When we first got Batman, he gorged himself on foods. Now that he's on the BML diet, he's not eating as much. I was wondering because there's a lot of food left over & I was wondering if this is normal.

BML diet = BML mix, 1 T. of specific veggies, 1 T. of specific fruit

Questions:

1. He's going to the vet Tuesday, but hypothetically, assuming he is in good health, what is the "average" amount a single glider eats in a single day? Will there still be food waste?

2. Assuming he just hates BML & I have to switch him to HPW, what can I feed him in the meantime while the HPW mix comes in? (I want him to eat something--anything. Dad & I have been hand feeding him honeydew & meal worms just to get him to take something.)

How long have you been feeding BML? Have you tried serving it different ways? (separate, bml poured over fruits/veggies, blending)
What time of day are you giving him the melon and meal worms?

And I can't remember how old he is -

Since Sept 21, Day 2 of his adoption. But I didn't really understand that BML was as strict as it was until the next day, Sept. 22. I tried it separate but since there was always so much of the melted mess left over, I couldn't tell if he ate any or not. So I mixed it, & that was when the trouble began. I haven't tried blending yet. Is that where you put it all in a blender?

He gets meal worms right after our bonding sessions in the bonding pouch. And in the morning before bed. No more than 6/day. Usually 4 or 5.

The melon he gets with the 1 T. fruit mixture before we leave in the morning. Or, if he doesn't touch it, I'll cut him up some new melon by the time he wakes up. (We're wasting a lot of food but I don't care. I just want my baby healthy & happy.)

A lot of this is trial & error cuz I don't know when he's in the mood to eat. Sometimes, he'll get up in the middle of the afternoon or say, 5 or 6pm to have a nibble. So, I want to live him plenty of options. At the same time, if it's untouched throughout the day, out it goes into the trash & fresh food for baby.

Well it sounds like you might be giving too many snacks thru the day and before his dinner. You said your giving the melon with a tbsp of mixture in the morning and mealies before dinner? I don't give any snacks except a few yogies in the morning if they happen to be awake so that might be a good time for a few mealies. I feed mine around 8pm and that's it. They should be sleeping thru the day anyway:)
They can be like children lol - too many snacks and they won't eat their dinner:)

I agree with renee. If you want to give him snacks *this includes mealworms as mealworms have no nutritional value and are fatty*, they should be offered in the morning before he goes to bed... sort of as dessert. Mine seemed to eat a lot less of the BML than they do the HPW. I think the HPW tastes really good to them and it's a lot thinner, so they eat more. But the BML is a thick consistency with a lot in it-- I think the 1Tbs is too much, but it's better that they leave some behind in the bowl than lick it up and you wonder if he's still hungry. .... try feeding it different ways. BML, fruits, veggies in separate bowls, blend BML, fruits and veggies together and put in one bowl, pour BML mix over cut up fruits and veggies, etc. I had to try a bunch of different ways before I realized that mine like freshly cut and served fruits and veggies in ONE bowl, and HPW in a separate bowl. Picky little snots! LOL ...... I was feeding BML for a while, but had to switch to something different, they just weren't eating and my Ziggy was already scrawny. I just realized you have only had him for about 5 days, give it long enough for an entire batch. He is still getting used to things, so, don't go switching his diet first. Try different ways of offering it and see how it goes

They suck the juice out of their foods..and spit out little cresent shape "left overs"..It often looks like alot of waste, but it dosn't necessarily mean, they aren't getting enough to eat..They also leave outside "casings" of veggies/fruits, so You will see that too, after they've sucked out the insides.
And, agreed, too many snacks, or at the wrong time of day, will spoil their appetite.
Mine love a food one day, and sometimes won't touch it, if fed again later that week..Picky lil buggers.

Gliders have a stomach about the size of the tip of your thumb. They nibble off and on all night long. If you are feeding him fruit and other food during the day, he is likely to eat less over night. Most folks put the food in a short time before they wake up in the evening. You can take the plate out in the morning after he goes to sleep for the day. Most gliders do not wake up during the day to eat but if he does, a very small piece of fruit, a meal worm or a yogie is enough for a snack.

My gliders do not come out at all during the day unless I disturb them by cleaning the cage pan or making a loud noise in the room.

So...mealies in the morning. I'll call that "breakfast" so as not to get confused with his food. Got it.

When we leave for work in the afternoon, I feel like I should leave him SOMETHING in case he gets hungry before we get back. Is it okay to assume he's not getting up before dark & I can just feed him them? I don't want him to feel neglected or worse: starved.

RChurch - I feel the same way - I KNOW they are NOT going to get up in the middle of the day, but OMgosh, just the thought of it possibly happening is just something I can't deal with!

I leave a little bowl of dry things that won't go bad in the cage all the time. Dried papaya, maybe 3 of those glider pellets I didn't know not to buy, a few shreds of coconut, a honey nut cheerio - things like this. I also always have a glider-k-bob hanging in there. A big chunk of raw sweet potato hangs nicely, and it lasts a good day and a half.

I take out that little bowl of treat like foods before they wake up though. I don't want them to spoil their dinner.

Isn't dry food bad for their little mouths? I read that somewhere so I feel hesitant to give them anything dry, even dried fruit. I'm just now starting to think maybe I'll pick up some Yoggies yogurt drops for him. Maybe.

I feel so lucky if i put dirt in the boys bowl they'd eat it i havent had to have different plates blending nothing

also about daytime snacks when i first got them i made sure that their bowl was filled with almonds(non roasted non salted) and a couple pellets sometimes a few yogies but then i realised that at night there was only like 1 thing gone so i knew it wasn't life or death if i didn't have it in there but if yours will eat almonds its a nice little snack i give them in the morning and they are good till evening(beware little pieces of almonds are everywhere if they eat it in their pouch which mine always do)

Are nuts okay to give to Gliders??? Sorry, new mom here. Trying to figure it all out.

Nuts are okay sparingly! Maybe one a week. They are fatty! They also need to be raw.

Good to know! Thanks you guys! :)