Sugar Gliders seem to be very healthy strong marsupials. We have included some known concerns, but we want
to emphasize that these are not common, but can occur. Listed here are some ailments and problems, symptoms,
and real-life applications common to captive gliders and owners. Hopefully you will not be in need of this list but we
have provided it for your information.
Aflatoxicosis
A hepatic (liver) disease caused by ingestion of aflatoxins, which are toxic metabolites produced by certain fungi in/on foods and feeds. At highest risk for contamination are corn, peanuts, and cottonseed Aflatoxins are also carcinogenic (cancer causing). Sugar gliders can contract aflatoxicosis by eating crickets that have been fed contaminated corn, or eating peanuts.
Causes
Ingesting contaminated corn, peanuts, or insects who have ingested contaminated feed
Prevention
Research insect suppliers and find out what kind of feed is used
Ask other glider owners knowledgeable about aflatoxicosis prevention where they get their insects
Do not feed your gliders peanuts
Research
Cornell University Animal Science Department
Signs and Symptoms
Loss of appetite
Anemia
Jaundice
Lethargy
Gastrointestinal dysfunction (bowel problems, diarrhea)
Treatment
If caught in time, aflatoxicosis is reversible
Change feed immediately
Seek veterinary care immediately. Once a sugar glider shows symptoms, death can occur within HOURS
Calcium Deficiency
Because many fruits, vegetables and proteins in a glider diet have low calcium to phosphorous ratios, many gliders experience calcium deficiency, which can lead to Hind Leg Paralysis, a potentially fatal disease.
Know the calcium to phosphorous ratio of your glider diet. Phosphorous inhibits the glider's absorption of calcium into the body
If you choose a fresh diet, be sure that you and your veterinarian develop a supplement that will create a calcium rich diet for your glider.
Feed a well-balanced, nutritious diet
Monitor food consumption. If your gliders don't like the food, they may not eat it. A starving glider is an unhealthy glider. Make changes to accommodate this
Research
USDA Nutrient Database: Find out calcium/phosphorous ratios
Cat Food
Complications
The two major and potentially fatal complications gliders experience from eating cat food are lumpy jaw and intestinal blockage. Diets that are high in cat food also lead to calcium deficiency, liver problems, and, in some cases, death.
Prevention
NEVER feed cat food
Research
Pawprint Online: Sugar Gliders 101
Constipation
Constipation is passage of small amounts of hard, dry bowel movements. It may be difficult and painful to have a bowel movement.
Causes
Not enough fiber in diet
Not enough liquids
Use of pain medication
Lack of exercise
Stress
Gastrointestinal dysfunction
Poor diet overall
Prevention
Provide a well-balanced, nutritious diet
Provide fresh water at all times for your gliders
Provide enough exercise for your gliders
Monitor glider fecal matter to insure that stools are healthy
Signs and Symptoms
Straining or crying when having a bowel movement
Decrease or lack of bowel movements
Treatment
Baby food prunes, and orange juice may work as a temporary solution until veterinary assistance can be obtained
Small amounts of mineral oil have also been effective in treating glider constipation
Seek veterinary care as soon as possible
Contact Dermatitis
A human condition, which is an inflammation of the skin caused by direct contact with a foreign substance. In this case, it would be the paws of your gliders.
Causes
A history of allergies
The severity can vary with an individual over time
The skin reacts to the gliders paws as allergens and triggers an immune response that inflames the skin
Although there may be no initial reaction, repeated exposure can develop sensitivity
Prevention
Wear long sleeves when handling your gliders if you suspect you have an allergy
Wash skin surfaces thoroughly after handling your gliders
Research
Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Contact Dermatitis
Signs and Symptoms
A red rash limited to the area of skin that has come in contact with glider paws
Itching of the skin in exposed areas
Swelling in the area that had contact with the paws
Blisters or pimple-like rash
Tenderness or warmth in exposed area
Treatment
Thoroughly wash exposed area with water to remove irritants
Apply cool compresses to relieve irritation
Apply Hydrocortisone Cream to the affected area, being careful not to over medicate
Dehydration
Occurs when the body does not have enough fluids to function at an optimal level. Any dehydration is a life-threatening situation and the condition is fatal, but reversible if caught in time.
Causes
Fluid loss (usually through vomiting or diarrhea)
Fluid loss due to excessive urination (as in diabetes or kidney disease)
Strenuous activity
Appetite loss associated with acute illness
Inadequate water supply
Prevention
Always provide fresh water for your gliders at all times
Provide your gliders a healthy, well-balanced diet to avoid illness
Always thoroughly wash food and check for safety before giving it to your gliders
At the first sign of any problems with your glider, seek veterinary care
Research
Medline Plus Medical Encyclopedia: Dehydration
Signs and Symptoms
Loss of fluid through vomiting or diarrhea
Sunken eyes
If the skin on the back stands up when you pinch it, your glider is dehydrated
Delayed capillary refill time (when you press on the gums of your glider with your finger, the spot remains white for an extended period of time)
Membranes lining mouth and nose lose moisture
Decreased or absent urine output
Constipation
Deep or rapid breathing
Seizures
Lethargy
Treatment
Immediately administer water or Pedialyte using a needle-less syringe
Seek medical attention immediately! This is an emergency situation. A glider can dehydrate completely and die in a matter of twelve hours
Depression
Depression is a term that people commonly used to refer to states involving sadness, dejection, lack of self-esteem, and lack of energy. In sugar gliders, depression can lead to mental illness, self-mutilation, and death. Severe, persistent depressed mood and loss of interest or pleasure in normal activities, accompanied by decreased energy, changes in sleep and appetite, and feelings of guilt or hopelessness are all signs of depression and/or mental illness.
Causes
Keeping a lone sugar glider
Owner neglect
Prolonged illness
Loss of a companion
Prevention
Keep more than one sugar glider
Provide your gliders with toys, a large enough cage, and play with them
Provide your glider with a healthy, well-balanced diet
Provide your glider with annual or bi-annual checkups at the vet to alleviate, treat, and/or prevent illness
Research
Medline Plus: Depression
Signs and Symptoms
Loss of interest in playing
Decreased activity
Change in sleeping patterns
Decreased communications: no barking
Pacing or consecutive back-flips (this is a sign of serious mental illness)
Lots of love, bonding time, and attention
Provide a glider companion for your glider
Ensure that the glider has an enriching environment
If things do not improve, or your glider is pacing excessively or doing consecutive back flips, seek veterinary care
Diarrhea
The passage of an increased amount of stool. Mild diarrhea is considered to be the passage of a few loose or mushy stools. Severe diarrhea is the passage of many watery or unformed stools.
Causes
Viral or bacterial infection
Stress of moving to a new home
Parasites
Malabsorption (lactose intolerance, intolerance to specific foods, milk protein intolerance)
Bowel disease
Prevention
Provide your glider with a healthy, well-balanced diet
Always thoroughly wash your hands before preparing glider food or handling your glider
Keep cages well-cleaned
Remove any uneaten food as soon as possible from the cage
Carefully monitor stools when offering gliders a new food item. Discontinue if watery stools appear
Research
Medline Plus: Diarrhea
Signs & Symptoms
Loose bowel movements
Treatment
Check to see if the diarrhea is diet-related (citrus fruits, pumpkin, and milk products are common culprits)
If diarrhea is bad, administer Pedialyte to prevent dehydration
Seek veterinary attention to rule out such causes as internal parasites or bacterial infection.
Giardiasis
A diarrheal illness caused by Giardia intestinalis (also known as Giardia lamblia), a one-celled, microscopic parasite that lives in the intestine of people and animals. The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive in the environment for long periods of time. In sugar gliders, it can remain dormant for up to six months, and only manifest systems when the glider becomes stressed. If this happens, death can occur within hours.
Causes
The parasite is passed in the stool of an infected person or animal
Accidentally swallowing something that has come in contact with the stool of a person or animal infected with Giardia
Eating uncooked food contaminated with Giardia (such as uncooked vegetables and fruits)
There is an increased risk of contracting the disease from daycare workers, children who attend daycare, international travelers, hikers, and swimmers
Prevention
Always thoroughly wash your hands
Always thoroughly wash and/or peel fruits and vegetables before feeding them to gliders
Do not use or ingest water that may be fecally contaminated
Research
Medline Plus: Giardiasis
CDC Giardiasis Fact Sheet
Signs and Symptoms
Change in behavior
Lameness
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Yellow tint to belly (Jaundice), indicating liver problems
Green color to stools
Dehydration
Treatment
Seek veterinary care immediately. Only a vet can properly treat giardiasis
Have all gliders tested for presence of giardia
Quarantine the animal with symptoms. Giardiasis is HIGHLY contagious
Take special care with other animals and yourself.
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling the infected glider and
keep hands away from your mouth
Clean other glider cages
Thoroughly clean the cage and everything in it
Follow up with the vet to insure the parasite is eradicated
Clean the cage and items again after the follow up visit
Hind Leg Paralysis
A common symptom of nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, hind leg paralysis (HLP) is not a disease in and of itself. Low calcium levels result in calcium being leached from bone to compensate for low calcium in the bloodstream. This condition is fatal if not treated, but, in many cases, reversible.
Causes
Inadequate calcium absorption due to poor diet (low calcium, high phosphate, low Vitamin D) leads the glider's body to produce increased parathyroid hormone, which removes calcium from the bones
Prevention
Always feed your gliders a healthy, well-balanced diet
Always know the calcium to phosphorous ratio of anything you feed your gliders
Maintain a positive calcium to phosphorous ratio in the overall diet
Research
The Pet Place: Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism
Signs and Symptoms
Paralysis
Lethargy
Limping
Fractured bones
Tremors
Weakness
Loss of use of hind legs or favoring one leg
Poor gripping ability
Treatment
If caught in time, this disease is reversible
Seek veterinary care immediately. Only a veterinarian can do the necessary testing and treatment plan, which may include calcium, vitamins, hospitalization, and more.
Intestinal Blockage
The partial or complete mechanical blockage of the small or large intestine. The bowel is physically blocked. This most often occurs in sugar gliders when a foreign body is present in the intestines (such as wood, seeds, or millet), blocking the bowel.
Causes
A foreign body, such as seed husks, seeds, millet, or wood, physically blocks the intestines, allowing fecal matter to build up in the intestines
Prevention
Always feed your glider a healthy, well-balanced diet
Never give gliders inexpensive dry cat food
Moisten dry foods for easier digestion
Steer clear of seeds, nuts and other dry food
Signs and Symptoms
Abdominal fullness, bloating, or swelling
Vomiting
Diarrhea (if blockage is not complete)
Breath odor
Absence of passage of stool (when blockage is complete)
Treatment
Seek veterinary care immediately! If blockage is complete, surgery will be needed
Lumpy Jaw
(Impacted Salivary Gland)
Lumpy jaw, or actinomycosis is an infection primarily caused by the bacterium Actinomyces israelii. Infection most often occurs in the face and neck region and is characterized by the presence of a slowly enlarging, hard lump. It produces abscesses and can also infect the lungs and intestinal tract and other parts of the body and can lead to gangrene and other complications. It is fatal if left untreated.
Causes
Bacteria are introduced into the facial tissues by trauma, surgery, or infection. The most common cause in gliders is dental abscess
Prevention
Moisten dry, hard foods before feeding them to your gliders
Do not feed low quality cat food to your gliders
Consider that gliders were designed to eat primarily insects and gums
Research
Pawprint Online: Sugar Gliders 101
Medline Plus: Actinomycosis
Signs and Symptoms
A swelling or hard lump appears on face, neck or chest
Weight Loss
Discharge draining out of the eye
Treatment
Seek veterinary care immediately! To eradicate the bacteria, your glider will have to get prescription medication
Self-Mutilation
See the following link:
Glider Health Website: Self-Mutilation
Stress
Stress is defined as an organism's total response to environmental demands or pressures. When stress was first studied in the 1950s, the term was used to denote both the causes and the experienced effects of these pressures. More recently, however, the word stressor has been used for the stimulus that provokes a stress response. In gliders, stress can be fatal.
Causes
Actual danger
Grief or loss of a loved one (human or glider)
Loneliness
Illness
Poor diet
Thyroid problems
Low blood sugar
Sudden change in environment, diet, or companionship
Over handling during daylight hours when gliders should be sleeping
Prevention
Provide your gliders with a healthy, well-balanced diet
Keep gliders in at least pairs
Keep gliders in a large enough cage
Do not allow other pets near your gliders
Give your gliders at least a few hours of playtime each night
Keep your gliders out of places that are very noisy or full of lots of people
Do not allow your glider to be overhandled, especially by strangers
If you are bonding during the day with your gliders, do not disturb them. Allow them to sleep during the day
When a glider has experienced a change, give him extra attention and love, and watch closely for any sign of illness
Research
Pawprint Online: Lonely Glider's Club
Signs & Symptoms
Diarrhea
Vomiting
Trembling or tremors
Change in sleeping habits
Loss of appetite
Pacing, doing back flips consecutively, self-mutilation
Treatment
If your glider is experiencing any illness brought on by stress, seek veterinary care immediately
Spend lots of extra quality time with your glider
If the stress is coming because the glider is new to your home, make sure the glider has familiar surroundings (old pouch, same cage). Even if the pouch/cage is old or dirty, keep at least one item that is familiar and change slowly
Toxicity Issues:
Toxic Plants
Ackee Fruit, Acorn, Amaryllis, Anemone, Angel Trumpet, Apple Seeds, Apricot Pit, Arrowhead, Autumn, Autumn Crocus, Avocado Leaves, Azaleas, Baneberry, Belladonna, Betel Nut Palm, Bird of Paradise, Bittersweet, Black Locust, Bleeding Heart, Boston, Boxwood, Bracken Fern, Buckeye, Burning Bush, Buttercups, Caladium, Calla Lily, Cedar, Century Plant, Cherries (PITS), Chinaberry, Chinese Lantern, Choke Cherry, Christmas Rose, Chrysanthemums, Climbing Night Shade, Cocklebur, Columbine, Cowbane, Creeping Charlie, Crocus, Cyclmen, Daffodil, Daphne, Deadly Night Shade, Delphinium, Desert Potato, Devil’s Ivy (Pothos), Dogwood, Dumbcane, Elderberry, Elephant Ear, English Ivy, Euonymus, Fava Bean, Four O’clock, Foxglove, Golden Chain, Hemlock Poision, Holly Berries, Horse Chestnut, Horsetail Reed , Huckleberry, Hyacinth(bulbs), Hydrangea, Impatiens Plant (NOT FLOWER), Indian Turnip, Inkberry, Iris, Ivy, Jack in the Pulpit, Japanese Yew, Jasmine, Jerusalem Cherry, Jimson Weed, Jimson Weed Seeds, Johnson Grass, Jonquil, Lantana Camara, Larkspur, Laurels, Ligustrum, Lily of the Valley, Lobelia, Locoweed, Lucky Nut, Marijuana, Marsh Marigold, Mayapple, Mescal (Peyote), Milkweeds, Mistletoe, Mock Orange, Monkshood, Moonseed, Morning Glory, Mother-in-law tongue, Mountain Laurel Snow Drop, Mushroom, Narcissus, Nephthytis, Nightshade, Oak Tree, Oleander, Peach Seeds, Peach Seeds, Pencil Tree, Periwinkle, Peyote, Philodendron, Pigeon Berry, Poinsettia, Poison Hemlock, Poison Ivy, Poison Oak, Pokeweed, Poppy, Potato Sprouts, Primrose, Rhododendron, Rosary Pea, Sorrel, Star of Bethlehem, Sweet Pea, Swiss Cheese Plant, Thorn Apple, Thread Leaf, Toadstools, Tobacco, Tomato-vines, Tulip, Virginia Creeper, Water Hemlock, Wild Black Cherry, Wild Mustard, Wisteria, Yaupon Tree, Yellow Jessamine, Yew
Prevention
Do not expose your glider to any of these toxic plants
Do not give your gliders live tree branches unless you know they are 1) glider safe, and 2) uncontaminated from pesticides or chemicals
Trichomoniasis
A bacterial disease caused by a flagellate organism known as trichomonas. Trichomonads are usually pear-shaped and possess anterior flagella with a recurrent anterior fagellum which is attached to the body as an undulating membrane. Trichonomas can infect birds, cattle, dogs, carts, rodents, primates, and humans, among other species.
Causes
Ingesting food or water contaminated with the trichonomas organism
Prevention
Provide fresh, filtered water at all times for your gliders
Consider freezing fresh fruits and vegetables before serving them to gliders
Always wash your hands before you prepare food for your gliders and before handling your gliders
Always wash raw foods thoroughly before offering it to your gliders
Consider freezing your insects fully before offering them to your gliders
Research
Trichonomads Tutorial
University of Missouri College of Veternary Medicine: Trichonomas
Signs and Symptoms
Weight loss
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Change in fecal matter: feces may be golden in color, undigested food may be passed with feces, mucus may be present in feces
Dehydration
Loss of appetite
Treatment
Quarantine the infected animal, and clean and wash the cage, toys, and anything with which the glider may have come in contact
Seek veterinary care immediately. The vet will need to do a direct fecal smear to test for the presence of the trichonomas organism, and prescription medication will probably be given to kill the bacteria.
Closely monitor other gliders who may have also been exposed to the organism. To be safe, get them all tested for the presence of trichonomas.
This page has been compiled Thanks to the Sugar Glider University
The information provided here should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed veterinarian should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.
