With large and rounded protruding eyes located on the sides of its small oval head, the little sugar glider is able to have an extraordinary large field of night vision. This allows it to glide over 160-feet in the wild to munch on a delicious moth or some other unsuspecting insect. With many worms and insects coming to the surface during this nocturnal time, the survival of the sugar glider resides on being able to obtain food that is not easily available during the day. Any developing eye problem will cause serious issues for this tiny little animal, as its livelihood and survival depends on its vision. In sugar glider pets, immediate attention is required when any eye damage or abnormality develops.
AVASCULAR RETINAE
This is not necessarily a problem in the eyes of the sugar glider, but has to do with the numbers of rods and cones in its eyes. This also has a lot to do with the fact it cannot see typical color, but only in grays and the color red. An avascular retina refers to the sugar glider having a small residual tuft of fluorescein-impermeable vessels in its eyes. It projects from the optic disc into the vitreous, which means the sugar glider has superior night vision and can see long distances. But of course, not in color, which is probably not necessary during the night anyway.
CATARACTS
Cataracts are white spots in the sugar glider's usual large, black and clear eyes. Many vets feel it is possible for a sugar glider to have cataracts, but many sugar glider professionals also theorize that instead of a cataract, this whiteness is caused by too much fat in the sugar glider's diet. This is an unfortunate situation, with many owners of sugar gliders mistakenly diagnosing their own pets with cataracts, when instead it is a nutrition problem that can be corrected. Look at the eyes. If the eyes are cloudy with a whitish blob floating on the inside of the eyeball, then it may be corrected by changing the diet as sugar gliders cannot digest fat well.
The best diet of the sugar glider needs to be protein sources which are high in protein yet low in fat. Do not entirely eliminate fat as some amounts are necessary, especially if the sugar gliders are breeding. Fat is very important for their lactation. Some high-fat foods to stay away from are peanut butter, any kind of nut, avocadoes, red meats, pork, butter, oil or cheese. What is the best to feed them are boiled chicken or boiled eggs, mealworms, yogurt, chicken in baby food, grasshoppers, and crickets. Remember that sugar gliders prefer live insects, so the mealworms, crickets and grasshoppers should be the number one choices with mealworms the least of the three. That is because mealworm is higher in fat than what is good for them. Insects should be fed to them on a daily basis, with mealworm best to be fed only two to three times a week.
WHITE MUCUS DISEASE
The white mucus disease in a sugar glider is a coated white mucus which discharges from its eyes, ears or can occur in their feces. Considered an improper vitamin or mineral balance in its daily diet, it also occurs when its aged system is no longer able to break down needed nutrients. Their aged system also is no longer able to absorb the needed minerals. This is a condition which needs immediate vet treatment as death may ccur.
WHITE FATTY DEPOSITS
The young juvenile sugar gliders have been known to develop white fatty deposits in their eyes, eventually leading to blindness. This is due to the mother beeing improperly fed with poor nutrition and with a diet too high in fat. As in the cataract division above, the diet needs to involve protein which is low in fat, such as crickets or grasshoppers. Alternatively, sugar gliders who are fed diets which are high in soft textured carbohydrates will develop dental disease. The live insects with hard exoskeletons, such as crickets or grasshoppers, will maintain not only their teeth but prevent white fatty deposits in their young after being born.
BLINDNESS
Many sugar gliders are either born blind or may become blind due to disease, accidents, genetics, or their mother fed the incorrect diet. If living with a companion sugar glider and owned by a caring owner, they will survive as if they could see perfectly. Their cage should be easy to navigate with no changes made in the location of the nesting, feeding area, etc. Yet some small changes can be done, such as with their toys, which need to be done to stimulate them "just enough". When blind, the sugar glider has a chance to adapt and recover, depending on their care and if they are treated well and are happy.
EYE INFECTION
Eye infections can be caused by an eye abrasion or scratch, which is a very treatable condition. Eye clouding is its number one symptom, with is the eye looking grayish and cloudy instead of clear, sharp and black. Eye drops such as Gentamicin are usually given by the vet after an exam. These eye drops consist of a a sterile ophthalmic solution, which are carefully dropped into the affected eye. If left untreated long enough, this infection will spread from the damaged eye to both eyes.
Any eye scratch for the sugar glider involves the area known as the cornea, which not only means it hurts badly but also involves bacteria entering deep into the eye. If left untreated, a loss of vision or the eye itself can occur. In the most secure cases, a procedure known as the enucleation needs to occur, which means the eye needs to be removed by a vet.
REFERENCES
Moondance Sugar Gliders.
Website: http://www.moondance-sugargliders.com/sugar_glider_a natomy.htm
Merck Vet Manual. Website: http://www.merckvetmanual.com/mvm/index.jsp?cfile=ht m/bc/171600.htm
SunCoast Sugar Gliders. Website: http://www.sugar-gliders.com/glidervet-5.htm
Caring for you Sugar Gliders. Website: http://www.ilpetaurodellozucchero.it/doc/Caring_for_ SugarGliders.pdf