Illness/Injury

It is true that gliders are species specific in their illnesses and don’t need shots, but they still need to go to the vet for annual check ups.

Gliders, like many animals, are very good at hiding illnesses. They need to in the wild or they become lunch pretty quick. That being said, a glider can go from seemingly fine to struggling for life pretty quick.

Here are some symptoms that you should look for and contact a vet right away:

• Violent or prolonged shaking/shivering
• dragging limbs
• discharge from eyes or nose
• sneezing that sounds wet--not the grooming sneezes
• pawing at the head of face more than usual grooming
• any swelling, protrusions or lumps
• lack of movement or slowed movement
• keep in mind they ARE nocturnal so they can be a bit slow during the day
• up during the day and just sitting there with little to no movement
• any sudden jerkiness or seizure-like movements
• loss of control of limbs
• loss of coordination
• wobbling or falling over when trying to walk
• abnormal amount of spastic, non-stop activity where they seem stressed or scared

• sudden, frantic, uncoordinated urge to climb
• flattened ears
• lack of peeing or pooping
• sudden change in color/consistency of pee and/or poop
• prolonged (over an hour) change of nose color
• any injuries
• cuts
• serious falls
• limb or tail caught or "hung up" on or in something
• burns
• chemical exposure
• decreased body temperature
• dehydration
• to test, pinch the skin on their back between the shoulder blades. If the skin takes a longer time than normal to lay back flat, they are dehydrated
• falling in water, especially toilets
• suspected ingestion of any foreign objects
• appearance of not grooming

• fur starts to look dingy or clumping together
• hair may be thinning
• abnormal sleep pattern
• refuses to eat or refuses to eat proteins and drink water
• sudden change in weight 
• use an electric kitchen scale that measures in grams to keep a record of your glider's weight. I know Appa (my oldest) glider's usual weight is around 89 grams. If it goes up suddenly or down, I know there is an issue.
• sleeping too much and refusing to get out of bed
• head tilt
• vomiting
• wet on throat, neck or tummy
• changes in respiration
• excessively fast or labored like they had been running
• "popping" sound with every breath.

• some gliders, like Appa, make kind of popping or ticks while they sleep--this is normal and is called purring
• curled feet or toes
• excessively thirsty
• swollen jaw or face
• biting with back teeth instead of front teeth
• actual biting, not chewing
• unable to hold food while trying to eat
• hissing when trying to poop or pee
• slight hissing sound combined with a slight crabbing sound
• leaking urine in small amounts
• change in relationship with cage mates
• change in temperament

List of symptoms taken from Suz's Sugar Gliders. Suz also includes GREAT pictures of some of these symptoms!

Here are some other things you should look for in case you have to bring your glider to the vet.

• Hind-leg Paralysis-when they don’t get the correct Ca:Ph ratio, their hind legs quit working.
• Self Mutilation-if a glider is upset or injured, they have a tendency to self mutilate. It is fairly common for them to chew on their legs, toes or tail if in distress. I personally have not had an issue with it (knock on wood).
• Abscesses-the main symptom is a swollen face.