As some of you may know, I brought Buck home from Matt's on Friday. Well today was the first time I actually got a good look at Buck... I got to have out of cage time with Buck and I noticed a few things that didn't seem right....

I posted a video I found the other day with gliders that had HLP. And it was the first time I had actually seen it...

Well as Buck walked around, I noticed he walk like the glider with subtle HLP. Which would explain why he runs awkwardly in his wheel...

On top of that I noticed while he was running in his wheel that he stopped a few times and had his mouth open a bit... I knelt down to get a closer look and he was drooling!! Surely this isn't normal?!

What do I do?? Matt had him on BML, but he said it wasn't until recently that he started eating it... And I currently have him on HPW which he has no problem eating. But before Matt, Buck had been to 4 or 5 homes during the past 6 months and I have no idea what they fed him. I tried contacting Matt to find out, but I haven't heard back from him yet...

If Buck does have HLP, what can I do to discontinue it from getting worse??
What does him drooling mean?

Please, help, I'm so worried.

I tried to get a video of him walking, but he just wouldn't let me. This is him running in his wheel... This video is to show his difficulty when he runs in his wheel... His legs constantly slide out from under him and gets caught in the hole.


Another note... he didn't start drooling until he got in his wheel... He has never drooled during the other times he was in his wheel though. And during this video he wasn't drooling either.




Edited to correct typos =/

I'm not sure about the drooling, but definitely take him to a vet.
I know vets can treat HLP if that's what Buck has. They can give a shot of calcium to help, I know that for certain. Other than that, I'm not quite sure what else can be done, other than a good diet.

Sorry I can't be more help. Good luck.

On a joking note:
LOVE the toe socks. <3
Also, I love how gliders peak their heads out when they're running in their wheels.


On a serious note, I'm not sure about the drooling, like I said. But I see how his fur around hit mouth is wet.

:/



I definitely took notice to his leg popping out while running. I'm not sure what to think about that. I would definitely suggest going with a vet. I hope he gets better soon!

A glider vet can give him a shot of liquid calcium, if necessary. The vet can also advise you of ways to increase his calcium going forward. Any damage done by HLP cannot be reversed, but it CAN be halted if you get him to a vet!

As for the drooling - the only time I've ever seen one of my gliders drool, she was VERY stressed and had smelled something that irritated her. (She was with me at a Pet Expo, meeting people and helping me educate) After she started drooling, I put her back in her pouch, and the drooling stopped right away.

I wonder if he is running so hard that he is panting? and that's causing him to drool? Maybe he has tooth problems, such as an abscess?

All anyone here can do is speculate - as I'm sure you know! I know you are scared - but a vet can advise you on both of these issues.

All I can do is reiterate...you know he needs a vet ASAP.

Definitely seek a vet for the drooling. This could be due to any number of illnesses including bad teeth.

As for the wheel, I was having this happen alot with the wodent wheels in both of my cages. It was as though they were slipping and sliding. After I put the trim track in, the slipping and sliding resolved and they are back to enjoying their wheel at full speed.

Any update today?

Kyro - you have no idea how many times I've checked here for an update!

I know...I keep checking here and TSS. LOL

quote:

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Originally posted by PW

Definitely seek a vet for the drooling. This could be due to any number of illnesses including bad teeth.

As for the wheel, I was having this happen alot with the wodent wheels in both of my cages. It was as though they were slipping and sliding. After I put the trim track in, the slipping and sliding resolved and they are back to enjoying their wheel at full speed.

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The drooling stopped as soon as I put him back in his cage for the rest of the night. I also checked on him this morning and he was still drool free. I tried putting the trim tracks in last night to see if that would help also and because I noticed that his nails were ridiculously long. They were getting caught on everything, including fleece. I don't think it got the same result you did, but my memory's a bit hazy from stay up late so I'll double check tonight.

I'm going to see if I can get a vet appt. asap.

Oh!

I have no update as far as Vet goes, but I did hear back from Matt.

Before he got him, Buck was being fed crap. Pellets, nuts, and cereal. He said that Buck has been on BML for about two months now, and now that I have him he's on HPW.

ok - thanks for the update.

He was out of his cage drooling? I wonder if it was like what happened with my Stella Luna - something she came in contact with? However - I'm also glad you are going to get a vet check asap.

The crap previous diet can contribute to the HLP, but so can a parasitic infection or illness. So - update with what the vet finds! HUGS.

Since you haventt had Buck very long, Im sure he is very stressed due to his new environment. A vet visit will still be in order for his wellness exam and fecals. Even if Matt has taken him, you should still take him to see your vet.

Buck certainly is a cutie!

quote:

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Originally posted by valkyriemome

ok - thanks for the update.

He was out of his cage drooling? I wonder if it was like what happened with my Stella Luna - something she came in contact with? However - I'm also glad you are going to get a vet check asap.

The crap previous diet can contribute to the HLP, but so can a parasitic infection or illness. So - update with what the vet finds! HUGS.

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Yeah, I had out of cage time with him in my bathroom for the first time. At first he just went to his wheel, so I took his wheel away for a bit and he walked and jumped around checking stuff out. After I gave him his wheel back he went back to his wheel and that's when he started drooling shortly after.

quote:

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Originally posted by Rita

Since you haventt had Buck very long, Im sure he is very stressed due to his new environment. A vet visit will still be in order for his wellness exam and fecals. Even if Matt has taken him, you should still take him to see your vet.

Buck certainly is a cutie!

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Matt didn't take him to get vet check because his cagemate (who died from a neuter infection) had a clean vet bill before death so he figured Buck probably had a clean bill of health as well.

He's the one I was talking about in this post: http://www.sugarglider.com/glidergossip/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=29263

Thank you, Rita =] He certainly is cute, and big lol So far I've only been bitten once and that's because I accidentally took him by surprise while he was sleeping. Thought I was petting his back, but to my surprise it ended up being his face

Bit of an update...

Putting the trim tracks in did help with his hind legs slipping and he seems to be able to run fine now.
Though that doesn't change the fact that he was walking a bit funny (kinda like waddling with his hind legs) as he walked around the bathroom. Could it be that it's because my counter and floor has a smooth surface and his nails are too long ? And maybe I was being a bit paranoid?

I'm still not totally convinced considering what he has been through... poor diet...5 homes in 6 months... That's gotta be pretty stressful even though he hasn't shown signs of stress.

regardless if it's paranoia or not, he still needs his first vet visit, but maybe I won't be as worried now. The drooling was still a bit odd though, but he hasn't done it since.

My Non-Vet, inexpert opinion is that he probably found some chemical smell in the bathroom which irritated his mucous membranes and caused the drooling. Please make sure your bathroom is a very safe place for him!

I think your assessment of the bad diet causing stress is probably accurate, also. One thing you can do is dust his mealworms in a calcium powder (like they do for reptiles) to boost the calcium in his diet. I only recommend that because a friend's vet recommended it for her glider. It won't "cure" any HLP or take care of the problem. But it might help until you get him to the vet. Which - I hope will be soon!

it may be stress..? my vet was trying to hold Dahlia down to get a good look at her, and the vet tech was a little rough with her. After the whole thorough checkup, I found she had drool.. and or urine? down her mouth. My boyfriend said he thought she peed while they had her upside down, so we aren't sure. It looked really similar to your first photo. After we cleaned her up and got her home she was fine. Also, the day we her [aka from the flea market] it was really hot outside and I saw that she looked like she had drooled or peed on herself then in her pouch on the way home.. I'm not really sure. I've only seen something similar to that one photo 2x's, but I wiped her clean, and she groomed herself within just a few hours, without the problem reoccurring without stress.. It may be that while he was running he got urine on himself with the wheel spinning around. I would still get him checked out just to be 100% sure.

You know what it looks like to me is it is coming from his nose. See how it goes down the front of his chest too? Maybe his nose runs when he runs? Mine used to when I ran. Hope you have gotten him checked out by now though.

Hey its Matt, this is crazy, he had no issues with me at all, he ran in his whell all night, I had the nail trimmer in it though, his nails should be short, also the thing i gave you is a trimmer, put it in and see how he does. And drooling never happened at all and as far as leg movement, it was more than ok the way he rounded his flight cage with no issues.... maybe he has ingested something at your place????? Now im worried about him, if he needs a vet bring him back so i can take him asap...

Oh its me again, i just read further, sounds like he is now doing ok and the nail-o-matic i sent with him is in the wheel now.... Please let me know how he is...

He moves fine around his cage, it's just outside of his cage that he shows difficulty and I'm wondering if it's because of the smooth surfaces?

Here's him running with the trim tracks in. Quite the difference compared to without it:



His nails were rather long, but they seem to slowly be trimming down now. I'd trim them myself, but he's not comfortable with me handling him.

As for the drooling, I've made the connection that he does it when he's stressed. As soon as he's in the safety of his pouch, the drooling stops altogether.

Just wondering if you've taken him to the vet yet? And, if so, what was the response?

Yeah, what happened at the vet?

For update, please go here:

http://thesweetspot.forumotion.net/hlp-permanent-paralysis-f39/drooling-hlp-please-help-t842.htm