know that sugar gliders over groom when they are depressed...Maybe if he didn't have another cage mate he was lonely and is depressed and over grooming. Sorry I cant be of more help to you. Depression is the only thing I can think of..But don't think this is the absolute answer because I may be COMPLETELY wrong!

Thanks, he was with his parents and one sibling when he came home with me and that is what I'm worried about. I was trying to figure out if there is anything I can do during the quarentine period that will make him less depressed or stressed so he doesn't keep doing this.

I would doubt it is stress grooming. It doesn't sound like typical stress grooming.

It sounds more like something is bothering him. Mites? I don't know. I would take him to the vet again, if it were me.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by valkyriemome</i>
<br />I would doubt it is stress grooming. It doesn't sound like typical stress grooming.

It sounds more like something is bothering him. Mites? I don't know. I would take him to the vet again, if it were me.
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I agree...I was also thinking maybe some type of injury to the tip of the tail? I would definitely take him back to the vet and have the vet do a more thorough exam.

I will call to make an appt today, I'll ask him to test for mites and a possible injury anything else similar I should ask about?

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"> and to ensure that his previous yeast infection was cleared up.<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Was he seen by the same vet that had previously treated him for the 'yeast infection'? How extensive was that previous infection? How old was he when he had the previous infection and what testing was done to diagnose it.

There have been several reports of young joeys developing infections that have been variously diagnosed as yeast infections or as a parasite that is difficult to identify.

Make sure your vet knows of his complete history and have testing done specifically to identify his problem.

What 'yucky stuff' are you applying? If it is something the breeder gave you, be sure to discuss the medication with your vet as well. Was it prescribed by the vet or something the breeder chose to use? Hopefully the 'yucky stuff' is the appropriate medication for his problem - but you will not know this unless you have shared that information with the vet.

Thanks for all the help and support Aimee and Val, I was beginning to think I was just being overly paranoid and without your encouragment I would have waited to take him to the vet on Friday.

As most commented the concern was that maybe this wasn't stress grooming but something else so I took Jax into a different vet today. They ran several fecal tests to rule out parasites (have to redo in 3 wks) and did an xray on his tail, all of this came out fine. However he was very lethargic and didn't even attempt to move when they were working with him on the table (understand this is a lunging biter, squirmy boy ). His skin was fine no signs of any yeast or inflamation, but his eyes were crusty, private was crusty, and he wouldn't pee. So the vet was very concerned about him.

We don't have a complete answer to what the exact diagnosis is but the vet was leaning towards a Urinary Track Infection based on Jax's symptoms and his experience with a different glider. So they gave him fluids, pain meds and antibiotics. I'm just really glad I didn't wait until his appointment on Friday with our vet I'm really not sure if he would have made it.

We are now home and he ate some of his HPW Original so hopefully the pain meds are working and he will feel better soon.

please keep us updated on your baby i hope he gets well soon

Thank you so much for the update....keep 'em coming.

Thanks and I will keep everyone updated.

And to answer a few of Candy's questions for future "new glider owners". Jax's mom had a Staph infection so they gave her meds which then led to her having a yeast infection in the pouch, which then both babies got. When I got Jax the yeast infection was supposed to be gone but just in case the stress of moving caused him to have a resurgence of the yeast (since stress can cause it? not really sure if that is accurate, just stating what I was told.) I was given these medicated wipes (both vets were familar with them when they saw them). I'm not sure which vet Jax went to or his mother did for original diagnosis and treatment since I thought the vet I went to last night was the same one but they didn't have any history they could find.

I did give all the background info to the vet so that he could better diagnose Jax.

For now he is being treated for a UTI but if the current meds don't seem to work the antibiotics will be swapped with something that will attack Staph since it is a possibility that could also be the problem.

Biggest learning for NEW GLIDER OWNERS, bring your babies to the vet when you see anything unusual in their behavior even if you think that maybe your being paranoid. If I had waited Jax could have paid the ultimate price.

He is doing fine this morning took his antibiotics and crabbed a little. YEAH. I really didn't think I would look forward to being bitten again.. silly huh? but I have faith he will pull through just fine and be back to his fun lunging biting self in no time.

So happy all is well so far...hope he just keeps on improving.

And just a little FYI for new people also...the proper term as Laura mentioned is Yeast, but you will also see it called "Ick."

Just so there's no confusion in the future.

I'm happy he's getting better, but JazznZoeysmom I have a question: Have they officially decided that "Ick" is yeast?

I'm also going to send off a fecal sample to have him tested for Trich just in case that is the issue. My understanding is the vet can't test for that so even though they ruled out ringworm, tape, giardia. Trich hasn't been ruled out which may or may not be related to Ick (current debate going on?).

Thanks for the support.

As an update, he is eating well but is still grooming his tummy now so going back to the vet today. I was wrong they didn't test for giardia so they may do that. We initially were waiting on testing for tritrich since he was on pancure but may move forward. He has gained weight and is very friendly compared to the lunging biting boy I had brought home, however he still does like to chew on everything.. fingers included OUCH!

Thanks for the update. So glad he is eating well and gaining weight....and coming around with some good bonding.

Keep us posted after your vet visit today. Sending good thoughts your way!

Back with the yucky wipes for yeast but he really does seem to be doing much better. However he is a CHEWER!! the ball pit, he chews the fleece till it falls down and I have to tie it back together.. lol I put one of your triangle things in last night and he spent hours trying to eat the white hooks.. and fingers are a favorite, not aggressive but investigative. He seems like he is teething do they do that like dogs?

LOL... I don't believe they "teeth" but some are chewers. Get him some Apple Chew sticks from the pet store. Army men/dinosaur plastic figures from the dollar store.

Barrel of Monkeys are a favorite also.

Yeah the nibbler has lots of that stuff, just anytime he comes in contact with anything he has to put it between his teeth. lol