I think that including Health Issues for gliders in the Gliderpedia would be invaluable for reference/educational purposes but feel that we need to draw the line how much information is actually published. Listing issues as well as symptoms is very helpful, but we don't want people to turn to the gliderpedia for quick fix vet treatment so perhaps treatments should not even be included in this. Any comments on this?

We need to stress that any health issue mentioned is for educational/reference purposes and that with any health problems, you should always consult a Vet.

Just a quick response...Very often people come through because thier glider is behaving differently or whatever. All too often people fuss vet, vet, vet. However a lot of people do not run to the vet for what they are not sure is a medical issue. Time and money are a reality no matter how we choose to judge it. I personally do not run to the doctor for myself hardly ever. For my children I will. I feel I take pretty good care of my pets as far as research, stimulation, diets, housing, etc. However I don't run to the vet for everything either. I would certainly if concern or awareness of an issue were evident. Many people fuss and disagree....pets are children, blah, blah....so yes I think educating with common signs, descriptions even treatments could be beneficial. We cannot evaluate anyones situation. It could be late night, no transportation, etc. The info may see them through the night. Ultimately it is the pet owners responsibility to use good judgement. But it is important to clarify it is not intended to substitute an emergency vet, etc. And it is not intended to diagnose or treat ill suggies as they can die easily, etc. I really want to contribute to this section with more thought though. So much for quick response.

Just popped into my head, there might be legal issues to consider with giving medical advice.

quote:

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Originally posted by Ko

We need to stress that any health issue mentioned is for educational/reference purposes and that with any health problems, you should always consult a Vet.

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Eric: Would a blurb like Ko's quote above be sufficient to stop any legal issues?

As I first stated, listing different health issues that occur with sugar gliders would be great. Any pet website/book etc does that, but I really think, listing treatments etc should not be a part of it. Preventative measures yes but treatments no. We don't want people to self diagnose and treat without some professional consideration. Concluding each condition with seek medical advice for correct diagnosis and treatment is highly advised..or a similar disclaimer would prevent any legal issues.


However, I cannot see any problems with listing the issues and preventative steps that can be taken.

I believe that the technicalities of treatment should be included. Most will require drugs and correct dosages. That alone is a problem for most vets who have no experience with such tiny animals. How does one self treat an infection or most issues without drugs? My goal would be to get a one page printout with the top most common suggie issues, their diagnosis, their treatment as technical and brief as possible. This way folks can print that out and bring with them to inform their vet. This can also give them a very good idea of what the problem could be and perhaps how important it is to seek help from a vet. Also, with correct information up front, a person seeking help can phone a few vets and make sure they have had experience with a probable diagnosis and that they have the correct drugs or alternatives on hand to treat it before they go for a visit.