Feeding the sick glider

I'm interested to hear from you all what you do or plan to do when you have an ill glider? Do you feed them many times per day? Do you stress over how much food they eat or don't eat? Do you syringe/force feed them throughout the day? Do you force liquids? How do you manage food and liquid consumption for your ill glider who may not be eating well?
AND, WHY do you do so? I want to be sure our readers/members understand the thought process behind your decisions.

I'm not talking about joeys here. I'm interested in hearing discussion regarding adult gliders.

I ask because I have talked to a lot of people lately that do things very differently than I do. In our discussions, I have learned that some people never considered my reasoning in their sick glider care and that they have some thoughts and concerns that I have never had. These things are good to think and talk about before worry overtakes your thoughts.

I've only dealt with one sick glider here. I did not force feed her, I let her eat when she was ready. I did, however, give her several feedings a day because she would eat only a very little each time she went to her dish. I didn't worry so much about what she ate or how much - it was more important to me that she was at least eating something. I did prepare her food a bit differently, though. She was a bit constipated so instead of whole foods, I started blending her food in hopes she would digest it better. I also had a dish of water next to her food. I did not use foraging dishes for her, I did not hide her food throughout the cage. She was sick and she didn't need to expend any extra energy she might have had in searching for her food. The dishes were right next to where she was sleeping so she did not need to go far to find it.

If there's one thing I've learned from Val in our discussions, it's that hovering over a glider, ANY glider, is not the way to go. Checking on them is one thing, but hovering is another and in my opinion, just adds to the stress of what they're already going through. Hovering also means that your glider is continuously waking up, each and every time you check on them. Sleep is SO important. Put it in human terms - do you want to be awakened every hour with someone asking you how you're doing? I doubt it. You want to rest and you need it for your body to get healthy. Gliders are no different.

I am one of these whom have had this conversation with Val lately..Honestly the last 4 weeks.

I am guilty of syringe feeding one of these sick gliders. Why because honestly I was thinking I needed to do something for her. Several times she was dehydrated so she got SQed and I felt that if I could get something into her I would not have to SQ her.
I also felt I needed to do something for her. I think we tend to feel they are very small and they need nourishment to thrive and get well. I would syringe feed her and put her back in her hospital cage to rest. I did not poke her constantly as rest is needed. I did peek in to see if she was alive.

Upon talkin g to Val the other day at my wits end about care for this girl I was told how Val would handle this situation. I feld Val has been there done that and took her advise to put out her food and let her be. She will eat if she was hungry and low and behold guess what ~~she ate that night.

I do as Aimee does and and put out several different foods and I put them in baby food lids and then had a dish of plain water and a dish of 50/50 water pedialyte or Gatorade. I feel they need to save their energy and not waste it looking for food.

So in a nut shell I feel we do it to comfort ourselves and feel we are helping them when in reality we are pestering them.

I put food in the cage if they feel like getting up and eating they have the food there. I do not force feed them or wake them up every hour to feed them. I know when I am sick the last thing I want to do is eat. Once I am feeling better I will eat. So I do the same for my gliders. I've never had a sick glider die from starvation.
the body heals itself when you sleep so I figure if they are sleeping they are healing and don't need me waking them up to try to feed them.

I don't think it is an issue of right or wrong with this. But, I was beginning to feel like a big meaner when I was talking with so many people that were syringe or force feeding sick gliders. I never do this. I make sure that they get their meds, but I don't force them to eat or drink. I never wake them up during the day for food, but I do offer food frequently if I see them up during the day.

I have had a lot of sick gliders here and feeding them via syringe or force feeding them is not something that I do. I offer the food in a place that is easy to access, and I do supplement the food with Critical care so that if they eat just a little, it will pack a big punch nutritionally. As was said before, *I* don't want food shoved in my face repeatedly when I don't feel good, so I won't do that to the animals in my care either. That is just my logic. If they are hungry or thirsty, they will come and get something. If they will not, I can sub -Q (which, again, I only do when absolutely necessary) or I can trust that they know what their bodies need.

I have been surprised at the number of people in the community who are making it a habit to change the type of food they offer and the frequency it is offered when the glider is sick. I can't help but wonder how we got to this place in glider care. is this something that people are recommending somewhere?

On a slightly different note, when I have a glider that is diagnosed with malnourishment, I do offer 4 meals per day. I don't force them to eat, but I find they are often very happy to do so. However, I also find that the term "malnourished" is inappropriately used in the glider world also. Malnourishment is diagnosed through blood work and/or bile acid testing or other testing. It is not a matter of weight. If I get a skinny glider in, I don't offer additional meals, I just offer more food at their regular feeding time.

Maybe we need a section Called guidelines on caring for the sick glider??

BCChins wrote:

Maybe we need a section Called guidelines on caring for the sick glider??

I agree

I'm new to gliders and I have not had to deal with a sick glider. I think the first thing I would do is get to the vet while talking to somebody from here. Far as feeding goes, when the body is sick it needs to focus on healing more than digesting. Sometimes less is better, I think they will take the nourishment they need and no more. I want to believe I would do as instructed. I would of course discuss it with some of you, whom I trust.
Now if it was some of the terrible things I've seen of late on one of the forums I don't know what I would do. I lost my only child (skin kid) 19 years ago, making it through that has toughened me up so to speak. I look for quality of life in my answers to the tough decisions.