Feeding Your Glider

 

As dedicated glider owners, I'm sure we would all love to be able to provide the same balanced nutrition to our captive gliders as their wild cousins get in their native environment.  Unfortunately that isn't always possible, so we try to provide a diet that will at the least, mimic the vitamins and nutrients they get in the wild.... There are many "approved" diets available today but none are complete when it comes to vitamins and nutrients so fresh fruits and vegetables are a must to balance the diets out.

 

One thing we have learned is that dry food such as kibbles or pellets should only be fed as a supplement – not as the main course. 

 

Some people have said that feeding a pelleted diet causes abscesses or a condition called "Lumpy Jaw".  There is no solid evidence that we are aware of stating that feeding a hard pellet food can cause Lumpy Jaw.  The higher likelihood is that if a glider gets an abscess or cut, a dry pellet food could agitate it more than a soft food.  But please remember, Sugar Gliders in the wild spend a lot of their time biting into tree's and tearing off the bark to get at the bugs and the liquid sap underneath.  So eating hard foods will not hurt them, it just isn't good to feed as a staple diet.  For those who feed pellets, some soak them in apple juice to soften them up but keep in mind that soaking the pellet food in apple juice makes the food spoil more quickly. 

 

Currently there are several staple diets today that have been approved by glider knowledgeable veterinarians and nutritionists. These staple diets range from simple to prepare to very complex, so really it’s just a matter of choosing which diet is right for you.  Listed below are only a few of the many approved diets available to choose from. 

I have personal experience with only the first two and can say that I had no problems or complications with either diet, so again I stress it is strictly preference when choosing one of the approved diets.

 

HPW (High Protein Wombaroo)

BML (Bourbons Modified Ledbeaters Mix)

 

Blended Glider Diet

 

The Sugar Glider Exotic Diet(Pricilla Price)  

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SUPPLEMENTS, GUMS, NECTARS & SAPS

 

There are also several beneficial supplements and nectars that people offer to their gliders or add to their staple diets.  These supplements are given in an effort to balance out or boost the vitamin and mineral content.  Keep in mind when choosing one of these, you can't just add any amount you want to your diet, you must consider what your supplements will do to the balance of vitamins and minerals already present in your chosen diet.  Please consult your vet before adding anything additional to your chosen diet. 

Below are just a few well known supplements, gums, nectars & saps.  To read about their benefits, just click HERE and you will be directed to a page that has detailed information on all of the items listed below.

 

GLIDERADE & NUTRA GLIDER

SPIRULINA

MILK THISTLE

FLAX SEED OIL

ACACIA POWDER 

EUCALYPTUS POWDER 

YUCCA POWDER

BARLEY GRASS POWDER 

WHEAT GRASS POWDER

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VEGGIES & FRUITS

Once you get accustomed to a particular diet, you can start to offer a larger variety of fruits and vegetables based upon the

"Safe Fruits  & Vegetables" List

(unless you are feeding the BML diet which strictly limits which fruits and vegetables you can offer)

 

When feeding a variety of safe fruits and vegetables you must also make sure you keep a proper Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio.  Not enough calcium in a gliders diet can cause any number of health issues such as HLP or Hind Leg Paralysis.  On the other end of the spectrum, too much calcium can cause problems as well.

 

Another thing to consider is vitamin C levels in the fruits and vegetables you are feeding.  Too much Vitamin C in their diet can inhibit the absorption of Calcium, thus causing health issues. 

 

These lists should be used as a reference to help keep a good balance when wanting to add variety to your gliders diet.

Treats

We all love giving our babies treats, but just as with anything else, "MODERATION" is the key to a healthy and happy glider.

Common treats to feed your gliders: meal worms, crickets, yogurt bites, regular yogurt

****IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT YOGURT****

When giving your glider regular yogurt, be sure that it's not "fat free" or "low fat" yogurt

that contains any artificial sweeteners

 ***artificial sweeteners are toxic to your glider***

***IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT CRICKETS & MEALWORMS***

crickets and mealworms can be carriers of Aflatoxins.

What are Aflatoxins?

 Aflatoxins are a type of mold that grows in the bedding that most crickets (and sometimes mealworms) are kept in when they are raised. The bedding is usually corn-based and can grow a mold that the crickets ingest and walk through. Once the cricket has ingested the mold, it retains its toxicity to gliders and so when the glider eats the cricket, it can become seriously ill from the mold.  Sadly, gliders who suffer from aflatoxin poisoning usually do not survive because the liver is badly compromised by the aflatoxins.