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One of the rising concerns befalling sugar glider owners today is “Glider Safety.” At first, keeping a sugar glider contained may seem like a simple task. In reality, confining a sugar glider to a house, room, or even its cage can pose quite a challenge for its owner. Sugar gliders should never be allowed to run unattended in the home. They can escape under doors, through holes in screens, and out vents or other ductwork. Sugar gliders are unable to survive if they escape to the wild in the United States or Canada. Therefore, never take a sugar glider outside unless it is confined in a safe travel bag. Sugar gliders can become lost or trapped in walls or other areas of your home by exiting rooms through ceiling panels or gaps around plumbing, etc. They are also quite adept at escaping their cages. Make sure all cage doors have secure locks and inspect the cage thoroughly for any gaps or loose welds. Bar spacing should be no more than ½ inch to prevent escape. Sugar gliders can also find their way out of their cage through the lower sanitation grates, so remember to check the spacing around the grate and verify that it fits securely. Whether residing in its cage, allowed out for supervised play, or in the event of an escape, a sugar gilder must be provided with a safe environment at all times. Each year a major portion of sugar glider deaths that occur can be contributed to traumatic injuries. Typically, these traumatic injuries are the direct result of owners failing to provide their sugar gliders with safe environments. Several types of traumatic injuries can befall sugar gliders. Most traumatic injuries seem to be commonplace occurrences within the households of unknowledgeable owners. However, even the most knowledgeable owner can still fall victim to circumstance that would allow a traumatic injury to take place. Probably, the most common injuries to sugar gliders are caused by unsafe toys, and bedding. These injuries can occur a variety of ways, but the most frequent reasons seem to be loose threads, long strings, and small chains. Any of the previously mentioned items can easily become wrapped around a glider’s foot, tail, etc. This could lead to lacerations, degloving, or to the complete loss of the appendage. In some cases, even death may result. Toys with small parts should also be avoided. Tiny buttons, little beads, small bells, and pieces of thread, when ingested, can cause a sugar glider’s airway or intestines to become blocked which will generally result in the glider’s death. Unsafe exercise wheels can also be of major concern when attempting to prevent unnecessary injuries from occurring. A sugar glider’s foot, tail, etc. can be pinched between the wheel and it’s cross supports causing lacerations, degloving, or damage severe enough to necessitate the amputation of the appendage. In order to avoid this, only safety approved exercise wheels, like a Wodent Wheel, should be provided. Some other traumatic injuries that commonly befall sugar gliders are usually a direct result of unsecured cages, unsafe rooms, and/or unsupervised glider activity. Sources of standing water can lead to death by drowning. In order to prevent this, all sinks, bathtubs, buckets, and dishpans should be emptied when not actively in use. In addition, any toilets or aquariums should be kept tightly covered. Open outlets and electrical cords can cause death by electrocution. Unnecessary electrical cords must be removed and none should be within reach of the sugar glider’s cage. Also, child safety plugs should be placed into all open outlets as a further method of protection. Cooking or heating devices can cause severe burns to sugar gliders. In an effort to prevent this, keep gliders out of the kitchen and block their access to any radiant heat sources. Gliders also love to curl up in blankets and clothing. Fatality will result if a sugar glider is unknowingly placed through a washer or dryer cycle along with the rest of the laundry. This can be avoided by placing dirty laundry directly into a sealed hamper until ready to wash and keeping gliders out of the laundry room. Landing on sharp or breakable objects can lead to lacerations and/or the impalement of a sugar glider. All sharp and breakable objects should be moved to a place inaccessible to the glider in an effort to avoid this type of injury. Sugar gliders should be provided with objects and surfaces that have enough texture to allow a glider to maintain an adequate grip. Slick, smooth surfaces can lead to falls resulting in broken limbs. Poisoning can occur if a sugar glider is able to access many routine items in the home. Obvious sources are cleaning products and pesticides. Some of the less apparent items that are toxic if ingested, but remain commonly accessible in many homes are: air fresheners, many houseplants, some flowers, certain herbs, catnip, perfumes, chocolate, coffee, tea, carbonated beverages, tobacco products, and medications. In order to prevent glider poisoning, care should be taken to remove these items from all areas that sugar gliders inhabit or rooms they could gain access to in the event of accidental escape. Unfriendly or predatory pets also pose a risk to sugar gliders. Broken bones, lacerations, and death can result from a single bad encounter with another family pet. Larger birds, cats, dogs, ferrets, rats, and even other unfamiliar gliders should be kept separated from a sugar glider until it is apparent how they will react to each other. Even repeat encounters should be monitored with skepticism in order to avert injury. Sometimes, even items that are intended to keep sugar gliders safe can pose a risk of traumatic injury. Leashes and harnesses are a good example of such items. When improperly applied, leashes and harnesses can easily strangle a glider. Even when these devices are properly applied they can easily ensnare a glider, or become caught in its mouth, creating a painful and frightening ordeal. In particular, harnesses have been known to cause tears to occur in the gliding membranes of many sugar gliders that have worn them. This goes to prove that even some safety items can be just plain unsafe. Unfortunately, the remaining traumatic injuries are caused by plain ignorance. Sugar gliders can sustain broken bones or be crushed to death by excited young children who are allowed to handle them. A glider should never be handed over to a toddler. Young children should only be allowed to interact with a sugar glider that stays in the possession of a responsible adult. Rough handling by an owner or another party can also lead to broken bones, degloving, and the death of the glider or it’s joeys. All objects and clothing should be checked to locate a loose sugar glider’s whereabouts prior to bending, leaning, or sitting, in order to avoid accidentally injuring the glider. A sugar glider should never be grabbed or held by its tail. Doing so could cause the tail to either deglove or to break off entirely. Furthermore, tossing a sugar glider in an effort to encourage it to glide is never acceptable behavior. It will almost surely result in an injury occurring to the glider. In conclusion, the best way to prevent most traumatic injuries from occurring in sugar gliders is to increase a new owners awareness of possible dangers prior to purchase. Then, once an owner, a constant vigilance should be maintained in an effort to eliminate potential problems before they result in an injury to a glider. Unfortunately, even when applying all of the aforementioned solutions, traumatic glider injuries will not completely eliminated. The most that can be hoped for, by applying the preceding advice, is to greatly reduce the amount of injuries that currently occur to sugar gliders. If you desire to learn more about “Glider Safety,” including potential toxins, traumatic injuries, and instructions for glider-proofing your home please visit the following links: Safe
and unsafe plants, potential toxins, etc.: Glider
proofing checklist: |
