Poll Question: I know there is a lot of fussing about this topic, not trying to start another fight, just trying to see how many feel which way. As all polls are on this forum I think, It's a blind poll, no one can see who voted what. I'm just trying to see how many feel each way. So please vote, what's your opinion on pellets? Choices: they are fine as a main staple of a diet they are fine as part of a diet they are fine as a daytime snack only thry are fine as a emergency food only treat food only pellets are bad, no way other? please explain undecided Who Can Vote? Only Members can vote. You need to register or be logged in to vote.

Voted.
Personal opinion is that high quality pellets are okay left in the cage for a daytime treat. I don't feel that it's needed though, and so I don't feed any pellets myself.


The issue with pellets is the nutritional value of them. That is the main issue, at least, and the one that seems to be most proven. Most pellets are not nutritious -- surely not enough to be used alone, at least.

People claim that they can cause jaw problems, and whatnot -- I even once heard that "someone's glider choked on a pellet" when I first started posting to glider forums. That was hearsay, however, and the person making the claim was unable to provide any names of who it happened to -- no one else had heard of the incident either. As for jaw problems, as far as I am aware, it has never been proven that pellets are to blame. Keep in mind that gliders tear through hard pieces of bark in the wild in order to get to sap and bugs and other "yummies"-- their teeth and jaws are certainly strong, at least in a healthy glider

Their teeth are more meant for stripping bark for sap rather than chewing on stuff. They do have than innate need, so they feel, so I provide euc branches.

I voted too..not based on opinion but on facts. It really isn't about people's opinion in regards to whether or not pellets should be considered either a diet or part of one. I'd love to see a poll saying whether or not people check the ingredients before offering them to their gliders. Also, it is not proven in any way that pellets or hard food cause lumpy jaw. (just adding to what Sarah was saying)

It really depends on the pellet. There are pellets out there that are about as nutritious for gliders as Hershey's Kisses. I wouldn't want my human child to have an "all day snack" of Hershey's Kisses!

But there ARE higher quality, more nutritious pellets out there - just none you can buy at a pet store! THOSE pellets are more like leaving a plate of carrots and celery out for your human kids to snack on. Those, I leave in the glider cages all the time.

link to healthy pellets?

I would still like to see a link where I can find 'healthy' pellets

http://www.sweet-sugar-gliders.com/Pellet%20Food%20Analysis%20-%20Quick%20View.pdf

I don't like the ingredients of ANY of those.

My gliders won't even eat the crap.

My gliders will not eat pellets. Period. They ignore pellets completely. They eat cheeze, crickets, fruit, chicken, eggs, and rice. I also put asparagus fern in for them to nibble on. One of my girls, Cornpop, loves the occasional shortbread cookie smidge. Harley loves whipped yogurt. They all love apples, and grapes.

quote:

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Originally posted by Pikie

My gliders will not eat pellets. Period. They ignore pellets completely. They eat cheeze, crickets, fruit, chicken, eggs, and rice. I also put asparagus fern in for them to nibble on. One of my girls, Cornpop, loves the occasional shortbread cookie smidge. Harley loves whipped yogurt. They all love apples, and grapes.

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Why are you feeding you gliders cookies?! And cheese is not something they should be eating either... at least not on even a semi regular basis.

Please, for the sake of your suggies, get them on an actual diet. They need a proper Ca:PH ratio.... not random stuff thrown together.

We definitely DO NOT NEED TO FIGHT ABOUT THIS. I currently have my trio (and May) on Pricilla Price's diet. I keep a small bowl of pellets in the cage and every few days a Monkey Biscuit or two (in with my trio). I believe that if my guys want the pellets/biscuits they are there for them.

I do provide a mix of veggies, fruit, chicken or egg & the daily supplement EVERY DAY.

There are some days that they barely touch the fresh stuff. Other days the fresh is all they consume.

My guys are all in great fur, weight and enjoying their lives. I provide the best care and diet I can. I continuously read about their care, feeding to provide what they need and give them a little of what they want. I do not breed and understand that the dietary needs change for that.

They bring great joy to my life everyday. I provide them with the best I can and as long as they are healthy and happy, I feel like I am doing a good job.

There is an astounding range of advice and guidelines all over the web. On one web site I saw one page on diet that insisted 20% of their diet should be from protein and another page on the SAME site insisted that 70% protein was required.

Some insist NO NUTS whatsoever, others say ok in moderation.

Heck there was a time that "the experts" insisted gliders thrived on canned and dry cat food.

Bottom line, keep the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio right and you are doing the best you can for your babies.

We can not possibly reproduce their exact diet as if they were living wild. Provide the best balance you are able, give them all the love and play they can stand. Then you can close your eyes and sleep peacefully assured you are doing the best for god's creatures in your care.

Learning how little we do know about their existence in the wild and how much disagreement there is regarding their diets in captivity, I would be tempted to eliminate this animal from the pet trade.
They do make INCREDIBLE animal companions given the best we have to offer.

I love my furry bundles of fun.

IMVVHO when I think about the fact that in the wild they can have a 30 square mile home range there is NO WAY to possibly provide the same freedom or quality of experience they have when remaining wild.

quote:

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Originally posted by aerglider

We definitely DO NOT NEED TO FIGHT ABOUT THIS. I currently have my trio (and May) on Pricilla Price's diet. I keep a small bowl of pellets in the cage and every few days a Monkey Biscuit or two (in with my trio). I believe that if my guys want the pellets/biscuits they are there for them.

I do provide a mix of veggies, fruit, chicken or egg & the daily supplement EVERY DAY.

There are some days that they barely touch the fresh stuff. Other days the fresh is all they consume.

My guys are all in great fur, weight and enjoying their lives. I provide the best care and diet I can. I continuously read about their care, feeding to provide what they need and give them a little of what they want. I do not breed and understand that the dietary needs change for that.

They bring great joy to my life everyday. I provide them with the best I can and as long as they are healthy and happy, I feel like I am doing a good job.

There is an astounding range of advice and guidelines all over the web. On one web site I saw one page on diet that insisted 20% of their diet should be from protein and another page on the SAME site insisted that 70% protein was required.

Some insist NO NUTS whatsoever, others say ok in moderation.

Heck there was a time that "the experts" insisted gliders thrived on canned and dry cat food.

Bottom line, keep the Calcium to Phosphorus ratio right and you are doing the best you can for your babies.

We can not possibly reproduce their exact diet as if they were living wild. Provide the best balance you are able, give them all the love and play they can stand. Then you can close your eyes and sleep peacefully assured you are doing the best for god's creatures in your care.

Learning how little we do know about their existence in the wild and how much disagreement there is regarding their diets in captivity, I would be tempted to eliminate this animal from the pet trade.
They do make INCREDIBLE animal companions given the best we have to offer.

I love my furry bundles of fun.

IMVVHO when I think about the fact that in the wild they can have a 30 square mile home range there is NO WAY to possibly provide the same freedom or quality of experience they have when remaining wild.

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I agree

Mine are on the same diet and I keep a small bowl of pellets in the cage as well as directed on the Pricilla price Diet page.. I see them nibble every now and again at them.

Other, I suppose if I just had to give them pellets for a night maybe but would rather feed chicken or eggs.

My gliders always fill up on the Happy Glider Pellets when I put them in for a daytime snack, they end up having very soft stools as well. I stopped putting them in.

I feed my 11 gliders BML with 1/3 cup of wobaroo mixed in since I have a joey and Pro-pet Happy glider Surpreme in their cage for a snack and fresh fruit and veggies daily I rescue so I feed them BML to give them a very healthy meal but I am going to change to HPW some of my gliders we so bad/sick starving when I got them I am trying to have them gain some weight, BML is working nicely for that! happy glider is the only dry food I would feed my gange and they LOVE it! and I love them!!!!

I think that sugies should always have the coice.... put the pellet food in there.... but also have your fresh food... that is what i do.......

There good for a side snack , good for crunchiness

I thought I had the worlds most complete and healthy glider food when I purchased a large bag online before I got the gliders. Glad I came here and never tried to feed them that stuff as a part of their diet!

I do put some in during the day, just because I hate the thought of them not having something to eat if they are hungry. (Although I get them out during the afternoon and give them snacks)

Gliders should ALWAYS be fed fruits with moderate veggies and mealworms. Pellets are NOT a substitution for any of these. However, if your suggies are like mine and don't want to eat veggies (& some joeys don't want mealworms), pellets can be used as a snack to at least get some of these vitamins. Though I would suggest a better supplement, such as gliderade and bee pollen.

Pellets aren't all bad, though. I've read before that they're good for their teeth, but I'm not sure if that's entirely true. I just have my own opinion and would rather use a true form of vitamins than something processed. Besides, the real deal is so much tastier than dry, boring pellets!