Vomiting Glider

I took my Nicky (12+ year old glider) into the vets. He vomited on Monday evening and I was unable to get him in Tuesday since the vet was out of the office. I did however run in urine and a fecal sample so they could get some of the basic testing out of the way before Nicky's office visit.

Both the fecal and UA came back normal, there were no parasites or other issues that they were able to determine, tho according to his UA his kidneys are showing some wear & tear which is to be expected in a glider of Nicky's age.

As far as the vomiting, it does not appear to be illness related. It may be that as he ages Nicky is developing a "sensitive" stomach. Another possibility is that with the season change, he may have some sinus drainage that is upsetting his tummy. Either way I am just supposed to keep an eye on him and make sure that my little man eats and is comfortable in his old age. To help with this, he gave me Reglan liquid. We are going to start out twice a day and see how Nicky does on it. It should help soothe his tummy and prevent further vomiting. It could be something that Nicky is on for the remainder of his life if necessary.

Am I reading this correctly? You are considering putting him on a medication for the rest of his life because he vomited this once? Have there been other episodes of vomiting? Is this something he would take every day, or just as needed?

I have had gliders vomit on occasion. When there is no other explanation for it, we believe that it is just like with people, they get a little upset tummy from time to time. Nothing serious. I have never considered putting them on a medication for it.

What are the potential side effects for Reglan?

For humans Reglan is this: http://www.bing.com/health/article/goldstandard-1500082412/Metoclopramide-Hydrochloride-Oral-tablet?q=Reglan&qpvt=reglan

I too have a had a few vomit once or twice and both were evaluated and have not done it ever since. I think sometimes this just happens.

Quite a few animals (and even some people) can vomit very easily if they want to or at the slightest stomach upset. It's often nature's way of removing something that the body perceives as possibly toxic or upsetting from the stomach before it can cause a systemic problem.

Nicky had vomited twice prior to my taking him in. The first incident I believed was brought on by stress and was not too concerned as he perked up afterwards. However when it happened again with no apparent cause I sought vet care. He is on the medication 2x a day for a week. After that we are going to monitor him to see if the vomiting continues. If it does and continues to happen on a regular basis, there is the possiblity that he will need the medication daily to soothe his tummy. If he shows no symptoms or the vomiting is infrequent the medication will be used on an as needed basis.

I had a glider Duchess that would eat a mealie then vomit it up. I use to say she was bulimic. I ran her to the vet we did test and found nothing. Dr.G said to think back at when she vomited and what she was doing or eating at the time. Once I did the process of elimination I figured it was the mealies. Once I started my own mealie farm and know whre the mealies come from she hasn't vomited since. i think there was either something on the mealie maybe from shipping or what they were feeding them but whatever she hasn't vomited in a year now. I think like humans sometimes something just upsets the stomach and it's not a ailment that requires meds for the rest of your life.

Nicky was not vomiting after eating food. He would get up during the day prior to eating and vomit. If it had been after eating or drinking I could understand the cause but on an empty stomach and with no apparent stimuli to cause the vomiting it was concerning. Again, he may not need the medication for the rest of his life. At this point we don't know if he will need to be on it or not. However given his age, we want him to be as comfortable as possible for as long as he is alive. If keeping him comfortable means that he needs medication to keep from vomiting then that is what he will get. If he can remain comfortable without the medication after the initial week of being on it then I he will only take it on an as needed basis.

I can understand your concern. Only you can do what you feel is best, I just think some people were giving you their thoughts about it since alot of people have dealt with the meds and gliders.

After the initial week on Reglan, I took Nicky off to see how he would do with his vomiting. Initially he seemed to do very well, but after a week of being off meds I saw him trying to vomit again. This was not due to gagging on food or from eating too fast. He just walked toward the back of the cage and tried to throw up. My vet was notified and Nicky is once more back on the Reglan for the immediate future. Our main concern at this point is to make my Old Man as comfortable as possible for whatever time he has left in this world.

Other than the vomiting and loose stools (at this point in time Nicky prefers a more liquid diet tho he is on antibiotics to try to firm them up) Nicky seems to be in good spirits. He is definately stiffer getting around the cage than he used to be when he was younger, and likes to sleep more now. But since starting on the medication he has seemed to have more energy than he did just a month ago. I don't know if it's because he's eating more or what, but it has had a positive effect on my little old man.

I am sad to report that Nicky has crossed the Rainbow Bridge. The reglan helped keep him comfortable in his final days, and permitted him to eat without vomiting afterwards.

Aw, I am so sorry for your loss Chris! Glide free little Nicky.

Chris - so sorry for your loss.

Aw I am sorry. I am glad he was comfortable during his last days.

We all are very sorry for your loss. Locking this post so that the medical benefit of having it here is not lost in the condolences.