GliderCENTRAL

Body Language of a Sick glider

Posted By: Xfilefan

Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 07:29 PM

We say that when a glider is ill, frequently you notice changes in demeanor and behavior unlike what is normal for that glider. Drooping ears, slow movement, etc. And sometimes you have little to no warning. When you do, if you haven't seen it before, it can be difficult to pinpoint. But what does that mean, exactly?

I have had 7 gliders go to the Rainbow Bridge..most of them rescues that were ill when they first came to me. All seven I have been with in their last hours, and they died in our hands. I have always known by the look in their eyes, the set of their body, something was very wrong.

This time, looking at Gimli, I took the opportunity to try and show what a seriously ill/dying glider's body language is like. Though it hurts to post these, it's nothing to what it did to me to take them, and if it helps a glider to get medical attention before it's too late, then it is well worth the effort. I'm sure there are few that have not heard the expression "a picture is worth a thousand words"-and it's the truth.

These pics are Gimli's last gift to you all. They were taken about 4 hours before he left here for the Bridge.

Pic 1

Attached picture 516519-Gimliend01.jpg
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 07:30 PM

And pic 2.

I'm sorry for the quality, and they could probably be better, but I felt like a criminal taking them as it was. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Attached picture 516520-Gimend02.jpg
Posted By: Xglider

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 07:36 PM

Jen – I know how much this pains you <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />, but you may be helping so many, we all know that gliders hide their illnesses all to well, hopefully this will help others to understand and take the much needed action when their glider is showing signs of illness…
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 07:48 PM

You are such a beautiful person, to care for your gliders like that, and still think of everyone out there that may need help. It was a couragouse thing to do. I know it will help me, and others. My tears are added to the river under the Bridge.

Thanks to you, your family, and most of all, Gimli for being as strong as he was.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 07:55 PM

Jen, this is a really good post, because it illustrates to all glider owners, especially people new to the glider world, that sometimes it isn't anything completely obvious that tells you it's time to get to the vet. Just "a look" can be all the signal we get, or a feeling that something just isn't right.

It always saddens (okay, sometimes angers) me when someone comes on describing concrete symptoms their glider is having and when they're told to get to the vet, they say it isn't all that bad. If it's enough that you noticed it, that might be all you get. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Thank you for caring so much.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 08:05 PM

Thats exactly how Gizmo looked, not in the morning but right when we were leaving the vets. I knew when his ears dropped like that, and his eyes started closing that that was it, his poor little body was hurting, we got back to the house so that his brother could see him and then he passes, my poor little baby. I am sorry Jen for you loss too, it hurts so much.
Posted By: BCChins

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 08:31 PM

From a new Glider owner I would like to Thank You for sharing these pictures with us. I know how hard that had to be for you. Seeing things like this is definalty more help then you know.
It is so kind of you though all your pain to think to share these pictures to help us all. You just saved more Gliders then you will ever know.
<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
Brenda
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/13/06 09:27 PM

Yes, thank you. This is a whole new world to me and every bit of info helps... I would hate to not know and possibly have been able to prevent a death.

I am sorry for your loss... but his gift will save many.
Posted By: Judie

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 02:35 AM

The very first picture is a good example what a glider looks like when in severe distress. Thanks Jen, for starting this thread as well as sharing the photos of your little fella in his last hours.

It is important to remember... to pick up on subtle signs of illness befor this point in time so that the sick glider's outcome is a much happier one.

What are subtle signs at the beginning? See if I can list a few:

1) appearance of not grooming. Fur takes on a look of clumping together. Loss of luster and hair may be thined.

2) abnormal sleep pattern... glider is up during the daytime.

3) refuses to eat, or eats only fruits and veggies and no protein and may refuse to drink water or any other liquid.

4) sudden change in weight. Appears to be suddenly too thin or sudden weight gain.

5) sleeping too much. Refuses to get out of bed. Animal looks depressed as the ears are down.

6) change in color, smell or/and texture of stool.

7) ordor of strong urine.

8) change in color of nose, feet and ears. No longer a nice pink... which is a sign of a healthy glider.

9) discharge from nose or eyes. Eyes are dull looking.

10) head tilt.

11) vomiting.

12) animal is wet on the thoat, neck and tummy.

Remember.... vet care is needed ASAP when the behavior or look of your glider has changes. Most illnesses are treatable. But left untreated for something simple... can become life threatening to a little sugar glider once the illness becomes systemic.

OK... now it is someone else's turn to add to the list of what a sick glider may look like. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 05:37 AM

Thanks, Judie. I have not had a single glider on their last day that didn't have the look that Gim had..and thought it would be worth sharing.

Keep in mind that some gliders may show no symptoms whatsoever until they are critical. Some do, and like Judie said, they are frequently subtle, so the better you know your glider in ALL their moods, attitudes, and all times of day-ie, what is normal for playtime, just waking up time, middle of the day, etc., the more of a chance you have to know when something "just isn't quite right" and get vet attention.

I would also like to say MAKE SURE you have a vet BEFORE you need one (when it could very well be too late), and a backup just in case one goes out of town. Call around when your gliders are healthy to make sure you have a daytime vet (2 is good) and at least one 24 hour emergency clinic where you can take your gliders in a crisis. I don't 'ask' to bring a glider in when it is ill...I call and let them know I'm coming, period, with an ill glider and what the symptoms are, so they can be ready when we get there (it is a 100 mile round trip plus a bit to any of my vets).

Here are some other things we've noticed with illness..leaving out SM here, because we already have a sticky that deals with that exclusively, and it's not as common as other 'routine' illnesses.

1) violent or prolonged shaking or shivering (never good)
2) dragging limbs, especially back legs or hindquarters
3) ANY visible wound
4) discharge from eyes or nose, especially in combination with sneezing that sounds 'moist' or 'wet'-unlike the normal grooming sneezes
5) pawing at the head or face
6) any swelling or protrusion/lump
7) lack of movement, or very slow movement in a glider
8) like Judie mentioned, but worth repeating-up during the daytime, in an ill glider, they're usually just sitting there, or slowly moving around, without really 'doing' anything in particular-and may just look 'not quite right'
9) any sudden jerkiness (seizure like activity), loss of control of limbs or coordination, trying to walk and wobbling or falling over
10) An abnormal amount of activity, spastic and not stopping, that is unusual, or seems like the glider is stressed or scared, but it doesn't stop.

11) and this is something we've noticed with ones in critical shape. They seem to feel they need to climb, whether they can or not, and it is frequently frantic, and not well coordinated. It's like a fear response they can't control, as they try to get to your shoulder, and don't even seem to know themselves why they need to get up there. This needs prevented (gently)-they can easily injure themselves or fall.

12) As in the pics...flattened ears, eyes that lack luster and just don't "look" well.
13) lack of elimination, pee or poop, or sudden change in color or consistency of waste. Very clear or very yellow urine is not normal if it lasts any length of time.
14) As to change of nose color-very pale, dark red, or blue/purple color that lasts more than an hour or so, is not normal.
15) any known injury..cuts, serious falls, getting a limb or tail caught or hung up on/in something, burns, chemical exposure, falling in water (especially toilets, which even if they don't drown, or were only in there a moment...harbor billions of bacteria any of which can cause a severe infecion, or pneumonia from the immersion or inhaled water). Or if you suspect they may have ingested a foreign object/piece of toy or other item that is not normally considered 'food'.

If we've left anything out, please put it down. ALL of these symptoms, for the record, require asap veterinary care.
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 06:16 AM

Jen, thank you for posting the pictures, I know it was hard, but they and the lists of "indicators" could help many gliders in critical condition. Just from reading through them, I can remember that my angels exhibited some of these symptoms before they crossed the bridge. I do want to add, to watch their respiration for any changes: excessively fast or labored (like they have been running). This is the only symptom Toby showed until just moments before he passed away.
Posted By: Dancing

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 06:50 AM

With Nickolas, I found him sitting on the bottom of the cage during the day time. He was very lethargic, hardly moving at all and he was COLD. He was very very cold.

Very cold body temperature even when in a warm environment needs to be on that list as well.

Another is popping (sounds like popping bubbles) while breathing. Gliders will often do this while sleeping and is often normal but for a glider that is awake and the popping is with every breath, can be a respritory problem like pneumonia.
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 01:43 PM

[:"green"]Thank you, Jen, for your foresight in taking these pictures to share. You are a very generous, loving, amazing person...
Thank you, everyone else, for sharing the symptoms to watch for...
Gliders don't "show" that they are sick until they are exceedingly ill... Any of the signs listed should not be ignored... The faster you get a sick glider to the vet, the more likely a positive outcome will be.
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 02:00 PM

Thank you, Teresa. I have not personally had a glider with a severe respiratory issue, and although I know that a blue nose indicates lack of oxygen in the bloodstream for SOME reason, I'm sure there are more subtle signs I won't be aware of until I'm in that situation.

THIS is where the combined experience of glider owners is so valuable.

I'd like to issue a CHALLENGE to all GC members (with Tom and Ellen's permission, of course <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wave.gif" alt="" />)

If you have had an ILL or DYING glider...share your symptoms and observations here-ANYTHING you noticed that was out of the ordinary, or 'Not Quite Right' leading up to the actual illness, and during the illness itself. With how many thousands of members, we should be able to come up with a pretty good list of things that are "Non-Negotiable" when it comes to getting a glider in for medical treatment, no If's, And's or But's. Basically, a "If you see any of these, whether mild or severe-GO TO THE VET".

Let's see what we can all come up with.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 03:39 PM

Jen, this is an excellent post for everyone, both seasoned and new glider owners, to read upon and learn from. Thank you for sharing this education with us.

I have something to share with you guys. I lost two gliders this way, both gliders in separate cases at different times, to jaundice. Both of these gliders were at different houses when it happened. Nobody really knows what causes them except for the fact that jaudice is liver-related. Once they become jaundiced, there is almost nothing the vets can do to save them. On one glider, I spent over $500 in vet care and medications, only to have her die on my way home from the vet in Chicago.

I lost Deirdre not too long ago, about a year or so ago. The vet was baffled by her case, and he sent the results of her bloodwork to a toxicology lab for further extensive results. All along the vet was sure it was a toxicity issue but in the end nobody really knew. It was so baffling it was off the charts. There is a post about Deirdre if you are interested in learning more about jaundice. Here it is, http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/...rt=all&vc=1, dated 3-9-05.

Enclosed is a picture of Deirdre taken just hours before she crossed the Rainbow Bridge. As you can see, she was very yellow and very lethargic. She knew I loved her with all of my heart and she died in my hands.

It does pay to be "in tune" with your glider and pay close attention to any slight changes in body language of a glider.


Jen

Attached picture 516830-Deirdre3.1.JPG
Posted By: Srlb

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/06 06:35 PM

Thank You Jen for starting this....I think it is a VERY IMPORTANT thing to have up.

I have never lost a glider, however, I did want to add the symptoms that Spike showed when having a toxic toy in his cage. I had no idea what was wrong with him and the vet could not find anything when running tests...

His feet were curled like his nails were too long or he had arthritis in them, vomiting if excited, lack of appetite, excessive thirst.

I really believe that Gimlis death will be able to help many many gliders after this post. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:22 PM

[:"green"]It was almost 5 years ago, but I will see if I can remember some details from when Reggie & Bobo died... I was living in Holland, MI at the time...

Reggie got sick first... he was very lethargic and in noticeable pain and could barely move about the cage. He was dragging his hind legs like they were paralyzed. His appetite dropped down to nothing. He was excessively thirsty, drinking a lot of water. I brought him to the vet (who had zero experience with gliders). The vet examined him & thought it was probably an infection of some sort so he prescribed an antibiotic & we went home. The antibiotic did not help at all. Within two days of showing symptoms, Reggie passed over the Rainbow Bridge <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />.
I was very worried about Bobo, but he wasn't showing any symptoms whatsoever. The vet told me to thoroughly sterilize the cage (which I did) and to give him the antibiotics "just to be safe". Within two weeks, Bobo started showing the exact same symptoms as Reggie. Bobo passed over the bridge within another couple of days after that <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />.

I was brokenhearted. These were my first two gliders and I didn't know what had happened to them & neither did the vet. He said there was no point in doing a necropsy because he didn't know anything about gliders anyway <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />. I spent a lot of time after they died doing research on the internet to try to figure out what happened... I finally determined that they had Hind Leg Paralysis (HLP).

[In the year & a half that I had them, I had never been able to get them to eat anything with calcium on it... Their previous owner had fed them a horrible diet of dried cat food & canned fruit cocktail. She didn't know any better. No matter what I tried to feed them, I was never able to get them to eat a "proper" diet... They would eat fresh fruits & veggies, crickets & chicken, but nothing with calcium on it & BML was not touched at all.]

I hope this information can help to save just one glider out there, then it will be worth it to have learned from Reggie & Bobo's short lives. I still miss them <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/heartpump.gif" alt="" />...
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:38 PM

[:"green"]I will list other health issues I have dealt with, seperately, so I can attach pictures...
1) Swollen eye socket/cheek... This can be a sinus infection gone awry, an abscess or an actual eye infection... immediate vet care is needed.

Attached picture 517563-Cricky'sInfectedEye001.jpg
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:40 PM

[:"green"]2) Blackened tissue (Cricky's penis-tip was black & Pika's ear-tip was - at different times)... This is auto-necropsy - or dead tissue... Again, immediate vet care is needed. (Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of either of these cases...)
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:42 PM

[:"green"]3) Swollen fingers/toes... can be due to infection, broken bones or arthritis... Vet care needed.

Attached picture 517565-Pika'sSwollenRightHand1'16'06002.jpg
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:44 PM

[:"green"]4) An open sore on the upper back/shoulder/neck of a female glider... This is a wound inflicted during mating. It will not heal on its own... stitches are needed, as well as seclusion from other gliders until it completely heals. Other gliders will just keep picking it open, thinking they are "helping". ***Note that the picture shown is after she pulled out the original stitches...***

Attached picture 517567-Daisy'sBack12'21'05002.jpg
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:49 PM

[:"green"]5) An open sore/wound anywhere on the glider's body... needs to be treated by a vet with topical & oral antibiotics so that infection doesn't set in & make it worse. Pictured is a wound on Mareki's patagium... this is current, she must have caught it on something in her cage (although I can't figure out what)...

Attached picture 517568-Mareki'sChest.jpg
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/16/06 11:59 PM

[:"green"]6) A swollen, bulging and/or cloudy eye... This was caused by an infection with secondary glaucoma. Vet care was needed (and Pika may still need to have her eye removed. This problem has been ongoing with multiple complications since 10/30/05. Complications have included: sinus infections, cataract, corneal scarring, neo-vascularization and more... At this point, Pika is totally blind in this eye.)

Attached picture 517575-Pika'sEyeInfectionDay2.jpg
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/17/06 01:39 AM

Thank you, suz (and everyone who's contributed so far!) <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/hug2.gif" alt="" />

I'll say again...A Picture is worth A Thousand Words...we can explain things forever, but the reality in a picture can be totally different. It's like three people see a crime. When the police take statements...they're very likely to get three different versions of the same event...based on perspective.

Pictures aside, tho...words are worth a lot, too. Keep sharing, folks. I'd like to consolidate all of the stories/pics into one thread eventually..chronicalling various ailments/diseases...sort of a reference thread, if you will.

Mites, overgrooming, hair loss, cysts, jaundice, etc...I'd like to include them all. If it's health related, add it in. So if you've dealt with them, your firsthand experience is worth more than gold. Pics are not required at all, just helpful if you happen to have them. I think it would make a fantastic reference for new people to browse, and others to link to when problems arise, sort of..'does it look or sound like this....?" ..and make it easier to find the info in an emergency so we can help people more quickly with it all in one place. At least, that's what I want to try for. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/17/06 08:13 AM

If anyone has questions about teeth, I've delt with that lots in the last several years.
With Sassy, the first thing I noticed with him was that he started sneezing and it continued after a vet visit and antibiotics. Later it was determined that it was his teeth that were infected and that infection was causing his sneezing. Once the offending teeth were removed his sinuses cleared up.
Later with Sassy, I could always tell when he was having a flare up because when his teeth hurt, he'd suck on the end of his tail. The only thing I can think of is that it felt good on his gums.
With Nicky & his teeth, I keep watch on his eating--can he bite with his front teeth, or does he use his back ones and if he tries to bite, does he drop his food or can he hold it. I also watch his lower jaw for swelling. If his jaw starts to swell it is time for a vet visit to have his teeth cleaned.
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/17/06 01:48 PM

[:"green"]I didn't even think of the hair loss issue when I was listing things yesterday...
Severe balding on the head, or even just bald spots just above the eyes is a sign of overgrooming. Overgrooming is generally caused by stress, loneliness, boredom or a combination of them. The attached picture is of Gizmo when I first got him this past July. This is an extreme case of overgrooming due to a combination of all 3. I put him in with my Allira, and within a month his fur was growing back in...

Attached picture 517789-Gizmo&Allirainpouch.jpg
Posted By: Srlb

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/29/06 04:10 PM

Bumping this back up as I dont want it to be forgotten about.


Also would like to add, Blackened or crustiness on ears.
Posted By: Dancing

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/29/06 06:49 PM

Balding can also indicate a diet issue. Reep came in almost completely bald. Through the past 8 months, I have come to the conclusion that it was stress and diet issues.
Since being here, he has been in the same large cage with his cage mate. I have changed his diet from Darcy's diet to BML with added wambaroo HPS. His change is remarkable. Then I ran out of the HPS. He started loosing hair on his head again. I have since got in more HPS and it seems to be regrowing. Perhaps he is one of those gliders that just needs more protien in his diet then the average glider.

I'll post some pics.
This first one is June 2005 when he came here (sorry the pic is not that great)

Attached picture 523771-6-2-05-1.JPG
Posted By: Dancing

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/29/06 06:56 PM

This is him after not having the Wambaroo HPS for 6 weeks. He did have hair on his head before I ran out. This was taken 1-11-06

Attached picture 523776-PICT0001.JPG
Posted By: Dancing

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/29/06 06:58 PM

Another taken on 1-11-06

Attached picture 523777-PICT0002.JPG
Posted By: Badgersmommy

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/29/06 07:07 PM

He's a dollbaby!! You would never know that is the same glider unless you told them! AWESOME job with Reep! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: KattyM

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 05/03/06 02:56 AM

Bumping to the top. This is good stuff. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 06/09/06 02:01 PM

[:"green"]Bumping up again <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />...
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 06/10/06 03:06 AM

I will have to locate pics later as I just updated my system and haven't transfered info from my old hard drive yet.

My Emma was having issues with her liver and kidneys. I didn't know it as she showed little signs at first. The first I noticed was that she had a hole on her back right between her shoulder blades that wouldn't heal. I tried doing what I could at home to treat it but she wouldn't heal. I took her to the vet and they gave me some antibiotics for her and I separated her from her cage mates. She did heal from the wound then. I put her back in with her cage mates and after a couple weeks I noticed that Skittles seemed to not want her around.
That is a sign to watch for too. If a glider is continually being attacked by their cage mates that they have gotten along with for years look closer at the glider being attacked.
Anyway, I decided that if Skittles was going to keep attacking Someone needed to leave. I think I took Skittles out thinking that she was the problem. Then I switched so that nobody got too lonely. Then I noticed that Emma wasn't eating and was looking scruffy like she wasn't grooming well.
Contacted the vet again and we got her back on the antibiotics thinking that the infection from her wound had grown internally after the wound healed. I was force feeding her and giving her medicine and anytime she showed any interest in any food I'd let her eat as much as she wanted. She would steal canned kitten food when I went to feed the cats and ate a good portion of a peach that was sitting on the counter once.
I could hardly get her to eat mealies even though she loved those, had to stop giving those when they started making her heave whenever she tried to eat them.
During this time she also lost weigh dramatically and very quickly.
One morning I went in to give her medicine and she usually would come to the front of the cage when I opened it but this time she just sat, acting kinda funny in the back of the cage. I reached in to get her and realized she was having a seizure. I immediately got her in a pouch and called the vets office when I was on my way there.
The seizure continued all the way to the vets office and when she stopped seizing everything stopped. They rushed her back and gave her oxygen (as well as they could with a mask big enough to put all of her into. They did still detect a heartbeat at this point even though she wasn't breathing on her own.
A couple minutes later she died. Necropsy showed that there were lacerations on both kidneys and the liver. looked like fatty liver disease (well known in cats) and grape toxicity (well known in dogs) thus leaving us with a big fat zero as to actual cause of these organs shutting down.
I will try to get pics soon.
Sorry it was so long.
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 06/10/06 12:12 PM

[:"green"]Jennifer,
Thanks for sharing your story with us so we can all learn from it. I will add the symptom of cage mates attacking to the page on my site. If you haven't seen the page yet, you can check it out at: Symptoms of a Sick Glider. (It is a compilation of the symptoms everyone has listed on this thread so far. I will update it as needed to keep it current.)
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/01/06 02:19 PM

This is an EXCELLENT thread, and since I have taken in a few rescues, this is an invaluable resource!

Thank you, Suz, for taking the time to centralize everything for ease of reference! I will surely bookmark this!
Posted By: Charlie H

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/01/06 10:48 PM

Excellent thread Jen! Since you started the thread I think once it is pretty well played out it would be a good idea to go back and organize and GC should make a sticky out of it.

One indicator that I did not see mentioned is that quiet often when a glider is feeling poorly they will sometimes change sleeping places or sleep alone. And they will hide behind toy boxes, wheels, under floor pads and in general try to stay out of sight. Gliders will exhibit multiple symptoms of illness. To me the most frightening look is that certain look a glider with terminal illness has in their eyes. It is hard to describe but when you look into their eyes you seem to instinctively know the end is near.
Charlie H
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/03/06 01:15 PM

I am glad this got bumped. I forgot about it and I promised some pictures. So here they are. Emma is my avatar and in that picture she is healthy. Here are a couple of pictures just a few days before she passed.

Attached picture 592564-S2400152.JPG
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/03/06 01:15 PM

Here is another.

Attached picture 592565-S2400153.JPG
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/03/06 01:17 PM

And this is Emma when she was fat and happy so you can see how much weight she lost.

Attached picture 592566-emma_fat004.jpg
Posted By: Charlie H

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/03/06 04:38 PM

Jennifer you brought up a very important observation. Quiet often when a glider is attacked by cage mates it is mistaken for dominance issues, mating, or other behavioral issues. An unhealthy glider or a glider with a compromised immune system quiet often suffer from attacks by healthy gliders. We could easily get off topic here but more often than many realize unhealthy gliders are considered as outcasts. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />
Charlie H
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 07/03/06 08:41 PM

Very true CharlieH. I believe that in the wild it is a "safety instinct" as a sick glider can attract predators and endanger the entire colony so the healthy gliders will chase the sick glider away or kill it to avoid the predator issue.
I think that is what was happening with Skittles and Emma. Skittles is a rescue I have and she has had difficulty adjusting to living with us. I think her instincts kicked in with Emma. If I had realized that was the case I could have had Emma tested and maybe caught the illness sooner. Definately something to be aware of and watch out for.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 09/22/06 01:58 AM

I'd like to add one, before my female died, and I knew she was sick, while I was waiting for the vet to open, she would look for crevises to go into, like the inside of my elbow, or she would nose in-between my fingers when I was holding her
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 10/02/06 04:11 PM

It might be more helpful to view jaundice as a sign pointing to the cause of illness as opposed to an illness of itself. Jaundice is a sign of liver or bone marrow issues at work, but not the origin of the problem. Much like fever indicates an infection is present, jaundice points to these organs indicating that something is up. It is relatively rare for either the fever itself or jaundice itself to do damage in most instances. Also of interest, some causes of jaundice are self-limiting and spontaneously resolve, some others are able to be treated if diagnosed and therapy is begun, while some are not amenable to help and a bad outcome is inevitable. A veterinarian visit is certainly warranted to help those that are treatable.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 10/05/06 09:43 PM

hye..my new baby girl poo is red n doesnt want to come off bed that often..she also eat with half close eyes..is she sick?
Posted By: Xglider

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 12/08/06 07:50 PM

Time for a Bump on this one….
Posted By: Gossamer

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 12/29/06 12:43 PM

Just read this thread. It's a good one. I'll keep the bump going.
Posted By: Their_mommy

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 12/29/06 02:24 PM

So sad, I would be devistated if I lost one of my little ones.
Sorry for your loss and thank you for the pictures and information.
Take care.
Posted By: ValkyrieMome

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/14/07 03:45 PM

There hasn't been a post on this thread for a year.

But, as a new glider owner, I wanted to post here to say THANK YOU to each of you who added to this thread.

The initial story and pictures of Gimli made me cry. How brave of you to post those pictures of the beautiful, sad boy! Thank you for your gift to Rocket and me -
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 01/21/07 11:48 PM

all of these posts are great! i have learned a little more about glider illness, which is always a wonderful thing. i do, however, have one question... off all the illnesses listed, there has been no mention of pouch infections. i have a female who has been a little sensitive around the pouch area- this is what got me to read this post- and i realized that i really dont know much about pouch infections. so if anyone has any desciptions or PICS WOULD BE GREAT i would really appreciate it! oh, and info on what to expect for treatment of a pouch infection would be wonderful too.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 02/21/07 03:10 AM

First Id like to thank you for those pictures. It was so selfless of you to post those but it was so sad I cried. My poor 'Nervous Nellie' is not looking so good herself. It may be when she cuddles with me she gets hot but it seems that her nose turns dark red/purple. She has also just had joeys and has been so stressed (again she gets terrified/ stressed very easily) she rubbed all the fur off her nose Im really very sorry if it doesent belong in this post but I need help.


P.S.I intend to take her to the vet a.s.a.p.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 02/21/07 06:32 PM

Aww nice work Dancing! Listen, thanks for posting this and to all who have contributed. Is there any way to make this a sticky? B/c I really think the info would be great to be added to continually and be easily available as if something was wrong with my suggie I might want to reference it! I know posting the pics was hard, but it really DOES help! I only have one suggie and it's hard without ever having any previous and not having another one to compare it to, to know what something serious really looks like. Upon looking at the pics and reading the personal commentaries I know now I will be able to tell when something's wrong - AND not question the severity of the situation! It is easy to "wait til morning" but after reading these posts I know the first sign of something wrong will get a vet check, day or night!!


SO my question is this - supposing I already have a good exotics vet - what can they do in these situations?? It would be nice to know like OK my suggie has been sleeping a lot more, so what is the vet going to do? What's a good thing to suggest? Does that sort of thing maybe need a stool test? Or blood work? I am far from knowing what to do in regards to the illness symptoms and it would be nice to have recommendations of questions to ask or (importantly) behaviors to notice about your suggie that can help the vet. Last time they ate? Weights at every hour since symptoms showed up? Etc... And you hear stories of sick suggies that turn sad only to have comments AFTER like "oh when that happened they did this test and found this". Does this make sense?
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 03/25/07 09:11 PM

That makes sense, but I'm afraid I can't give you much help...maybe someone with more experience will come along soon and answer your questions.

I'm new to GC and considering comitting to a pair of gliders in the future. Glider illnesses are intriguing to me, and I really appreciate this thread! Thanks so much, Jen, for posting pictures of the poor little guy before he passed over the rainbow bridge. That was very selfless of you.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 03/29/07 08:34 PM

termite is doing better .I just resently got him and he didn"t have enough vitemns in his system . he"s not jraging his back leganymore.thank you.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 03/30/07 07:44 AM

Great topic for new glider owners!!! Ill give it another bump to keep the flow going. Thanks for all of the helpful info!!! Stephanie
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 03/30/07 08:41 PM

I would like to thank everyone for all the great posts. Being new to gliders I have found that the book that I read when I first got my gliders did not even come close to the things I should know..I have been going through reading everything here on GC and have learned so much of what can go wrong..I have been lucky so far my gliders are all healthy..I did have brindie to the vet because she wasn't cleaning herself down below and her stool was runny. She is okay now, I had changed her diet and when I put her back on the BML she was used to everything cleared up. I am so glad that my daughter found this website.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 04/17/07 09:27 PM

Wow, this is a great thread!! This will definitely help if I do get gliders.
Posted By: Xglider

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 04/17/07 09:36 PM

I saw this and thought … WOW … thank you for bumping … this is defiantly one thread we all wand to have ready … just in case…
Posted By: sugarglidersuz

Re: Body Language of a Sick glider - 04/17/07 10:25 PM

At Jen's request, I'm going to lock this thread now since it's already a "sticky" at the top of the forum anyway. If anyone has any "body language" pictures or information that they would like to add to this thread, please send me a PM...

8/05/08 Edited to add:
Originally Posted By: Mayetze
Excessive barking from cage mates is sometimes an indicator of "Hey Mom/Dad come over here and check on whats going on."

Just in my experience, but it has saved a couple of my babies.
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