I will pick up some more yogurt today as mine went bad. I normaly just get plain. Can i get a flavor to treat him?

Ok I will talk to my vet about doing both at the same time. We go back in tomorrow and see what needs to be done.

I check him often and rearure him. He is stressed and depressed at the collar i think but when he sees me or hears my voice he purks up. His eyes are clear and ears are purky.

Im glad i did not take it of either. He has calmed down but still does not like it one bit. I think it is more frusteration then anything that he can not use his hands or sleep in the pouch but we will be fixing the the pouch prob so at least that will give him relife. In the mean time he has been sleeping on his hammik. Hopfully he will like this new pouch im making.

I just posted about Timmy, he is ALL HEALED! He had his tumor removed and was neutered at the same time and I am so happy we did it then, because after this, I would not have risked doing a neuter!! I'm glad you left it on. Each day will get easier for both of you!

Melissa
You are doing great. Keep it up.

Yes, he can have flavored yogurt. In times of high stress (like now) Activia yogurt is best. My gliders like the mixed berry flavor.

Woohoo timmy is healed!!!! Is he able to come out of the wrap and collar?? Im so happy for you and timmy! U did great!


Thanks Val it has been hard not to give in but i know it is for the best. I have a bad feeling he will loose part of his tail. So i think we have a long rd ahead of us.

I will deff get hims some activia mixed berry.

What can i expect from amputation. He will loose the about 2 inches of his end which will take away all the brown fur. How long should he be away from his mate and stay in the collar?

Can i put the hospital cage in there big cage and hang her pouc on it right next to his or is it to much of a risk she can get to the tail thru the bars?

Been a trying day. Gizmo's tail has gotten darker and more of a area. My vet dicided he needed to see a specalist. It has gotten worse so she gave me numbers of diff vets. All are closed till monday and our local suggi vet is not in till monday but i told them how importent this was and they got ahold of her. She called me and agreed to come in tomorrow morning to look at gizmo. She will be putting him on antibiotics right off. She will be doing the surgery and nutering him at the same time. She was actualy more then willing to talk my vet thur it but my vet dicided that with his case it is better for her to do the surgery so she gets the right care sense she has not had any time ot prepair and learn sense this happend so suddenly. My vet and the vet that is going to take over gizmos care is going to let my vet stand in and assist which im happy.

In the mean time my vet will continue to learn about treating gliders and when calypso needs to be nutered she will be ready. She knows the amputation and nutering part is not a prob for her it is the anastesia that she is uncertian of as she has never operated on such a small critter.

Gizmo is doing ok aside from everything. He is rubbing his skin raw where the collar is though and im a bit worried about that. Any advice on what i can do about that?

Get some animax cream from your vet, put it on the spots a few times a day. That happened with Timmy, too. I'm glad you at least have a game plan. Prayers continue.

Thank you, Melissa. You guys will get there, too! I would suggest you keep his cage near your bed so you can keep an eye (and ear) out at night for him if you can. I would not do the cage in cage, I think it will be more frustrating for them and she may go after his tail. It isn't easy, but have faith you will get through it. We are all here to lean on...I know I did plenty of leaning these last 5 weeks!

I wish I could somehow get a video of some of Magellan's antics: His most recent one is to "fly" off my shoulder to the floor when we're in the kitchen, then kinda "bunny hop" down the hallway to the master bedroom....past the 5 cats that co-habitate with us 2 humans & a couple reptiles. Once he gets through the doorway, he stops & waits for me to catch up with him & crawls up my arm. Then we go back into the kitchen and the cycle starts over again. When he wants his mealies, he's "momma's boy"...once he gets them, he's all OVER the place.

Not by a matter of choice (rather by necessity), Magellan visits the other members of his "family" only with supervised visitation by me. I've caught on 2 separate occasions somebody tried to chew at his tail...or at his face. So I don't suggest letting Gizmo stay inside the main cage. It's just too doggone risky.

I will agree with Val on adding yogurt to his diet. I've heard from a couple people that yogurt helps build the "good bacteria" in his system.

As far as pain meds go, I ask for Torb over Metacam. Chances are that he'll only need pain meds for 24 hours...but keep in mind that Metacam can cause SERIOUS damage to a glider's system if used for more than 72 hours. Ask your vet to "load up" the Torb in mealies or waxworms to make it easier to give pain meds. Personally I would request antibiotics to keep infection away while the tail is healing.

From there, it's just up to Mother Nature as to what happens afterwards. Gizmo isn't going to be any more "handicapped" than what you LET him be with a shorter tail. He may change on the outside a little, but who he is on the inside will remain the same.

I'll be anxious to read what the vet has to say tomorrow.

Just caught up with the "rubbing raw" part of your post. Is there a sharp corner somewhere causing this? If so, maybe a little extra moleskin in that spot will help? When I make a shotglass e-collar, there are NO raw plastic edges anywhere on the part against his neck & shoulders. I think the molefoam covered with moleskin prevents rubbing like you're talking about. If he's going to be in it for awhile, then "beefing" it up wherever it's rubbing will be helpful RIGHT NOW.

"baptism by fire" is NOT a fun way to learn all the ins & outs about these critters...especially from a veterinarian's standpoint. Be thankful that yours is open minded enough to LEARN about gliders...and even MORE thankful that she has someone nearby to HELP her learn!

Timmy has an avian collar, which as a soft, padded edge, no rough edges, and he still got the sores. It can happen. The animax will help them to heal and will feel better.

Thanks pappy i will deff ask about the cream.

The collar is one of the ones made here. It has what looks thin black pad with white soft stuff over it. I think i got it from...gosh cant remember now. It is clear plastic with snaps. There are no exposed edges so i think it is cause he is trying so dang hard to get it off. He has managed a few time to get it off but mainly keeps it on.

That is too cute with magennan. I can picture it in my head.

He will be started on antibiotics tomorrow morning and is already on pain meds.

I work for a vet so i can get syrnges and put pain meds in worms if need be.

My vet that i work for is great. She really does want to learn to treat them but at the same time knows this needs a already glider vet. She is thinking about his health. Hopfully she will get to assist during the surgery.

She is a very good vet and i have much respect for her.

I will update you as soon as i get back from the vets tomorrow. Would it not be great if i went there and the vet said oh it is much better then you thought and i think given time it will heal?

There are no open sores on his tail. Just missing fur and the discoloration. I think cause of of posting about it even though i really didnt think it was more then stress got some fast advise and he was able to get into a collar befor he could do any real damage. But i am also not going to be surprised if he does need surgery as the color does not look good at all.

Ok just got back from town. Gizmo will have part of his tail amputated on wed 11 am. He has nerve damage and a possable fracture. She says she does not think he has infection but she put him on baytral(sp?) just in case. My vet is planing on going and watching the procedure which is great. Gizmo is doing ok. He is much happier now that i have his new pouch done. He is adusting to his collar although he still does not like it. He is drinking and eating.

What can i expect the day of the surgery. I know he will be out of it a bit. He will be on pain meds and antibiotics. How long after the surgery should i keep him on pain meds. He for now does not act like it is big pain. In fact when u touch it he is not bothered at all. Im wondering if he has suffered such bad nerve damage that it is numb. Either way though he will stay on pain meds just in case.

If you guys can give me advice on anything you can think of that will help id realy be greatfull. I want to do anything possable to make it easyer on him.

Although I never had an glider have a tail amputated, I know with Timmy, he was pretty aggitated. Make sure you have a small carrier to bring him in and bring him home in (I think it is safer then in a cage while they are coming out of the anesthesia). He will (should) have his collar on before he awakes and they should have already given him injectible pain meds. Make sure they give you Buprenex (or Butorphanol) for pain and I would venture anywhere from 3-5 days for the pain meds. No less than 14 days on the antibiotics, although they may want to do 21 days. If you feed HPW, make a little extra that is a little more on the watery side (you can add a little extra apple juice) so he can eat easier. You may even want to get one of those bird feeders that look like a tube with a plastic 'spout' on the bottom that he can lick out of but not get his whole face in like he would with a dish. You can get them at Walmart. I would suggest a small hospital cage, with every thing near/on the bottom. No wheel.

Sending prayers out for both of you. It is good he is on the baytril. Most likely that is what he will also go home on. Good luck!!!

I have acarrier and a hospital cage. I will make sure they put the collar on before he wakes up.

That is a great idea about the bird feeder. I do feed HPW so that will work great!

Thanks so much

I feared that this was going to be the outcome in the end...I'm sorry to hear this is going to happen. What happened to create all this will probably be a mystery forever. Checking everything for POSSIBLE contributing factors is all that can be done at this point.

With that having been said, here's what I've encountered with my ordeals on tail amputations:

If you can go along to greet him after the procedure is done, it will be beneficial. If not...then request that one of the vets wrap him up in a piece of fleece before he wakes up, keeping your fingers covered best that you can. What Val has said about them waking up violently is true: They "startle" awake & are very frightened at even the things they love (that's you). I'd suggest that you ask the vet to put the e-collar on before he wakes up just to keep him from biting his new surgery. (If it had been feasible, the e-collar should have stayed on him before he was completely asleep...Magellan actuallly attacked his wounded tail as well! )

The antibiotics is a good idea to keep infection away, despite no obvious injuries on the outside. I'm using a bandage of Adaptic with vet Wrap to cover it. That seems to be the best working combination that doesn't cost more fur being pulled off when bandage changing time comes. I'll furnish more details to you privately.

Magellan only "needed" 2 doses of pain meds post-op. After the first 24 hours, he improved so much that I didn't have to push the issue. He's been in a hospital cage for 3 weeks now, and there's no wheel in there. His appetite is TERRIFIC and I've been feeding him pureed mixed veggies, grated fruits & his BML in a Yogies lid. To my surprise, he can maneuver his collared face so that he can eat. The food doesn't end up smeared on the floor of his cage, and I let him out for exercise at least twice daily.

The end of his tail has developed a little "build-up" of a knob already. (My other 2 nearly tail-less babies and my half-tailed "child" all have this as well.) The fur has grown back--mostly--and they act just like any other glider...they just don't glide as much, that's all.

I wish I knew where in Kentucky you call home...I'd almost be inspired to take a "road rest" if you're anywhere on I-65, since I'm heading down that highway on Tuesday. A visual on Magellan is worth a mile-long post.

I have checked his cage over and i can see nothing that would have caused it. There was a day when i was gone that he was being played with and he dicided to take off and run behind the entertainment center. Im not sure if he did it then but hubby said he did nt think he hurt himself but as we know they can hide it so well.

I will ask that they get the collar on before he wakes up. I wish i could be there. It is not the vet i work for so i dont think they will let me.

I have vet wrap so i will wrap his tail. How often do we change the wrap?

Im worried how long he will have to be away from hunni. she has 2 jeoys in pouch. I think he may make it back befor they come oop or shorlty after but im not sure.

Im in Bowling Green right along 1-65

I've answered the MOST IMPORTANT question via PM...

I hear your worry...I'm doing the same thing about whether or not Magellan will be welcomed back into the colony when this is all said & done. But the bottom line is: What has to be, will be. Period. Mother Nature is as bad as a glider about being able to read time (by way of clocks OR calendars): when the healing is complete, they'll be able to be together again. I'm staying optimistic that it'll be before the babies come OOP.

SandSMammas and I will be touring down I-65 on Tuesday...we'll be ready for a break by Bowling Green (I have several reasons to wander down to Tennessee about 3-4 times a year---4 of my fuzzy babies live there, along with several friends) & would love to say howdy for just a LITTLE BIT. If we can work it out going down, GREAT. If not, then maybe we can catch you on the northbound side.

I got your PM ty. I think gizmo will be welcomed back. I worry about how it will affect them both though. She gets depressed being alone. And with having joeys in pouch i worry even more. I will just have to keep her one me as well as him in diff pouches. I hope he can go back in befor babies come oop but we will see.

Id love a visit!! Im not that far from one of the EX and is not hard to find me. If we cant do it on the way down let me know about the way up. either way if u go 65 u go right by me. You can meet all my fuzz buts and they way it is looking mabey 2 newly oop joeys! Carmella is about ready to pop and i mean literly. Im actualy worried on how big the babies are. She cant even keep her pouch closed. It is normaly opened the size of a dime. I saw one baby hanging oop tonight.

I just gave gizmo some mixed berry activia yogurt and man did he like it!!! Hunni did as well. I treated everyone with some tonight as we are still out of mealies.

Melissa good luck with him, I'll be thinking of you and him on Wednesday and say a little prayer...I'm sure everything will turn out fine...make sure you take pics of those babies when Carmella DOES pop! I'd really try hard to make arrangements for that visit - minkasmom is awesome and she'll be able to ease some of that UNeasiness in person...I've never met her personally (sorry minkasmom to be talking about you as if you're not going to read it lol), but she's given me advice before and she knows her stuff...good luck! PM me if you need anything, I've never dealt with tail amputation (our big issue with MY Gizmo was seizures), but even if you need to vent or just worry out loud, I'm here...

Thanks a bunch angelic. I look forward to meeting minkasmom! She has been a great help as well as others who have responded.

Im worried about gizmo on surgery day. I know exotics can have probs with anastesea and i just cant help but worry. I know he will be in good hands plus my vet will be there. I may just take you up on the offer to worry out loud

Guess what???!!! I saw babies hangen oop today!! Gosh they have to be oop any day now if they arnt already. I cant ketch them detatched but if they are not know they will be anyday now. Cant wait!!!

Vent away if need be!

Well just a update about gizmo. He is finaly getting used to the e-collar or as used to it as a glider can be. He is really happy with the pouch i made. He is able to get into it and sleep with plenty of room to spare. I just made a really big no sew pouch and tied the opening around a pool ring. He can get right down in it. He is learning to eat with the collar on but man is he dirty. I had to take the collar off at the vets for her to see the wound the collar has made on his neck and i let him keep it off while i was talking to the vet and watching him at the same time. He went right to work grooming himself. I swear i thought he was going to have a heart attack over how dirty he was!

Im really dreading Wed. So far the tail is no better but no worse. I know it is for the best and i just thank god i got him in the collar in time before he could really do damage to the actual skin. I just cant belive how bad it got. It went from me thinking he was just stressed and pulling the hair out to wow there is something really wrong here. Iv just been thinking wow i cant belive it happend to me. I think when you have healthy happy gliders you tend to forget how bad things can get fast. I have been putting of giving my list for my emg medical kit to my boss and this has hit me in the tush that i really need to get on the ball. I had the e-collars on hand thank god.

Gizmo is our first glider and has always been sweet. I have tought him to sit at the door of his cage and when i tap my shoulder he jumps to me. He is so sweet. He is hyper though and after he greets you he tends to want to run off. Well now that he has the collar on he is sticking to us like glue. It is so sad to see him start to run and get the collar hung up and he just looks at you like a 4 yr old that has been told to sit in the corner. He trys to leap to you but he cant judge his landing. He is geting spoiled but i think he would rather the collar come off. I have yet to tell him he has to stay in it till his tail heals and boy will that upset him.

I got to meet minkasmom and her friend Samantha today!!! They are the sewwtest people and showed me how to make a shot glass collar and they also made one for him. I think he will be much happier in this then the sat collar. Im so happy to have gotten to meet them!

Gizmo is still doing ok. Tail is not getting worse but not any better. He will go in tomorrow at 11. Im very scared for him. Im going to be a wreck by the time he goes thru the surgery.

Prayers surround Gizmo, Melissa! I know you are scared (and I don't blame you) but remember he is good hands and they know what they are doing. Please let us know as soon as you can.

I'm glad you got to hook up with them today! I'm also happy to hear he is adjusting to 'life in a lampshade' as we call it around here....lol

ty for the prayers. I will let you know as soon as i get home how he is doing. I am going to ask if i can be there.

They are great people and i was so glad to meet them!!!

Well i have gizmo home with me now. He had his nuter and tail amputation. All went well with the surgery. They said as soon as he woke up even in the e-collar he got to his tail and started chewing. They had it wraped in vet wrap with extra hanging off his tail. This vet wrap has bitter apple like stuff built in and it does not taste good so he let it go and has not messed with it sense. They left so much at the end so that if he did get it up past the collar he would only get the vet wrap and not his tail. He is in his hospital cage. Im glad the surgery went well and it is iver now the healing has to start. He is on pain meds for today and 2 days after and he has been on baytril for a week and has 2 more weeks of it.

Im going to keep a watchfull eye on him today and thru the night. Little bugger slipped his ecollar last night but did not damage to his tail but i need to make sure he can not do that again.

ok not even home a hr and he got the vet wrap off his tail with the e collar! I re wrapped it and then wrapped the rest of the tail with moe vet wrap so he would have a harder time getting it off. He is trying so hard to get to his tail. I have been watching and so far he can get it up under him but i switched to the shot glass collar and he cant bite it. He is stressing so much.

Melissa, I had no idea you and Gizmo were going through so much!
I'll be keeping you both in my prayers!

I have never been through a tail amp, but imagine it is hard because even with that collar, the tail is so long. Sending prayers out he will settle. I know with Timmy he was frantic at first, but did settle. Hoping it will be the same with Giz.