SHARING STORIES

Members are encouraged to share stories of gliders who have experienced an open wound 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.

Mocha is a glider that was relinquished to me because his owner no longer wanted to provide vet care for him. Mocha has a severe seizure disorder. He also arrived with an open wound on his back:

Initially, Mocha's wound was cleaned and treated with Zymox. It healed completely.

Several months later, Mocha's cage mate opened up another wound - same size and same spot.
This time, the wound was treated with Emu Oil. It healed quickly.

Several months later, I find Mocha with yet another wound - same spot, same size. This time I finally remove his cage mate from him. He can't continue to go through this. Each vet visit results in seizures and Mocha has repeated seizures for long periods of time when separated from his cage mate, so I could not continue to do this to him.
Dr. Walsh will not anesthetize Mocha due to the severity of his seizure disorder. So, this time we took x-rays with me holding Mocha just to see if there was something going on with him that would cause his cage mate to continue to open him up in that area. We found nothing.
This time, Mocha's wound was treated with Emu Oil and Facilitator. Additionally, while the wound was still healing, Mocha was introduced to Java (another glider with a wound) and the two are the best of buddies. Mocha's wound healed, but he now has a scar and the fur will not grow back in that area. Java has never re-opened Mocha's wound (and Mocha has never messed with Java's).

...It makes me feel so good to read about the babies getting help and love...they are so dependent on humans. They're lucky to have you....

But...I'll take 'em anyway...:)

Mary

Val, Dexters wound is open AGAIN! It was healing so nicely and now it is a bright red icky crater again!!!! It looks like she is digging into his neck! I am going to separate Dexter like I should have done before but since she had let it heal, I thought they would be fine. My only problem now is Dexter was over grooming his eyebrows and his tail when he was alone before... as soon as I placed him with Faye he stopped and his eyebrow and tail hair grew back. What can I do to avoid his overgrooming?

Well day 4 of Dexters solitary confinement :(
He seems to handling things well...he finds ALL the treats I hide EVERYNIGHT! I spend time with him in the morning while I put his QUICKDERM on...he likes being petted and LOVES all the mealies until mom puts the medicine on...then he hides his little head :(

Uploading pics of his wound...first one shows no medicine on yet today...then the next 2 have the Quickderm applied. (I missed and got some on his fur today) I wish I would have been smart enough to take a pic 4 days ago because the healing is amazing! this wound is almost half the size it was 4 days ago and the deep concave area is no longer! It kinda looks icky but its healing so I am pleased! I added them as thumbnails (bigger files) so you have to click on them to see a bigger pic.

Celeste I think it looks very good. You are doing a good thing even if you feel like a big meanie doing it. By the looks of that wound it will be scabbed over and gone in no time.

Looking good! I know for myself, I almost never think to take a "before" picture because I'm too worried about getting them better. Kicking myself for that.

Dexters wound last night while he was getting spoiled with treats! I had to take it through the bars - if I open the cage door, I think he thinks I am going to put medicine on him and so he will hide :( As you can see, the wound is very small now but I am worried that he never developed a "scab" ? It has always been pink and shiny...I stopped putting medicine on it about 5 days ago because I thought that might be why he isn't getting a scab but still no scab. Should I be concerned?

Celeste to me the wound looks smaller is it? I am thinking that it is slowly granulating in meaning it is slowly getting smaller. Some wounds will just slowly fill in without getting a dry scab over them. This is not a bad thing as it will let anything that needs to drain out do so. The other thing that could be happening is he scratches it with his foot. But it looks too healthy for that. It is a nice pink color so that means the tissue is healing and is happy.
Unfortunately when they heal like this it takes longer.

To me it looks real good and a bit smaller. Sorry he runs from you :(
Val can answer if you should still use the cream.
I think I would put a tiny tiny bit on once a day to keep it healthy and happy looking. Plus maybe giving the cream a 5 day break and now reapplying it, it will react to the cream a bit better again??

Yes, keep using the Quickderm.

Scabs hold in everything - including infection. I never want to see a scab on one of my babies, but that is one of my preferences and not everyone feels the same.

Brenda Yes it is smaller! In the older pics, Dexter was kind of pushing the wound together so you couldn't see how big it really was. The original wound was oblong so to compare it to something, I would say...maybe the size of a paper clip but a little wider that the top.

what you see in this latest shot is the entire wound so yippi!! It is definitely healing with no infection! He also seems much more energetic too lately, he actually comes to the front of the cage at night to get treats. He only runs when he thinks I am going to put medicine on him :( but its almost as if he associates that with the camera, so he runs.

Val I will definitely continue the Quick Derm then, thanks Brenda and Val!

Stella Luna - Open Neck Wound
A couple of weeks ago I noticed one of my very first Gliders, Stella, lying in a pouch all by herself. Her cage mates were in a separate pouch, which to me, was unusual as they always slept together. Stella seemed very drowsy, and didn't want to move around a whole lot, which were the first symptoms that something was wrong. I took her out of the cage, and looked her over... she had a few scratches on her back and lower neck, but they were very small, clean, and not bleeding. I decided to separate her and put her in a hospital cage, and keep an eye on her...Later that evening, she seemed better, she was running on her wheel and still eating like a pig... the next day, I noticed a very odd smell coming from one of my cages. The only way I can describe it is the smell of decaying, rotting flesh. I checked Stella and found she had started to mutilate the cuts on her back, they were bleeding a little bit but self-mutilation is never good, and sI took her to the vet who decided she'd keep her the night (NEVER LEAVE YOUR GLIDER AT THE VETERINARIAN'S OFFICE OVERNIGHT) to run tests and "look her over." The next day, it was 5x worse, it was a gaping wound that extended from below both ears, all the way over to the top of her head... I will answer the following questions.

* Symptoms you first noticed: Smell of decaying, rotting, flesh, "scab-like" minor wounds and cuts on her neck and back, drowsiness, lack of activity, self-mutilation
* Tests vet ran to come to this diagnosis: Culture (Stella had surgery and received several stitches)
* The treatment prescribed by vet: Meloxicam 0.02cc (7pm), Baytril 0.05cc (7am, 7pm), & Gabapentin 0.15cc (7am, 3pm, 11pm)
* Aftercare provided by yourself (include any help you received from community members if you like): This was my first Glider injury, so I was like a deer in the headlights. With help from Connie Small, Denise Rainwaters, and Val, I was able to make Stella more comfortable and start off on a great road to recovery for her. She is also receiving Vetericyn applied to the wound at 7am, 3pm, and 11pm as well.
* Recovery information or notes that might be helpful to others: BREATHE!!! That was the best advice I was given (thanks Denise)! Don't make a decision without thinking things through. Stella is being kept in a small quarantine cage to avoid a possible fall while on medication.
* The results of treatment: To be continued... as of right now, the wound is healing up nicely, it is clean, not red or inflamed and she has a followup appointment in two weeks. :)

Neala is a rescue that came into my home with a wound on her neck/back.



I initially used Vetericyn because it's what I had on hand. Although it may have been keeping the wound from getting worse, it certainly wasn't getting any better. I switched to Quickderm and again, I just didn't see any progress. No worse, but the wound just didn't seem to be getting smaller. After discussions with Val, I decided to switch to emu oil to see if it would make a difference. In just two weeks, we have made significant improvements and the wound is finally beginning to heal.

I got Izzie up earlier today,to be with her, & I saw she had a pink spot on the base of her tail, & she had groomed all her hair off around it.

It did not look infected at all, & I kept her w/me in my bra for several hrs.  She didn't mess with the area either. I put her back in the cage around 11. I went to check on her at 1:30, & the skin was a dark pink(not a mean red) & looked to have gotten bigger, so I put some meds back on her, & I found an e collar, & put it on her.  Boy,was she angry!! After she settled down some, I put her back in the cage,onto the bottom of a honeycomb pouch. 1/2 hr. later, I go back in to check on her, & she is in the corner on the bottom of the cage, SOPPING WET. This was a new e collar, never been worn, & it was covered w/some type of slime,& the mole skin was completely wet. She looked awful. Her whole body was wet, how that happened I'll never know,as she is in the cage by herself,& the water is in a bottle. Tears just flowed,& is still now.

I found an e jacket, & she was still quite angry, but I got her into it. I do hope it is on OK. She was crabbing & going nuts at first. She eventually settled down, Larry got up & gave her some attention,too.

I put my bra back on, & she is now in it, & no longer crabbing &/or angry(petrified). I gave her a few crickets about 1/2 hr ago,& she did eat them. I just now finished with giving her a small chunk of watermelon, & she scarfed it down whole heartedly. I do hope she will maybe go back to sleep, but I'm sure she probably won't with the e jacket on her, but she is quiet & seems settled in.

I called the vet at 5, & he was going to get back to me in regards to an appt. for tomorrow. He called at 7, & I answered the phone, & I messed up & touched the hang up key, & he never called back,& I couldn't reach him when I tried calling back, so, I will be calling him first thing in the morning & see about getting her in.

I also have a post in the medicine section, but since I wrote in here,too,so I will update here, also.
The vet visit went OK.  Izzie was put on SMTZ Suspension, 0.05ml 2 times a day for 21 days. Metacam was also prescribed. Give 0.01ml once a day for 7 days. He didn't think she would need it for any longer (we will see). For the cream he prescribed Soother Plus Cream. It is a pearl white cream, & has no experation date to it. This is what they prescribe to all their animals that need it. I am to put some on 3 times a day until healed.
Whole visit came up to only $40.27.
I also spoke with him about the e jackets that Cora & minkasmom have made. I took hers with us to show him. He said that what we should do is get them the info on it,& they will pass it along to whomever comes in that would need an e collar on, for a 2nd choice. So, I will get with the 2 of them on this.
A recheck appointment was not made. If Izzie doesn't look like she is healing any by July 24th, then we are to call & bring her back in.
From what I can tell, she is just tending to the area, I haven't heard any SMing noises. As long as she is on me,I will have her without the e jacket on. When she will be on her own,though, it will be on her.

:good news:Izzie made it through the night OK. She is not (thankfully) an SM'er for this injury. She has 'tended' to it, & I put more Soother Plus cream on the bare spot on the underside of the base of her tail.I had a miserable time trying to keep the ejacket on her,she was always able to houdini herself out of it, so I just gave up, & we kept an eye on her. 
I feel so sorry for her,now,because she is all alone,Petrie is with the other 4,somewhere. Tonight I will get them together for awhile,& see how he will react to her tail. I'm planning on having them in the tent,& I will be in there with them through a large part of the overnight.

Izzie is doing prety well. She is taking her meds like a good little trooper. The cream med ointment I changed to the regular triple antiboitic over the counter that we already had  because the stuff that the vet gave us is just too thin. It wasn't really doing anything, I wanted something with substance to it, something that will take hold of the skin & heal that way, & this is working well.
We still don't know how this happened, but am so glad it is healing well.
I have had Petrie with her, some, & he isn't even aware that she has an injury, of which I am so happy about. They have spent 2 evenings together, & she couldn't be happier. The last couple nights alone she was really depressed, not playing, just sitting on a shelf, & she wasn't eating hardly anything,either. Now she is playing full tilt, & her appetite has gotten somewhat better,too.