Our sugar glider vet, Dr. Riggs, has over 30 years of veterinarian experience with exotic animals including sugar gliders. We provide a full line of healthcare and treatment for the special needs of sugar gliders. Sugar gliders are cute exotic marsupials that bond well with humans and therefore make endearing pocket pets with a little time and patience. They are very social animals and need to have regular contact with other gliders or humans in order to stay happy and healthy. The thin membrane that stretches from their wrists to their ankles gives them the unique ability to “glide” distances documented up to 150 feet!
If you notice behavior changes in your sugar glider, it’s important to contact us right away. They are sensitive creatures prone to stress that can cause illness. Often, they don’t exhibit signs of illness until they are very sick. We provide the following sugar glider veterinarian services:
We recommend annual wellness exams. As part of your pets wellness examination, we’ll consult with you about your concerns and discuss specific needs of your sugar glider such as diet. We will examine cloaca, teeth, ears, eyes, mouth, skin, and check vitals for signs of illness. If we find anything abnormal, we may do testing to diagnose possible illness.
Sugar Gliders frequently carry parasites. All sugar gliders sharing a cage should be treated if one becomes infected. We provide parasite control treatments to keep your sugar glider pest free.
Sugar Gliders are omnivores and eat a variety of foods. They require a specialized and balanced diet including pellets to remain healthy. We will go over your gliders current diet and offer suggestions and possible improvements to keep him in peak condition.
Sugar Gliders may self-mutilate or chew on themselves, causing serious injury and can be fatal if not treated. Possible reasons for self-mutilation include extreme stress, pain, post surgical issues, lack of attention, grief, poor nutrition, or parasites. First symptoms may appear as over-grooming, with areas of hair missing or damaged cloaca or tail. Normally, gliders make a distinctive crying sound when self mutilating. Contact us right away if you notice this behavior.
Our goal is to keep your sugar glider healthy and prevent illness. If your pet is injured or ill, rest assured that we have the tools necessary to diagnose the problem and offer state-of-the-art treatment. From blood testing and radiographs to ultrasound and endoscopy, we have the means to track down your pets’ problems. Once the problem is uncovered we have the expertise, equipment, and the years of experience needed to provide the therapy or surgical procedures required to help even the smallest patient.
Our office is open for your sugar glider’s health care needs Monday through Friday 8:00-6:00 and Saturday 8:00-4:00. If emergency care is required after these hours, you can rely on our 24 hour emergency facility- the Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital. Metro is located at 1053 S. Cleveland-Massilon Rd. in Copley (330-666-2976) and is there to assist with any of our client’s problems. At Metro we have veterinarians and technicians on duty 24 hours daily to address your needs. Metro’s staff doctors rotate through our clinic on a regular basis to assure that they are comfortable addressing the problems of our clients.
Metropolitan Veterinary Hospital Exotics Department is a full service veterinary general, referral, and emergency practice for exotic pets.