Hi guys! Its Scoutandmiko! I havent been here in forever (well I posted a couple of times but still wasnt really here)
I really like sugar gliders but the one thing that I dont like is the diet you have to feed them. It just seems hard (and maybe expensive) to me. So I was wondering (i think I might of asked this a long time ago) what is instant HPW? Is it good? And is it easy? Can anybody tell me about it?

I haven't used instant hpw, but I've gotten the hpw kit by Exotic Nutrition (contains high protein wombaroo & bee pollen in powdered form) from a website called The Sugar Glider Super Store, it sells for $16.95, the info on site says it makes up to 5 batches & each batch feeds 1 glider for 2 months. I'm not sure how many batches will actually be made from package, being I've made only my first, but there's quite a bit left in the package. Also the package reads a batch will feed 1 glider 3-4 months. The honey, I got a 32oz bottle from walmart for under $7 and that is enough for 1 1/2 batches, so 2 of those would be 3 batches at under $14 for honey. The rest is simple, use bottled water, you should have that around for the gliders anyway and eggs, you need 3. I found it's very easy to mix following the directions on package and my girls do love it. I serve it with f/v in the evening, and then hide some pellets in their toys for them to forage and find.

Instant has the honey, egg, & bee pollen already in it in powdered form so all you have to do is add water....can't get any easier than that.

I also uses High Protein Wombaroo Supplement which I prefer.

Cool! Ill use instant HPW then when I get gliders. Is that all you have to feed besides some fruits and veggies?

Yes. Instant according to the directions on the pkg. and a variety of fruits and veggies.

I use the Instant HPW from Exotic Nutrition, one batch will make between 12-14 ice cubes depending on how well it mixes and how full you make the cubes. I usually get 14 cubes most of the time. I feed the HPW with fruits and veggies and gliderade. 1 ice cube will feed 2 gliders. All you have to do is add water everything else is included. To me it is the easiest way to feed my gliders as I can make 2 weeks worth of food in less than 5 minutes. The package says to use bottled water but I use R/O water since I have that on hand its basically the same.

I feed instant. It is as easy as everyone else has said, but my baby did grow tired of it after the first week, so ive had to mix it with his fruits and veggies to get him to eat it.

Why is it that people say glider diets are hard then?

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by scoutandmiko</i>
<br />Why is it that people say glider diets are hard then?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I can't really say I know why, but I can speculate. Some of the diets are more complex, and some of the ingredients for most has to be ordered and some is picked up in grocery stores and nutrition specialty shops. I believe from in the past when the instant wasn't available, and especially when so many websites were not available to order the some of the ingredients it was much more complicated. There are more recognized diets out now, some much less complicated as well as instant and I believe another ready to mix. Also, there are so many options on where to get any specialized ingredients. Anyway, that's why I think people (some) say it's hard or complicated. Personally with all that's available to us now, I think the complication is relative to an individuals desire to own gliders.

Very well said!

And in all honesty, from what I've gathered during my own running around and trying to find something my babies would eat...I think the "hard" part was before all the "recognized" diets came into play.

Trying to figure out Ca:P ratios for everything you put on their plate every single night and then figuring out what they will eat and what they won't ect. Then the diets come along that seemingly take the guess work out of feeding (cuz someone else has done the grunt work) and IMO it became a type of "marketing" ploy. "Feed this, it's so easy...no figuring Ca:P ratios ect..." And I don't mean the marketing ploy comment as in diets that you buy and someone makes money off of...I just mean it was a way to get people to try the diet "I" created...know what I mean?

I have ended up feeding very much like Kazko does because my gliders won't eat anything else...they are doing great and are eating more than they ever have...even their F/V now.

If they eat their dinner...mama's happy!

I feed my boy instant hpw+fresh fruits and veggies every night along with the occasional cricket I like to watch him chase. He is full of energy and his fur is almost always smooth and not cracked(with the occasion when I run the heater alot his fur does get a bit of a crackle). Im happy with the diet, I blend it and freeze it in ice cubes and serve him a cube each night its easy and fairly inexpensive and he seems to love it

I'm feeding Maya Ruth's Modified Leadbeater's Diet. I don't know what HPW is (or what it stands for). Can someone enlighten me on the HPW and the differences between the two diets?

HPW stands for High Protein Wombaroo Supplement. It is from Australia and is used in the Original HPW diet. (and the new Instant HPW)

Ruths is more of a diet where you can get the ing. at the local grocery store. I have never fed it so I cannot comment on how good it is or anything else about it.

Does anyone else have comments about "Ruth's Modified Leadbeater's" versus HPW?

I dont know if any of you are aware of this but instant HPW is not affliated with Peggys orginal HPW, HPW complete or HPW PLUS. Here is Peggys link.

Error, missing URL. l

I've never heard of Ruth's Modified Leadbeaters, but I do know how good HPW is. I've heard a lot of personal stories about it and I've seen differences in my Rue's fur and energy. It's great. (:

The mix contains:

honey, apple juice, chicken baby food, hard boiled egg, gerber yogurt juice (I used baby apple & spinach yogurt smoothie), calcium and vitamin supplement, and wheat germ... I think that's it.

And then I give her fresh fruits and veggies on the side. Last night was papaya & spinach.

How do yall think this diet compares to the HPW? I want to give my little girl the very best :)

Oh and nectar is in the mix!

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Abby</i>
<br />The mix contains:

honey, apple juice, chicken baby food, hard boiled egg, gerber yogurt juice (I used baby apple & spinach yogurt smoothie), calcium and vitamin supplement, and wheat germ... I think that's it.

And then I give her fresh fruits and veggies on the side. Last night was papaya & spinach.

How do yall think this diet compares to the HPW? I want to give my little girl the very best :)
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

I see that this diet is listed in the Gliderpedia as a recognized captive diet, I'm confident that it wouldn't be on the list if it wasn't a sound diet (of diets known so far). As long as you follow the instructions on making & serving it should be plenty healthy for your gliders.

I have my girls on HPW original, not the instant, but purchase the Wombaroo & bee pollen in powdered form kit, so all I need to add is water, honey & cooked eggs. It's easy & economical enough for me, and my girls LOVE it, I have the satisfaction they're on a good diet. However, that not is to say that it's the best necessarily, they're other great diets listed in the Gliderpedia (under diets) that are approved and I'm certain they're just as healthy. It really boils down to which your gliders will eat & what works for you.

Honestly, I do not know why anyone would feel that ANY of the recommended glider diets are difficult to make.

Really, have any of those that complain about mixing a glider diet ever made a cake or a batch of cookies from scratch?

Why should everything we cook be dumbed down to "just add water"?

Making a batch of any glider food recipe is very simple - gather your ingredients. Measure the amounts you need. Put in a blender and push the button. Pour into ice cube trays. You do not even have to 'bake' glider staple mixes so it is easier and much quicker that making cookies!

Cutting up fruit and vegetables is NOT HARD. You can fix just what you need for the night - or you can cut up large batches (a whole cantaloupe or papaya) and freeze the chunks on wax paper over night. Transfer to a zip lock bag after they are frozen solid so they pieces do not stick together. You can then just take out the amount you need of each fruit or vegetable you wish to serve each night.

I mix a batch of my staple recipe once every 5 days (for 14 gliders) and it takes less than 10 minutes start to finish. Preparing plates for 3 cages each night takes about 10 minutes max - if I cut up fresh fruits and veggies - less if I use frozen.

Making a batch of Original HPW takes like 15 mins...and only a few seconds to serve every night. And one batch will last about a month (give or take) for my 4 gliders.

I use instant HPW and like it. It really can't get any easier. My two girls love it.

Does it really matter if someone would rather use something even a little "less complicated"? Truly, as long as the end result is a healthy diet that is followed correctly, it shouldn't matter to anyone whether someone uses instant hpw or makes any other acceptable or recognized diet from "scratch" using many ingredients. It's a personal preference, if someone prefers to take additional steps to prepare the basic mixtures or just "add water". Why would anyone even complain about it like it's a big deal. I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make this ugly, but seriously, some people like shortcuts, I am one who does, and there are many others I'm sure. It may not be a difficult procedure for those who would rather make more complicated mixtures than the easier ones, but as long as all of the gliders are being fed a healthy diet, who cares how much effort was put into it, the gliders sure don't know, nor would they really care. I personally don't care to cook, bake, prepare food or do any other kitchen related activities, not saying I hate it, and I definitely do prepare & cook food, I just don't love to. And when I do bake, which is almost never, I use "boxed" mixes, never from "scratch" and I don't believe it makes me a bad person.