some advice please

[sezzie]

I was just wondering Ive got a 4 year old male & 2.5 year old female (unrelated) they have bred without compications twice, not by me.  I would like to get the boy neutered, I dont want to breed (leave that the the experts) & my local vets have knowledge of sugar gliders.  At 4 would it be a problem for him....  what effects will it have.... quiet him down etc?  Also what happens if the little girl is already pregnant?

Also just out of curiosity is it best to keep 2 males (neutered or not), 2 females, a male & female etc   or does it really make a difference....   many thanks x x

[jungleflockmom]

In a 4 yr old male, neutering is a generally safe surgical procedure. Removing the pom and a metacam injection to mitigate pain are usually thought to be especially important in an older male. Your female may likely be pregnant. If she is, the neutering of the male will not affect her current pregnancy. If he has surgery in the morning, he will likely be fine to be back w/his mate that same day.

As his testosterone levels decrease over the few weeks/months after surgery, he will mark less and his scent glands will begin to atrophy or get smaller and become non-functional so he will smell less like a male glider. He may show decreased interest in mating or protecting his mate but some males are still stimulated by the female coming into breeding condition and are stimulated to mate although they are "shooting blanks" and cannot impregnate the female. Some males lose their inclination to respond to the female's breeding readiness and others continue to be affected by the female's behavior and scent.

If your female is pregnant and has a male joey, you might want to have him neutered by about 4 mo oop before he actually develops the forehead scent gland and secondary sexual characteristics. I have 2 males that were neutered early and were never w/a female glider until a female rescue came to me. One male was totally unaffected by her breeding condition but the other was very responsive to her, bit me when she was in breeding condition, and inflicted a neck wound to her while mounting her. Go figure. . . .

There is no "best combo" of gliders. Two intact males, though, are likely to fight as they become mature so this is a riskier pairing.

[sezzie]

Thanks jungleflockmom..... If she is pregnant how will we know?  & also we have only had them a week so still trying to bond with them is that still possible if she is or is it better to leave them both alone?  She is pretty friendly but the male is abit of a misery 

Also can we keep the joey if male or female & will they all get along (Obviously a boy would be nuetered as you suggested, so will dad be).

[jungleflockmom]

You can keep the joey whether male or female. You will know she has a joey in pouch because you will see a bump on her abdomen. It is best to continue to slowly bond w/your gliders. The male is a "bit of a misery" because he is in a new place and is protecting his mate. Neutering will help alot with that.

Look at the stickys here about bonding. I would go ahead and get the male neutered now rather than waiting for him to settle in.

We read about "cuddly" gliders but they are rarely cuddly like puppies. They love more to sit on you, run on you or jump from you to an even higher place. Some enjoy petting and stroking but many either tolerate it or run off to play. They will come to accept you as part of their colony, may even groom you, but will most likely love you best as a mobile jumping off point and a source of treats.

[Marie]

Well done Sarah, a responsible attitude toward suggie ownership .