What do you feed your gliders?
The diet of captive sugar gliders is very different to that of wild gliders. In captivity we cannot recreate the wild diet as it consists mainly of gum and tree exudates as well as pollen, nectar, honeydew (insect secretions), manna, and naturally gut loaded insects.
In captivity there are many different diets to choose and confuse you. The most popular diet in the UK by far is SGS II. It is a highly effective diet producing fantastic improvements in gliders when they are switched to SGS II from another diet. On the Sugar Gliders UK Facebook page there is a photo album showing before and after pictures. You do need to be a member of the group to view the album. SGS II is now very popular across Europe and it is also an approved diet in America.
What Does SGS II consist of?
SGS II consists of a base made from fruit and vegetables all blended together to form a ‘mush’ mix. The mush should be at least two thirds vegetables and one third fruit. Many people like to make two large 1lb batches (one with calcium and one without) and freeze in ice cubes. A batch of this size can make 20 – 25 individual meals (each glider having a heaped tablespoon of mush).
Ingredients for one pound (450g) batch:
- 450g fruit and vegetables. I tend to use a lot of butternut squash, sweet potato and carrot. The fruit varies but I use papaya, apple, pear – lots of recipes can be found on Sugar Gliders UK Facebook page.
- 2 teaspoons of High Protein Supplement
- 1 teaspoon of bee pollen
- 1 quarter of a teaspoon of acacia gum
- 1 tablespoon of brown linseed soaked in 3 – 4 tablespoons of boiling water
- 1 heaped tablespoon of oatmeal
- 1 tablespoon of natural probiotic yogurt
- 1 half teaspoon of spirulina
- 1 peeled hard boiled egg
- Calcium should be given 2 – 3 times a week. When using calcium powder, make 2 batches, one with half a teaspoon of calcium and one without. Mark them up clearly and feed accordingly.
- Gliderade is also given 2 – 3 times a week – you can give this on the calcium free days.
Click HERE to shop for all the supplements required for the SGS II diet.
Instructions:
Always wash the fruit and veg. Peel items like butternut squash and sweet potato and deseed the fruit & veg.
Chop the fruit and veg up and pop it in the food processor, add water and blend it to a mush, add as much water as you need to keep the mix moving easily.
Add the supplements, the linseed, oatmeal, egg and yogurt and continue to mush. When adding the linseed, add the boiled water too as that contains the oils. I pummel my linseed a bit to allow more oils to escape which in turn allows easier absorption.
The point of ‘mushing’ is to stop your gliders from picking and choosing their favourites. This ensures that they receive the nutrients from all of the ingredients. Mushing also ensures that supplements are evenly distributed throughout the mix. The mush does not have to be completely smooth.
Notes:
Calcium is a very important part of the diet to avoid ‘hind leg paralysis’. Calcium is only needed 2 – 3 times a week. If you do not want to use powdered calcium, you can use a liquid calcium instead which is given at a rate of 0.1ml per 100g of bodyweight (2-3 times a week). Do not exceed the dose stated. Too much calcium is as bad as too little.
The protein source (the boiled egg) can be substituted with a high quality cat biscuit. It is important to provide a crunch in the diet to maintain oral health. Protein should be increased for females with joeys.
The vegetables should be raw. I do not recommend cooking as the process kills important vitamins like Vitamin C, for example. Vitamin A can still be absorbed whether the food item is cooked or not. If a vitamin has been destroyed through cooking, that specific vitamin cannot be absorbed at all.
There is much speculation regarding what sugar gliders should eat, but there are a few basic rules:
- Never feed chocolate, anything from the onion family, millet, caffeine, canned fruit, rhubarb, grapes and avocado should also be avoided due to its high fat content.
- Ensure clean water is available at all times, use a water bottle not a dish.
- Always remove any uneaten fruit in the morning, this is a breeding ground for bacteria and will also attract flies and ants.
- Never feed rodent mixes, peanuts, sunflower seeds, corn or corn products. Gliders are not seed and nut eaters, not only can they be a choke hazard and possibly damage the intestine, but they are prone to aflatoxin contamination which can prove fatal.
Click HERE for balanced SGS II recipe ideas – the link takes you to a Facebook group which you will need to join in order to see the recipes.