Hi ya'll, I'm new to this site and I haven't even gotten my gliders yet, actually, which is the reason why I am here.

I want to know the correct diet to put the gliders on before I get them, this way I can have everything prepared for when then arrive.

I have been researching non stop for weeks now and I am at my limit. I thought I was settled on Priscilla diet...then I was settled on doing the Glide-R-Chow with all the trimmings since they were supposedly recommended by that sugar glider association... But then I'm reading horror stories about pellet diets and all these other diets and I am just...I don't know. Some say no pellets at all, others say pellets/cereal for snacking... Monkey treats even. Or treats for their teeth. If pellets kill them then should these not be used then?

Also I heard Gatorade is much better to use with their water every day instead of apple juice and others say no to both or no to Gatorade.

I am so lost and confused.

I was thinking of sticking with my original plan of doing the Priscilla diet plus a vitamin powder to mix in, then finding a hard treat for tooth health.
But then what vitamin powder? What treat unless the hard treat is really bad. Will the gliders have odor with the Priscilla diet? I heard some diets give them bad odors. I also heard feeding bugs all the time gives them an odor and isn't good for them.

I just don't know anymore. My brain is so fried, which I am sure you can tell from how spastic my post is.

I just don't want to start out my new life with gliders in a very bad way- by not feeding or 'watering' them correctly and having them become unhealthy and ultimately die.

I feel asking people who are actually glider owners and who are experienced with certain diets would be the best people to ask.

Please please please, end my confusion! Defuse this bomb that is about to go off in my brain.

Thank you for any help you can give me!

Ok, first of all: calm down, take a deep breath, and try to relax.

Then, I know how confusing the diet topic can be, since there is so much debate; but let me say this first: if the vet association you are talking about is the ASGV (or something like that) please do not take their advice to heart, it is not a real vet organization. Pellets should not be their main diet, BUT they can be use as a daytime snack in case they wake up hungry during the day; and there are many that agree that chew on something hard as the pellet helps simulate biting into bark, and keeping their teeth clean. It is entirely up to you whether you choose to feed pellets. I do, because of the reasons I stated, and the pellets I used are from Pet-Pro, you can order the variety pack and find out which type of pellet they preferred. Here is their link:

www.pet-pro.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=2&zenid=1i6bmek9161osq69ngpahrsmr7

From some of the stuff you say it sounds like you are reading advice from Pocket Pets, I strongly recommend to please not heed any of it; though not all of it is wrong, they are a business and care mainly about the sales.

Now, as for diets here is a link you can find in the gliderpedia with a list of approved diets:

www.sugarglider.com/gliderpedia/index.asp?Diet

The BML is good because you can find all the ingredients in your grocery store. This diet though requires that you follow it exactly as it is written, and you will to feed bugs daily as well.

The HPW is easy to prepare, all you require is the Powder and just water, or eggs, Honey, bee pollen and juice; depending on which HPW you are feeding. The creator of this diet is Peggy Breuer, and you can buy her products from this site:

www.critterlove.com/food--sides.html

And you can find nutritional values here:

www.critterlove.com/diet-info.html

Then a member of this forum, Candy, has come up with her diet which you can find here:

www.gliderkids-diet.com/

Along with this staple you need to feed a variety of fresh fruits and veggies daily. The usual quantities is 1 Tablespoon of the staple and 2 Tablespoons of fruits and veggies. The recommended ratio of Calcium to Phosphorus is 2:1, but since is hard to calculate it, just feed a wide variety of fruits and veggies and they should balance out (still try to keep in mind the ration, you can find more about the Ca:P ratios of each fruits and veggies in Candy's page).

As for treats, there are many things you can feed. Many people use yoggies, you can buy these on many sites. Bugs, like mealies are usually treats, except in the BML diet which is part of the diet itself. Nuts, but keep in mind that nuts are fatty and should not be fed frequently. There is also people that would feed things like marshmallows and cherio's as treats (I can't tell you much about it, since I do not do this). Also, corn is something that shouldn't be fed frequently, I use it only as treat. Among many other things. Just keep in mind that there are some things you can't feed to them since it will affect their health, here is a list:

www.petsugargliders.com/sgavoid.php

Finally, your question about the gatorade. If you are getting your gliders from a reputable breeder, the joeys should have been properly weaned, and they should be able to keep themselves well hydrated. You may not notice them drinking too much water though, but this is no reason to become alarmed, since they get most of the water they need from the fruits, veggies, and staple. Therefore, there should be no need for you to add gatorade in their water, unless they are severely dehydrated.

The last recommendation I'll give you is to find a glider-experienced vet around your area and take them their for a wellness check and fecal test. This will help you know if your gliders are healthy and will also get you and them more acquainted with the vet of your choice. Then after a 30 day period, take them back for another fecal, even if the first test came back negative, if they had any parasites they would have definitively hatched after 30 days and will show on this second test; if it comes back negative again, then you know for sure that your joeys are healthy.

Feel free to post any more questions you have. I understand that glider parenthood can be confusing at first, but with time you'll get used to all of it. And know that you made the right call in coming to a forum in look for answers.

Best of lucks!

Welcome to the forum! It's always refreshing to have someone come along who is doing their research IN ADVANCE! It's so important. Although, it can be maddening! It's ok. Once you feel you're prepared and get into the groove it is much less worrisome.

Rusty has given excellent advice and sources above, so I will add very little.

I'll only add that in respect the Priscilla's diet (which I use and currently have some of her gliders)...you mentioned vitamins. You absolutely must use her vitamins that are offered on her website with this diet. They are specifically designed for use with the staple. This is no scam or money making trick. The cereal and monkey biscuits are optional. They provide little else than a day time snack that stays fresh rather than a fresh treat left out all day (still should be tossed every day...and my gliders never get up for a snack during the day so I don't use them). I actually do use the monkey biscuits from time to time. Maybe once a week or so, just to switch up their "extras" that are hidden around the cage.

Of the true diets, which have been listed above, there really isn't a "best". It comes down to personal preference and glider preference.

And I second Rusty...a water bottle (you'll barely notice it has been touched) and juicy fruits are all that a healthy glider needs...no apple juice or gatoraide etc.

Absolute best of luck to you! Folks are here and more than happy to answer questions and share this neat experience!

I feel you'r pain! there is to much conflicting information out there! Personally I believe the "correct diet" is 1. a personal choice and 2. you'r gliders choice.

The "best" diet on the planet won't do them any good if they won't eat it. I am a relatively new glider mom, We have had Leela for about 4 months, next week we are bringing home her companion Simon ( a 4 yr old rescue ) so I am no expert by any means and still learning myself. But I can tell what I have tried so far and hope it helps. Diet is a pretty hot topic here but ultimately the choice is you'rs.

I had mine on a modified leadbeaters diet, she would only eat it for the first two days, once it went into the freezer she wouldn't touch it again. Which is strange since she eats frozen vegies just fine. Personally I'm not real fond of "powdered" diets that you just add water to, though it would be easier to make fresh daily but I haven't tried them.

When she was on that diet I was also giving her drinks during the day which I thought was doing her some good. It was actually filling her up on liquids reducing her appetite. So I no longer offer liquids during the day and her appetite came back with a vengeance. Because of the loss of appetite I haven't tried Gatorade or juice alongside her water, they get the liquids they need from the fruits and vegs they eat.


I have since changed her staple to this one http://www.thepetglider.com/glider-care-info/nutrition-system I prefer a staple that I can find the ingredients at the grocery store rather than ordering powder online. I also like that honey is not a main ingredient in this one.

I cut the recipe in half, for the first week she cleaned her bowl, This week there is quite a bit left in the morning. But we have also tried new treats this week that are probably filling her up.

As far as pellets go I leave a few pellets in her house all the time or put a few in foraging toys for her. She likes them so I don't want to take them away completely but I also don't wan't her to fill up on them every night so she only gets a few. A Pellet only diet is what I believe causes issues to their health. They need more than pellet only diet can provide.

Monkey biscuits were on the menu this week for the first time. the first time I soaked it in apple juice, she ate about half of it and half of her staple. A few days later I gave her a dry one, she destroyed it! she hardly touched her staple but cleaned up her vegies and most of her fruit. So it's something she will get maybe once a week. She also got her first squash blossom and parsely this week she absolutely loved it!

So far I haven't noticed any odor with either staple. I think from what I read a high protein diet is what can cause more of an odor. I'm sure someone will correct me if that is wrong information. Bugs are high in protein as well and can be fatty if giving to many. Yes they need protein in their diets, but to much like anything else, can be bad for them.

I still have some confusion and worry, probably always will lol Just remember to keep trying to introduce foods even if they don't seem to like them the at first. Some vegies Leela likes raw and some she likes cooked and softened. Sometimes I will offer her the same food both raw and cooked to get an idea of what she likes better. Some vegies like peas and carrots she likes strung like popcorn and hung rather than in a bowl. Give the staple a few days at least before giving up on it and trying another one. Sometimes it takes them a day or two to adjust to a new diet.

I also found keeping a list of toxic food for reference is helpful, and anything new we want to give her I typically look it up on here in the search bar before feeding it to her just to be on the safe side.

Good luck with you'r new babies!

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on doing your research first before getting you gliders.

Most of your diet questions have been answered - If you need more information on any specific diet to help you make a choice - please ask we are happy to help.

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Also I heard Gatorade is much better to use with their water every day instead of apple juice and others say no to both or no to Gatorade.

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I want to add a response to this. Gliders just do not drink a lot of water but when they do, it should be just plain water. Most of their need for fluids is met by eating the juicy fruits and vegetables offered with a well balanced nectar like staple each night.

Never put juice or gatorade in their water bottle. You may offer a very small amount in a small dish now and then, but they do not need either.

Sugary juice or gatorade in the water bottle will only encourage bacterial growth in the bottle and in the narrow tube that is difficult to clean. The water bottle with juice in it would need to be changed and washed about every 8 hours to keep the juice from spoiling.

You would probably not drink a glass of juice you found on the table that had been sitting there for 8 hours or longer.

Oh my goodness. Candy, Leela, Blue Nostalgia and rustypossumfart (lol to your name), I can not thank you enough for your invaluable information.
Your responses definitely cleared the air of any and all confusion I had.

I think I will go ahead and try the Priscilla diet along with the vitamins and cereal and or monkey treats or the pet pro pellets and I will stick with just plain water. I am so used to all other animals that I assumed they would be drinking a lot but now I know they get the majority of their hydration from the juices of their food. Now I won't be concerned if their water bottle isn't ever empty. Phew.

And I will definitely pay attention to what they like and don't like. No use making something if they won't even touch it! So if the Priscilla diet doesn't work I will go for the BML or Candy's diet. Hopefully I don't have to do a musical chairs number with the diets haha.

So the HPW is something that you serve along side with the main course or is it mixed in?

And on a non-food related note, I'm ordering all the things I need for the starter cage and I was about to order a heat rock- but again- there is tons of controversy over this too. If it is allowed, I know to make it so there is no way they can reach the cord to chew on it, and to ensure it isn't one that is going to be overly hot. But again, people either agree to having them and others are completely against it.

And last but not least, is the raptor wheel a good wheel? The cage will more than likely be in my room and I keep a fan on because I can't sleep without white noise and not sure if the wheel would become the new white noise over the fan or not haha. I love that it safe for gliders, nothing for their fur or tail to get stuck in, but I want to make sure it is durable and hopefully not super loud for the price it goes for.


Once again, thank you a million for all of the advice. I will look at all the links and consider the different diets and definitely base if off whether or not they enjoy it.

-Asch

The HPW is an staple diet like the others. You serve it along with fruits and veggies like you would any other diet.

The starter cage is another Pocket Pet advice. The recommended minimum cage size for Sugar Gliders is 18" deep x 30" wide x 36" tall. But the bigger the better (well the taller the better). It is kind of a waste of money since most likely you will end up wanting to get them a bigger cage. SunCoast offer good cages, here is the link to their cages:

www.sugar-gliders.com/index.php?id_category=15&controller=category

Exotic nutrition has a good selection too:

www.exoticnutrition.com/suglca.html

Then there is critter nation that have horizontal bars, which is specially helpful for joeys, though gliders should not have any issues with vertical bars at all. For the critter nation you can get a 2-level one, and if you wish for more space, get an add on, making it a 3-level cage. Here is more information:

www.critternation.net/

Then there is also the glide-ariums:

www.glidernursery.com/glide-arium.html

With this one just have the consideration that they don't come with rollers and so it can be harder to mobilize for cleaning.

The other consideration you should have is that the bar spacing should be maximum 1/2in. I personally do not trust any of the Pocket Pets products, if that's where you are getting your products from. Most importantly when looking for a cage, be sure to check that it is glider safe.

As for the wheel, raptors are a good choice. What I do is rinse it daily, and once a week give a through cleaning, scrubbing it as best as possible with soap and water. To help it keep longer and quiet, I occasionally apply a little bit of vegetable oil on the bearing.

Hope this is helpful.

Oh nonono, I'm not getting anything from Pocket Pets at all.

When I said starter cage I meant the small cage they start out in before going on to the big cage. I heard you should only have a wheel, a water bottle, a heat rock and a blanket- this way there is nothing for them to hide in and you don't have to chase them around the cage to try to get them for bonding. Unless this information is wrong and I literally just ordered a small cage for nothing lol.

I was just wondering if a heat rock was a good idea or not.

Oh so then HPW is just like Priscilla then?

And yeah, I'd definitely wanna clean the wheel every day since they will be on it quite a bit.

Thank you For more advice, Rustypossumfart

You absolutely do NOT need a heat rock. Sugar gliders are warm blooded animals and are fully capable of maintaining their own body temperature.

As long as you are comfortable at the temperature in your home your gliders will be also. Many folks use a small space heater in the coldest parts of the winter to keep the glider room a little warmer at night, but the heater should not be aimed directly at the cage or gliders.

Gliders can be burned on heat rocks. If they choose to sleep on the heat rock it can also cause overheating or even contribute to dehydration.

I recommend that you go ahead and get the size cage you plan on using for your glide's permanent home. A small starter cage is not necessary and unless you just want to have a spare cage, not worth the money.

I started out with a very nice - but small cage. 36 inches high but only 18 by 18 inches at the base. I very quickly decided my two gliders needed a larger cage - I bought an economy cage and found it to be a total waste of money. It was a great size, but the slide up doors were too small to put the wheel into the cage without taking it apart. It was flimsy and rattled all night long with the gliders running and jumping around.

I then went ahead and got a nice sturdy large cage - which I still have 6 years later. For what I spent on the small cage and the large cheap cage I could have bought the great cage in the first place - and spent the rest of the money on more glider toys!

Ok, great. Thank you, Candy. Averted a possible burning or dehydration disaster. I live in Tucson AZ but we do have some good AC. I'll just make sure the cage isn't near the ac and make a cage cover.
This will be one less thing I need to worry about and more money I can put toward a larger cage. I went ahead and canceled the order of the small cage. Thank god I said something, haha. I really wouldn't need a spare until I got another glider to join the other two- but that wont be until months down the road.

I hear PVC coated was better and, of course, others say the powdered paint is best. On the suger-gliders.com page, the cages are the powder paint coated so once again I'm at cross roads. Haha.

So to be clear, I can put all the toys and pouches and stuff that I want in their cage when I first get them, it wont distract them from bonding with me and it won't get in the way of me trying to get them out for bonding time? I watched videos of people showing how to get a glider out so I'm prepared for the most part, haha.

Thank you again!

Let me add something regarding the Priscilla diet.

If the gliders don't like it, you can make it differently. The diet does not specify exact ingredients but gives you a choice. So if one way doesn't work you can try using other foods in it.

I am no expert but I just wanted to add this!

I currently use that diet, and also got my gliders from them. I have only had them a week but they are eating a good amount of the food when I am sleeping.

Also it appears they never touch the water bottle when I look at the water level, even though I saw them do it once or twice for no more then two seconds.

Bonding time for me started around 8am Leela was asleep by then. I kept toys and pouches and what not in her cage but made sure I had clear access to her hammock that she slept in, I used a ferret hammock initially, all 4 corners connected in the middle with one clip free to hang it from. It was deep enough for to sleep comfortably in but open enough at the top for me to easily get her out in the morning. I would just hold the hammock with one hand underneath it to lift it up a little and use the other hand to retrieve the crabbing Leela lol. She crabbed a lotttttt for the first few days so I used the bonding pouch like an inside out mit to pick her up then flip the pouch right side out once she was in my hand. For me this way the easiest way of picking her up until she got used to me and didn't make her afraid of my hands.

Bonding is usually done when they are a sleep so toys and such in their cage shouldn't "distract" them, at least it didn't for us. Just make sure you can easily get you'r arm and hand to where they sleep without knocking a bunch of noisy toys it's easier to pick them up when they are asleep at first. Most of the time I could get Leela into her bonding pouch without waking her up at all.

After the first week I could pick her up barehanded, she'd crawl right into her bonding pouch and go right back to sleep. After the second week she discovered she could climb into my sweatshirt so she claimed that too lol which is where she prefers to be during the day even now.

Bonding at night is usually only during tent/bathroom time when they are awake to freely explore you outside a bonding pouch. I waited 2 weeks before I started bathroom time by then she was pretty bonded to me from daytime bonding.

Keep in mind every glider is different and won't be on the same time frame. It could take longer or be sooner... I pretty much let be at Leela's pace, when she showed signs that she was ready for the next step we proceeded.

As for a cage cover.... I live in fla the AC is on non stop with maybe a 2 day exception in the "winter" that we actually have to turn a space heater on lol. I don't use a cage cover. We did use a worn tshirt (my boyfriends) on Top of her cage so she could bond with Him at night while she played in her house. He works days so He couldn't bond with her the way I could with her bonding pouch. It worked pretty well, she is bonded better to me but knows He is part of her colony and can be trusted as well. She had gotten used to "something" being ontop of her cage so we keep a fleece blanket just on the top to prevent drafts from the AC.

Covering the cage during the day time will likely mess up their sleeping patterns. They need adequate light during the day to let them know its bed time and darkness at night to let them know its food/play time. If we have to many lights on at night Leela will go back into her sleeping pouch until we darken the room again.

Some folks use a blanket or sheet on top and drape it down the back to try and contain some of the "flying mess" that can cover a wall lol. But it shouldn't block the day light entirely.

Sorry this so lengthy lol but it hope it helps

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Originally posted by AschRose



I hear PVC coated was better and, of course, others say the powdered paint is best. On the suger-gliders.com page, the cages are the powder paint coated so once again I'm at cross roads. Haha.

So to be clear, I can put all the toys and pouches and stuff that I want in their cage when I first get them, it wont distract them from bonding with me and it won't get in the way of me trying to get them out for bonding time? I watched videos of people showing how to get a glider out so I'm prepared for the most part, haha.

Thank you again!

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The concerned with PVC coated cages is that a few years ago there were cases of gliders being intoxicated by some cages of these making. Here is some information about it:

www.sugar-gliders.com/glidervet-111.htm

All the cages we listed are glider safe, I haven't of anyone having issues with them, my cage is actually powder coated. But if you find a cage you are not sure of, feel free to ask, I am sure someone in the forum will be able to tell you more about it.

Regarding toys, it is recommended to have a good variety you can swap regularly so they don't get bored with the same set up. Just be mindful of not making it too cluttered in their cage so the have good mobility. You want to keep your gliders mentally stimulated so they can be healthy. Besides hanging toys, reset toys, and foraging toys, you will want to have a wheel in their cage at all times. Gliders are very active critters and require lots of exercise to keep healthy, exercise they wouldn't get from being in their cage without a wheel. If you are looking into wheels here is a list of them:

www.sugarglider.com/gliderpedia/index.asp?ExerciseWheels

Another option not listed in there is the H-wheel which have a speed control. You can find more about it in here:

www.humbertossugargliders.com/H-WheelFAQ.html

Hope this is helpful