NUTRITION

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Sugar gliders require a very well-balanced diet to avoid health problems, paralysis (HLP-Hind Limb Paralysis), malnutrition, strong musky odor, premature death, stained fur or fur in poor condition. In their natural habitat, sugar gliders are omnivorous, which means that they eat almost anything. In captivity, their diet must therefore take this aspect into account, in order to avoid any nutritional deficiency. Unfortunately, no dry commercial food for sugar gliders sold on the market is adequate to replace homemade diet.

A homemade mixture consists of a balanced and precise combination containing carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals, fibers, iron, fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables. Avoid canned or commercial dried fruits and veggies which contain food preservatives, salt and sulphites, harmful for your little glider. Fresh food mixture and fresh water must be given daily, NO EXCEPTION. All dishes must be washed thoroughly every day to avoid contamination or food poisoning. Only give tap water, boiled and cooled, to your sugar glider and never use bottled water that is too rich in minerals and which would cause kidney problems.

Sugar gliders are very sensitive to the calcium-phosphorus balance (Ca: P) in their diet. In order to accomplish their metabolic functions properly, calcium and phosphorus work in pairs with help of vitamin D and an equivalent amount must be absorbed. The presence of excess phosphorus in the diet (or calcium deficiency) will cause the body to draw calcium from the bones (a source of calcium) to restore the Ca: P balance. If the calcium-phosphorus imbalance is constant, calcium deficiency (hypocalcemia) will cause softening of the bones and will eventually lead to hind limb paralysis (HLP). It is therefore imperative to maintain a calcium-phosphorus ratio close to 2: 1 in sugar gliders diet to allow extra calcium to maintain the integrity and solidity of bones. Conversely, too much calcium (hypercalcemia) in the diet would cause cardiac rhythm disorders, kidney stones, kidney failure, joint problems and neurological disorders. According to several studies on optimal feeding requirements for sugar gliders, a Ca: P ratio between 1.5: 1 and 2.5: 1 is optimal and fully satisfies sugar glider's calcium requirements.

Several diets can be offered to your sugar glider. Internet contains multiple diet options for sugar gliders, some of which are less accessible because some products are difficult to obtain or expensive to import. Each diet requires a different variety of fruits and vegetables, to balance diet's final Ca:P ratio.

Several excellent diets can be found on the Internet (BML, TPG, HPW, GOHPW, AWD, etc.). The documentation provided with your new adopted joey contains diets that have been proven over time. We also included well-balanced fruits/vegetables mix recipes and a table of Ca:P ratios for the most common fruits and vegetables. All mix should contain as much fruit as vegetables and a minimum of 2-4 different fruits AND 2-4 different vegetables for each recipe.  Fruits and vegetables mix recipes should vary every month to ensure a variety of tastes, vitamins and nutrients for your sugar glider.

Mon Petit Sugar Love uses the TPG with fruits and vegetables, so that the final recipe has a Ca:P ratio between 1.5: 1 and 2.5: 1. Mixing finely chopped fruits and vegetables with the basic diet encourages sugar gliders to accept new fruits and veggies, drastically reduces "selective sorting", waste and facilitate the incorporation of different fruits and vegetables in the main diet. For our sugar gliders who refuse live insects, even insects can be incorporated into mixes before serving.

The BML recipe alone has a Ca: P ratio of about 3.6: 1 with about 16% protein. To ensure that the final mixture (1/3 BML + 1/3 fruit mix puree + 1/3 vegetables mix puree) is within the recommended Ca:P values ​​of, between 1.5: 1 and 2.5: 1, fruits and vegetables less rich in calcium must be selected to balance Ca: P ratio in the final mixture. This diet also limits the choice of fruits and vegetables that can be used. Fruits allowed are: apples, grape, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, cherry and blueberry, fresh or frozen, mixed or alone. Vegetables allowed are: green pea, green bean, yellow bean, corn and carrot, fresh or frozen, mixed or alone. A bag of frozen mix veggies (corn, green peas, carrots, yellow beans and green beans) is perfectly balanced for vegetables. Items and quantities indicated in the BML recipe should never be altered, modified or replaced by another item, otherwise the nutritive balance will no longer be the same. For yogurt it is essential to use whole plain yogurt containing between 3% fat and never use yogurt 0% fat, Greek yogurt or sugar-free yogurt with sugar added or aspartame. For fruit juices, always use a 100% natural juice without added sugar (Oasis apple juice or white grape juice and Oasis berry mix juice for the canadian version of BML). Never use punch or artificial juice. The addition of RepCal multivitamins with calcium in the BML diet is ESSENTIAL and should never be substituted for anything else. Always wash and peel fruits and vegetables, remove apple cores, seeds and cherry pits carefully before mixing. NEVER use commercial dried or canned fruits and vegetables or fruits in syrup.

The TPG recipe alone has a Ca: P ratio of about 5: 1 with about 15% protein. For the TPG recipe, select 2 fruits and 2 vegetables rich in calcium, 2 fruits and 2 low-mid calcium vegetables, fresh or frozen, to obtain a ratio Ca: P Total ratio between 1.5: 1 and 2.5: 1 in the final mixture. The quantities and items indicated in the TPG recipe should never be altered, modified or replaced by another item, otherwise the nutritive balance will no longer be the same. For yogurt it is essential to use whole plain yogurt containing 3% of fat and never use yogurt 0% fat, Greek yogurt or sugar-free yogurt with aspartame. For orange juice, this must be a frozen concentrated orange juice with calcium, 100% natural, without added sugar and MUST NOT be diluted before adding the necessary amount to the TPG recipe. Never use punch or artificial juice. The addition of TPG multivitamins with calcium in the TPG diet is ESSENTIAL and should never be substituted for anything else. Always wash and peel fruits and vegetables, remove apple cores, seeds and cherry pits carefully before mixing. NEVER use commercial dried or canned fruits and vegetables or fruits in syrup.

Because sugar gliders have a sweet tooth and do not have access to tree bark in captivity to help clean their teeth, they are often prone to dental problems (tartar, abscesses, periodontitis, etc.) leading to infections and emergency dental extractions. Providing a dry, more abrasive food than homemade diet will help with dental cleaning and will reduce the risk of future dental problems. For dry food, use only 2 tablespoons of dry insectivore diet in a dish, for the health of gums and teeth of your little omnivorous. Always remember that dry food will NEVER replace homemade healthy mixtures which are ESSENTIAL for your glider's good health. Lots of veterinarians specialized with exotic pets, in the USA and Canada, recommend the Mazuri brand (Purina Mills) as insectivore diet, available in our shop or at your veterinarian. Mazuri Monkey Crunch biscuits (Purina Mills), available in our boutique or at your veterinarian, are enriched with a dental guard, excellent for the health of the teeth and gums of sugar gliders. In addition, insectivore diet and monkey biscuits are an excellent source of proteins, vitamins and minerals. Live mealworms will also help for teeth cleaning and as a protein supplement.

NEVER give rhubarb, raw lima beans, onions, garlic, shallot, leeks, grape with seeds, raw potato, chocolate, products containing cocoa butter, candies, macademia nuts, coffee, alcohol, soda, salt and spice. Grapes (no seeds) and Asian fruits are often too rich in pesticide residues, so wash them carefully and give them with moderation. Fatty fish and seafood should also be given with moderation because they are rich in harmful contaminants such as lead and mercury which are highly TOXIC to all mammals. Never give raw meat, raw eggs or any other unpasteurized product to your sugar glider. Meat and eggs must be thoroughly cooked before incorporating them into the recipe.

As treats, you can offer mealworms, butter worms, superworm (head cut) raisins in yogurt, yogurt chips, small pieces of raw fruits/veggies, a piece of Shreddies or Cheerios cereals (very occasionally). Crickets should only be given if their origin and diet is known, because of the risk of aflatoxin contamination. Aflatoxins, fatal for sugar gliders, are produced by a fungus (mold) often found in corn and cereals with which commercial crickets are fed.

MOST RECOMMENDED DIET RECIPES:

BML Diet (Bourbon's Modified Leadbeater - Bourbon Hackworth):*
* Canadian version since we don't have Gerber baby juice in Canada
gives 2.5 cups

• 1/2 cup of pure honey
• 1/4 cup of whole plain yogurt 3%
• 1/4 cup of mixed berry juice, 100% natural, no sugar added (Oasis)
  
• 1/4 cup of apple or white grape juice, 100% natural, no sugar added (Oasis)
  
• 1/2 cup of uncooked wheat germ
• 2 jars of Stage 1 chicken with broth baby food, Heinz or Gerber
• 1 scrambled egg cooked in the microwave
• 1/2 cup of dry baby cereals (rice, oatmeal or mixed)
• 1 teaspoon of pure bee pollen
• 1 teaspoon of Rep-Cal Herptivite Multi Vitamins BLUE LABEL
• 2 teaspoons of Rep-Cal Calcium phosphorus with Vit. D3 PINK LABEL

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in the food processor and mix until smooth homogeneous puree. Use clean ice cube trays to split the mix into small portions and freeze. The next day, put your ice cube mix in freezer plastic bags (Ziploc). BML mix is good up to 3 months in the freezer.
2. Fresh or thawed mixture is good for 3 days in the refrigerator.
3. Discard any uneaten mixture the next day, wash thoroughly all dishes and replace with fresh mixture.

Meal per day per glider:

• 1 tablespoon of BML mix
• 1 tablespoon of fruits mix (finely chopped in the food processor)**
• 1 tablespoon of vegetables mix (finely chopped in the food processor)***
• 5-7 mealworms (live or freeze dried)
• If you give live superworms, ALWAYS cut the superworm's head before serving it to your glider to avoid worm bites or serious injury to your little one.

**Fruits: apple, grape, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, cherry and blueberry.
***Vegetables: corn, green pea, carrot, green bean and yellow bean.


GOHPW Diet (Green Original High Protein Wombaroo):
Gives approx 4.5 cups

• 1/4 cup of Wombaroo High Protein Supplement (use 1/2 cup for joeys under 8 months and breeding gliders)
• 3 eggs cooked, without oil, butter or seasoning
• 2 cups of hot water
• 3/4 cup of honey
• 1 Tablespoon of pure bee pollen
• 1 cup of green juice (Odwalla, Knudsen ou Bolthouse)

Instructions:

1. Mix honey with hot water and stir to dissolve.
2. Place all ingredients in the food processor and mix until a homogeneous mixture is obtained. Use clean ice cube trays to split the mix into small portions and freeze. The next day, put your ice cube mix in freezer plastic bags (Ziploc). GOHPW mix is good up to 3 months in the freezer.
3. Fresh or thawed mixture is good for 3 days in the refrigerator.
4. Discard any uneaten mixture the next day, wash thoroughly all dishes and replace with fresh mixture.

Meal per day per glider:

• 1.5 teaspoon of GOHPW mix
• 1 tablespoon of fruits mixed (quickly chopped in the food processor)**
• 1 tablespoon of vegetables mixed (quickly chopped in the food processor)***
• 5-7 mealworms (live or freeze dried)
• If you give live superworms, ALWAYS cut the superworm's head before serving it to your glider to avoid worm bites or serious injury to your little one.

Recommended but not limited to

Fruits: apple, banana, grape, kiwi, papaya, orange, pear, cantaloup, berry fruits, pineapple, peach
Vegetables carrot, green pea, green/yellow beans, corn, sweet potato, avocado, green salad mix, bok choy, spinach, kale


TPG Diet (The Pet Glider - Priscilla Price):
gives 12 cups

• 2 cups diced fruits mixed (2-4 fruits, Ca:P balanced ratio)
  
• 2 cups diced vegetables mixed (2-4 vegetables, Ca:P balanced ratio)
  
• 1 cup whole plain yogurt 3%
• 6 tablespoons of frozen concentrated orange juice with calcium, 100% natural, UNDILUTED
• 6-8 tablespoons uncooked oatmeal (use 5 minutes regular oat, not instant)
• 4 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 227g (8 oz) of proteins (cooked chicken, cooked ground turkey and/or eggs, mixed or alone)
• 2 tablespoons ground flax seed or wheat germ

IMPORTANT: TPG complete multivitamins with calcium and probiotics should be sprinkled on top of the food your serve each day. NEVER add TPG complete multivitamins in the mixture before freezing. Always keep your TPG multivitamins with calcium powder in the refrigerator.

Instructions:

1. Place all ingredients in the food processor and mix until a a finely chopped mix is obtained. Use clean ice cube trays to split the mix into small portions and freeze. The next day, put your ice cube mix in freezer plastic bags (Ziploc). TPG mix is good up to 3 months in the freezer.
2. Fresh or thawed mixture is good for 3 days in the refrigerator.
3. Discard any uneaten mixture the next day, wash thoroughly all dishes and replace with fresh mixture.

Meal per day per glider:

• 2 tablespoons of TPG diet
• 1/8 teaspoon of TPG multivitamins per sugar glider sprinkled on top of the food your serve each day.
• 5-7 mealworms (live or freeze dried)
• If you give live superworms, ALWAYS cut the superworm's head before serving it to your glider to avoid worm bites or serious injury to your little one.

Mon Petit Sugar Love offers examples of well balanced fruits and vegetables mix that can be used with the TPG recipe. The list of Ca: P ratios, provided below, allows to select fruits and vegetables, making sure that the total sum of the Ca:P ratios, divided by the number of ingredients used, is between 1.5 and 2.5. Your mix should also always contain equal parts of fruits and vegetables, half of them rich in calcium, balanced with the other half mid-low in calcium. Be creative, your little one will be a healthy and happy baby!

IMPORTANT: Wash your hands thoroughly, work on a clean surface and use clean utensils ans dishes. Fruits and vegetables should always be thoroughly washed, peeled (if necessary), seed removed, raw and weighed, before making one of the proposed recipes. It is mandatory to vary the choice of fruits and vegetables every month to ensure a variety of healthy foods and nutrients to your little sugar glider.

TIP: Take advantage of seasonal discounts to make fruits and vegetables mix and freeze them for future needs!