Hi!
So, I'm new, this is my first post, and unfourtanately, it isn't very good. :( i have three sugar gliders, comet, opi, and Abel. Opi only has part of his tail because of an incident that happened last year. I for Opi and Abel in December of 2015, and I've had comet since 2013, I think. Last night I noticed Opi seemed a little off, but today it's more noticeable. I should also mention Opi is the Skinniest. Opi walks around and he'll kind of.. sway from side to side. Some time he will be slanted and be running in circles. At first I thought, it look like he's scent marking. But then, I realized sugar gliders don't have scent glands on their sides. The best I can describe it is... a very intoxicated person who can't walk in a straight line ( sorry if I broke any of the rules by talking about that kind of stuff!) His face also.. it just seems... off. I don't know what's wrong,my mom says we will see how he is doing tommorow. Of course tommorow is Sunday so no vets will be opened. My mom asked me if I fed them calcium with their food... I got a pack of exotic nutrition glider cal with Opi and abel's prévois owner.. I never thought to use it.. she didn't really explain it. For a while after getting Opi and Abel I fed just fruits veggies and eggs yoghurt or chicken, the I made hpw with Wombaroo powder, then when that ran out I fed them eggs or yougurt or chicken with fruits and veggies again, then instant hpw from exotic nutrition "vanilla bean flavor" that's what I feed them now. I told my mom, she suggested they were older then we thought. She asked about the calcium, told me to put some in the food tonight, so that's what I did. A couple weeks ago Opi ate a cashew and part of an almond that was on my floor... and the cage I have is only big enough for TWO gliders, not three and I haven't gotten my mom to bring me to build another cage yet. What should I do? Is this an emergency? What's going on? Should I get rid of the toys in the cage so he doesn't fall? Should I keep offering him water? Should I keep him close to me?could it be old age or diesiese? Is this fatal? Should I do anything to protect my other gliders? Sorry for the long post and all the questions, I just have no idea what is going on and I'm worried . :(

I forgot to add something: he is running around and his head and neck tilt, causing the rest of his body to tilt. I have no idea what's going on or what to do :(

I wish I could offer you more help but it's so hard to know what's going on. I can certainly understand why you're so concerned. Hopefully someone else more knowledgeable will reply soon. Until then, all I can say is that if I had a glider who showed the same symptoms, I would probably want to contact a vet asap. Even if it's just a phone consult to get some advice...once you explain the situation to them they can tell you if it's wise to bring him in for evaluation. In the meantime, I would keep home warm and close to you, and offer him water in case he's dehydrated. Please keep us posted.

Thanks! Would keeping him in a bonding pouch work? And should I just put him in there or the other two gliders in there with him? do you think I should keep offering him water in case he might be dehydrated? I just checked on him, when he stuck his head out of the pouch his head seemed to be shaking, moving in a way that it normally wouldn't. You don't think this is all my fault, do you? For not using the calcium and not building a bigger cage and leaving those nuts on my floor. I just put him in the bonding pouch without the other two. Will this cause him stress, sleeping alone? He seems like he's trying to get out. I have a crittertrail that I used to bring then home, should I put him in there next to the cage so he can still see his brothers? He's trying to get out of the pouch right now.the vets aren't open. He still slants, but now he'll move his head around, then back, then let out a little crab almost. Is this an emergency? What Can I do to make him more comfy and stuff? Would he make it till he could get to the vet?

Hi glidingcameron,

You can check to see if he is dehydrated by doing a tent test. Locate the skin on the back of the neck close to the shoulders, and pinch it between your thumb and forefinger. If it stays up and doesn't go back down right away then he is dehydrated. If he is dehydrated, you can get some orange Gatorade and mix half and half with water. If he won't drink on his own, he may need help with a syringe.

Im just wondering, do you have any mouse poison or bug poisons around the house? Is it possible he could have came in contact with it? This would explain the staggering if so. Is he eating and drinking on his own? It could be a number of things to cause this. A lack of calcium would also cause hind leg paralysis. calcium is very important for gliders. Nuts can cause blockages in their stomachs but how were you to know there were nuts on the floor? Don't beat yourself up over it because things just happen sometimes.

I would suggest keeping him separate from your other gliders until you find out what is wrong with him. This is because he could have a parasite and you don't want the others to get it of they don't already have it. You can keep him in his pouch alone but you can hold him and keep him warm. It will bring him comfort to be with you. Yes, you can put him in a smaller cage, (not too small) and put him across the room from the other two gliders. Be sure to include his pouches and some of his toys.

Definitely take him to the vet when they open. Check to see if they have an emergency doctor it may be possible to get him in today. Keep us updated on him. Let us know what the vet tells you.

Thank you! I think he is a little bit dehydrated, the skin kind of oozes back into place. if he's not dehydrated will the Gatorade water hurt him? Like, over hydrate him? And Gatorade is safe? My mom is going to the store now, and opi is eating pellets from my hand. Could it be because I feed vitacraft vitasmart pellets? I spilled trail mix, and I thought I picked up all the nuts but I didn't. I don't know of any rat or bug poison in my house, and i know there's none in my room. Could it be a sign of a oncoming seizure or a phycological or neurotic thing? When I offer him water he takes it. I don't have a cage bigger than that crittertrail, and those things are abuse for any animal so I know I can't put him on that. Eating is the only thing that he sits still for. He tries to get out of the pouch, he runs around insteAd of sleeping. How can I tell my mom we need to call the vet? She says none of them are open. Has anybody ever had any experience with something like this? Thanks for helping again.

A head tilt is a sign of serious neurological problems. Calling a vet is the best thing you can do. Any vet clinic I have worked with had an emergency answering service for after hours and weekends, so they were "closed" but you can still get connected with a vet

The Gatorade will not "overhydrate" him. He will want to drink it more because of the sweetness and smell. The way you can find out if your vet has an emergency line is to call. They will be closed but there will be a recording telling you what to do if it's an emergency. Usually there is another number to call or you can leave a message.

I think it's OK to leave the pellets in the cage as long as you are giving them a good staple diet every night. For example : bml, hpw,pricilla price. Served with the required fruits and veggies.

You say he is wanting to play and run around, I'm wondering, is he moving slowly? Is he moving at normal speed but unbalanced? Is he pooping and peeing OK? Did this happen all of a sudden or did u see it coming gradually?

Sounds like he needs some xrays done, this could be an injury or potentially diet, without a vet diagnosis all we can do is help stabilize the glider. Is he using all 4 limbs? or is he pulling himself with only his front limbs? is he favoring a foot?, have you checked his feet ? what direction is he veering too ? any swelling or bumps where there werent before like on his back or hips?


Gaterade is what we use for dehydration, it won't hurt him even if he isn't dehydrated.

A small cage, even if you feel it's to small is probably ideal for him right now, especially if he has a spinal injury, fracture or break, even if it's diet related he needs to conserve his energy.

We use small cages, sometimes plastic shoe boxes with air holes for hospital cages when there are serious medical issues going on. Do not feel bad if it's small, small helps minimize activity and allows the glider to recoup. Just DO make sure there is always access to water and the container has good air flow!

I would suggest making a more balanced staple diet than what he is currently being fed. Bml would be most ideal right now, all the ingredients can be found locally http://www.bmldiet.com/bml-recipe.html This will provide more fluid intake and vital nutrients including calcium, he will need to recover. You will need to get the repcal calcium for it you can not substitute any ingredients in the recipe.

Do you sprinkle the calcium from exotic nutrition on the food ? or measure it?

You said he is shaking, is he cold? If he's cold put him next to your skin warm him up and push the gaterade. A cold glider will not drink, if he's dehdydrated he won't be able to self regulate his body temperature, so warm him up and push fluids. If he remains dehydrated to long he will start having seizures, if he starts seizing back to back it's very difficult to bring them back from that, the best way is for an emergency vet to sub q them, EVEN if the emergency vet has no glider experience they will be able to at the very least give a sub q.

Thanks! Will organic strawberry Gatorade work? And he's moving at a normal speed, just like its late at night when he'd normally play. He seems to be going to the bathroom okay-. He's kind of un balanced with real wired head movements, which cause his whole body to tilt. When I emptied my trash from my room, there were some bugs I thought I got them all out but is it possible some got to him? And I still don't know about the cage. I've got a little dish with organic strawberry Gatorade right here that I'm going to give him- what should I do after that? How much should I let him have? If I tell my mom that this is a sign of something really serious and vets take calls even on sundays do you think she'll call? Thank you I really appreciate it.

Oh, and he's not cold, he's warm. He's drinking the Gatorade right now. How much should he get?

Orange gaterade is what we primarily use, but if strawberry is all you have that will do. If you have an eye dropper or needless syringe, give him the gaterade using that, do not just expect him to drink on his own, if he is cold or dehydrated enough he won't drink. Put the eye dropper or syringe on the side of his mouth to get it into his mouth there is a small gap in the teeth on the side, get the syringe in there and give a drop at a time until he starts drinking on his own.

Hold him vertically so he doesn't aspirate while you are giving fluids.

Once he starts drinking it up on his own let him

Is the crittertrail thing like this ?

he should get as much as he'll drink. If he's dehydrated, he should get even more than he will drink on his own without you pushing it into him

Is your mom on facebook ?

Strawberry gatorade should be fine .Do you have a water bottle to mix the Gatorade in? You want to fill it half with water and half with Gatorade. If you don't have a bottle, the dish will do fine. Just be sure to add the water. Leela is right about the small cage. Your critter trail cage should make a good hospital cage. Also you should start using the calcium to avoid future problems for them. You can just ask your mom to call the vet to listen to their recording. They leave information about their hours of business and emergency information on these recordings. It won't hurt to call even if its just to see what time they open in the morning. Is your mom open to taking him to the vet? Have you asked her if she can take him to the vet tomorrow?

I need to interject about the calcium, To much calcium can be just as bad ad not enough. If it's being sprinkled you have no idea how much they are ingesting it may be to much or to little.

This is why I suggested bml, the calcium is a measured amount evenly distributed throughout the whole batch of bml so the gliders aren't getting to much or to little. The gliders can't avoid it because it's not sprinkled and they can't get to much of it because it's blended thoroughly and evenly spread out. The only way bml wouldn't be beneficial is if the gliders don't eat any of it. If after a couple weeks and all the advice has been tried and they don't eat then find another tested widely used balanced diet like critter love

Exotic nutritions food products are crap, the supplements the pellets the hpw knock offs and most of the snacks.

I know it seems like a reputable place to get food from, the name of the company implies exotic specific foods and accessories. The only thing I'd buy from that site are the cages.

This isn't just my opinion, it's the most common opinion that even people that disagree about everything else glider related can and do agree upon.

Yes, the critter trail is kinda like that one except older and simpler with no attachments. Is it okay that I accidentally fave him just gave him Gatorade without water? And what should I put in the crittertrail for the night? A pouch, a vine foraging toys? And can calcium expire? Would it help if I gave a little bit of honey too? I can't switch to the Bml diet right now- the instant hpw is all I have. Should I put in a blanks with other'a scent in the crittertrail? Will he be ok till I can get him to the vet which is a few days? Will he ok for a few days in that cage? Should I give Gatorade water a few times a day? Thanks again

Oh no. Will the food keep hurting them if I keep feeding it?? And I measured out 1/2 teaspoon of calcium and put it on. Oh, and when I feed him in the crittertrail, how much do I do? I'm just so used to feeding three I'm not exactly sure how much one needs.. and is there any food / toy company that's actually good?

Yes, the critter trail is kinda like that one except older and simpler with no attachments. Is it okay that I accidentally fave him just gave him Gatorade without water? And what should I put in the crittertrail for the night? A pouch, a vine foraging toys? And can calcium expire? Would it help if I gave a little bit of honey too? I can't switch to the Bml diet right now- the instant hpw is all I have. Should I put in a blanks with other'a scent in the crittertrail? Will he be ok till I can get him to the vet which is a few days? Will he ok for a few days in that cage? Should I give Gatorade water a few times a day? Thanks again

Ok, that puts some light on things.. 1/2 teaspoon is far to much. His symptoms could be from to much calcium. Even for 3 gliders it's to much.

For a batch of bml we use 2 teaspoons of calcium and that is mixed in with everything else, that batch will last 2 gliders one month. A 1/2 teaspoon serving is a quarter of what is in a one month batch, that's a lot, equivalency to a weeks portion of calcium in one serving.


Can you get or do you have, frozen corn, frozen peas or frozen mixed veg?? if you do please give him some it may help his body deal with the calcium overload.

If you can't start bml because of financial issues I can get some help for that and have supplies sent to you, but I will need to speak with your mom. I can't and won't ask a minor for an address to have someone ship you supplies. DO NOT POST YOU ADDRESS here. If your mom has facebook please have her friend me and pm there https://www.facebook.com/carla.sloan.1 so I can discuss it with her directly.

The 2 most known and used diets are Bml and critter love hpw's. There are a couple other widely used diets but I don't promote them because they are still making changes and haven't been tested.

I suggested bml to you specifically because it's affordable and can find all the ingredients locally. Critter love, I can see if Peggy will send you samples if you'd rather try that. However, that diet you have to buy from her, you can't just go to the local grocery store and get everything to make it.

gaterade with no water is fine, it won't hurt him at all but I'd prefer you try to do it mixed with water until he's moving around better. The water helps the organs flush things out of their bodies.

ok for the instant hpw for now, give him about a tablesoon of the hpw a tablespoon a fruit and veg. Corn, peas, carrots, green beans, water melon, blueberies, cherries. NO canned fruits or veg, use only frozen or fresh


The critter carrier if it has the wheel in there remove it. I would only put a pouch in the critter thing and maybe a couple small toys like easter eggs or something stimulating but nothing to make him to active like a wheel. He will be fine in that cage for as long as he needs to be in it. You can put some fleece from his cagemates in with him yes and keep the critter carrier at least 12 inches away from the cage mates cage. This is to prevent any tail injuries from gliders in the other cage or vice versa.

Straight Gatorade won't hurt him. Just be sure to mix it from now on. I think the feeding goes 1 tablespoon pet glider. So it would be a tablespoon on hpw, a tablespoon on veggies, and a tablespoon of fruit. Follow the direction on the calcium.

I also want to tell you this, your doing all you can do and your doing fine. I'm sorry who ever you got them from didn't give you very good information, it happens a lot.

I'm proud of you for reaching out for help, I'm sure it's scary for you to reach out and doing most of this yourself. It's very obvious you care very much for these gliders and your doing the best you can. So take a deep breath and be proud of that.

I know your still worried about the cage size, I promise you it's ok. I've used cages smaller than that myself for hospital cages. You are actually very lucky to have that for a hospital cage, most people do not have a back up emergency cage and believe me they wished they had. I keep two small temp emergency cages on hand now, One is currently occupied with a medical foster glider recovering from a neck wound, the other is my other back up in case one of my own glider needs it.


I work with a lot of people that help gliders in need of medical care, or just help period for what ever reason. I have connections that will send food supplies if that is what it takes , they do this with no strings attached it's done anonymously because they just want to help.

But I would prefer to speak with your mom so she is on board and ok with it.

Thanks! Can I feed him broccoli and strawberries? And should I put fleece on the bottom, in case he falls so he doesn't hurt himself? He's in the pouch right now, and he's freaking out how should I calm him down? How much calcium? I don't think it's from too much calcium because I only gave the calcium last night after I thought it was because he didn't have enough. Can i let him out tonight until I absolutely have to put him in? And I thought that reptile supplements were bad? Should I give the others calcium? How can I get him from being so bored he chews one of his toes off or goes insane or something? How close should I put the cages? I think I will be able to get the stuff for the bml diet, my mom just might not get why we need to get a different food after we spent $20 buying supposedly good food. Thank you for helping, I appreciate it.

Oh, should I give him peas now or with dinner?

Is it safe to put him back in the normal cage if he will just be sleeping in the pouch?

His tail is all wet too, like he peed while he was in the pouch

no keep him separated from the other two. If he is ill he needs isolated or they could injure him. Cage no closer than 12 inches to the other cage.

Keep him hydrated and eating and I would get him in to the vet as soon as you can, ask for fecal test and potential xrays to rule out a major injury.

You can give him some veg now for a treat if he will eat it

Thanks! He's in the crittertrail now, sleeping. I'm going to poke a hole in a Easter egg and put pellets in it, so he can have pellets and stimulation. He's also got a pouch water bottle fleece vine whiffle ball keys and a plastic charbon and a ferret ball. I am going to put a little dish of peas in there.

Oh, and he's smearing the peas, so I think that's a good sign.

Do you guys think I should give him more Gatorade?

Hi again Glidingcameron,

How are you and Opi doing? I'm so glad you have gotten a lot of support and feedback from several very knowledgeable people here. Great advice! I'm taking notes as well

It sounds like you're doing everything you can to help Opi through this. Please don't blame yourself for any of what's going on. Even the most experienced glider "parents" are learning. We do the best we can to take care of our babies and we learn along the way. And we don't always get the best information. For instance, I've had 2 gliders, from 2 different places. My first came from Pocket Pets and they suggested things that were downright dangerous. My second came from a reputable breeder and she was telling me things that I knew weren't accurate. This is not to say that both places didn't also make great recommendations. We just have to do our research. I have received so much valuable information from people on this site! The calcium issue is tricky because (as already mentioned) gliders can get too much. In my case, I had to rush my first glider to the emergency vet because she had a serious calcium deficiency. That's what's so great about diets like BML and Critter Love...they help take the guess work out of measurements.

Keep doing what you're doing and hopefully your Mom will be on board with getting to a qualified exotic vet soon. I would suggest offering as much water/Gatorade as he will drink. The fact that he's eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom are good signs!

haThanks! My mom is going to call the vet tommorow. He's in the crittertrail right now- it has a thing or two for him to climb on with his dinner and some foraging toys and his pouch. I mixed some Gatorade into his water bottle. He was just eating dinner, i gave him a teensy bit of calcium again. It makes me really sad to think of him in there while the his brothers are in the big cage with the wheel, but I think this will be better in the long run. I have a bigger hamster cage at my dads house with more height that I'll clean out and bring over here on Wednesday, because I have a feeling after the vet visit opi will still need to be separate for a little bit. I put some fleece on the corned and sides so that if he falls or runs into the wall he won't hurt himself. I tried to make it as comfy as possible for him, for a crittertrail of course. I'm only going to feed him through foraging toys like my Easter egg , and for his dinner strictly on a plate so it is easier for him to get. The crittertrail is on my dresser, near my bed, so I can check on him and get to him if I need to. I also have a flashlight on my nightstand.I believe I have a syringe like thing somewhere, just in case I need it. I'm going to tell my mom to ask for a fecal sample and X-ray. I think he is doing preety good, considering the circumstances of course. Thank you all so much for your help, I really appreciate it.