Hey guys. I was just reading through earlier and something caught my eye. I forget not everyone is studying animals and vet type procedures and just wanted to throw something out here for everyone. When you guys go in to get your gliders checked out by a vet, and they take a fecal, the only REALLY reliable way to check for giardia is by centrifuging. There are 3 ways to do a fecal exam; direct (where you take a very small amount and directly mix it on a slide with a small amount of saline or distilled water), float (where you need quite a bit more of a sample and mix with fecasol in a tube and then cover with a slide coverslip and wait 10 to 20 minutes and then check under the scope), and finally the centrifuge procedure which I won't go into detail with the procedure because it takes awhile to explain. What you all need to know in case you don't is that giardia almost always cannot be detected unless done with the centrifuge process. The reason being is that giardia eggs are TINY, WAY more tiny than most parasite eggs. In a float, the heavier eggs will most always float to the top, but giardia eggs (along with certain types of tapeworm eggs) will not float to the top because they will not break free from the actual fecal. Giardia is typically too small to detect in a direct fecal also, as are a lot of other types of eggs. I just wanted to make sure all of you know this before you take your babies in to see a vet. Fecals being a routine procedure, especially when giardia is so common among gliders, I just want to make sure you know, and your vet knows the best way to check on your babies. If anyone has any questions let me know.

I didn't know that. Thank you!

Thank you for the advice.

Thanks for the info.

that might explain why it took three visits before my vet spotted it and that was after it flared up. hmmm. I am taking fecals in today also and will ask my vet which one he did.

Ouch, thanks for the info.

wow. thats really important to do

Thanks for the info

I added a link to this thread to the Gliderpedia, Health Related Links page.

All fecals came back clean!!!!! :) Yay!! Oh and I asked my vet about the centrifuge and he said that is not always so. This is because there are different equipment that can be used. Depending on the level of magnification of the lens and if the Doctor knows what to look for it can be spotted. Also my vet is an exotic vet in case you were wondering.

DaCoSim - great post! Thank you for sharing this with us!

My vet said he doesnt see much giardia in gliders but does see strongyle quite often. I know he does both float and smear but will have to ask him about the other.


Snusie, there is an article out there on Giardia - so this link could be added there, too.

Rita, someone beat me to it!

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Originally posted by snusie

Rita, someone beat me to it!

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It wasnt me! Im feeling kind of lazy tonight!

What I don't understand about Giardia and I know I've asked before but I never looked to see if anyone answered is, my vet said that if they have it or got it, a glider would die in a matter of days. This confuses me. I understand it can lay dormant? If its dormant, will a vet be unable to find it unless it flares up? Also, is he wrong about gliders dying that quickly because it seems like people find out there gliders have it, get treatment, and then are fine? I'm so confused. How long can they live with it? Does anyone know? My gliders fecals and smears came back fine and they have been with me for almost 5 months but everytime this subject comes up, it creeps me out and makes me want to run to the vet again and get it done all over again - mainly because I have kids and it creeps me out that gliders can carry something my kids could get from them.

I think if your gliders had a severe case they could die in a matter of days...but like you said, it can be dormant. Like the one member, it took 3 fecals before it was identified, and it's not like her gliders were clinging to life or anything like that. There is treatment for giardia. I could be way off base, but that's what I gather just from the anecdotal information I've heard.

wish i woulda known this b4 i took mine into the vet today lol