I personally want to see the proof where the glider are susceptible to the isd.. everything that is written states there have been no cases reported or shown up on necropsies.. so no to me it is not apparently.. there is no proof anywhere that says the isd is an issue at all..
now I have sat back and said little to nothing since all this came to me less than a week ago.. and it did not come to me by way of Suz, but through the grapevine when someone asked me about the recipe for the joey BML..
for starts.. I love suz, we have collaborated over the years in many areas.. I as many other hold Suz's words very high.. but in this case I think that what is being said and is printed on her website is very irresponsible without the proof to back it up.. on her site she mentions it twice.. and now I am going to address both of those excerpts..
in the joey bml section.. she IMPLIES.. that the joey BML causes ISD..when she added this note..
"Note: Due to new information about Iron Storage Disease (ISD) affecting captive sugar gliders, I no longer recommend making the original Joey Formula recipe that I formulated several years ago. I also no longer recommend Baby BML for this same reason. "
now since she never contacted me with any concerns at all, nor has anyone else... I am left to believe that the lives or health of gliders are not at risk, simply because if they were and there was truly some NEW information.. that information also would have been shared.. not just with me but with others as well. I do not believe in my heart that suz would never jeopardize the health or life of a glider with knowledge that she chooses not to share..
so with that being said. I would like not only on behalf of the BML, but also for personal knowledge.. like to know what NEW info it is that has arisen about sugar glider and ISD.. if it necropsies and histopaths, I would like to see those as well and have my people.. interpret them..
on her feeding page she has this she has written... and with that I also have many concerns that others do as well..
"Research done by the SUGAR Group over the past three years has revealed that almost 27% of the gliders necropsied during that time died from liver disease of one type or another. This sent up a red flag for many of us and we started to delve into why. It seems that Australian necropsy results show significantly less liver disease. Apparently sugar gliders are susceptible to Iron Storage Disease (ISD), medically known as Hemochromatosis. It turns out that many of the diets we have been feeding our captive gliders here in the United States are very high in iron due to having iron-fortified ingredients in them. For this reason, I am no longer recommending any diet except the Australian Wombaroo Diet which has been fed successfully in Australia for almost 30 years. "
I have worked with necropsies and histopaths over the years, I am not qualified to interpret what is written on them.. but one thing I have noticed over the years is that to the untrained.. they are vague at best.... in the health and hygiene section here at gc is a section called health and hygiene 101 and in that section is one called necropsies.. in that section is many many necropsies and histopaths.. that have been posted.. going again through them even after all these years.. the findings are still vague and there is rarely a definitive cause of death.. a lot of possible, could be associated with, may have contributed to.. a lot of possibilities based on the findings..
so now I want to know exactly who is interpreting the reports to come up with the reasons of death.. I have never seen any that can be cut and dry and said this death was caused by bacterial infection associated with ISD or associated with any specific diet, or ingredient in any diet. If a person who has not only a research organization whether they are 501c3 or not.. and has a website that is called Sugar glider VET info.. then that person needs to step up to the plate flash their credentials, and explain how they are qualified to determine what the necropsies say.. of having a website that is misleading in the name.. sugar glider vets.. giving vets the assumptions that the site is owned and run by vets. the site is an educational site that holds no more credence than any other glider owner that may have information they believe to be correct.
with such programs, the credibility of such persons are assumed to be correct in not only it's nature but also the results.
now as for Australia, not having issues with liver problems that in itself can be attributed to many things, they also never had issues with HLP or bacterial infection and parasites that we here in the states do.. this has been discussed with the Australians for many years and is no secret.. but there could be many reasons for it.. we have far more gliders here in cages fed staple diets in ambient temperatures with far more reduced activity and we also don't have access to the natural floras and faunas as readily available as they do. The issues that we face here in the states are our issues.. the ones that they face in malaysia.. are their issues.. we can not compare the difference in countries, and life styles that may affect our gliders. we must look at the issues that we have here, learn to do the tests needed.. and work on fixing them.. I was hoping the necropsy effort would point us in the right direction to make that happen.. but all it has done is give people a pin pointing place to say this causes this or this causes this.. based on incomplete information that we are expected to take at the word of one owner...
one thing I Have burned into my head from Dr Bruce is variables.. and how important those variables are in trying to get to the root of any problems.. to prove a positive you fist must disprove all negatives.. and assumptions can not be made as facts..
we can speculate, build suppositions, discuss the possibilities.. but many times we may never be able to find the answers.
I hope for our gliders, that at some point people can and will work together for the gliders instead of taking forward steps and ripping them apart.. I know it sounds like an oxymoron seeing that I just voiced my OPINIONS... we have to start looking at what is.. and not just a person, a group may THINK it is. IF you make an assumption of how deadly a diet is.. whether it is pellets, BML, HPW Complete.. or any other diet out there.. Have you collaborating data ready, have your FACTS, not just speculations, in hand and address them with the manufacturer of the diet FIRST.. so they do can work on addressing those concerns.. instead of spreading speculations as facts.