Thanks Judie, I lost Alvin last week and he had coccidia in his fecal when I took him to the emergency
vet. He didn't really show any solid symptoms until he got diarrhea and dehydrated virtually overnight. His appetite was poor, but that was not unusual for Alvin, he was a very picky eater.
He went to the ER
vet Monday night, was treated with sub-q's, b-12, calcium and Albon. Tuesday, more sub-q's. Wednesday he actually ate a little bit of food, but would not stay in his pouch. He wanted to be in an upright position. Thursday morning, back to the
vet, where he had full x-rays. He had a small amount of fluid in his lungs, and what the
vet surmised as fluid around his heart. That was at 8:00 a.m. By 10:10, he had passed away.
Both
vets told me that he probably had the coccidia when I got him last January. He was from a pet shop, not a clean one at that. There was just no way that he could have been exposed to it since I got him. I was just devastated with his loss and in shock at how quickly I lost him. He was my first glider and a real sweety considering that when I bought him, he was afraid of people. He had come around so well and turned out to be so sweet, never biting or crabbing.
I've done a little research on this bacteria, and it is a real tough one for sure. People can get it also. What disturbs me the most is that it can't be killed, only stopped from reproducing. I guess that is why it can come back. Of course I cleaned everything and disposed of a lot of things, but I will be in constant fear of his cage mate getting it also. He was treated with the Albon also for five days. He has recently lost both of his cage mates and although he is eating fairly well, he seems a little lost.
I am so paranoid about this now. Even though it was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, I sent Alvin for a complete necropsy. I just have to know if there were other factors involved. I made this post with the hope that if anyone else had ever been confronted with this, I could find out how their other gliders faired out, did they stay healthy, did more get it, etc. I still have 7 more gliders and I hope and pray that none of them will get sick with this horrible bacteria.
I've lost three gliders in three weeks and the pain has been unbearable. There, I've said it and posted it and now maybe I can learn to live with it. It's been so hard, and when I read about the others who have lost gliders, some more than I have, my heart breaks for them also.
Even though Alvin was the only one lost to sickness, he did get his fecals along with all the rest, every three months. I cannot stress enough to everyone how vitally important this is. Even though it didn't show up until it was too late, it's possible that it can be caught earlier. These little guys are so good at hiding illness. I'd like to get Bosco a cage mate or two, but I'm so concerned that the coccidia will turn up again. Of course I wouldn't consider doing anything until ALL fecals come back clear. Knowing that it can reappear will be like waiting for a bomb to go off. I will always wonder if I got everything clean enough.
For all of you who have dogs and cats and other pets, please be sure to have them all checked regularly. Even though your gliders may not come into contact with them, or play in the same room with them, this bacteria like Judy said, is very contagious. Thankfully, none of my other pets are affected, but I will worry about them the same as I will my other gliders. This is a horrible thing for any animal to get. I will post the results of the necropsy when I get them. Also I would like to thank again the folks from GC who helped my
vet and me to get us through this. Never have I seen such selfless acts of love and caring for a fellow glider lover. That's what it's all about here, and I'm grateful to know such wonderful people.