Bad News from the Vet.

*Before I start, I should mention that there is only one vet in my whole town that has any experience with gliders. She has been a vet to my gliders, and has really helped Cheezers in the past with his SM.*

So, I noticed that Momo was biting her food to the side rather than in the middle. I immediately decided I would just take the whole little family to the vet to get them all checked out today. I told the vet my concerns about the way Momo was eating, and she immediately told me that, after Pabu is fully weaned, I need to get her incisors completely extracted. She told me how the anesthesia is very risky, basically telling me that there is a huge chance of her not making it. Then followed to tell me that this would be her first sugar glider to extract teeth from, but she has done many rats and rabbits (what?!). I felt hopeless and not one word she said made me feel very safe of putting my babies life in her hands for surgery.

This was not the only bad news, I then asked her if she could do a "pom-on" neutering for Cheezers, because I have heard suggies are less likely to self-mutilate after "pom-on" surgery. It is important for me to do everything possible for Cheezers to not to self-mutilate because he had already done this in the past (lost half his tail) but he was rehabilitated by the help of this same vet. Then she told me she did not know how to keep his "pom-on" and she could try the surgery but this would be her first. AND again there will be all the risks, and also she told me he would be very likely to SM again after surgery, because the last two gliders she neutered ended up self-mutilating (pom-off surgeries).

No matter what, both my babies are in a bad position and I just feel so helpless to live in a place that cannot even offer me a good enough vet to keep my babies alive and healthy. It is a gamble if I took them both for surgery. Staying with this vet for surgery is not an option.

So I have a question for Texans, or anyone who can answer. I live in El Paso, Texas (which is far West Texas) I am willing to drive up to 12 hours to find the best vet for Sugar Gliders in Texas. Somewhere around San Antonio, Dallas, or Houston would be fine. I will do anything for my babies, I just need to find a vet that can give me real answers about this. I don't care about how pricey the vet is, I just want a vet who has dealt with this. I don't really know what else to do. I don't want my Momo hurting any more and I don't want my Cheezers to mutilate again...
I love them both, and I want them to stay in my family, happy and healthy. Let me know if anyone can direct me to a great vet. I plan to drive up there once Pabu has been fully weaned and before my next Fall semester starts for college.

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^ Momo & Cheezers<3

Cora (Cora1 on glider gossip) told me about a GREAT vet in I think in the DFW area-it's where she took Spencer when he SM'd AND when he got the same teeth removed. You should message her and ask. We are both about 2 hrs from DFW so I'm pretty sure that's where she took him. The best way to contact her is through text message: 1-903-808-1142. Tell her who you are and your situation and I am sure she will help you. Mind, she does work weekends so it might take her a few hours to respond. Good luck!!

Val somethingtobelievein uses a vet in Oklahoma that is really well known. I go to El Paso a lot, but my vet has no experience with either of those things.

Countryncrafty wrote:

Cora (Cora1 on glider gossip) told me about a GREAT vet in I think in the DFW area-it's where she took Spencer when he SM'd AND when he got the same teeth removed. You should message her and ask. We are both about 2 hrs from DFW so I'm pretty sure that's where she took him. The best way to contact her is through text message: 1-903-808-1142. Tell her who you are and your situation and I am sure she will help you. Mind, she does work weekends so it might take her a few hours to respond. Good luck!!

DFW is perfect, and I would really feel more safe knowing a vet who has done these types of surgeries before. I will definitely text her later on today at a convenient time. Thank you very much for helping out this really means a lot to me!

viciousencounters wrote:

Val somethingtobelievein uses a vet in Oklahoma that is really well known. I go to El Paso a lot, but my vet has no experience with either of those things.

I went to the sweet spot forum and found some posts on trusted vets in Texas. (Val is on there and Cora) I am keeping an open mind for any great vet. Thank you for helping VE. I am going to look at all of them, make some phone calls to see how I am going to work this out.

I was thinking about it, and would it be okay for me to have two recovering suggies coming back on a road trip? This vet told me it would take one week for Momo to recover and I have read it is usually only a one day thing with neutering, but can last a few days. Would I need to stay over there for a couple of days after surgery, or should I just take them back home? Also I am going to need two hospital cages right? Just to make sure so I can start getting those ready. So overwhelming.

I would think getting them back to there familiar environment would help. There are things you can do to make the car ride less stressful like throwing a blanket over the cage tops, keeping it a nice temp, buckling the cages in, and handing out treats for startled gliders. You might also keep 1 bonding pouch in each cage instead of a normal pouch, this way you can just zip them up every time you have a pit stop.

I'm not really a lot of help since I don't live in Texas and have no experience with the vets there, I really hope that everything goes well for you and that Cora can help you to find a great vet!

Cora is a huge help, if you have her on your side you are golden.

viciousencounters wrote:

I would think getting them back to there familiar environment would help. There are things you can do to make the car ride less stressful like throwing a blanket over the cage tops, keeping it a nice temp, buckling the cages in, and handing out treats for startled gliders. You might also keep 1 bonding pouch in each cage instead of a normal pouch, this way you can just zip them up every time you have a pit stop.

I will definetly do this. Thanks again for the help, I have never traveled with my babies so it makes me a little nervous. I think this will make it much less stressful, and I will go home right after their surgeries.

SecretSquirrel wrote:

I'm not really a lot of help since I don't live in Texas and have no experience with the vets there, I really hope that everything goes well for you and that Cora can help you to find a great vet!

Thank you so much! I actually contacted her and she gave me her vet information, her vet is far North Texas. To see all my options I have also been calling vets all day. I think I may have found an experienced one in Dallas, which would be great for me because I have family in San Antonio and I can just drive there (3 hours away I think). I am still looking at all my options, and will continue my search tomorrow.

I know it's off-topic, but I wanted to tell you I love the picture you put up of them on this thread.

Thank you!! It is one of my attempts to catch the whole family looking. Pabu is cuddling between the love birds.