Symptoms and tests to request

**This thread is to serve as a guideline for you when you have a glider in distress. It is not all-inclusive and will be added to as our members have experiences and as time allows those with experience. If you have experience valuable to this discussion, we invite you to share. IF you do share, please try to include as many possible causes for the behavior as possible. **


Should you find your glider in any sort of distress, a visit to the vet is imperative. Remember that in veterinary medicine there is a general trend to be conservative in treatment so as to not exacerbate a situation. However, we have learned through experience that once a sugar glider is showing symptoms, it is no longer time for conservative treatment. Time is of the essence for gliders with visible signs/symptoms of distress, so it is time to be aggressive in finding the CAUSE of the distress and eliminating it rather than treating symptoms.

Remember that among the top 10 causes of death for gliders are both bacterial infection and impaction. So, testing for these things becomes of the utmost importance for a glider showing any of the symptoms associated with these things.

In this thread we will outline symptoms that are noted and then list which tests you should request of your vet to diagnose the cause of the issue. Accurate diagnosis will guide your treatment plan.

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SYMPTOM: LIMPING OR FAVORING ONE LEG
This can be seen with either an injury in the area OR injury in another area. It is also seen in early onset metabolic bone disease (MBD) and with some tumors or other growths.

Request:
*x-rays initially. If there is a break or fracture, then you can stop at the x-rays.
*If poor bone density noted, then request:
1) Urinalysis
2) Fecal float and smear
3) SNAP test for giardia
4) Fecal culture
* If tumor or other growth noted, then request biopsy or needle aspiration.




SYMPTOM: DIARRHEA LASTING MORE THAN 24 HOURS
This can be seen with a whole lot of different situations, so it is best to do a whole battery of tests. Most common causes are parasite infection, food allergy, bacterial infection and cancer.


Request:
* Fecal float AND smear (and/or centrifugal fecal testing)
* SNAP test for giardia
* Fecal culture
* Urinalysis

If those do not turn up a culprit, then begin working through the following:
* Bloodwork
* x-ray or ultrasound
* If the glider is a joey, you could request tri-trich testing

Sympton: Losing weight
This could be caused by a parasite, tumor, bacterial infection, fungal infection, malabsorbtion disorder, slow internal bleed, pain which decreases appetite.

Request:
* a fecal float and smear (or centrifugal fecal test)
* SNAP test for giardia
* Fecal culture
* Urinalysis

If those do not turn up a culprit, then request the following:

* x-ray
* Blood work
* ultrasound

Symptom: Glider hissing while peeing

Possible causes include: UTI/bladder infection, crystals in the urine, swelling along the urinary tract, parasitic infection, physical deformity, tumor, cysts

Request:

* Urinalysis for UTI. - If the glider does not submit a sample, your vet can pull urine from the bladder with a needle

If infection is found, then treat. Otherwise, also request:
* X-ray
* Ultrasound
* Fecal float, smear and CULTURE

If tumor or cyst found, request biopsy and/or needle aspiration and have the sample sent to the lab.



Note: Keep in mind that some gliders do hiss when they pee so it's possible it's normal behavior for your glider. However, if this is not a normal occurrence for your glider, seek medical attention.

Symptom: CONSTIPATION (lasting more than 1 day) OR NOT POOPING AT ALL
A glider who does not have regular bowel movements is in serious condition. A glider who does not poop for 24 hours is in critical condition.
Possible causes are very vast and include (but are not limited to) too much protein in the diet, lack of fiber in the diet, dry food as primary staple source, malabsorbtion disorder, lack of pro/prebiotics in the diet, tumor, foreign body ingestion, food allergy, etc .

Request:
* Fecal culture
* x-ray or ultrasound
* blood work

Symptom: Seizures
Seizures result from hypoglycemia, hypocalcemia, bacterial infection, injury, dehydration and neurogenic etiology. Any of these can be caused by parasitic infection, decreased appetite, poor nutritional content in diet, bacterial infection or just that your glider has seizures. It is important to rule out all possible health causes first.

Request:
* Fecal float/smear
* Fecal Culture
* Urinalysis
* bloodwork in some cases


If all of these are clear, discuss the diet you feed with one of the experienced people here or with your mentor.





Symptom: Sudden, localized swelling
This is likely an abscess, but can also be osteomyelitis (bone infection), a cyst or a tumor.

Request
* If abscess, have it lanced, drained AND flushed AND have the pus CULTURED
* Since you need to anesthetize to lance and flush properly, go ahead and have an x-ray done first. This will assist with diagnosis if NOT an abscess and will let you know if there is tooth root involvement if on the face/neck/head
* If a cyst or a tumor, have it biopsied and tested