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5 week OOP joey

Posted By: Ktfaltys

5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 03:07 AM

I have a ~5 week old joey who still is not meeting any of the typical marks that joeys should be meeting at this point. The parents have done a good job taking care of him (or it at least seems this way), including his aunt. However, he does not ride around with mom or dad, if I give him to mom, she will take him back to the pouch. They do periodically check on him while he is in the pouch and he does not cry for them too often. This morning I found him in the bottom of the cage by himself. He was not moving well at all, very weak, dehydrated, and has lost some weight. I have been hand feeding him throughout the day and he is looking much better than when I found him this morning. I tried giving him back to mom tonight and all three "parents" joined in to clean him up, but they left him on the bottom of the cage while they play and periodically check up. Is there anything else I should be doing for him? I am not sure why he is not developing like he should be, any ideas about that?
Posted By: Hutch

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 06:15 AM

Sorry that no one has answered you yet, this forum tends to slow down on Sundays. I hope things work out for the youngin'.
Posted By: KarenE

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 02:46 PM

At five weeks he is old enough to be eating the same foods as his parents with little milk from mom. The weaning process should have started from mom, so this may be what is happening.

If mom is attempting to wean her little fella, he is either being extremely stubborn by not riding mom back to the pouch OR there could very well be something wrong that he is not making the connection. From your post, the parents and the aunt are making no attempt to harm him or kick him out of colony. They are still grooming him. 'He' is the one not making much effort.

I would continue to feed him to see if he starts to pick up and starts moving around the cage as he should be. He should be exploring a little and at the very least, looking for mom/dad/aunt.

Keep us posted on his progress.

Posted By: Ktfaltys

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 04:11 PM

Thank you so much! That is kind of what I was thinking but I have never had to deal with this so I was not sure. He does not walk well by any means, he will go in a circle from not using a front leg or one of his back legs is off the ground with his back arched. Do they typically walk pretty weird and not efficiently at all whole they are learning or should I be more concerned something is potentially wrong?

Last night, after the parents groomed him, he sat in the corner of the cage for awhile by himself before making it to the pouch. I did not see him out of the pouch again after that.
Posted By: KarenE

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 04:21 PM

Originally Posted by Ktfaltys
Thank you so much! That is kind of what I was thinking but I have never had to deal with this so I was not sure. He does not walk well by any means, he will go in a circle from not using a front leg or one of his back legs is off the ground with his back arched. Do they typically walk pretty weird and not efficiently at all whole they are learning or should I be more concerned something is potentially wrong?

Last night, after the parents groomed him, he sat in the corner of the cage for awhile by himself before making it to the pouch. I did not see him out of the pouch again after that.


What you are describing is not normal. To me it sounds like something neurological is going on with this little one.

Is there anyway you can tell if he is still nursing from mom?
Posted By: Feather

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 04:26 PM

I would say that a trip to the vet is needed. I would also take mom and dad.
Posted By: Ktfaltys

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/26/18 05:17 PM

That is immediately what I thought when I first saw it. However, since he was weak and dehydrated, I was hoping that it was just due to the weakness. I was already planning on taking him in. Thank you everyone!
Posted By: Ktfaltys

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/28/18 06:45 PM

Update: He is now walking like a normal sugar glider! I have not been able to get him into a vet yet but he is doing much better with being fed on top of what he is getting from mom.
Posted By: KarenE

Re: 5 week OOP joey - 11/28/18 07:16 PM

Good to read this update. I suppose it is possible he was not getting near what he needed from mom.
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