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Alternative diets #744827
03/04/09 06:09 PM
03/04/09 06:09 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
JillMarie Offline OP
Serious Glideritis
JillMarie  Offline OP
Serious Glideritis

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
Hi Everyone!
I would like to start a thread where people can talk about the different diets they feed and NO ONE is allowed to say things like "you shouldnt do that" or "thats not a good idea" or ANYTHING negative at all. I have recieved quite a few pm's from people who want to discuss diets but dont want to be made fun of or made to feel they are doing something wrong. Let's face it...NONE of us are doing it right...only GOD is feeding them correctly! WE can all learn from eachother and add our ideas to other people's ideas and perhaps come up with even better than what we are doing now.
SO....I want to hear about what you are feeding...treats supplements and all. let me know how your gliders are doing, health issues, ages, improvements and how long it took to notice. I want to compile all that date and share the results....FOR THE GOOD OF THE GLIDER
PS if you dont want to post publicly...you may PM me but others may want to hear from you as well.
Have a BLESSED day! grin


:grey: Bosom Buddy Creations:grey:
^website link wink

Remember that God Loves You!
Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #744880
03/04/09 07:54 PM
03/04/09 07:54 PM

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BelladonnasMom
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BelladonnasMom
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Okay, I'll brave it first. LOL I feed what is not really an "alternative" diet, but not really a mainstream one either. I use Reeps, which was designed by Teresa (Dancing on GC). I got twin WFB girls from her several weeks ago and they were on it, and they smelled so GOOD compared to my other girls, so I put all my babies on it.

THEY LOVE IT! And so do I! I sincerely think at this point that the lack of honey is what has all but eliminated the smell, and it is soooo easy to make! NO MORE FUNKY BLENDER! WOO HOO!!!!! smile

Here is the link to the diet...

http://www.freewebs.com/dancingwatersdesigns/reepsdiet.htm

I usually sub in no-sugar-added flavored applesauce for most of the juice, just for variety, and because my big girls turn their nose up at apple pieces.

For produce I make a relish out of frozen mixed veggies (Walmart brand), frozen papaya, berries, and sometimes mango or cantaloupe. Basically each cage of 2 gliders gets one large frozen ice cube tray comparment of the Reeps, and one of the relish. They never eat it all, but I would rather overfeed good stuff than have them go hungry.

For treats I feed mealies, 4-5 medium/larges almost daily.
Yogurt drops - 1 each after meds or nail trimming, or just during playtime.
Dried Papaya a couple of times a week.
OCASSIONALLY a pine nut or a couple of sunflower seeds. These are RARE!

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #744949
03/04/09 10:58 PM
03/04/09 10:58 PM

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Aryn
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i feed mine the suncoast diet. so far both of mine seem to like it. every night they get a different source of protein, mealies, crickets, yogurt, or chicken baby food. then they get a mixture of fruits and veggies, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe, mango, grapes, spinach, green beans, carrots, some corn every once in a while, peas (pretty much whatever i can find in the grocery that is safe for them to eat) along with the calcium and vitamin supplement.

they get one treat a day, so it'll either be a little yogurt, a couple mealies, some fresh fruit

their coats are healthy and they have little smell

but i may have to check out this reeps diet, i'm very intrigued!!

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #744991
03/05/09 12:13 AM
03/05/09 12:13 AM

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JoniH704
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JoniH704
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I'm a new glider owner, but I did lots of research before I got my glider, particularly about diet. I am currently living in Japan, so I needed one that didn't rely too heavily on things that I had to get via mail. I feed a three-part diet based on several diets recommended by vets and zoos, and also by UNSW's glider research page.

1) Protein source - insects, high-protein commercial diet (Insectivore-fare from Reliable), yogurt, chicken, etc.

2) Nectar replacement - Gliderade or other replacement nectar, Leadbeater's, Lory nectar, etc.

3) Fresh produce - Fruits, vegetables, leafy greens

This is almost the same as the Suncoast diet, though they separate the commercial diet as a staple and use a fresh protein source. They also add supplements.

I feed Insectivore-fare, yogurt, and occasional chicken and insects for protein. (Max is really overweight right now, so I'm trying to give him the protein he needs without any extra fat. And insects, unfortunately, have a lot of fat!) I use Glider-ade, Nutra-glider and a lory nectar I have found locally as nectar supplements, though UNSW has a recipe for dry lory food that I really want to try. And an array of fruits and veggies, at least two or three different ones every day. (One day might be strawberries, carrots and peas, the next blueberries, apples and cucumbers, etc.) I do supplement calcium to offset the fruits and veggies. For treats I currently use dried fruit, Max loves dried papaya and banana chips!

One thing I did wonder about the prepared diets like BML and HPW is the honey that they use. Honey (although a natural product made by bees) is primarily glucose and fructose, both of which are simple sugars. They require essentially no digestion. Sugar, however, is sucrose, which is a slightly more complex sugar that needs to be digested (broken down into glucose and fructose) to be used by the body. It's a small difference, but I wonder if this has any affect on the various diets?

I'm really glad you started this thread; I'm also interested to see what people have to say! I think the more info we can get about any and all diets will only benefit our gliders! Anyone who owns a glider knows how picky they can be, and it would be wonderful to know what kind of alternatives are out there!

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #745092
03/05/09 04:19 AM
03/05/09 04:19 AM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
JillMarie Offline OP
Serious Glideritis
JillMarie  Offline OP
Serious Glideritis

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
Thanks for the info on the different sugars! I have been trying to make this point for awhile. I started to do some research on using NATURAL MAPLE SYRUP instead of honey as it has sucrose not fructose and would be a good calcium source and we could toss out the supplements. But so far no one agrees with me. I just feel while honey may be a good food...we feed way too much in the BML and while the maple syrup isnt ideal either it is closer to what they eat in the wild (just a different variety, and chemically closer).
Let's get some college kids who are studying animal nutrition to do a thesis on this!


:grey: Bosom Buddy Creations:grey:
^website link wink

Remember that God Loves You!
Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #745359
03/05/09 08:07 PM
03/05/09 08:07 PM

J
JoniH704
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JoniH704
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Nice to know that someone else feels that way too! While I don't disagree that honey is a good food, most people don't think of it as a "processed" food. But it is, it is just processed by bees instead of people! Honey does have some antibacterial qualities that keep it from spoiling, so that could be a benefit. However, I have actually used natural maple syrup with Max and he LOVES it! Maple syrup isn't processed, it's just concentrated tree sap (had the water removed), which I personally think is closer to the kind of things they eat in the wild. Again, not saying honey is bad (and honey is cheaper than maple syrup) but it's something to think about.

I would also be really interested to find out if people are feeding commercial foods, and if so, what kind, and what kind of results they have had. As sugar gliders grow in popularity, I think information about commercial diets will be needed. Again, not advocating or negating a commercial diet, just think that the more info we have, the better off our gliders will be! In my own opinion, feeding a commercial diet made specifically for gliders is better than feeding a completely inappropriate food. My glider, Max, was living in a pet store in Japan eating hamster food, full of nuts and seeds, with hard pellets and only the occasional piece of dried fruit. As a result, he's incredibly fat! In a case like that, a commercial diet would have been better than what he was getting. Granted, an approved glider diet would have been far preferable, but if the pet store is not willing to do that, wouldn't a commercial food for gliders be better than nothing at all? (Please note, I am living in Japan, which has different animals rights regulations than the US. Just so no one wonders why I didn't try to report the pet store for animal negligence or something.) Again, just my opinion, I don't profess to be a glider expert by any means. I do have a degree in Biology (with many classes in organisms), (though that was a long time ago) so I tend to think of these kinds of things. I'm encouraged by the UNSW and look forward to hearing about some of the results they get with their research!

Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #745370
03/05/09 08:22 PM
03/05/09 08:22 PM

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BelladonnasMom
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BelladonnasMom
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Originally Posted By: JillMarie
Hi Everyone!
I would like to start a thread where people can talk about the different diets they feed and NO ONE is allowed to say things like "you shouldnt do that" or "thats not a good idea" or ANYTHING negative at all.
Have a BLESSED day! grin


Hint hint... LOL

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #745660
03/06/09 12:11 PM
03/06/09 12:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
JillMarie Offline OP
Serious Glideritis
JillMarie  Offline OP
Serious Glideritis

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
HI JoniH!
Again I agree wholeheartedly! The concentrated tree sap thing is what got me to thinking about using it in the first place. I too was doing research on diets and found the fructose in honey is just way too much (has been implicated in liver issues), and doesnt really copy what they eat in the wild.
So when I realized the foods they eat in the wild have carbs and calcium(from the sap) and proteins (from bugs), I tried to research what carbs break down into (sucrose) and how do we copy that here...came up with the maple syrup. Even though it is concentrated it is still lower in sugar than honey!!!! and has the benefit of calcium like the saps they eat in the wild (honey is low in calcium.)
So... let's say for example we look at BML: lets say we are making a big DOUBLE batch and therefor using a cup of honey:
honey fructose is high, low sucrose
total sugars 82.4
carbs 279
cal 20.3mg
phos 13.6
ratio (of the honey)1.49:1
calories in 15ml 64
NOW maple syrup one cup:
syrup fructose is low, sucrose high
total sugars 59.5 (wow!)
carbs 216 (less but not huge difference)
cal 216 mg (get rid of those nasty supplements!)
phos 6.4
ratio can vary between 2.18:1 to 27:1 so we can have more variety in vegs and fruits! without concern of low calcium
calories in 15ml 50 (less calories-less fat!)

SO i think the syrup is in fact a good idea as it does closely or CLOSER copies a natural diet.
I am in the process of writing my own recipe and will try it out on my guys. want to add bee pollen and acacia to the mix but would still like to know how to fugure calcium content of powdered acacia to get the ratio right

Oh....and I do feed pellets as part of a diet. I ALWAYS soften them with water! It is offered along side the vegs and fruits. I use 4 different ones and rotate them. I agree a pellet for gliders is better than bird food. I use zookeepers and 3 different ones from exotic nutrtion (although I had some problems with them and will no longer order from them so I have to start looking elsewhere). have some good leads to look into...

I also feed crickets and mealworms every morning by hand


:grey: Bosom Buddy Creations:grey:
^website link wink

Remember that God Loves You!
Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #745694
03/06/09 01:37 PM
03/06/09 01:37 PM
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
Dancing Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
Dancing  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 22,749
80 acres of paradise in KS
Just one word of caution here...

Too much calcium can be as bad as not enough. To much calcium can lead to calcium deposits, gall stones, kidney stones, crystals in the urine etc.

Calcium is NOT the only nutrient that should be examined. How all the OTHER nutrients work together is important. Iron levels are important.

I see too many people focused only on the calcium and phosphrous and not enough concern over the other nutritional aspects of the diet.


620-704-9109
Judge not until you have walked in their shoes and lived their lives. What you see online is only part of the story.

I could have missed the pain
But I'd of had to miss the dance


The soul would have no rainbow if the eyes had no tears.
Re: Alternative diets [Re: Dancing] #745707
03/06/09 02:46 PM
03/06/09 02:46 PM
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,402
Michigan
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gliderma Offline
Serious Glideritis
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Joined: May 2008
Posts: 5,402
Michigan
I just checked out Dancing's site and the diet does look very good and easy to obtain. I have been feeding HPW for almost a year now and it seems to be working just fine! My crew of 13 eats it up every night! I do offer either fresh or frozen mixed veggies and fruits alternate nights and yogurt twice a week. On occassion, I give them Gerber baby food chicken & apples (they love it!) or boiled chicken or scrambled eggs. I always have these on hand anyway for an emergency, traveling or when I run out of HPW supplies. I do not feed any bugs/insects, pinky mice (ugh!), seeds, nuts or pellets. I also offer fresh apple slices a few times a month. I have fed them freeze dried mealies, but only a few of them like them. And of course fresh water is always available! They are healthy, happy & very active!


Lynn Martel
616-272-4374
989-400-5686
Re: Alternative diets [Re: gliderma] #745714
03/06/09 03:01 PM
03/06/09 03:01 PM

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DelilahsMom
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I am having a heck of a time here with food issues. 3 cages love HPW and 1 cage is indifferent to HPW and BML. That one cage also REFUSES to use a water bottle now. I have cages that hate green veggies and others that hate orange ones. I have gliders that hate blueberries and strawberries. I am getting frustrated.

Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #745721
03/06/09 03:16 PM
03/06/09 03:16 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,983
Denton, TX
ValkyrieMome Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
ValkyrieMome  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,983
Denton, TX
Originally Posted By: JillMarie
the fructose in honey is just way too much (has been implicated in liver issues)

Wanted to just say - the honey has been *speculated* to be an issue. No one really knows WHAT is causing the liver issues. Honey was tossed out as a possibility. It was NOT implicated.

I have also been looking into glider diet, and my investigations are on-going.

I do want to say, however, while NOT ONE of the diets we feed is perfect, there is NO NEED for panic! Research is on-going and we are learning more and more. But, until we actually *KNOW* - no one should panic or assume their diet is killing their gliders.

I think the ongoing research includes informed discussion, and it is great that the forums provide a place for that.

However, whenever anyone starts discussing diet, someone else will invariably conclude that "what I'm feeding is killing my gliders." PLEASE DON'T PANIC!

(not directed towards anyone in particular - just hate seeing people start doubting themselves when they are doing the best they can do!)


Alden
"Animals can communicate quite well. And they do. And generally speaking, they are ignored." Alice Walker


Mom to Valhalla; 6 cats; 1 macaw; 2 hedgehogs;
and very many great gliders!

(plus the 2 skin kids)
valkyriegliders.com

Kyrie, nothing will ever fill the hole you left in my heart.
Re: Alternative diets [Re: ValkyrieMome] #745736
03/06/09 03:51 PM
03/06/09 03:51 PM
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15,514
Long Island, NY
gliderdad79 Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
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Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 15,514
Long Island, NY
Originally Posted By: ValkyrieMome
Originally Posted By: JillMarie
the fructose in honey is just way too much (has been implicated in liver issues)

Wanted to just say - the honey has been *speculated* to be an issue. No one really knows WHAT is causing the liver issues. Honey was tossed out as a possibility. It was NOT implicated.

I have also been looking into glider diet, and my investigations are on-going.

I do want to say, however, while NOT ONE of the diets we feed is perfect, there is NO NEED for panic! Research is on-going and we are learning more and more. But, until we actually *KNOW* - no one should panic or assume their diet is killing their gliders.

I think the ongoing research includes informed discussion, and it is great that the forums provide a place for that.

However, whenever anyone starts discussing diet, someone else will invariably conclude that "what I'm feeding is killing my gliders." PLEASE DON'T PANIC!

(not directed towards anyone in particular - just hate seeing people start doubting themselves when they are doing the best they can do!)


Very well said clap


Eddie

In the Tropics somewhere between the port of indecision and southeast of disorder!

"Great people talk about ideas. Average people talk about things. Small people talk about other people."

One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching!
Re: Alternative diets [Re: gliderdad79] #745747
03/06/09 04:23 PM
03/06/09 04:23 PM

D
DelilahsMom
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DelilahsMom
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I was talking to another glider owner today about diets. How can we ever have enough knowledge about glider diets when we still don't have a "proven diet" for humans. One week eggs are good for us, then they aren't. Same goes with red meat, tea, coffee, etc. I am so glad that we can oen dialogue about this.

People in Europe, so I have heard, have been feeding high protein cat food and haven't had some of the health issues we have had in the US. But, on the flip side, do they necropsy and have great vet care?

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #745757
03/06/09 04:46 PM
03/06/09 04:46 PM
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,983
Denton, TX
ValkyrieMome Offline
Glideritis Anonymous
ValkyrieMome  Offline
Glideritis Anonymous

Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 10,983
Denton, TX
Well, yes and no, Brittney. Partly because they are animals and not humans - the dietary needs of many domesticated animals are VERY well understood.

There are a bazillion different dog foods on the market. But - they don't alter what is known about a dog's dietary needs. However, as new research continues, there have been developed different diets for the different kinds of dogs, ie Large Breed, Toy Breed, Working dogs, etc.

And - there are diet debates with dogs. Raw diets? Bones or no? Corn or no?

However - all the debates basically revolve around what we know about the dietary needs of dogs.

Maybe someday we'll have a clearer idea of this with sugar gliders. It won't kill the debates! But - at that point, the debates will be more geared around some basic "knowns" that currently just aren't fully understood.

Humans - someone is ALWAYS gonna know "the best thing" for people to eat. We don't (and haven't in millions of years) live in the wild, and therefore have a "what do they eat in the wild" kind of approach. We can only go by cause and effect - and that is ever changing!


Alden
"Animals can communicate quite well. And they do. And generally speaking, they are ignored." Alice Walker


Mom to Valhalla; 6 cats; 1 macaw; 2 hedgehogs;
and very many great gliders!

(plus the 2 skin kids)
valkyriegliders.com

Kyrie, nothing will ever fill the hole you left in my heart.
Re: Alternative diets [Re: ValkyrieMome] #746036
03/07/09 04:31 AM
03/07/09 04:31 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
Lynchburg, VA
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blockamon Offline
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Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
Lynchburg, VA
Sources differ in what I can find about maple syrup. One lists the major component as sucrose while another notes that it is high in fructose (like honey). Honestly, I'm not sure if either can be considered "better." From a sugar management point of view (important with regards to diabetes), fructose is better then sucrose. By contrast, recent studies in humans suggests that fructose has more impact on weight gain and heart issues than white sugar (about 50/50 mix of sucrose and glucose). Unfortunately, there doesn't look like a simple answer. For now, I lean towards honey, if for no other reason than that the Aussie zoos have used it for decades.

Last edited by blockamon; 03/07/09 04:40 AM.
Re: Alternative diets [Re: blockamon] #746082
03/07/09 11:42 AM
03/07/09 11:42 AM
Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,839
roseville, mi
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hwh4ev Offline
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hwh4ev  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 2,839
roseville, mi
i would like to add my 2 cents worth. i have 2 gliders and they are on the suncoast diet. i do not feed honey or maple syrup yet. my concern is wih the vitamins, rep-cal and vionate that suncoast calls for. rep-cal is made of oyster
shells and i found out that oyster shell calcium has lead in
it. vionate has iron in it and iron stays in the body and accumalates (i dont even take vit. with iron in it).
i found out that the aussies use calcivet for calcium and soluvet for vitamins in their gliders diet and i am switching to these vitamins.
also like i said i have never used honey, but i bought some organic raw honey as it has alot of vit. and minerals in it and i will be mixing it in a boiled egg mixture and a boiled chicken mixture, once in a while. my gliders will not eat eggs or chicken that is why i am going to add the raw honey.
i only feed organic foods to my gliders, smart or fiji water
because they also have minerals in it.
the only thing that is not organic is the suncoast zookeepers pellets which are soft and they do eat them.
so far they are healthy and rocky does not have a smell to him that i read so often abt. i am going to try the egg mixture with a little honey tonight.
regards,
nancy
p.s. they eat crickets (i am getting them from caylein) meal worms, wax worms also.

Last edited by hwh4ev; 03/07/09 11:45 AM. Reason: add on

regards,
nancy in roseville (formerly in detroit)
Re: Alternative diets [Re: blockamon] #746086
03/07/09 11:48 AM
03/07/09 11:48 AM

J
JoniH704
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JoniH704
Unregistered
J



I have to agree with the statement that we don't need to panic about the diets we feed our gliders. Gliders are wild animals. While we may not be able to feed them exactly what they get in the wild, let's not forget that life in the wild isn't exactly easy! They are obviously able to reproduce and be happy in captivity, which means we're doing something right! (Giant pandas aren't going to be a household pet anytime soon! lol)

I know calcium is something that we think about when it comes to glider diets. Has there ever been a study done to see how much calcium they actually get from their wild diet and where it comes from? The form in which you consume calcium can have an affect upon how your body absorbs it (at least it does in humans, so I would think it would apply to other animals as well.) I know some human supplements work better than others depending upon how they are formulated. If they are getting their calcium from tree sap, then something like maple syrup would make sense. If they get it from something like bird eggs, then including the shells of eggs we feed would probably be appropriate. If they aren't able to utilize calcium from something like oyster shells (a popular form of calcium for humans, at least), then there's no point in feeding it. Or if they can actually absorb too much calcium from eggshells, then we would want to eliminate that. (Hopefully that made sense?)

Just a note here, when I mentioned that I had fed Max real maple syrup, I didn't mean as a regular part of his diet. I used just a few drops when I first got him to encourage him to eat. Turns out he didn't need much encouragement! (Just so people don't think I'm just dumping maple syrup on his food or something!)

I also ask about the commercial diets because Max actually LOVES the insectivore fare from Reliable. He will eat it first before anything else except Gliderade! Dried fruit, yogurt, mealworms, chicken, fresh fruit & veggies, you name it! So I actually use it as a protein source, since I know he'll eat it. Obviously, if your glider doesn't eat pellets of any kind (soft or hard) then it wouldn't work.

I think anyone who owns a glider knows how picky they can be. As we get more information and more research is done, we'll be able to feel better about what we are feeding and what they are eating! While we know that there are many approved diet plans out there, if your glider won't eat it, it doesn't do any good. Understanding just what they need will help all of us make better decisions about what we can feed them to keep them healthy and happy!

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #746087
03/07/09 11:59 AM
03/07/09 11:59 AM

D
DelilahsMom
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DelilahsMom
Unregistered
D



I know EXACTLY how picky they can be. I'm thinking of adding a blog to my freeweb to chronicle our journey to healthy eating.

Re: Alternative diets [Re: ] #746184
03/07/09 04:48 PM
03/07/09 04:48 PM
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
JillMarie Offline OP
Serious Glideritis
JillMarie  Offline OP
Serious Glideritis

Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 7,748
New Jersey
Hi JoniH,
Thanks again for a wonderfully thought out answer that I totally relate to. this is the type of discussion I was hoping to get here. just good information on different diets so people can take all that knowledge and figure out for themselves what they want to do. There are plenty of resources out there that not all of have access to or knowledge of and I was hoping this thread would open the door to some of that. I have learned alot from everyone here that has some INFORMATION rather than OPINION to offer. Everyone has a different PERSPECTIVE and it is from these different perspectives that we can learn as well.
I agree as well that WHATEVER we feed our gliders be it honey, syrup, or whatever needs to be in moderation. and to ensure they are not lacking in anything a variety is good. My vet is very happy with the way I feed my gliders and their health (so far)


:grey: Bosom Buddy Creations:grey:
^website link wink

Remember that God Loves You!
Re: Alternative diets [Re: JillMarie] #747860
03/11/09 12:12 AM
03/11/09 12:12 AM
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
Lynchburg, VA
B
blockamon Offline
Glider Lover
blockamon  Offline
Glider Lover
B

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 563
Lynchburg, VA
OK, the diet is feed is somewhat complicated, but I finally decided to post it. It is (very loosely) based on the Taronga Zoo diet).

Nightly per glider:
- 1 tsp nectar mix
- 1/2 tsp protein mix
- 2 or 3 tsp fruit (cantalope, honeydew, cherries, mango, papaya, peach, pear, apple, watermellon, blueberries)
- 2 or 3 tsp veggies (mixed veggies (peas, green beans, carrots, corn), peas, green beans, spinach, collard greens, brussel sprouts, broccoli, cauliflour, green & red leaf lettuce, sugar snap peas, carrots)

Nectar Mix
- 2 cups water
- 1&1/2 cups honey
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsp Wombaroo High Protein Supplement
- 3 tsp Austrailian bee pollen
- 1 tsp calcium gluconate

Meat Mix
- 1 jar Stage 1 (Beachnut) or Stage 2 (Gerber) meat babyfood
- 1 jar Stage 2 fruit/veggie babyfood
- 1/4 cup Wombaroo Small Carnivore Food
- Note: current mixes include turkey & sweet potato, chicken & applesauce, and beef & butternut squash. I typically make up the mix and freeze individual portions in trays.

This diet is my way of adding a little extra protein (particularly meat-based protein) to the HPW diet. I decreased the HPW powder and bee pollen to free up calories (and closer match the original Leadbeater's Mix). I'm using the 1 tsp nectar + 0.5 tsp protein as the Taronga diet.

The meat mix is really just a vehicle for the Wombaroo Small Carnivore Food (which comes in a powder to be mixed with water). I found that my gliders wouldn't eat any of the other commercial foods such as Zookeeper's Secret. They will eat the plain SCF somewhat, but it tends to dry out overnight. By mixing it with the babyfood, I've found that it will stay moist all night, and they eat it all. They don't even spit it out after chewing that I can tell, they actually consume 90% of it.

Re: Alternative diets [Re: blockamon] #748289
03/11/09 09:21 PM
03/11/09 09:21 PM

J
JoniH704
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JoniH704
Unregistered
J



Wow! I think the diet you feed is really interesting! Thanks for sharing it! You know, as silly as it sounds, I never thought of seeing what other foods Wombaroo makes. Using it in the meat/protein part of your diet makes great sense! (Your diet is also very close to the one that is recommended by UNSW glider research.)

I really like your meat mix too! I may have to try something like that. My glider Max is REALLY overweight right now, so I have to try to give him the protein he needs, without too much fat. Unfortunately, bugs have LOTS of fat (especially mealies) so I have to limit those right now, while still finding things he will eat.

Thank you so much for sharing your diet with us! I know sometimes people are hesitant to share a diet they've created, for fear of responses they may get. But we're all trying our best to care for our gliders, and every new diet or diet variation will only help us when it comes to learning about what works and what doesn't.


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