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An 11-year-old female sugar glider (Petaurus breviceps) was presented with a rapidly growing dermal mass at the lateral margin of the right patagium. The result of a biopsy was consistent with a dermal hemangiosarcoma, and findings of histopathologic examination of the abnormal tissue confirmed the tentative diagnosis following surgical excision of the mass. At 1 year postsurgery, there was no evidence of local recurrence or metastatic disease. There are published reports of sugar gliders diagnosed with neoplasia, and oncology cases affecting this species are occasionally seen in clinical practice. Based on an extensive literature search, the authors believe this is the first report of a dermal hemangiosarcoma in a sugar glider.

This article covers the manual restraint and anesthesia of marsupials, insectivores, and chiroptera. Marsupials commonly kept as pets in the U.S. [e.g., eastern gray kangaroos ( Macropus giganteus ), Bennett's wallabies ( Macropus rufogriseus ), and sugar gliders ( Petamus breviceps )] are covered in detail. Marsupial species kept in zoological parks [e.g., Tasmanian devils, koalas ( Phascolarctos cinereus ), and common wombats ( Vombatus ursinus )] are covered in less detail. Of the insectivores, only the African hedgehog ( Atelerix albiventris ) and the European hedgehog ( Erinaceus europaeus ) are commonly kept as pets and, consequently, the insectivore section concentrates on discussing these two species. The section on chiropteran anesthesia is divided into two broad categories: the megachiropterans (flying foxes and fruit bats) and the microchiropterans (insectivorous bats). Most of the information on the species covered in this article is anecdotal, and this should be kept in mind when using the anesthesia protocols described.