Feeding my Sugar Glider

Question
Hi, I got a glider and she is about 3-4 months old. I'm currently feeding her the BML diet, a few pieces of boiled chicken, some fruit, some veggies, and gliderade.  Is this a good diet? Also, other than the vitamins that go into the BML (rep-cal Herptivite multivitamins & rep-cal calcium with vit.D), should I be giving her any other vitamins? I'm so scared that I'm not feeding her correctly! Please help! Thanks for any information you can give me. Also, she's getting tired of the boiled chicken.  Is there anything else I can feed her?

Answer

SugarBaby Hello Cindy & Thanks for Taking the Time to Write ;)

To be perfectly honest there are soooo many different sugar glider diets out there it is totally understandable that new owners get so confused..!!

One worry I have is that I have always been told NO VITAMIN D.. so you might change this ASAP..!!

Another suggestion is to stay away from pelleted foods.. gliders eat nectar in the wild.. not pellets.. so keeping with a traditional liquid diet is always advisable..

The most popular diets that you will most likely come across are the BML & the Original Ledbeaters Diets.. I personally feed a modified Ledbeaters myself & have yet to experience ANY ISSUES with either my personal Gliders or any rescues we have had turned in.. This has worked wonders for us for many years now.. not only is it easy..!! but if doubled up it will make enough to freeze into smaller containers for a month or more depending on how many gliders you own.. one thing to note is this does NOT expand when frozen so no worries about filling it right up to the top..!!

My Mixture is as follows:

1/2 c Juice (anything all natural or no sugar)
1/2 c Honey
1 Boiled Egg (with shell)
1/2 c baby cereal (rice/oatmeal/mixed)
1 jar chicken/turkey baby food
1/2 c Wheat Germ
1 tsp Calcium (NO PHOSPHOROUS no D3)
1/2 tsp Vionate Multi-Vitamin
1 tsp of GliderAde (if avail but not necessary)

The CALCIUM & VIONATE will usually NOT BE FOUND in a local pet shop
and therefore will need to be ordered online..

I have successfully used the following companies:

PetRX.com = http://www.petrx.com/search.aspx?find=vionate
ReptileSupply.com = http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=119 or http://www.reptilesupply.com/product.php?products_id=2670

Of course we also feed either FRESH or FROZEN Veggies 4 or more times a week as well as a variety of fresh fruits and meal worms on occasion as a treat..

The key is to think VARIETY.. meaning that unlike your average cat or dog our suggies LOVE VARIETY in their diets.. they don't like the BORING and ROUTINE..!! So feel free to switch things up from time to time.. Like the FLAVOR of juice you use in the mixture.. some nights give them a little cottage cheese.. or applesauce..

But stay away from the following:

Nuts (or any high fat content foods)
Lettuce
Cheese (or any dairy other than yogurt)
Corn (or any foods where the Phosphorus ratio is higher than the calcium ratio)
Bird seeds or parrot food
Grapes
and of course Chocolate..!!

I think that no matter which diet one chooses as long as the basic protein / calcium ingredients are there for the optimum health of the glider each one should be nutritionally balanced & complete overall.

Please feel free to keep in touch & Let me know what you decide.. I would LOVE2Hear what she thinks about it all..!!

O_o kaden