Gizmo is our sugar glider. He’s a sweet boy who loves his fruit and honey! We adopted Gizmo when he was dropped off at the pet store Tabby used to manage. He belonged to someone’s roommate and when the roommate moved out, Gizmo was left behind. The roommate didn’t know Gizmo was left behind until a few days later when he went into the empty room and saw him. He didn’t even know Gizmo’s name so we named him when we got him.
A Medical Mystery
Gizmo had a small lump on his head when we got him. It grew fast and we took him to the veterinarian to have it looked at. The doctor did a lot of lab work on it and the test results came back as non-cancerous and non-bacterial. After the doctor consulted with veterinarians from all over the world, it was decided that because the lump was so close to Gizmo’s brain, removing it could be fatal. Another concern was that his skin wouldn’t stretch enough to close the wound after surgery. The doctor said it would also be dangerous to drain the lump for fear of introducing bacteria that close to Gizmo’s brain. We were told to keep an eye on it and see if it ruptured on its own. If Gizmo was showing signs of pain (which he wasn’t at the time), we would have to take the risk and either remove it or drain it.
After a year of the lump growing, Gizmo was starting to show signs of pain. He wasn’t eating and drinking as much as he normally did and he wasn’t as active at night as he usually was. We knew it was time to risk surgery. Right before we scheduled the appointment, the lump ruptured on its own. The rupture didn’t seem to cause pain and Gizmo seemed like it was a relief having the pressure against his head gone. Since rupturing, he’s playful again and is eating and drinking great.
Finding A Friend
Sugar gliders shouldn’t be housed alone because they need companionship from other sugar gliders. Gizmo’s veterinarian recommended not putting another sugar glider in with him until the wound on his head was healed. Now that his head is doing better, we’re on the lookout for two more sugar gliders to create a colony.
Housing
Gizmo lives in a large Critter Nation cage. He has a running wheel and lots of fleece vines to crawl across. He also has several hammocks and fleece pouches to sleep in.
Food
We feed Gizmo a TPG diet and he gets extra fresh fruits and vegetables every night along with strawberry, peach, or vanilla yogurt. He also gets honey as an occasional treat. He’s a messy eater and if he doesn’t like the fruit Tabby gives him, he’ll throw it across the room at her when she’s sleeping!
Update
Our sweet little friend crossed Rainbow Bridge on December 22, 2022.