GliderCENTRAL

Dirty fur-they look wet?

Posted By: Anonymous

Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 04:53 AM

They have looked dirty and wet for a while, I changed their sleeping bag, I thought it was dirty but it didn't seem to help. They act fine, they don't seem to notice it at all, and they don't smell any different.

Today it isn't as bad, but it looks like they have greasy hair...I don't know if this is normal or not? Anyone know if this is ok or if I should be worried?
Posted By: snowmanda

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 04:56 AM

That doesn't sound quite right to me. Mine never look dirty or wet. Sorry, I can't be of much help. Someone with more experience should be along soon.
Posted By: Karin

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 05:00 AM

Most often the *look* of their fur is related to diet. What diet are you feeding? Sounds like they are not grooming themselves...which in itself is a problem since glider's are meticulous groomer's. Have they been to a vet for a well check yet?
Karin
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 05:05 AM

We went to the vet a couple of months ago. She said they looked great. They are acting fine. Maybe it is their diet, I have added boiled chicken and I give them the chicken broth, could it be that? They love it more than anything else, maybe i will use more of a different protein and not use the chicken as often.
Posted By: Karin

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 05:08 AM

Chicken boiled is very high in phosphorous...which will throw off the calcium absorption. Do you have them on one of the more proven diets? What else is included in your diet? Any vitamins or supplements? (just trying to figure out if it's only diet related or what :))
Karin
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 05:24 AM

Oh, they do get calcium supplement and vitamins in the Leadbeaters mix, they get meal worms on special days, frozen veggies and fruit all the time. Also....some glider dry food all the time and dry fruit mix sometimes.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 07:24 AM

Chrissie are you saying that you feed the Bourbon's Modified Leadbeaters Diet? If you are then you should follow the diet exactly as it says to. By not doing so you are throwing off the nutritional contents of the diet and this can be causing the dirty lookto your glider's fur. If you want to continue feed that diet I would suggest reading the Back to Basic BML and make the BML in the exact order that is listed and not give the glider anything that is not approved for that diet. They should have 1 tablespoon of BML, one tablespoon of mixed veggies(corn,green beans,carrots,green peas only), one tablespoon of approved fruit and 3-5 mealworms a day. They do not need to have any dried glider food ever. The dry food is too hard and can become lodged in the glider's mouth and can quickly become infected so please take out the dry food. The same goes for dried fruit. A glider in the wild does not eat any dried fruit, they only eat fresh fruit so that is what you need to provide for them. Also, dried fruits usually have added preservatives and sugars which they don't need. I hope this information has helped.
Posted By: pappy1264

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 01:52 PM

So boiling the chicken makes it have a higher phosphorus content? I know in the Priscilla Price diet, it calls for broiled chicken. Does broiling it make it have less phosphorus? How does that work? And since chicken is in the BML diet, would take effect that diet as well?
Posted By: morksmom

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 02:17 PM

Sounds like it may be the diet and the broth to me would be very graesy.Since mine have switched to BML their coat is so much better.IMO
Posted By: glidrz5

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 02:48 PM

To be on the safe side, I would recommend a vet visit. This past summer my Sydney & Seamore suddenly started looking dirty/wet on their tummies. It almost looked like they'd peed on themselves. It was never positively diagnosed but it is believed that they may have had clostridium which took an antibiotic to clear up.
Posted By: Xfilefan

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 03:05 PM

Chrissy, I see you're in Sandy...may I ask where you got your gliders? (I'm up near Park City). If it's where I suspect, I would ask you not only to pick one of GC's proven diets (not all 'leadbeater's' mixes are good) and to get your babies in for a vet visit. I also suspect an infection may be going on. Dr. Harris at Foothill Animal hospital/Wasatch Exotic is very good...I and several other members go to her (I would say she's the best down there). Here's some links for you:

Diets (and for a leadbeaters, BML-Bourbon's Modified Leadbeater's) is best):

http://www.glidercentral.net/links/pages/Glider_Care___Information/Diet___Nutrition/index.html

And here are the best vets for your area:

http://www.glidercentral.net/links/pages/Vets_Database/United_States/Utah/index.html
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 09:48 PM

Dr Harris is their vet, I thought the chicken was good for them, but it may be the oils in the chicken broth, that they rub on their fur. Because it is better some days and worse on others.

Thank you for your advice I appreciate your quick response to my questions.
Posted By: TracieB

Re: Dirty fur-they look wet? - 01/14/07 09:57 PM

Originally Posted By: pappy1264
And since chicken is in the BML diet, would take effect that diet as well?


If you're feeding the BML diet, it doesn't call for chicken - only chicken baby food in the actual mix.


© 2024 GliderCENTRAL