GliderCENTRAL

Salmonella Tilene

Posted By: Srlb

Salmonella Tilene - 01/29/06 08:50 PM

I have been looking up different things about our Gliders, and recently I began to look up different illnesses.

I ran across several different articles today (even though they are older) that have grabbed my attention.

One of them being about Salmonella Tilene in Sugar Gliders. The article is mainly about a hedgehog, however, the family also had two gliders that died, both tested positive for Salmonella, and also states that nursery-raised juveniles are easily infected with Salmonella and often die of the disease.

After doing more looking into the symptoms and such, I began to wonder, seeing as how this causes severe stomach cramps, could it possibly be one of the causes for a glider to SM? Unless a fecal test is given specifically looking for Salmonella Tilene it is normally passed up due to the rareness of it here in the US. I am thinking maybe we should start asking our vets to not only check for parasites but also traces of salmonella tilene....

Would like to hear others thoughts and opinions on this....

(P.S. Charlie...see what you started!! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />)

Edited to add a link to one of the Articles.
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Salmonella Tilene - 01/29/06 11:02 PM

My suggies first wellness check up is tomorrow. Should I ask for that particular test? Both of them are eating and acting normally.
Posted By: Srlb

Re: Salmonella Tilene - 01/29/06 11:15 PM

No not at all. I just posted this here to gain others thoughts and opinions on the possibility of this being a possible cause to gliders who self mutilate or have an illness that is not able to be found by vets. I do not think it is a test that needs to be done during a simple wellness exam.
For a healthy glider that is just going in, just ask for the basic exam along with a urinalysis and a fecal float to check for parasites. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumb.gif" alt="" />
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Salmonella Tilene - 01/30/06 12:49 AM

will do thanx!
Posted By: Anonymous

Re: Salmonella Tilene - 01/31/06 08:52 AM

Many different germs of viral, bacterial, and protozoal origin can cause gastro-intestinal issues such as pain, cramping, and diarrhea, so those are not signs leading to a unique diagnosis or focusing the work-up.

Viral cultures are not often done or practical, as they are not treatable, they are expensive, and the victim is often better before any results come back. Since the disease process is usually self-limited, and when it isn't one can't treat it, it isn't too fruitful to order lab.

Parasites are best identified by the fecal float or direct microscopic exam. They will only be found when looked for, but they seldom cause a septic picture.

In general, cultures are to grow bacteria. The bowel normally contains massive numbers of many different bacteria. Seeing bacteria under the microscope is normal, and a microscopic exam for bacteria is like looking for leaves in a forest. Since cultures grow lots, finding results is again like drinking from a firehose. Picking out which positive cultures are meaningful is the trick.

Some of the hard to grow germs require special growth media to show up among the many germs normally there. One has to suspect the specific germ because of unique signs, and then order the special media to find them. In people, a few germs tend to cause bloody diarrhea, so that may lead one to order cultures for the enteropathogenic E coli for example. Symptoms of cramping might make one suspect campylobacter. High fever and diarrhea can point to salmonella (Typhoid fever). Some of the salmonella/shigella species have proven to be self-limited in children, and we do not treat them. It has been shown that antibiotics in those cases leads to a prolongation of the carrier state, and it is recommended not to treat.

I no of no resource with the experience in gliders to give such direction. I would be hard to ever know if any SM glider had any germ without looking. There are so many possible organisms, I doubt it is useful to look for this one specific salmonella species, in fact cultures will identify many pathogens. Salmonellae can be isolated in the lab using MacConkey agar, deoxycholate agar, or selenite agar with brilliant green.
Posted By: Charlie H

Re: Salmonella Tilene - 01/31/06 12:58 PM

The trouble with testing for Salmonella is that by the time the cultures are grown and identified the glider will probably have recovered. Some types do have long lasting effects that can cause other problems with the host. About 2300 different types of bacteria have been associated as causing Salmonella.

There is a possibility that Salmonella could cause a glider to self mutilate. Anything that causes a glider pain or discomfort is a possible cause for self mutilation. The main reason I have seen for self mutilation is from urinary tract problems. There have been several cases of mutilation as a result of neutering but they are not a very high percentage considering the number of gliders that are neutered. Of course there are several other causes.

The key to preventing Salmonella is cleanliness in handling and cooking food. And not leaving it in temperatures above 40 degrees F too long.
Charlie H
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