Common Conditions in Sugar Gliders

Sugar gliders commonly build up tartar and develop gum infections, tooth decay, and tooth-root abscesses.

In the wild, sugar gliders eat tree sap, gum, nectar, and insects, a diet that is hard to copy at home.

Self-mutilation is when a sugar glider chews or bites its own body, most often the tail, legs, genitals, or a surgical site.

Sugar gliders can carry intestinal parasites, including the protozoan Giardia and various worms.

Metabolic bone disease (MBD) develops when a sugar glider's diet has too little calcium, too much phosphorus, or not enough vitamin D.

Injuries are common in sugar gliders.

Sudden or gradual weakness or paralysis of the back legs is a fairly common emergency in sugar gliders.

Penile prolapse (paraphimosis) means a male glider's penis stays outside the body and can't go back in.