Maintaining a healthy diet is crucial for the well-being of sugar gliders in captivity. These active animals have high metabolisms and specific nutritional needs that must be met to prevent health problems. This article explores various sugar glider diet plans, including The Pet Glider (TPG) diet, and offers guidance on how to choose the best option for your pet.
Understanding Sugar Glider Nutritional Needs
Sugar gliders are omnivores, consuming a variety of foods in the wild, including tree sap, insects, small animals, and plants. Replicating this diverse diet in captivity can be challenging, but it's essential for their health. A balanced diet for sugar gliders should include:
- Protein: Essential for growth, repair, and overall health.
- Vitamins and Minerals: Crucial for various bodily functions, with a particular emphasis on calcium.
- Fresh Water: Must be available at all times.
General Dietary Guidelines
- Freshness: Always provide fresh food and water daily. Remove any uneaten food the next morning to prevent bacterial growth.
- Variety: Offer a variety of foods to ensure a balanced intake of nutrients.
- Avoid Harmful Foods: Do not feed sugar gliders foods with preservatives, sugar, or color additives. Also, avoid chocolate, candy, and excessive amounts of nuts.
- Calcium Balance: Ensure a proper calcium-to-phosphorus ratio in the diet to prevent health issues like brittle bones and paralysis.
Recommended Diet Plans
While there's ongoing research to determine the ideal sugar glider diet, some plans have proven successful over the years. Here are a few recommended options:
Alea’s Happy Glider Diet Plan
This veterinarian-recommended diet combines the benefits of a kibble-based diet with the flexibility of adding fresh produce.
- Type: Purchased
- Recipe:
- 2 Tbsp Happy Glider kibble per glider per night (discard any leftovers).
- 0.5 to 1 Tbsp of ONE fresh fruit OR vegetable per glider per night. Options include green beans, carrots, peas, kiwi, apple, tomato, citrus, spinach, bell pepper, avocado, berries, melon, bok choy, sweet potato, cucumber, and broccoli. Avoid onions and garlic.
- A generous serving of flavored Greek yogurt (Noosa or Greek Gods brand recommended) once a week, replacing the fresh fruit or veggie.
- 1 Tbsp of protein (cooked egg or cooked ground turkey without butter or seasoning) a couple of times a month, replacing the fresh fruit or veggie.
- Always provide two sources of fresh, filtered water per cage.
Why a kibble-based diet?
Kibble promotes dental health, which is crucial for sugar gliders. Many gliders suffer from dental disease due to soft, sugary diets.
Read also: Is Mazuri Insectivore Diet Right for Your Glider?
Transitioning to the diet:
Introduce the kibble gradually by mixing it with a small amount of the old diet. You can also add a bit of apple juice to the kibble or wet it with water for gliders with dental issues.
Highland Sugar Glider (HSG) Diet
This homemade staple diet, designed by exotic animal nutritionist Dr. Heidi Bissell, addresses specific sugar glider needs.
- Type: Homemade
- Recipe:
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 46 oz jar unsweetened applesauce
- 1 cup full-fat plain Greek-style yogurt (Greek God)
- 2 cups quick-style oatmeal (dry)
- 5 drops Vitamin E oil
- 1 1/2 tsp Flax seed oil
- 1 tbsp soybean oil (Wesson cooling oil)
- 7 oz boiled chicken breast (no spices or salt) processed fine in a food processor
- 3 boiled eggs (shelled, processed fine in a food processor)
- 1/4 tsp Vionate vitamins
- 1/2 tsp Calcium Carbonate
- 2 tsp Taurine powder
- 2 tbsp Ensure powder, vanilla (for breeding moms)
Mix all ingredients well and feed 1 to 2 tablespoons per glider. The staple diet can be made in advance and frozen in ice cube trays for convenience.
Transitioning to the HSG Diet:
Gradually wean your gliders onto the HSG Diet by increasing the percentage of HSG Diet while lowering the percentage of their old diet by 10% per day.
The Pet Glider (TPG) Diet
The Pet Glider (TPG) Diet is a fresh food diet that consists of several components:
Read also: Learn about Sugar Glider Diets
- TPG Staple
- TPG Vitamins with calcium
- Brunch or Monkey biscuits for a dry snack
- Mealworms
- Treats (yogurt drops, dried fruits, fresh watermelon, sweet potatoes, etc.)
TPG Staple Recipe:
The TPG Fresh Diet Staple includes Pet Glider Vitamins with calcium, applesauce, yogurt, calcium-fortified orange juice, oatmeal, protein (chicken, turkey, or eggs), and fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits. The recommended serving is 1 ½ tablespoons per glider per day, served in the late afternoon.
TPG Diet Recipe (for approximately 2 gliders for 30 days):
- 2 Cups / 16oz Fresh or Frozen Fruit (not canned). Choose 3-4 different types from oranges, papayas, tangerines, pineapples, mangos, cantaloupes, kiwi, peaches, watermelon, bananas, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and cherries. Avoid rhubarb.
- 2 Cups / 16oz Fresh or Frozen Vegetables (not canned). Choose at least 4 different types from sweet potatoes, kale, collards, green beans, beets, peas, lima beans, carrots, jicama, bok choy, squash, red bell pepper, and snow peas. Use corn, broccoli, and cauliflower in moderation. Avoid garlic, leeks, and onions.
- 6 - 8oz Plain Whole Milk Yogurt
- 6 Tablespoons Calcium-fortified Orange Juice Concentrate
- 6 - 8 Tablespoons Uncooked Oatmeal
- 4 Cups / 32oz Unsweetened Applesauce (optional, may substitute extra veggies and fruit)
- 6 - 8oz Cooked Protein (chicken, ground turkey, or eggs). Avoid pork and beef due to high-fat content.
- 1 - 2 Tablespoons Ground Flax Seed, Wheat Germ, or Ground Chia Seeds (optional)
Directions:
- Chop fruits and vegetables into very small pieces.
- Cook protein (chicken, ground turkey, or scrambled eggs) without seasonings.
- Mix all ingredients in a large bowl, adding oatmeal last to achieve a cake batter-like consistency.
- Divide the mixture into smaller containers to freeze.
- Sprinkle The Pet Glider multi-vitamin with calcium on top of the food each day (1/8th teaspoon per glider).
The Pet Glider DOES NOT RECOMMEND: Red meats, chocolate, candy, bread, seeds, or any food with high sugar content. They also advise against feeding nuts, except for an occasional non-seasoned raw almond.
Vitamins and Supplements:
The Pet Glider Vitamins with calcium are specifically formulated for sugar gliders, with a calcium-to-phosphorous ratio of at least 4:1. These vitamins contain essential nutrients, bee pollen, milk thistle, probiotics, and acacia gum. Store the vitamins in the refrigerator, not the freezer.
Staples:
- Cereal: Use a high-protein, low-fat cereal (1 teaspoon per glider).
- Monkey Biscuits: Offer ½ to 1 Mazuri Growth and Repro biscuit per glider to help keep their teeth clean.
Treats:
Offer treats like yogurt drops, dried cherry drops, dried mango chunks, dried mealworms, and dried crickets sparingly. Fresh fruits like watermelon, oranges, and sweet potatoes can also be given as treats.
Foods to Avoid
Certain foods can be harmful to sugar gliders and should be avoided:
Read also: The Hoxsey Diet
- Onions and Garlic: These can be toxic.
- Chocolate and Candy: High in sugar and harmful substances.
- Nuts: Except for occasional raw almonds, avoid nuts due to their high phosphorus content.
- Preserved Foods: Avoid foods with preservatives, artificial colors, and added sugars.
- High-Fat Meats: Limit red meats due to their high-fat content.
Water is Essential
Regardless of the chosen diet, sugar gliders must have access to fresh, plain water at all times. Use water bottles, small dishes, or a combination of both.
Food Aggression
If gliders fight over food, provide multiple food dishes on opposite sides of the cage.