Surgical tail amputation for severe traumatic coccygeal injury in a sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps)

Raden Roro Allamanda Ardia Wardana (Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy and Embryology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, Denpasar, Indonesia)
I Putu Krisna Ardhia Pradnyandika (Laboratory of Veterinary Surgery, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Udayana University, Denpasar, Indonesia)
Ni Wayan Apsari Shantika Pratistha (Animal Health Program, Animal Husbandry Major, Kupang State Agricultural Polytechnic, Kupang, Indonesia)

ARSHI Veterinary Letters
Vol. 10 No. 2 (2026): ARSHI Veterinary Letters - May 2026

Sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps) are kept as companion animals and may be predisposed to tail injuries due to aggression, self-mutilation, or environmental trauma. This report describes the clinical presentation, surgical management, and postoperative outcomes of tail amputation in a sugar glider with a coccygeal fracture complicated by self-mutilation. A 2-year-old intact male sugar glider presented with reduced appetite, repeated tail biting, and a five-day history of tail injury. Physical examination revealed an open wound with swelling, purulent discharge, pain on palpation, and crepitus. Radiography confirmed a complete transverse fracture of the distal coccygeal vertebra. Tail amputation was performed under anesthesia using 2% lidocaine at 4 mg/kg. The fractured segment was removed, and the skin was closed using simple interrupted sutures. Postoperatively, the patient was administered enrofloxacin, meloxicam, and topical gentamicin. Complete wound closure occurred by postoperative day 7, without complications.