HELP!!! sick glider

My glider has been over grooming his butt area!! He looks wet all the time from his hind quarters to an inch up the base of his tail. I went away for weekend, my daughter called to tell me the glider didn't look well. He was wet all around hind quarters and bottom of tail. He is eating and drinking water. We had watermelon and he enjoyed it so much we gave it to him for 3 days, (I found out after the kids had fed it to him instead of his usual apple slices) We normally do apple and break it up with grapes and other fruits that are in season. He pooped red and my daughter thought it was blood, but it looked more like watermelon red. He had some loose poop, but mostly it looks ok, he seems to feel a little better, but he still isn't right.

We also had a minor invasion on the tiny ants, happens once a year, but this time they went to his cage so we cleaned out the cage. I usually spray them, but don't want to with him not feeling right and that they got to his cage.
On Saturday when my daughter first noticed he wasn't feeling well, he wasn't interested in his apple much so I had her give him some yogurt and honey (separately) and he ate it all.

I just don't know why he is cleaning his butt area so much he is always wet. My daughter also thought he was a little wheezy but he isn't now. The only other thing that may have affected him was I had stained a door, and after it was dry I had it in the room he's in to be put up, but it still had an odor, so I took it out. I'm thinking the loose poop irritated his butt (like it can come to bother us) but I worry about the over licking. He looks deformed and his butt area looks like a cone (I never noticed that before, because he was always dry and fluffy, so I don't know if that's what it looks like normally when wet or if it's a problem) He is about 4 years old, not neutered, and usually in his double sized cage (we put 2 cages together about 4' x 2' x 4')

He seemed better, but suddenly had horrible breathing attack. I took him to the vet. Antibiotics were prescribed and he had a couple more bad attacks. He also had some discharge by his right eye, mucous somewhat opaque greyish. At the vets, we were so focused on his laboured breathing I never mentioned his eye.

A couple hours after we got home, his eye looked a little closed only on right. When I was holding him, and only looking at his head from behind did I realize his head was wasn't right, and there was swelling over his eye. I am going back to vet to check this out, he is feeling somewhat better, got some energy this after noon he did some spins in his wheel his wheezing bouts have gotten better.

He was so wiped out with his breathing and the visit to the vet, he stopped grooming, once he started feeling better, he started with his butt area, and began rubbing his eye against the blankets and washing with his hands, that's when I noticed the eye problem. Right now his eye is closed because I haven't wiped it. I was told by vets office to let is be so as not to remove anything that might help assess the problem...it reminds me of kitten with conjunctivitis....can gliders get that? Also, although his poop isn't liquid, it is softer then normal and milk chocolate brown. The antibitiotic he is sulfamethoxazole 2x day .02 ml. Anyone have thoughts on how I can make him comfortable? The vet is familiar with gliders, and competent as a vet, but I'm sure not overly experienced with gliders. I can't afford to spend much more, actually couldn't afford this. The electric bill will have to wait. X-rays looked good. No blood taken because we were afraid the stress would kill him he was so weak.

Please call me soon.
806-274-9177

I believe your glider has a couple of serious issues that need to be dealt with properly and quickly.

How did they X-ray him without stressing him out? Sounds like he has multiple issues that need to be addressed ASAP. Have you spoken with Val yet?

Sorry, saw what VAL wrote and called her, right away. Never saw this til now. X-ray wars easily done he is a) a real sweetheart b) he was too ill to resist
He is much more himself, but still sick. His eye seemed to improve, swelling seemed to go down it was obvious looking at his head from behind and there was some discharge that would cause his eye to seal shut while he slept now the pressure seems to push his eye up and his cheek looks swollen. Monday he started scratching all over. He had finally stopped licking his hind quarters and looked dry. But by this morning the fur was off the base of his tail. He has been eating very well. Drinking well but his weight hasn't changed from the 60 grams he weighed last week when I thought he was at deaths door. He is with vet right now they are drawing blood and doing fecal test. Next step is a CT scan, but I would have to go to NYC for that.

I have some pix but can't seem to upload them

At the top of the box you type in, there is BIU Quote, Code and then the next one is Host an Image. If you click on that button you can upload pictures from your computer.

If you are still having problems you can email them to one of the associates. I'd offer but I am having issues with uploading photos at the moment with my poor internet connection.

Val is the right person to help you. I'm posting here to be notified as I am interested to hear the progress of your poor little guy. I'm curious of the fecal results? Also if there might be an abscess. I'm no expert but Val is.

Please update if you can.

So far no luck adding pics, I have the button, I choose the pic I hit upload....nothing. I emailed all xrays lab results. Whatever is affecting/growing in his head is not any better. No parasites showed up in the labs. Blood results are conflicting. I'm at the end of my rope. He has stopped over grooming his butt and tail, but then again what made it obvious was the wetness, his hair around base of tail is gone, that happened right after it was finally dry, next morning ...hair gone

You're welcome to email them to me if you'd like. I can upload them for you. kyro298@aol.com

LOL, thank you., I had been trying to upload them for Val to see, before she sent me her email.

I have to say, I am very unhappy with my vet, I was lost frightened and so afraid my Cookie was dying, financially crushed, I used every last bit of cash that I could NOT afford and I trusted that the vet would do all they could.
I am sorry, this is my beloved that is being brought for care, it is completely and utterly dependent upon me for it's every want and need. Therefore, I used what I had, and borrowed more, My Glider has improved somewhat, but he is not well,
Without going into every last detail, At first Vet seemed decent, trouble is I was not able to find a vet that had experience with gliders in my area. Prescribed a decent antibiotic, missed the onset of a problem with his eye, but he was displaying marked respiratory distress, saw him next day at No charge to check eye. The problem is that by then, I had found resources, and help to ask pertinent questions, and inquire about ailments that were glider specific. at that point, My vet balked, did not like being questioned, or second guessed. 'Did not have time' to check links to sweetspot as to consulting vets, glider ailments, etc, choose without making any effort to verify or discredit a potential well of information! Outright refused to consult with any vet (granted there is nothing listed with them to distinguish them or qualify them as expert in glider treatment) However, I wasn't asked if I could provide or locate such info either. Val was on phone with me and heard how I was spoken to, as I was held hostage between my financial limitations, love of my glider and a prideful vet. My gliders right side of face is swollen, I asked for x-rays to see if dental could be ruled out, since glider was to be put under, I was repeatedly told that they did not have dental setup, my answer (as explained to me) was I just needed a good clear set of x-rays, I had an expert that could look at them, that would be able to see if there was a problem. What I got? not so clear, low resolution copies, left lateral and ap....WHY LEFT SIDE???!!! First crap set was $177, so was the second set...after I signed consent, I was told that blood could be drawn from tail, much more safely then neck, asked where they would draw from?!, was answered after it was done, they drew blood from chest! Finally I asked at 10 days in, breathing better, eye getting worse, can we try a different antibiotic? This one not working on current problem!!! I asked for copies of labs and original x-rays to be sent via email asked vet after labs were explained to me (at high speed ) what can I give him, if not a new antibiotic? He is itching and still over grooming hair now gone from base of tail...?!? I was prescribed metacam for pain for my baby, I wonder if only to bring me the 40 minutes to their office once more rather then send the info....oh and OOPS!! by the way it's $39.90 for the medicine.....then when I got there, the x-rays weren't ready, I waited....interestingly enough, the x-rays were given to me in a higher resolution (he was awake for these, so they were not very useful) I asked again and I got NO from vet, just before weekend for change in antibiotic, via office personnel, NO No! last conversation when I called to get vets response, receptionist RUDELY hung up on me.
I am off to a new vet, don't now how i'm going to manage payment, this vet at least has some experience with gliders. Also, I did do some research for those that may have bad experiences with a vet, here is how you can follow up state by state...
http://marlobydesign.hubpages.com/hub/How-to-file-a-complaint-against-a-bad-veterinarian