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The Sweet Spot

INFORMATION concerning sugar glider health and husbandry matters
 
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tinkerbellesmomm

tinkerbellesmomm


Posts : 238
Join date : 2009-12-10
Age : 47
Location : Maryland

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PostSubject: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeWed Dec 23, 2009 1:57 pm

Members are encouraged to share stories of gliders who have experienced issues with their organs so that others can learn from it. Please share with us anecdotal information that is useful for owners or veterinarians, including:

* Symptoms you first noticed
* Tests vet ran to come to this diagnosis
* The treatment prescribed by vet
* Aftercare provided by yourself (include any help you received from community members if you like)
* Recovery information or notes that might be helpful to others
* The results of treatment.

Photos are encouraged IF they help to teach or provide examples.
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Something_To_Believe_In
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Something_To_Believe_In


Posts : 4565
Join date : 2009-12-10
Age : 50
Location : Texas

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeThu Dec 24, 2009 9:30 am

ARTEX - Kidney Failure



I am telling Artex's story because his diagnosis did not come like some would think, and I hope others can learn from it.

Artex came to me as a rescue when he became ill and his caregiver did not want to continue vet visits or put the time into helping him get well. When I first got the call, I insisted that she meet me at the vet's office because her description of Artex's behavior was very grim.

Artex was seen by the vet. He presented with droopy ears, a bad smell, extreme lethargy, crabbing and lunging/biting, and was found to be SEVERELY dehydrated. We were unable to get urine for testing because he was so dehydrated.
Fecals were clear - no signs of ANYthing. SNAP test was clear. It was clear that there was something wrong - SOMEthing was causing the dehydration. vet did not feel he was strong/healthy enough for much more testing at the time, and really did not think he would live much longer.
Sub-Q fluids were administered in the office and we decided to treat for a parasite and an infection just to try to get to the cause of the dehydration - suspecting that he probably had a UTI or some other infection.

So, he was prescribed Panacur and TMPS. Throughout the course of treatment, I had to administer sub-q fluids twice daily. Artex really perked up and began eating and playing like a normal little one.

Treatment ended. Artex is active (but sluggish early on) and no longer crabby/lunging/biting. He eats everything he is given every night. He plays well, and LOOKS great. If I didn't know he was dehydrated from tent testing, I would not think anything was wrong

He also drinks 2-4 OUNCES of liquid every night. Yet, he remains dehydrated. I have to sub-q 5-6 days per week/ 1-3 times per day depending upon his need.

Liquids I offered are filtered water, pedialyte, gatorade, and/or a 50/50 mix of gatorade/pedialyte and water. He always has fresh water in his water bottle. These liquids are being offered (and taken) in ADDITION to his regular fresh water.

Because the dehydration persisted, we returned to the vet. Again, fecals and UA are negative. We decide to culture the urine just to be sure, but still find nothing. We treat again just in case there is a low grade infection that we are not finding. This time treat with Clavamox.

No change. this continued for 7 weeks. Artex remained active (after fluids given) with a good appetite, drinks 2-4 ounces of liquid each night, eliminates well. Yet, he was dehydrated. He was sluggish when he first wakes, so I started waking him in the afternoon (between 2-4) and offering liquids or sub-quing if necessary. By doing this, I was able to decrease the need to sub-q to about once per week.

Just to be sure I am not crazy or overlooking anything, I had Shawna give him a look over and tent test and all when she was visiting. His dehydration ranges from mild to severe. Poor thing was tent tested more than any glider ever before. Shawna observed his dehydration at moderate-severe and also at mild.

His third vet visit was his first visit with Dr. Walsh. This time we were able to draw blood.
Levels were:
ALT 46
AST 50
BUN 23
CREA 0.4
GLU 135
AMYL 680
Ca 7.9
Chol 146
Phos 3.9
TBIL 3.6

UA and fecals again clear. He was dehydrated in the vet office. Again, I left the office with all I needed to continue sub-quing long term if need be.

Given his symptoms and the persistence of them, Dr. Walsh suspected that he might have some kidney involvement. This is very sad, as he is only 9 months old. So, Dr. Walsh advised me to put Artex on a very low protein diet. Most of the glider diets we use are quite high in protein, so we modified my particular diet to include very little protein - with the only animal protein being 1/3 hardboiled egg per batch of food.

Artex did well on this diet and got a cage mate. I noticed that the amount of fluid he was drinking each night was decreasing, and he was not needing sub-Q fluids as frequently. He remained a happy, active glider with a great appetite.

8 weeks later, Artex returned for follow-up blood work. Levels this time indicated that he was in renal failure. :( This is the part I want others to take from this - his kidney levels were within normal range upon his first test, but because his symptoms were so significant, we sometimes have to look at it differently. It is kinda like this: MY normal temperature is low (97.4). This is normal for me. So, when I have a temperature of 98.6, which is what we call "normal", well, that is a fever for me. A temperature of 99.0 for me is a pretty good fever. So, Dr. Walsh suspected this was the case with Artex - what may be a "normal" reading on AVERAGE, may not be so normal for Artex. Unfortunately, changing his diet and retesting verified this. Dr. Walsh believes that his condition is genetic, and possibly/likely the result of inbreeding (I have learned that his parents were likely a mother/son pairing)

Artex is 1 year old now. He is a very young glider living with a very serious problem. I don't know what the future brings for him, but I know he will be loved while he is here and will receive the very best of health care throughout his life- which I hope will be a long one.
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Something_To_Believe_In
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Something_To_Believe_In


Posts : 4565
Join date : 2009-12-10
Age : 50
Location : Texas

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeSun May 23, 2010 8:06 pm

Melee - Hepatic (liver) Disease

Melee was a beautiful girl who came to me specifically to be a cage mate for Jackie Chan. She and Jackie hit it off very well and were so cute together since they both were missing their tails.

Melee was a healthy glider for the time she was with me. She played hard, took great care of Jackie Chan and was a loving pet.

Melee saw Dr. Walsh on 2/19/10 for a wellness check and again on 3/20/10 for a follow-up visit for Jackie. Both times she checked out fine (physical exam, fecals, UA).

Last Wednesday morning (5/19/10) Melee was up playing when I came into the room to hand out treats. She was running in the wheel and then came over to get a yogie from me. She took her yogie into the pouch with Jackie Chan and the two snuggled down for their day of rest.

At 4:30, I returned home from work and found Melee dead on the bottom of their cage. Jackie Chan had changed to a new/different pouch. Melee was already cold.

I took Melee in for a necropsy and Jackie for another wellness check. Melee's necropsy revealed that she died of hepatic disease. Her liver and her gall bladder were both enlarged, misshapen, full of nodules and a mucous-y fluid. I am awaiting histopathology results to tell me if Melee's liver disease was cancer, bacterial or chronic disease.

This is a glider that got a lot of attention from me daily. She never acted ill. No signs or symptoms of a problem. Her death came as a shock. Hopefully, through her necropsy and the SUGAR Group's research studies, her life can be of value to another glider in the future.
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jacknsally

jacknsally


Posts : 201
Join date : 2009-12-30
Age : 51
Location : DFW, TX

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeSun Oct 17, 2010 1:16 pm

Val - did you ever get any further answers with Melee & her liver disease?
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Something_To_Believe_In
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Something_To_Believe_In


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Join date : 2009-12-10
Age : 50
Location : Texas

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeSun Oct 17, 2010 2:09 pm

Yes I did. It was not cancer. It was not bacterial - it was chronic liver disease. That's pretty much all I know.

(sorry I missed your call - I'm home now if you still need anything).
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snickmini29

snickmini29


Posts : 4
Join date : 2011-09-19

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeMon Sep 19, 2011 8:02 pm

Snickers 9 yrs old~
Enlarged Gall Bladder/Infection spreading through out system
~enlarged heart/murmur/aorta mass (part of which has broken off and moved to her leg vein and she is draggin her leg)
~a tumor or mass in her pouch (which they want to possibly do surgery for)

She is currently on the following medications: 2 are 2x a day, other 2 are 1x a day
Clavamox (antibiotic)
Metacam (anti-flam/steriod)
Metoclopramide & Hepasil (Gastro-Instestinal meds)

How it started wasn't easy to spot. She was fine except starting to lose her fur around her head and her tail, which we thought was old age because she didnt have a parasite. Then she stopped curling her tail. This week she wasn't playing and I took her right to the vet. She was beginning to drag her back leg a bit, and I thought possibly she was showing signs of HLP but she gets all of the suggested amount of vitamins I thought, so I was really worried. Her appetite wasn't really effected, and she just wanted to be held. All of this happened with in a few days time, and had made the vet appt for the next day.

The vet gave her a radiograph, an ultrasound and cbc. The results were the diagnosis I wrote above. Horrific News. Her white blood cell count was really high, as her immume system was trying to fight it.

I find out wednesday if she has improved any since the meds were started. Her eyes are a little briter today, but she did throw up a little bit of her meds.

Hoping for the best, and not sure how I feel about her having surgery with all the other problems and her age. They want to remove the mammory gland mass and close her pouch.

I am seeing an exotic vet in WA that treats sugar gliders.

If anyone has a similar story or thoughts, please let me know. Thank you

Hoping for the best, I <3 my little girl to pieces
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Looking_to_Learn




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Join date : 2011-11-21

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PostSubject: Re: SHARING STORIES   SHARING STORIES Icon_minitimeWed Nov 23, 2011 6:37 pm

My Bella died of chronic liver disease.
She never had any symptoms. She was fine one day and dead the next morning.
I would have not ever known what caused her death if Val had not talked me into a necropsy. I am so glad that I had the testing done, it made me feel better to know that I did not cause her to die.
Please have a necropsy done if your suggie dies all of the sudden.
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