I purchased Smudge and her twin Jiggy aprox. 4 months before we had an
accident, but had owned numerous ferrets and knew how to ferret proof my
home extremely well. Or so I thought. I had let the girls out into my
dining/living room area to play. I was fluffing Smudge with the feather
duster(a favorite toy) when she disappeared behind the freezer,
re-appeared, then disappeared again. When she didn't appear seconds later I yanked the
freezer away from the wall to find her inside the motor mechanism doing a
funny circle on what looked like a copper tube. I tried to remove her from
inside but she wouldn't let go, then I realized she couldn't. I had to
unplug the freezer as she was stuck on a tube with an electrical current
running through it. I grabbed her and discovered that she had had her
tongue stuck on this tube and it had been torn on the tip and a piece of it was
hanging out of her mouth. She also had some raw looking blister type sores
on the lip area of her mouth. As always this happened at 11:00 o'clock at
night, I repeatedly tried to get my vet on the phone with no success, and
ended up with an emergency vet who had never seen a glider. He gave her sub
Q fluid and a baytril shot and told me to keep her quiet and by herself. I
put her in a separate carrier from her sister and put the cages close
together. She started to freak out so against the vets advise I put her
back in with her sister. That whole night she refused to take fluid or food. The
following morning I started to really worry that she wasn't getting any
food or water. I called Cynthia who by chance had given me her number for
someone else.She told me to try to get some nectar with a multi vitamin into her
with a feeding syringe. She looked so awful I didn't think she was going to
make it. She started to take some fluid form the syringe and late in the afternoon
she would take watermelon from my hand. I was so relieved I cried(again).
There was still the issue of the piece of tongue hanging out of her tiny
mouth.  I talked to the vet about removing it , because we were afraid that
the tissue would die. The only problem is that the type of  anesthetic used
for gliders is administered in a gas form over the mouth. Fortunately the
following morning the piece was gone. I don't know if it sloughed off on
its own or if she took care of it. I just consider myself lucky that she is
still alive. I cannot stress strongly enough how important it is to look
behind everything, under everything, over your head. Stick your fingers
EVERYWHERE if they fit so do your gliders! Please take this seriously I
wouldn't wish the stress and fear on anyone.
Kristi G