Big question, are we over supplementing our gliders?
Well, I started thinking about it after my dad saw me making GliderSLURP and he was like:
“Wow, that’s alot of good stuff you are putting in your glider food, be careful not to over supplement yah?”
My dad was talking to me base on his dog caring knowledge. My family love dogs and we have quite a number of dog care books, from health to the specific breed books. And I do remember reading something that said we should not be feeding extra vitamins to our dogs if we are already giving them dog kibble or dried dog food. This is coz it the dried processed food already has vitamins and minerals added, which are enough for the dog’s daily requirements. So how about gliders?
To me, it could be true… so the safest way is not to over supplement your gliders. Stick with a basic food supplement like GliderSLURP or HPW or whatever supplement you are using. Forget about the additional vitamin syrup, that should be given only when your pet is recovering from sickness or is having poor appetite. Even if you think you should give a little vitamin, I think I would rather give them some fruits or juice or even some fruit-base natural yogurt because when it is fresh and in food, the level of the vitamin and mineral is not too concentrated for the body. Same goes with calcium. I know gliders need to be given a high diet in calcium but oversupplementing can cause a few of these problems:
Constipation, Urinary tract infection, kidney stones, abdominal pains, peptic ulcers, muscle weakness, memory loss, and confusion. Too much calcium can also interfere with the function of the heart, causing high blood pressure and weakened heart muscle.
So do remember, if you are feeding papaya or any food high in calcium, then try not to give another type of food loaded with calcium. It can be too much. That’s why it is good to balance it off with a food lower in calcium, like apple or pear or mango.
When buying supplements like Gliderade, Gliderbooster, any type of glider pellets or kibble…. do remember, not to over do it. You may think it is beneficial but if you are already feeding a diet that is quite balanced with fresh fruit, protein source and a diet supplement, you may not need to give so much of the other supplements. Use wisely and carefully.
What I normally use for my gliders? Well, first of all, GliderSLURP is given everyday, and then there is a little fruit given. I only have Rep-Cal and Herptivite at home, I rarely use my Gliderade, which has been in the freezer for 2 years…. and I have loads of organic Acacia Gum which my gliders love. This is good, a complex carbohydrate source that sugar gliders benefit from.
Hye,
Ive only recently stumbled upon your blog and this is basically HEAVEN! I’ve gotten myself a pair of sugar gliders and i love them alot. Thing is, my gliders don’t really like the pellets and I’ve only been giving them pears and apples. I give them egg whites once a while. I just wanna say that I do not like mealworms because I’m grossed out by them, so I don;t usually feed them that. Do you think it’s okay? and may I know some of your homemade recipes you make for your gliders? because i tried some from the net and my gliders ended up with diarrhea
thanks
Hi,
The diarrhea is normally from honey. Did you use honey in your recipes? It takes them a few days to a week to get over the diarrhea period from honey. That’s why I do not use honey in my food. Yes, naturally gliders do not like pellets. So they will favour fresh fruits and insects. I would suggest giving them a more varied diet of fruits, introduce fruits that are high in calcium like guava, papaya. You can exclude insects if you find it hard to feed. Give eggs, use whole, as the yolk and egg white together will give better nutrition than just feeding egg white alone. You can give cooked chicken and turkey meat. I have already listed 2 recipes on my blog, so do take a look at them. Thanks for reading my blog.