NUTRITION

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Diet
A good diet is essential to the long, healthy life of a Sugar Glider. Sugar Gliders tend to be high maintenance when it comes down to their diet. The calcium and phosphorus ratios in their diet have to be just right. There are many proven diets out there that are made and formulated especially just for Sugar Gliders, but there is not one staple diet that contains all the vitamins and nutrients that a Sugar Glider needs.  Here at LuckyYou Gliders, all of our gliders are fed the HPW diet.

 


 
Proven Diets


 


 
Fruits & Veggies
Fruits & Veggies-  Along with eat diet you must also offer fruits and veggies. Not all fruits and veggies are safe for Sugar Gliders. Here is a list of safe fruits and veggies for your Sugar Glider along with their ca:po ratios. Each glider should be offered 1tbs of fruits every night.

 Safe Fruits
 Acerola: 1:1 Apple (with Skin): 1:1 Apple (without Skin): 0.5:1 Apricots: 0.7:1 Banana: 0.3:1 Blackberries: 1.5:1 Breadfruit: 0.5:1 Cantaloupe: 0.6:1 Carambola: 0.2:1 Carissa: 1.5:1 Casaba Melon: 0.7:1 Cherimoya: 0.5:1 Cherries (Sweet): 0.7:1 Crab Apples: 1.2:1 Cranberries: 0.7:1 Currants (European Black): 0.9:1 Currants (Red & White): 0.7:1 Currants (Zante): 0.6:1 Custard Apple: 1.4:1 Dates: 0.8:1 Elderberries: 0.9:1 Figs: 2.5:1 Grapes (American (Slip Skin)): 1.4:1 Grapes (European): 0.8:1 Grapefruit (Pink & Red): 1.2:1 Grapefruit (white): 1.5:1 Ground Cherries: 0.2:1 Honeydew Melon: 0.6:1 Jackfruit: 0.9:1 Java Plum: 1.1:1 Jujube: 0.9:1 Kiwifruit: 0.6:1 Kumquat: 2.3:1 Lemon: 4.0:1 Lemon Peel: 11.1:1 Lime: 1.8:1 Longans: 0.04:1 Loquats: 0.5:1 Mammy Apple: 1:1 Mango: 0.9:1 Mulberries: 1:1 Nectarine: 0.3:1 Oheloberries: 0.7:1 Orange Peel: 7.6:1 Orange (Navel): 2.1:1 Orange (Valencia): 2.3:1 Papaya: 4.8:1 Passion Fruit (Purple): 0.1:1 Peach: 0.4:1 Pear: 1:1 Persimmon: 1:1 Persimmon (Japanese): 0.4:1 Pineapple: 1:1 Pitanga 100 grams: 0.8:1 Plantain: 0.1:1 Plum: 0.4:1 Pomegranate: 0.3:1 Prickly Pear: 2.3:1 Prunes: 0.6:1 Pummelo: 0.2:1 Quince: 0.6:1 Raisins (Golden Seedless): 0.4:1 Raisins (Seeded): 1:1 Raisins (Seedless): 0.5:1 Raspberries: 1.8:1 Rose Apple: 3.6:1 Roselle: 5.8:1 Sapodilla: 1.7:1 Sapote: 1.4:1 Soursop: 0.5:1 Strawberries: 0.7:1 Sugar Apple: 0.7:1 Tamarind: 0.6:1 Tangerine: 1.4:1 Watermelon: 0.9:1
Safe Vegetables
Alfalfa (Sprouts): 0.5:1 Amaranth: 4.3:1 Artichoke: 0.2:1 Asparagus: 0.4:1 Avocado (California): 0.3:1 Avocado (Florida): 0.3:1 Bamboo Shoots: 0.2:1 Beats: 0.4:2 Beet Greens: 2.9:1 Broccoli: 0.7:1 Broccoli (Spears): 1.1:1 Brussels Sprouts 0.6:1 Burdock Root: 0.8:1 Cabbage (Green): 2.0:1 Cabbage (Red): 1.2:1 Carrots: 0.6:1 Cauliflower: 0.5:1 Celery: 1.6:1 Chayote: 1.0:1 Chicory Greens: 2.1:1 Chinese Cabbage: 2.8:1 Collard Greens: 14.5:1 Coriander: 2.7:1 Corn (Yellow): 0.02:1 Cucumber (with Skin): 0.7:1 Cucumber (without Skin): 0.7:1 Dandelion Greens: 2.8:1 Dock: 0.7:1 Endive: 1.9:1 Eggplant: 0.3:1 French Beans: 0.6:1 Ginger Root: 0.7:1 Green Beans (Snap Beans): 1.0:1 Jew's Ear (Pepeao): 1.1:1 Jute (Potherb): 2.5:1 Leeks: 1.7:1 Lettuce (Butter Head): 1.4:1 Lettuce (Iceberg): 1.0:1 Lettuce (Loose Leaf): 2.7:1 Lettuce (Romaine): 0.8:1 Lupines: 0.4:1 Kale: 2.4:1 Kohlrabi: 0.5:1 Mushrooms: 0.2:1 Mustard Greens: 2.4:1 Mustard Spinach: 7.5:1 Napa Cabbage: 1.5:1 Okra: 1.3:1 Parsley: 2.3:1 Parsnips: 0.5:1 Peas (Green): 0.2:1 Peppers (Sweet): 0.5:1 Pumpkin: 0.5:1 Radish: 1.2:1 Rhubarb (TOXIC): 6.2:1 (I have no idea why I'm including this.) Rutabaga: 0.8:1 Soy Bean (Green): 1.0:1 Soy Bean (Sprouts): 0.4:1 Spinach: 2.0:1 Squash (Acorn): 0.9:1 Squash (Butternut): 1.5:1 Squash (Hubbard): 0.7:1 Squash (Spaghetti): 1.9:1 Squash (Summer, All Variety): 0.6:1 Squash (Winter, All Variety): 1.0:1 Squash (Zucchini): 0.5:1 Sweet Potato: 0.8:1 Swiss Chard: 1.1:1 Tofu (Firm): 1.1:1 Tofu (Regular): 1.2:1 Tomato (Green): 0.5:1 Tomato (Red): 0.2:1 Turnip: 1.1:1 Turnip Greens: 4.5:1 Watercress: 2.0: Yams: 0.3:


 


 
Protein
Protein- In addition to  a proven diet, fruits, and vegetables, a Sugar Glider also needs to be offered another source of protein. A gliders favorite protein treat is meal worms. I don't know of a glider that doesn't go crazy over mealworms. Other good sources of protien are eggs(cooked) and chicken(cooked with no additives). Your glider should be offered a source of protein everyday. I buy my mealworms from www.grubco.com They are fast, friendly, and have donated to help Sugar Gliders in the past.


 


 
Treats
Treats- Treats should be given sparingly to your Sugar Glider so you don't spoil their appetite for supper. My glider's favorite treat is Yoggies. Yoggies are also know as yogurt drops, they look like a chocolate ship except that they are yogurt and are usually vanilla or fruit flavored. You can find Yogies in your local PetCo or you can order them from the following sites: www.exoticnutrition.com or www.sugar-gliders.com You can also offer  your gliders a array of dried fruits as a treat.

Pine nuts are also a good treat for your gliders. Pine nuts are high in fat so only give them about 4-5 a day. You can f ind pine nuts at your local Wal-Mart, either in the baking section with the nuts or with the packaged salads.

 


 


 
Staple Food
Staple Food- A staple food is a dry food that can be offered in addition to a proven diet for a daytime snack. There are only 2 staples that I would recommend for a Sugar Glider and they are Pet-Pro's Happy Glider and Zoo Keepers Secret aka Insectivore Fare. Keep in mind that if you glider is consuming the staple food and not enough of the proven diet then it is not getting all the vitamins and nutrients that it needs. To prevent this, I only offer a few kibbles of stable food during the day and remove it at night.


 


 
Water
Most gliders will drink from a water bottle with no problems at all. Make sure you have a water bottle that does not leak. Give you gliders fresh water daily and sanitize the water bottle every week or so with mild bleach water.

Water Bottle Safety
Sugar gliders have get dehydrated within 24 hours of not having any water, which can lead to permanent illness or death. One of my joeys that I sold died at only  9 weeks old because of a failed water bottle. You must check your water bottle every single night to make sure that it is not leaking and it not clogged. It is best to have 2 water bottles or a water bottle and a dish of water just in case your water bottle would default. Because of this incident with one of my joeys, I now carry the 16oz Lixit water bottles in my store. I have found that these bottles do not leak as often as most of the cheap water bottles do and are easy to clean.

CHECK YOUR WATER BOTTLE EVERY NIGHT!

 


 

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