So a new member here posted about feeding her gliders the Ensure diet. I was just wondering if anybody could fill me in as to what this diet is exactly. It is new to me so I was wondering if it is actually recommended and if anybody here uses it. Thanks!

PS Not planning on feeding this to my gliders (they love their HPW) Just wanted to learn more about this

I've been using it for a couple years now and know multiple other breeders who have been using the diet for many years as well.

I have the recipe on my website: http://justforfuzzies.com/gliders/Care_sheet.html

It's a simple diet and my gliders LOVE it!

I'd been feeding the original HPW until my gliders developed severe calcium deficiency on it. I then tried switching to BML, but half the gliders wouldn't touch it. Then I tried Ensure and haven't looked back since!

yup this is what i feed. my gliders love it so far. i hope they keep loving it lol.

The Ensure diet started as "Darcy's diet" and was not originally developed to be a primary staple food for gliders.

Here are some of my thoughts on this diet.

1 - it began as a way to get additional nutrients into a very sick glider who could not eat the diet offered other gliders well enough to meet her nutritional needs.

2 - it is a good way to give a measured amount of calcium supplement divided over a period of time which is a more accurate dosage than "sprinkling" too much or too little on food. The Ensure does contain additional vitamins. This same goal is met by the calcium and vitamins in the Wombaroo High Protein Supplement, HPW Plus or HPW Complete powders in the various HPW diets and by the addition of supplements in the BML recipe.

3 - Ensure with added calcium does not provide for all of a glider's protein needs and the feeding plan includes feeding a protein source along with fruits and vegetables in addition to the Ensure. HPW and BML ARE the primary protein source as well as the source for vitamins and calcium.

I consider the "ensure diet" to be a way of administering calcium and vitamins to gliders - I would not consider it to be a balanced staple in the same category as BML or HPW which are intended to meet the gliders protein, vitamins and calcium needs as their primary staple diet.

There is also an Ensure diet variation fed by The Glider Tree for about oh say the last 10 or so years (I think). Quite a few of Those gliders live to be 10 to 15 years old, course some come in that are so bad they die, thats a glider rehab for ya. My gliders have never done better than the past Approx 3 years I have fed it. I had quite a few gliders with health problems before that, broken leg, thinning fur, greasy gliders, etc. fecals all were clear. So I made the decision to feed a different diet. It will take some years to prove it out though.

I ran out of my HPW during our move, and fed my babies a little Ensure. They LOVED it. Devoured it like no other staple so far.

Cora, could you please tell me where to find more info on the version fed by you or The Glider Tree?

I feel like I'd rather try one of the Ensure diet options rather than remove a full dish of HPW every morning.

I fed the ensure diet for about 3 yrs and my glider did fantastic on it. They had amazing coats and were all very healthy. We did have to change the diet because a few of the gliders were getting a bit chubby on the ensure diet.

Which version did you use Connie?

Actually, I did a nutritional analysis of each diet before ever deciding whether or not to feed the Ensure diet and it turns out that if you just feed the Ensure(add calcium) diet without any added protein the amount of protein per serving is nearly the same as BML and HPW. Once broken down into servings there is not a significant difference between any of the 3 diets as far as protein is concerned.

However, because the original Ensure diet(Darcy's diet) called for added protein I always add protein as well. My gliders certainly don't seem to mind and since that added protein is usually yogurt then it also has the added benefit of giving my gliders a daily source of probiotics and other health benefits. No harm there!

Cora- that's wonderful to hear that you are feeding the Ensure diet as well with great results! You must have switched right around the same time as me.

Connie- out of curiosity, were your obese gliders WF or from WF lines? They seem to have alot of obesity issues, no matter what diet they're fed. I've tried everything with my 2 chunkers and have just given up and let them have their way, lol. My fatties are the sweetest ones anyways, so they get away with anything.

I feed ensure every other night. On off nights I give extra protein and yogurt or cottage cheese. example last night I fed Boiled chicken, yoplait Very Cherry yogurt, Honeydew, papaya, Sugar snap peas, Collard greens. With roses on top!

Tonight I fed ensure, Watermelon, cantaloupe, kiwi, Steamed squash, veggie relish(green juice, peas, corn, green beans blended), and a few Pine nuts on top. You have to watch you ratios, found in my website below.

I also feed mealies

Thank you very much Cora. Although I feel most comfortable with feeding a diet like HPW, it doesn't do a lot of good if they won't eat it.
Not giving up yet, but it's nice to know there are options!

Roses!! Cool! I have some growing right now. Might have to try that!