Just to throw my 2¢ in the ring….

I have to agree… this is just a beginning it would be wonderful to have more scientific research… I will be sticking with what I feed… now the challenge is to find ways to make more of these studies happen …

GliderCENTRAL would like to thank all that contributed to this study. Every penny was needed. DR. D. did this out of the goodness of her heart. This study was estimated to cost 25,000 dollars and or upward. And she did this for us at a much less cost. Dr. Thomas accepted no moneys as did anyone else. The money was spent on lab test and other needed test for the study as well as the food, which was actually donated to the study.

My heart is singing that we may be getting closer to what these little ones need, and at the same time as Tom said it is totally broken for the ones that crossed the bridge.

I was at the airport when they were picked up and helped set them up. Dr. Thomas actually made house calls to check on them once a week or more. The drive is 45min long. Thanks DR. T. OH! And she was at the airport when they were shipped back.

DR. D.. is continuing on with studies that make take time but does not want to quit. She is using animals from a place they do not have to be shipped and are monitored 24/7 by people and camera.

But thanks to our members that donated money for this first study she has now continuing on her own.

I think at this point until I hear different I will be not be changing anything with my diet which is the BML.

Thank you all again, and thank you Tom for keeping "the books" and doing all that you did.

Ellen

Thanks for the PDF!!!!

I think what it has done is quite the opposite - it has actually removed some of the guessing. [/quote]


Thomas Edison said much the same, after failing several hundred times, that " I have not failed 1100 times, I have found 1100 ways NOT to make a lightbulb..."

I love that quote Shaun! Makes me smile every time I hear it.

aproductof, true. I don't think rushing out and changing diets that gliders have been on and are healthy and have always been would make any sense.

There are many diets that are "proven". However, the only proven diet to me is the one my gliders will eat, remain healthy and live very long and active lives.

The vitamins/calcium concerns me inso that gliders are getting overdosed with too many. Remember, even humans do not need to take extra vitamins IF they eat a good diet. Taking vitamins doesn't make up for anything, vitamins are a supplementation for people/animals who are ill or improperly nurished.

Read labels on everything you feed your gliders and you'll see how much they are getting of any one thing. Vitamin C is one I worry about. Iron is another.

Besides, changing a gliders diet can be detrimental to their health if not done correctly.

Something else really concerns me about the study. One being like said above that only 9 gliders were participated in the study.

The gliders were taken from their home they were used to and put with strangers and a strange invironment. Their diets were changed (at least 6 of them). They were flown not once but twice.

We hear and read all the time that CHANGE is not good for gliders. Those gliders went through extreme changes.

Other than the actual bloodwork done on those gliders, I personally am inclined to ignore the rest as I (again, personally believe) those gliders were under too much stress and that will affect health drastically either being an animal OR a human.

These are my opinions. I'm not telling anyone what to do or not to do as everyone should make their own choices. No one can tell me what to do with my suggies (well, they can, but I won't change a thing unless I absolutely know why I should) and I don't think people will be careless and go changing their diets because of the report.

More studies are needed IMO. I only pray the next studies are not quite so extensive as changing locale, diet and people they love. It would make more sense to find suggies that are already ON the diets in question and test those.

I will admit that I would never be involved though as taking blood alone is a huge stress on gliders as is the anesthesia.

IMO, I would hope that the studies in Australia with their captive gliders would bring more and better idea to us and make available as to what suggies really need.

I think it is important to remember that this is one of the first studies that some of us have read… I am one… and may be one of the first scientifically published studies on Gliders in America associated with currently ‘proven’ diets…

I am sure Mikey could say this better … {{ OMG what am I starting ? ? }}

But science needs to be repeated … - > ONE studies does not prove anything…

This IS a step in the right direction… I applaud everyone involved…

LOL! Where's Mikey?!!

There is nothing better than to have information. Even if it is incomplete, we know more than we did yesterday. So, I am thankful for the information. Thank you guys for getting it out to us.

So advice is to stay with the BML diet until further investigation?

It was way long but very informative. I'll probably go back and read it another dozen times though. The only thing I am going to tweak in my Suncoast diet is to reduce the amount of calcium and iron by a little. Nothing drastic. I always thought that those 2 elements may have been a little high. Other than that I'm good to go. I am going to take a copy of the study to my vet to see what he thinks.

It seems like the most valuable parts of this paper come in the dietary analyses and the caloric recommendations. I agree that suggies under stress are not ideal for study, but it is hard to do with an animal that is as sensitive to its surroundings as are sugar gliders.

Whoops! I hadn't seen that someone else posted the pdf. BUT here is another article on suggies from the same journal, about their general care.

Okay-this will drive me nuts now. What happened to the glider removed from the diet A study because of Self Mutilation???? Haven't finished the rest yet.

He is doing great. FIFLE is his name now and he had to had his tail amputed as it was broken when he got here. But is the life of the party now. Dr. T. took him and he is her baby. I will tell her you asked about him.

Thank you Miss Ellen!!! I would have gone home and had nighmares tonight-lol. Happens every time a SM drops off the board and I don't know what happened...you know my heart is all wrapped up in those little ones! Tell them to give him a kiss from me (wish I could give them all one), K? I'm so glad he's doing okay!

I will tell her. I saw him a few days ago and he is a very little glider but eats like a piggy. And he would love a kiss. LOL he loves to give them too. He is a cutie. That what love will do. He really turned around and I think he thinks he is a human little boy lol.

JT, since I didn't see anyone had answered you yet, yes, stay with the BML

Just wanted to add my 2 cents worth in also.
First of all I want to THANK all of those who were involved with doing the study. I commemorate your time, efforts, love, and concern given to these little angels! I'm so sorry for the ones that passed over the rainbow
bridge...never knowing why is so sad, but always know that they all were our "Little Heros'"
My background has been in the field of(medical) research for years. I understand the totality of specifics, findings, results, and most of all the importance of "triplicating" During all of our studies each one needed to be tripled, this is quite costly and time consuming....but the results are usually (90%) accurate. One study doesn't make the true result. However, an initial study can set a guideline (baseline). So hopefully in time we can all pull together and help fund future studies. I'm interested in knowing more each day on what we can do to prevent unnecessary illnesses both physically and psychologically on our little angles.
If there is another study in the future, I would love to contribute in some way to help no matter what it maybe.
Again, Thank all of you for doing a remarkable job!!!!!
God Bless

I am so happy to have see that this type of study was done & my printer is busy printing for me right now. I have never felt 100% sure about diet since getting my gliders & wish I felt better about giving them the best I can.

This is a step in the right direction & I for one am read grateful. It is sad to hear about the poor babies who got ill though. The extreme downside of studies.

I will be anxious to see more of those questions answered.

:oftopShaunG, that wuote is funny! I've never heard it, but it's a great way to look at things!

hmmm, maybe I should preview my posts...NAH!

Post deleted by sil

Oops -did not seemto take the first time so I re-entered and now have 2 posts. Please ignore the second one or maybe someone can tell me how to delete?

Chaungo1, you are da bomb!!!!! I just printed the article using your attachment. I can't wait to get reading and learning! This is SOOOOO awesome.... to everyone.

WOW very interesting. I'm at an internet cafe right now and I'm pressed for time (my internet has been down at home for days) but I want to post when my internet is back up.

I did manage to print up the pdf file and have looked it over. lol I'm going to be droning over it for hours tonight, I'm sure. There's a lot of great stuff, and I have a few comments on the study and questions, as well. My brain is currently barfing from all the things I want to say, but I may have to wait to unload.

Overall, thank you to all who made this study possible. Though I agree the sample size is quite small (as well as a few other possible avenues for error), it's still good to see at least something in a scientific direction conducted here in North America towards glider nutrition. Judging from even the abstract, they referred to good sources (i.e. immediately I recognized the whole abstract to be basically a summary and reiteration of primary sections in Marsupial Nutrition) and the methodologies seemed straight forward and effective in concluding what the study sought to conclude. It's certainly invaluable and a great leap forward in finally discovering that Womberoo HP is perhaps the bes.... *cough*... Just kidding... I mean... discovering great things regarding diet and nutrition for our captive gliders here in N.A.! Forward march!



Great quote Shaun!

Mikey