Marie
~ Glidergirl ~ Approved Breeder/Vendor
Administrator
Official Suggie
Karma: 404
 Offline
Posts: 15653
|
 |
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2006, 05:37:48 am » |
|
Caroline Macpherson's Sugar Glider Diet
Caroline says “My gliders are fed fruit, dried cat food and yogurt. I know that in the book the section on dried cat food is written in cautionary terms (I was forced to write it that way to satisfy the publisher) but in reality dry cat food works better than other sources of protein such as ground beef, chicken, insects and eggs. Use any good quality dry cat food. A small dish can be left out at all times.”
Each evening offer your glider 3 or 4 different types of fruit and/or vegetable. Remember, not all fruits are created equal. Some have good calcium to phosphorus levels (more calcium than phosphorus) and these should be favored in the diet. The reason that calcium/phosphorus ratios are emphasized so much is because calcium deficiency is the leading cause of death in captive gliders. Certain fruits have a higher (more desirable) Ca:p ratio - these should be used frequently.
Some fruits are neutral, or close to neutral, in that they have similar amounts of calcium to phosphorus. These can also be fed frequently.
Some fruits and vegetables are highly "inverse" in that they have a lot more phosphorus than they do calcium. This makes them less desirable nutritionally. A good example of this is sweet corn. Sugar gliders love it but it has calcium and phosphorus in a 1:40 ratio. It can still be fed but in small amounts and infrequently.
The same is true of nuts and seeds. You will also notice that meat products and eggs are highly inverse. So are insects. That is why it is better to use a dry cat food that has been balanced by the manufacturer.
I have found that feeding yogurt to my gliders 2 or 3 times a week is a great alternative to feeding calcium supplements. Most gliders love plain low fat or full fat yogurt but if you can't get them to eat it plain try adding a little bit of honey or a puree of their favorite fruit or try experimenting with different brands and flavors. Make sure the yogurt is free of preservatives, artificial flavorings and aspartame and other types of artificial sweeteners. On days when you feed the yogurt it is a good idea to cut back on the fruit slightly to encourage them to eat it.
So here is a typical week based on a pair of gliders (but if they are polishing their plates then up the amounts): back to top
Sample:
Day 1: 1/4 apple, 1/4 orange, 1/4 small papaya, teaspoonful of dry cat food.
Day 2: 1/4 apple, 1/4 orange, fig, dry cat food.
Day 3: 1/4 orange, 4 grapes, heaping tablespoon of yogurt, dry cat food
Day 4: 1/4 ripe pear, 1/4 orange, pineapple chunks, dry cat food
Day 5: 1/4 small mango, 1/4 orange, 1/8 medium size avocado, dry cat food
Day 6: 1/4 orange, 4 raspberries, heaping tablespoon of yogurt, dry cat food
Day 7: 1/4 orange, 2 one inch cubes of cantaloupe, 1/4 pear, dry cat food.
Obviously this is just a guideline. Use your imagination while trying not
to feed too many inverse items in quantity too often. If your gliders
particularly like something that is good for them such as papaya, figs,
oranges, or yogurt then you can feed those items more often than on
the above menu. Don't be afraid to give your glider treats such as a small
amount of sweet corn or a meal worm or cricket, just don't overdo it
|
