Special Needs Possums

Special Needs Possums;

There are many special needs possums that need homes, so if you are really wanting a possum, and are open to caring for one that could not otherwise be released due to a disability, please consider adopting one.

Many things can happen that prevent a possum from being released back out into the wild. Injuries occur from them being attacked by other animals, by being hit by cars, and sometimes at the hands of very cruel human beings. Babies who were raised by inexperienced people who developed MBD (metabolic bone disease), a littermate that had a tail or ears chewed off by a sibling, I have even seen some genetic anomalies like dwarfism....the list goes on and on. Many of these animals recover from injuries and are in good enough shape to be released, but some are not......what then, happens to them?

There are very few spots open for a possum to become an ambassador for his species with places like zoo's and other wildlife centers to become an educational animal, and if such a spot cannot be found, the animal is often euthanized. I personally think it's a travesty that so many of these animals are put to death, instead of being allowed to go into good homes with knowledgeable caretakers. This is, however, the law in most states. Instead of dwelling on that, however, let's take a look at all the different ways you can care for a possum who has a disability.

Types of Disabilities:

What you find on this page may or may not help you, because there are just so many different types of special needs possums out there. Your possum might need something entirely different than someone else's. This information is just meant to toss out some ideas that have worked for some possums I or others have worked with.

My personal expertise lies primarily with NMBD possums. That stands for Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease, and it happens when their nutritional needs are not met. It has become more commonplace as more and more people come across babies and decide to raise them instead of handing them over to an experienced rehabber. The babies are not fed properly, and NMBD develops. This disease affects these animals in many different ways; it not only effects their bones and joints, but it can also affect their internal organs. I have seen other effected neurologically. It is a horrible, painful, crippling disease. (For more information, see the MBD page of this website). You can see many different scenarios with these possums. Our Lucy, for example, had 4 legs that splayed completely out to the side, all she could do was lay flat on her belly and sort of scoot or army crawl to get around. She couldn't raise her head up high enough to eat or drink properly from even the lowest dishes. Because she always laid flat, her pouch was an endless source of issues; irritation and yeast infections from not getting any air, laying in her urine at night (or worse) and she couldn't reach that area to clean it herself. So, let's go into all her problems and what I did that ultimately worked for her.

Pouch and underside irritations:

Baths:

No matter what is going on with a possum like this, I have learned a few tricks along the way on how to minimize infections and irritations from developing on a possum who perhaps is laying in their own urine at night. Urine and feces can cause a lot of irritation to the skin in as little as just 1 night so it's crucial that you do whatever you can to minimize this. I have seen pictures of horrible infections on animals who have not been taken care of properly. Below are some products I would not be without for our animals. All are available on amazon. Some have antibacterial and antifungal properties which is especially great if your possum has yeast or other skin issues going on.
Here you see Lucy getting a blow-dry after her bath.....she didn't mind it one bit :)

Protective Skin Care Products:

After Lucy's bath I would apply Desitin or other diaper cream to the areas of her belly (with her it was around the pouch). Before I gave diaper cream a go, I tried all kinds of other ointments, creams and gels, even corn starch.....NOTHING worked as well as diaper cream. That stuff worked like magic keeping her skin healthy. ***I wasn't concerned about it causing her any harm because she was not able to clean herself so I knew she would not be ingesting it. If your possum is capable of grooming themselves, you might have to re-think about what you are applying to their skin. There are a lot of safer, more natural products available now. All of these are on Amazon.

Diaper Wipes:

If you have a possum who needs frequent clean ups, diaper wipes can be your best friend. I kept packages of these all over the house for Lucy and I used the natural wipes that had no fragrances added in. Some had aloe, another had chamomile tea added but that was it. They were indispensable for many of the disabled possums we've had here and just made life easier. When you have a lot of animals in your care on top of some with special needs, you are all about whatever can help make your life even a little bit easier.

Onesies, Surgery recovery Suits, and Diapers:

They make and sell these for dogs, complete with a hole for the tail and these can work well for possums who need a little extra protection. I have known some folks who have diapered their disabled possums at night to prevent them from laying in messes all night and a onesie would go a long way in keeping that diaper on them. I personally have never used diapers on them, I see no major reason not to, but I would be concerned about the skin breaking down if they were left on for too long.

This is one of the surgery recovery suits I like the most. It gives a good snug fit. Available on Amazon; Just type in "Dog Recovery Suit, Surgery Recovery Suit" in their search bar.

Dog diapers available on Amazon.

Bedding:

I tried many things for Lucy and other disabled animals; disposable potty pads, washable potty pads, multiple layers of material, but hands down, the number one best product I have ever used for animals who pee and can't or won't move themselves out of their messes is lamb's wool. You can use the real deal or the synthetic. I buy it in large rolls and cut it to fit the enclosure. Not only does it provide a nice soft cushy material for them to lay on, it also does a really good job at wicking moisture away from their skin. This is why you see it used in hospitals and nursing homes under patients who are incontinent.

Habitats:

All of this is heavily dependent on what your animal's disability is. Some need to start out in smaller spaces to limit movement if they are let's say, an MBD or an injured who is going thru a period of recovery. Another consideration is keeping them in something that does NOT allow for climbing. The following, both large and small, are just a few ideas to consider:

Here we have a very large enclosure, I believe it is 10X5. It was put together for a possum who is recovering from MBD. He can walk around ok, and even use his wheel, but I advised the owner not to allow him to climb because MBD possums are inherently weaker than normal possums, and their bones are not as strong. If he climbed up the sides of that chain link and fell, serious injury could occur. She bought some of that fiberglass clear roofing and attached it to the bottom 4 feet of the inner sides all the way around to prevent her boy from climbing.

A habitat like this can easily be put together. All you need is:

X-pens
Clear plexiglass
Plastic corrugated sign material

You can make it any size or shape you want, and expand it over time. All you have to do is set it up as you want it, line at least the INSIDE front with clear plexiglass so your possum can see out, and line the INNER sides with the sign material. It's all waterproof and wipes up easily. We drilled holes in the corners of the plexiglass and sign material and just zip tied them onto the inside of the x-pen.

This makes a nice and safe place for your possum to be that he/she can't climb out of so there is zero risk of injuries occurring. (the one you see here was 3 feet tall).

To protect our floors, I laid down potty pads, then a thick fleece blanket folded into 3rds over the top of those. You can see how I extended the blanket out on all 4 sides to prevent her from digging in underneath it. Her bed was at one end, potty tray on the other and she loved to climb in and out of that giant PVC pipe. Lots of enrichment toys and experiences were provided daily.

In a pinch, if your possum is completely unable to climb, one of those larger kiddie pools will also make a decent space until you decide on what works best. Here you see Lucy, I used this pool when cleaning out her house, or sometimes just to hang out in whatever room we happened to be in at the time.

These bassinettes are great if you have a little one who absolutely cannot climb out. Lucy could not even walk, all she could do was scoot around on her belly, and even as an adult, I used this for her. I could easily wheel her from room to room so she was almost always by my side. I sometimes put her in dappled sunshine when I was working outside and could not watch her every second. She loved being outdoors! I have used these for other special needs species as well.

Feeding a special needs possum:

Depending on the disability, feeding time can be a challenge. Some possums with severe MBD or those who have had broken jaws cannot chew well. Some possums can't stand up to eat, making it difficult, if not impossible, to grasp their food or easily drink.

Lucy was probably our most challenging to feed.....she could not get much into her mouth on her own, and ended up spreading and or wearing more food than when she was able to swallow. She was able to eat semi-soft foods but hard foods like kibble or certain uncooked vegetables were too difficult for her, so what I did, was pureed most of her food. I simply took all her food, tossed it in the blender with a little water and made it into a gravy-like consistency. She would then lap it out of a bowl that I'd hold at an angle for her. If she got tired of lapping, sometimes I would use a pipette to feed her. I got water into her several times a day the exact same way. Along with her pureed food, I always gave her bits and pieces of something to chew as well and she really enjoyed being able to do that. These large 7 ml pipettes are something I would also NEVER be without.....they are disposable, very inexpensive and work so much better for feeding then syringes. I pay around $14.00 for a 100 of them on Amazon.

More info to come....