Ok. So I have heard many different things about
A: How the bottom of the cage should be prepared
B: if Wheels are good or bad...

A: Bottom of the cage.
So I was told by my local vet to take the grate at the bottom of the cage out because it can break their legs. And to put news paper on the bottom instead.
Then a few days ago I would told to do the opposite by a breeder because they should not have access to their own poop...

What the crap do I do???


B: Exercise wheel
So once again I was told by my local vet to put in an exercise wheel... but not just any wheel... It has to be a solid piece of plastic with no moving parts and no holes... because their feet can get caught and break :(
Then again... that same breeder looked at it and told me no. That one is too dangerous and I need to take it out immediately. And but one that she has. It is this wheel that the running part is made out of a wire mesh. With the hole being pretty big... which concerns me...



What do I do???
Obviously I want to do what is best for my glider, but people keep telling me these very different things!

Help!!!

Honestly, it does not sound as if your vet is very experienced with sugar gliders and their care.

Keep the bottom grate in the cage. If it slides out easily, zip tie it to the back to keep it in place and to prevent injuries and escapes.

They require a glider safe wheel. Wodent wheels are not safe, they have been known to cause tail injuries. Well known glider safe wheels include: the stealth wheel, raptor, Eco raptor, custom cruiser. There's more I just can't think of their names right now. I use stealth wheels in all of my cages. The plastic mesh that is used in these wheels allows for the glider to grab on. They have a lot of fun in their wheels as you will see.

Here is a link to the stealth wheels, so you can at least see what I am referring to.
http://atticworx.com/1Stealth%20Wheels.htm

I use the x-mounted stealth.

First: breath, calm down. There a lot of debate regarding glider care, and at the end it is your choice what you do.

First the grate.

Both the vet and the breeder are right. HOW? Well, because the grate can be a hard landing, and while it may not break their feet, it could hurt them some. But they should not have access to their poop and rotten food they may have thrown around and was left on the bottom. This is what I do, if you choose to follow a similar example. I buy mesh, like the mesh you use to protect the plants in your garden, and cut a square that will perfectly fit over the grate with zip ties. I got this idea from my breeders that realize the situation and did this in order to make their landing softer. I didn't know until they told me, but sugar gliders can get arthritis, and this helps diminish it and keep it at bay for longer.

Now for the bottom of the pan, it is your choice if you wish to use some kind of bedding or none; as long as you clean it often it should be ok, and don't use pine shaves (it is toxic for them). If you are going to use bedding, just don't fill the pan to high, so they can't reach it. What I personally use is Yesterday's News, which is very cheap and safe, it is only rolled up newspaper; you should be able to find it at any petstore.

Now, wheels.

Here in the gliderpedia is a list of safe wheels:

www.sugarglider.com/gliderpedia/index.asp?ExerciseWheels

Another one that is not mentioned there is H-wheel that have a speed control. You can learn more about it here:

www.humbertossugargliders.com/H-WheelFAQ.html

Gliders pee and poop while on their wheels, if these have a solid track, this mean that when they run they could get bathed with their own poop and pee; and the wheel is also harder to clean. But your vet is right in regards to the moving parts, because a tail or feet could get trap there and your gliders could suffer a terrible wound.

Hope this is helpful.

Here is a first hand description of a Wodent Wheel tail injury:

www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=42420

You might print the discussion out and share it with the vet.

If you choose to use a wodent wheel it must be kept clean at all times. Glider Pee and pooh remain in the wheel and coat the axle. The axle becomes sticky - like fly paper. If the fur of a glider's tail comes in contact with the sticky axle it can, as the wheel rotates, roll around the fixed axle just as you might roll your hair on a hair roller.

this can fracture a glider's tail or even rip the skin and fur away from the bone (de-gloving injury)

Ok. thanks guys :)

I do change the news paper every night right before she wakes up.
Is this ok???
Maybe i'll still get the mesh and wrap it around the grate.

as for the wheel... this is what i'm using... www.squirrelsandmore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/w/h/wheellarge.jpg

good or bad???

quote:

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Originally posted by mousemhl1993

Ok. thanks guys :)

I do change the news paper every night right before she wakes up.
Is this ok???
Maybe i'll still get the mesh and wrap it around the grate.

as for the wheel... this is what i'm using... www.squirrelsandmore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/w/h/wheellarge.jpg

good or bad???

---

The bad part with this wheel is the back of it. There is a lot of room and moving parts in the open that can injure a glider.

I bought one and installed it and took it back out as soon as I saw how much space in the back of it for a glider to get in trouble, it would be very easy for a glider to get injured back there.

For the bottom of my cage I use glider kitchens so the mess is mostly contained in there and those get washed with their dishes.

That also gives the gliders a place to sit on top and play and eat and they often use it as a landing pad.

I do not put anything in the drop pan because they do pick up stuff thru the bottom grate and eat it.
And I tried fleece sheets that covered the tray and baby changing table pads and they try to pull anything like that up thru the cage floor grate. (I have read not to use news paper because when the pee gets the newsprint ink wet...it becomes toxic.)Most wood shaving are toxic like pine and cedar.

I pick out all dropped food each day(which isn't much because of the kitchens sitting on a tray) and wipe out the pans every other day with an unscented baby wet wipes.

ok.
well i do clean everything every night with a wet paper towel...
as for these glider kitchens... what are they???

These are mine that I use and they are igloos from petsmart and petco on lids or I have some plastic serving trays I use too.

You can make them out of Sterilite containers like a shoe box, rubbermaid, tupperware type containers with a lid, and the lid becomes the floor.

You can heat a soup can and melt the holes in it or cut them and sand them.

Oh cute.
Yah I'll try to get something like that.

I'm still just a little weary about the grate... Couldn't my baby get her leg snagged in a hole and snap her leg???
Isn't it not fun at all to have to watch your step every second of every day to make sure you grab a bar and not an empty hole???

I mean... if i'm totally wayyyyy off... then let me know and I'll cage my cage asap.

quote:

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Originally posted by Minnesota Zoo


The bad part with this wheel is the back of it. There is a lot of room and moving parts in the open that can injure a glider.

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That is exactly what I meant with moving parts on the wheels, sorry I forgot to specify.

quote:

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Originally posted by Minnesota Zoo


I'm still just a little weary about the grate... Couldn't my baby get her leg snagged in a hole and snap her leg???
Isn't it not fun at all to have to watch your step every second of every day to make sure you grab a bar and not an empty hole???

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As for the grate, their little feet won't be snagged on the bars, don't worry about that. My suggestion was so the grate will become a softer landing, since their landings, to begin with, are not so graceful . You don't have to do this at all. Though I did notice with my male, Loki, when I first got him, he would try to get to whatever was dropped on the bottom pan (he actually reached even when I did not have any bedding); and after putting the mesh on top of the grate he couldn't get his little hands as far out of his cage as to reach for the bottom pan.

As I said, it is your decision whether or not you decide to use bedding or mesh on the grate. You mainly have to observed them and from their behaviors, decide what is better for them.

Good luck!

I have NEVER seen a post on any of the forums indicating that any gliders have been harmed in any way by walking, jumping or landing on the bottom grate in their cage.

In the wild gliders jump and glided long distances and slam themselves into the side of a tree to land. They are pretty sturdy little creatures.

My gliders have been known to jump from curtain rods and land on the tile floor in the bathroom - and get up and scamper off. Landing on the bottom grate from a maximum distance of 4 or 5 feet is not a problem for them. They usually jump for the side of the cage and just grab the bars when they get there with all 4 hands.