Coat quality pictures

[Rhianna]

judging by the picture i would say its ok. when the animal moves it will have some seperation anyway.

[Don]

  thanks

[jungleflockmom]

A healthy animal has bright eyes, is alert, and has a nice looking coat. It may not be the lushest coat as that is related to genetics and prenatal nutrition in addition to the current diet and general health of the animal.

The funny thing is that fur separation is the hardest thing to duplicate when making fake fur. It is one of the primary things that determines the quality of fake fur and real pelts.

[Marie]

judging by the picture i would say its ok. when the animal moves it will have some seperation anyway.

That's right - when the animal moves it's fur will seperate - I had this arguement with the lady in the US that started the mass panic!  Lol - I posted a pic and she pointed out the 'fur seperation' around the neck - the pic was of a glider with his head almost up his ass!  Which I pointed out - then she said they looked dehydrated!!!  THEN she said 'you should try MY new diet' ... ulterior motives were afoot!! 

These were the pics she was critiscising:





As for the photos in the OP - the people that posted them claim that it is the same glider - I personally don't believe them which is why it's worded in the way it is.  Get past the fur and it looks like a totally different animal anyway!

[Don]

Well he's got plenty of energy and attitude and he can move like lightning 
Thanks.. I just worried a bit when I compared the two of them, Bruce is all sleek and tidy.
Could it be scent marking? He seems to take all that far more seriously than his placid brother.

[Marie]

He's definately the dominant one - the colour of his chest is because of his active scent gland.

Coat quality changes Don, I notice sometimes that my suggie's coats look a bit iffy, but then a week later they're sleek and perfect again!  It could be hormonal, the scent glands are oily, and we all know what oily hair looks like and how it clumps and seperates.

[Don]

Thanks, I feel a bit better now  it was only after taking the pics then comparing them I realised what a little scruff he looked compared to his brother. You hardly notice when they're whizzing round like loons 

[thefotokat]

Marie, those coats look wonderful to me.  It's impossible for movement to occur and NOT have fur separation.  Ask them to try to smile w/out having their skin wrinkle.  It won't happen, but it would be fun to watch. lol 

[Marie]

That is what I tried to explain, it's fur not feathers, each individual strand on a feather is barbed to hold it together, fur doesn't have that!   

[thefotokat]

We could ask for opinions on this coat:




This is Wombat...one of my rescues taken the day he arrived.

[Rhianna]

OMG! Poor little thing. does he have a story as to how he got in such a shocking state?

[thefotokat]

I know part of his history.  He was living in a room w/13 other gliders.  All males were intact so there was inbreeding.  There were no windows, so no natural lighting.  The woman who owned them decided she no longer wanted them so she called a supposed rescuer on Florida's west coast.  He picked them up and told me that the only contact she had w/the gliders was to open the door and toss food in.  The room was filthy.  They had been told there were 9 or 10 gliders, but they picked up 13 and started to head home.  The woman called them back and said she found another one in the closet.  There was giardia and one glider died.  The "rescuer" decided he was in over his head so I was called.  He told me he had split the colony into several pairs, but the pairing he did still left 2 intact males in w/females.  Then he told me he was working on intros between these rescues and his personal gliders while there was giardia.  Needless to say, I rushed to get them out of there.  I mailed carriers over to him so he could meet me partway.  I picked up 9 gliders.  I got home and got my first look.  When Wombat crawled out of the pouch, I was shocked.  I had been told very little about the physical condition other than there had been one fight where a glider's toe was bitten off.  Besides Wombat, there was another girl w/over half her tail missing and severe anxiety.  Another girl sm'd and we had to remove her entire tail.  The single girl whose toe was bitten off had been was otherwise OK.  I believe that all these injuries were the result of fighting while in that room.  My vet was not sure that Wombat would make it when he first arrived, but he has flourished.  He lives w/me permanently and if he becomes stressed he begins to overgroom.  He lives in a colony w/3 other neutered males and does quite well w/them.  I don't know what he was fed at the original owner's home, but the "rescuer" fed BML w/chicken added.  He's still quite the rascal and is constantly in motion when it's out of cage playtime.  He does not like to be put back in.

[Amalthea]

Poor Wombat!! :shock: What a terrible situation for those gliders... Luckily we don't tend to have situations like that here YET...  Tis only a matter of time... *sigh*

[Marie]

Fingers crossed Jen we won't see that kind of neglect!  We're quite loud about the forum.  To me there is no excuse, even the crappy books on the market would keep your glider healthy.

[loulou]

oh my god those poor gliders,