Diet

Picking a good diet is the most important part of owning a sugar glider. On my links page you will find a short list of diets made for sugar gliders. Below is the diet I use for my gliders. Which ever diet you use it is very important that you stick with it and follow the directions. It is never good to mix diets, or to use two diets at once. Some breeders will use one diet for a while then swap it to another. Although that can be a good idea because gliders can become picky and bored with one diet, remember to use all of one diet up (use for at least a month) then switch to another diet if you like.

"Things you should never give sugar gliders"

Never give sugar gliders cheese, raw sugar, honey that comes from honey comb, candy, chocolate, egg shells, uncooked meats, bird seeds, gerbil or hamster foods, seeds from fruits such as apple, oranges, cherries, peach and such pits and seeds. If your not sure about some thing you can always ask me and I will do my best to answer any questions you may have. Do not feed beef, seeds/nuts, or cottage cheese to your gliders. These are high in phosphorus. Avoid feeding anything with preservatives (such as baby foods), sugar, or color additives. Keep the diet low fat. Always try to aim for high Calcium to Phosphorus ratios.

You will want to feed your gliders one to two table spoons of food each night and be sure to sprinkle the multi vitamin over the top if using the diet I use (read below), and remember to take out any left over dishes or spilled foods first thing in the morning.

"The Sugar Glider Exotic Diet"

(Also known as The Pet Glider Diet, Priscilla Price Diet)

In a large mixing bowl, with a wooden spoon, mix the applesauce, oats, yogurt, wheat germ and orange juice. Divide into two equal portions.

To portion one, add: 3 small or medium boiled eggs (per single batch). (mashed with no shell)

To portion two, add: 3/4 pound (1 nice sized piece) of skinless chicken breast. Broil or boil and shred by hand or with food processor.

Add 3/4 of a cup each of  various chopped or precut fruits and vegetables to each portion. Mix all of this together very good.

Depending on how many gliders you have there are different ways to store the food. What I do is take the zipper lock baggies and spoon out about 2 table spoons for each of my gliders and place it inside of the baggie. Lay it flat on the counter top and then mark the bags "Chicken" or "Egg" and freeze them. If you only have a few gliders you can always spoon out enough in each baggie to last you a few days to a week. When that bag is done you will remove another bag from the freezer. In the fridge the food will only be good for about a week.

"How to Feed"

Feed 1-2 table spoons per glider each night. One night give them some with chicken the next night with the eggs in it. Sprinkle 1/8th of a teaspoon ( a pinch) of the multi vitamins (listed below) over the top of the food. (DO NOT MIX VITAMINS IN AND FREEZE).

Daily Staple: (to keep in cage at all times changing them out every few days. Only put a small amount in at a time)

Daily Staple Foods:

Monkey Biscuit & Sugar Glider Cereal

(you can purchase these through www.ThePetGlider.com or Exotic Nutrition) I hope in the near future I will have these available for you to purchase in person.

Enrichment Supplement:

Pure apple juice diluted with half purified water 3-4 times per week. (Use good old fashion apple juice with nothing added)

Daily Vitamin/Mineral Supplement:

The Pet Glider Complete" Multivitamin, sprinkled on food. (Can be purchased from www.thepetglider.com)

 Fruit and Veggie Recommendations:

Sweet Potatoes, Bok Choy, Carrots, Green Beans, Cucumber, green & red bell peppers, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Snow Peas, Bananas, Apples, Mandarin Oranges, Asian Pears (ripe), Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Honey Dew, Pineapple, Strawberries, Kiwi, Papaya, oranges, corn, Cucumber, squash, cherries (no pits), Blueberries, raspberries, black berries, apples, etc.

 (NOTE: the fruits and veggies are mainly what are in season and what your gliders like but try to add in watery fruits so that the gliders are sure to be getting enough water in the diet)

This is just a list of what we use on a regular basis; availability may vary from state to state.