My female glider has left her joey (OOP today) on the cage floor. I just found him this evening as he was hissing. I tried putting him back with his mommy, but she seems uninterested. She licks him, but shows no interest in nursing him. Should I keep trying? Also could she have left him because his front right leg is quite a bit shorter than his other legs? <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/upset.gif" alt="" /> Other than the leg he seems perfectly fine and wanting to nurse. Any extra suggestions?

Thanks for any advice!
Annette

I would first try alternating feedings with mom and help suppliment. This joey should be eating every two hours. So this means, you will feed, and the next feeding in two hours let mom feed and so forth. It may come down to moma rejecting totally, and maybe because of the deffect, but may not be, she may not be producing enough milk. Here is a link on Hand feeding a Joey and Joey growth & Development

If you need help, let me know and I'll send you my number (or you can send me yours) and I can talk you threw hand feeding over the phone...

Since the baby has two hands...it should not matter wither or not one is larger than the other.

Babies that are found on the bottom of the cage...usually have fallen off the mother or off the pouch while looking for a food source.

Warm up the baby first. Cold babies have a different odor and are weak. Also, I suggest supplementing the baby every four hours for a min of two weeks. After that...try and decrease the feedings gradually so the mother can take over.

Use the link above as to Handfeeding a Joey.

Good Luck.

In looking at the pic..is it possible that the one leg is swollen, possibly the joey got caught on something, or from falling? It looks like there might be swelling there, and some redness. Possibly that is why one looks larger? It definitely isn't colored quite like the others. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nixweiss.gif" alt="" /> I've never hand fed a joey that young, but some of these others have and have good advice. I second keeping him warm..he has no ability yet to regulate his own temp. Keep us updated on the little one!

You bring up a good point Jen, it really does look swollen. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/worried2.gif" alt="" />

I have to agree with the others also, his leg is really swollen looking.

Is there an update on this little one?

Swelling wouldn't change the length of the leg, only the width.

I really hate saying this, but if the mother abandons it she may just be doing nature's work. A shorter leg may be the only outward sign of a more serious birth defect, possibly resulting from a nutritional deficiency or exposure to chemicals. I'm very sorry this happened to you.

If the leg is longer...it is possible it is broken and the bone is seperated. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crying.gif" alt="" />

I took my Mommy glider (Cinnamon) and her joey to the vet this morning. I wanted to make sure Cinnamon didn't have any type of infection that made her not want to nurse her baby. The vet checked her out and said that she looked fine. He thought though that she may already have two more babies. Would that be a cause for her to abandon her older joey? He thought maybe the joey just couldn't hand on because of his weaker shorter arm. He did say our baby joey looked good. He said he didn't see anything wrong with his leg other than it was shorter than the other. He showed me a small exercise to use with the arm. He said he would just be a "gimp". I have been feeding him and he is eating really well for me. I am able to see the white patch that has been talked about indicating milk in the tummy. Does anyone know of any other gliders with a leg deformity? Have they adapted well?

Thanks for all the great help! Annette

I wish the best to the little guy. He is so cute!

I think weesipoo has a joey with a club foot. He is only a few weeks OOP, but you guys could probably track development together.

The leg...I do not beleive is deformed. It looks as if it is broken and thus...the leg will be "gimp". I would not pull on it or massage it as this may be somewhat painfull.

My suggestion is to have the vet do an x-ray of the swollen leg.

What kind of diet is the mother on?

I have been breeding gliders for over eight years...and this is the first time I have ever heard of a glider baby coming oop. with a deformed (gimp) leg.

Baby may not be able to get into the mother's pouch to nurse if the one arm is not functionable.

Sorry, but the foot problem is from a parent or other glider chewing on the feet before the little one was oop. to a few days of coming oop. thus giving the appearance of a club foot.

I'm posting a better picture of the shorter leg. He has a shoulder it just looks like the forearm (if that is what you'd call it) is short.

Goodness gracious. Does he have an elbow by chance? What about a wrist? His leg is deformed and if he does not have much use of it...that would explain why he is unable to nurse.

The leg everyone was talking about was the left leg ...maybe the photo made it look swollen and red.

What are you feeding him as well as how much? If unable to nurse from his mother...he needs to be fed every two hours. Let mom take care of cleaning him and keeping him warm.

Joey (now his name) doesn't seem to have an elbow. He does have a wrist. He has his fingers and nails. He doesn't seem to have just lots of use with it. The right leg, I believe, the picture just made the arm look funny. He is a more pink color than red. He uses that arm and claws perfectly.

When I have put him back in the nest, I assume the others, have pushed him back out. So I am keeping him warm. I am using a milk replacer right now. Where can I find the Joey BML? I live in a super small town and some of the things will probably be hard to find unless I can find it at Walmart. Any other suggestions?

Cinnamon (mommy) has been fed fresh fruits/veggies, gliderade, fresh water, a dry gliderade mix (left out at all times), mealworms with some crickets, insect/rice mix, and a calcium supplement. All this in not out at the same time and fed, I vary things up, but that is the general diet. I try to give them a wide variety of fruits/veggies.

My other female glider (Gidget) has 2 female joeys that are OOP 3 weeks and are doing fine and the picture of perfect health.

Joey BML is something you mix up yourself. Here's a link to the BML mix, there are also instructions for joey BML there too... http://www.sugargliderinfo.com/NutritionAndDiets/leadbeat.html

I personally use Ensure to hand feed joeys and have had good luck with it so far.

Last night my mommy Sissy was hissing and trying to get the baby away from her, should I take him and start feeding him, I have found no bite marks but she seems to not want him around now she is almost a month oop. I don't want to intervene if not necessary but do not want the baby to get hurt. I thought the fight was between her n her mate it sounded so awful, I jumped up n turned the light on and it was her going after the baby.. Please help tell me what to do

Shelleriddle: She may have just been telling the joey what she wanted. If the joey is not injured check to make sure that it is eating. If it is getting to nurse I wouldn't worry, just keep an eye on them. Usually once the babies are a month oop they are out of danger of being rejected.

sorry, been gone for a few days, but, yes, i have a joye with a club type foot. unlike this joey, mine does have an elbow and wrist and toes, they just did not develope. judie, you think this is from being pulled on or chewed on by the mommy or another glider?

I lost the baby. He was having trouble breathing the other night and didn't make it. I appreciate everyone's help and concern. You are a great bunch of people!

so sorry to hear this. I will now move this to real stories.