why is Jack suddenly so thirsty?

[missPixy]

up until now, Jack and Sara have been pictures of health.

this week, out of nowhere, Jack's thirst level has gone way up. in the past, they have a bowl of bottled spring water (freshened every day or more often if empty). it's about 1/2 cup of water.

now, Jack is going through at least 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups. his activity level is the same; bouncy playful. they have a very specific routine: up early a.m., play until 3ish in the afternoon when they nap. they get up around 4-4:30ish for more play, eating, then go to bed.

I've been giving them evergreen branches (various pines) and they've actually chewed up the branches into smaller bits and made a dray in their house! they built it on top of branches and a hammock.

could they be chewing too much pine :thinking? I'm reading extreme thirst could be diabetes or kidney failure... they get a small piece of apple and 1 blueberry each day, plus arugula, green bell pepper, broccoli, squash, sometimes dandelion, asparagus, carrot, radish with greens. occasionally a tiny piece of strawberry with the green top.

they get fresh branches with bark every week, which they love. mostly oak, although yesterday I found some birch. I've seen them remove a piece of bark, turn it over, and lick it completely clean. yesterday they went through a good-sized birch branch as though they were BEAVERS.

thoughts on the sudden thirst issue? they are 5 months old now.

they weaned themselves from formula a couple months ago. I am picking up some rodent blox tonite and have ordered Wild Bites from Henry's.

[Nancy in New York]

up until now, Jack and Sara have been pictures of health.

this week, out of nowhere, Jack's thirst level has gone way up. in the past, they have a bowl of bottled spring water (freshened every day or more often if empty). it's about 1/2 cup of water.

now, Jack is going through at least 1 cup or 1 1/2 cups. his activity level is the same; bouncy playful. they have a very specific routine: up early a.m., play until 3ish in the afternoon when they nap. they get up around 4-4:30ish for more play, eating, then go to bed.

I've been giving them evergreen branches (various pines) and they've actually chewed up the branches into smaller bits and made a dray in their house! they built it on top of branches and a hammock.

could they be chewing too much pine :thinking? I'm reading extreme thirst could be diabetes or kidney failure... they get a small piece of apple and 1 blueberry each day, plus arugula, green bell pepper, broccoli, squash, sometimes dandelion, asparagus, carrot, radish with greens. occasionally a tiny piece of strawberry with the green top.

they get fresh branches with bark every week, which they love. mostly oak, although yesterday I found some birch. I've seen them remove a piece of bark, turn it over, and lick it completely clean. yesterday they went through a good-sized birch branch as though they were BEAVERS.

thoughts on the sudden thirst issue? they are 5 months old now.

they weaned themselves from formula a couple months ago. I am picking up some rodent blox tonite and have ordered Wild Bites from Henry's.

Just be careful when giving anything from the outside, that it is not poisonous.
Here is a link to some potentially fatal evergreens and a picture of yew. Make sure too never to give yew, it's highly toxic.
Let me go look for a list of other trees and shrubs that are ok to give, this may take me a while....:D
Here is a link to a picture:
http://www.ehow.com/facts_7262720_po...vergreens.html

[Nancy in New York]

Here's a safe/unsafe list for sugar gliders, hope this helps.
http://www.moondance-sugargliders.com/sugar_glider_plant-tree_information.htm

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

The rule i have heard is the pine with LONG needles is ok:D
here is a list of poison plants , mostly house plants but still informative
http://www.denverplants.com/foliage/html/Poisonous_Plants.htm

try this also......
http://www.ehow.com/list_5976996_pine-trees-poisonous_.html

[missPixy]

thank you Nancy and SweetSimonsMommy! it's interesting because Sara is the one who did the majority of the nest building/ branch chewing, not Jack, and yet Sara isn't any more thirsty at all. should I give him some rehydration formula to dilute any toxins floating around in his body, and help get them out? I'd thought the longer-needled pines were okay, and that's why they were getting. absolutely no yews or arborvitae. also I don't know how much of the needles either of them were actually chewing, I guess it was mostly the branches and stripping some needles off the branches...

[Nancy in New York]

thank you Nancy and SweetSimonsMommy! it's interesting because Sara is the one who did the majority of the nest building/ branch chewing, not Jack, and yet Sara isn't any more thirsty at all. should I give him some rehydration formula to dilute any toxins floating around in his body, and help get them out? I'd thought the longer-needled pines were okay, and that's why they were getting. absolutely no yews or arborvitae. also I don't know how much of the needles either of them were actually chewing, I guess it was mostly the branches and stripping some needles off the branches...

How is Jack this morning? I think at this point, if this had anything to do with the branches, it would be out of his system, so additional fluids wouldn't be necessary....that was just a thought, trying to figure out what is going on with him. Keep us posted and let us know how he is today.:) :Love_Icon

[missPixy]

the thirst seems to have abated. not completely, but he isn't drinking as much as he was before... maybe 3/4 cup of water opposed to 1 to 1 1/4 cups of water... his mood is the same, still playful, active, eating.

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi MissPixy
I all way tell Flyer People NO PINE, and NO CEDAR! :nono
Try Oak, Apple, Pare, or Maple Tree Branches. Their is several other kinds that are Squirrel Friendly.
Watch Both Jack and Sara for some of the Furr to fall out. This might happen. How is Jack? :dono
Do you think he has been Peeing as much as he has been taking in? Is their any kind of Oder to him or His Pee? At least he was drinking lots of water trying to flush his System out.:thumbsup5
Are they both still taking FV Powder mixed Yogurt or FV Formula? If so how much? :thinking
I hope both Flyers are doing Fine. :grouphug

[missPixy]

hello mrsSkul! :bowdown

Jack seems to be back to normal! water intake back to where it was. Sara never acted off.

up here in New England, there aren't any deciduous leaves (except for brown dead ones still clinging to some oak branches) and Jack and Sara seemed so excited to smell the outdoors from the evergreens. because I'd seen others with grays here post that they'd introduced pine without any problem, I thought it would be okay.

basically, mostly Sara chewed up bigger branches to make a dray in their house... I have to post pix of it!

they both weaned themselves off FV maybe 1 1/2 months ago. they get rodent blocks and Wild Bites, along with rotation of greens/ apple/ blueberry/ occasional strawberry/ blackberry.

I couldn't smell much difference to urine. although it did seem there was more of it (which makes sense if they're drinking more!)

meanwhile, my Emma (my flyer)? she's now decided she LOVES formula, and takes 2.0ml of FV each day!