I just don't get it. Who agrees with this?

random items that happen to be in the fridge as well as any leftovers from dinner.
· and so forth, whatever your pet likes and whatever is in the fridge

This is an example of the concerns I have expressed before. Maybe it is just me but doesn't this relate to this?

her hind leg was on her back and she couldn't get it unstuck and when i did she was limping all day today. she walks fine but when she steps on that leg and she doesn't seem to put pressure on it. it seems to kindof goes in towards the body. anyway she doesn't seem to have a good grip no more since then but she seems fine. we give her what they eat.

Maybe it is just me but please help clarify. Do the regular members here have a consensus when it comes to diet?

More confusion:
***Yogurt (vanilla or sweetened with honey)
Gliders are "sap suckers" by nature and cannot be sustained by dry foods and off-the-shelf food pellets that are designed for other small animals such as hamsters. Sap suckers chew their food to extract the liquids and then most often spit out the remains. A simple way to look at it is that they need squishy, wet, naturally sweet and quickly perishable foods.
Diet
***Sugar gliders require a CaptiveDiet that is not simply bought like a dog or cat. They cannot survive on dry and/or pellet type foods. Sugar gliders are an exotic wild animal and they require an exotic diet that can get complicated. If you are squeamish around MealWorms, [[grubs]], [[crickets]] and other bugs, you should not own a sugar glider.

***A healthy captive diet consists primarily of fruits, vegetables and dried cat food. They also enjoy live insects, pinky mice (bought frozen from the pet store), scrambled eggs, yogurt, nuts, fruit flavored pablum, monkey biscuits and fruit juices.

***Diets will often include proteins from meats, vegetables, fruits and other foraging foods, and the occasional nut for a treat. Their nightly diet should consist of around 50% protein, 25% fruits and 25% veggies. They are essentially lactose intolerant and cannot digest milk, but still need calcium. A lot of owners will add calcium to their food. I have never done that and have managed to keep healthy gliders by feeding a healthy diet. To that end, a diet should be low in salt, low in anything with added preservatives or chemicals. It is wise to use natural whole foods. Packaged baby food can be a good source if you would like it already prepared, otherwise, collecting fruits and vegetables at your neighborhood grocery or natural grocery store will become a weekly ceremony. It is also wise to give them a varied selection of food at every feeding. Do not always give them their favorites or too much of one thing.

Mel, we don't always agree with those posting but you need to be sensitive about what people are posting. Surely if they are asking for help then we may be able to persuade them to take their gliders to a vet.
This forum has done enough bashing of people who have posted wanting help. Not everyone realizes how well sugar Gliders disguise their pain. Man gliders are dieing by the time we realize their is something wrong. We can only encourage others to take them to the vet.

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Do the regular members here have a consensus when it comes to diet?

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That is a problem because we don't all agree on what is a good diet.

I don't feel that Mel is bashing anyone to be honest with you. I think she is more along the line of saying people should know better about feeding gliders whatever they eat. And if they look hurt or something seems wrong then a vet check is a must. People can be ignorant when it comes to what animals eat. When I worked as a vet tech I saw numerous over weight obese dogs because people would feed them well just whatever we eat. They know it's wrong but they still do it they say oh we are just spoiling them. I think the point is people may be ignorant about sugar gliders but can you really tell me that they don't know better then to feed them the spagetti off their plate or whatever they eat. I don't see people feeding hamsters that they go and buy the hampster food. It's just maddening to see all the diet don'ts out there and nine times out of ten they do know better.

Mel, would you please write an article about diet using the passion that you have and send it to me. The pedia information is old right now and all of us here will begin to updated it. The joy of the WIKI is that we can all contribute and grow it and keep it current and correct. As it is now, it needs a heck of a lot of attention, from all of us.

WHAT IS A WIKI

I would also like to see WHY you think those items you listed are negative? Is it because they are not on a diet plan listed somewhere?

Tootles, you are absolutely right. Good example too. My grandad used to feed his dog the table scraps and she was very unhealthy. I have seen cats at the pound who were extremely obese as well. Jett, I actually used Kar as an example. My fears ARE that a site or book or whatever resource promoting table scraps or whatever you eat or in the fridge is reassuring those who don't put ANY effort into research and do the convenient thing. I THINK I am usually sensitive to the newbie because I usually try to inform and direct. But on a completely SEPARATE note as far as the YOUNG Kar who was once DVD is concerned if you sense frustration from me. You are right. This is an extremely sad example of those who do NOT DESERVE exotics and breeding them at that! I wish I could picket their home for the potential buyer! I f you read the posts from DVD from Aug to Nov you see the ignorance in diet, behavior and the joeys need to STAY with parents WHILE nursing. He was warned of the need to be on a special diet but indicated his interest to feed catfood and yes my interpretation was JUST cat food. Back then I used patience and direction. David disappears for 3 mos and comes back as KAR/Kelly. He now states they EAT WHAT THEY EAT which is what he stated before as well. After numerous warning by myself AND others he now has more joeys and a desperately ill or injured glider. I have asked several timed for him to get his parents involved. On occasion I have wondered IF the parent posted on this account because while still arrogantly ignorant to responses the grammar improves. S o yes I AM VERY UPSET by this circumstance and I can't do anything about it.

Back on task of the post. Kazko thank you for your interest. Thank you for seeing I am passionate and concerned particularly for the newbie to consider. I was thrown off guard to the inconsistencies in the diet suggestions as Eric is so good at critiquing. He REALLY is. I had hoped the new changes would be addressed for accuracy/consistency. I do not pretend to be experienced in what's best but I am compassionate in presenting information in a way the newbie has choices and insight to the direction given. I can TRY to write something in that order. Eric can critique it! Thanks for the openness to consider other possibilities.

Mel, if a boxing glove could just come from the monitor and punch the ignorant who don't even try to feed their animals well (regardless of the "diet" they don't feed food that is nutritious to possums), we would all feel better.

lol jewels. that would make me fell better. and maybe after they are done punching the ppl not giving their gliders the right diet they can go and kick the ppl with glider mills. woot!

Mel I think another addition to your questions in your first post would be
** Gliders gouge wood and eat hard shelled insects in the wild, yet in captivity we insist they need a soft diet. Is this healthy for their teeth and gums? Could this be a contributing factor to the amount of periodontal issues we are seeing recently?

Please refer to this topic for some insight on the diet war issues.

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I do understand the frustration with hearing people that don't take care of their animals properly. On one hand, you need to realize that some people are told that this type of diet is okay. They are told by the ignorant people that are breeding to make money. Then the new owners think it is okay because a "professional" told them. It is sad because there is so much information out there and you just have to take the time to find it. If you are smart enough to find this place then you can find the "truth" about what you should feed your glider. The situation about the glider that is hurt and needs to go to the vet is sickening. I do know money can be tight sometimes but come on!! You have to realize that this poor animal is in pain. Maybe they are just afraid to take it to the vet because they will tell them the truth! Tell them that they aren't feeding it a healthy diet. Some people don't want to do what is right, they want to do what is cheap and easy. If so, then they shouldn't have a glider. They are not cheap or easy. Any if you want the easy route, then it probably means you aren't spending all the time with your glider that they need. It is sad how just anyone can think "oh how cute!" and just buy a helpless animal. Hopefully finding this place will help some people that just don't know any better. Those are the ones you can help. The ones that want to know the truth and are just waiting to hear it. The ones that don't care to know the truth aren't able to be helped. It is sad but that is the truth!!

Oh jeez i gave my guy the "Live and Active" symbol yogurt and like peach and cherry :- i hope thats alright.

That should be okay but you want to balance thier diet and be aware of dangerous foods. I suggest to read up on the proven diet lists to get an understanding.