For the life of me I cannot find any sugar glider diets that don't contain animal protein. This includes egg, whey, and fish protein. My glider has been sick for a long time and we've tried everything to help him. Finally the vet has consulted with yet another exotic specialist and he thinks we need to eliminate animal protein from his diet. Something that could help would be a diet where there is only one source of animal protein that is easily separated from the rest of the diet that I can figure out the correct mixture of soy protein isolate or meal worms to replace it with.

Hi!

Why do the vets think he can't have animal protein?

Keep in mind vets treat animals, they aren't necessarily nutritionists.

In the wild, gliders will consume animal protein.

I've been thinking on this, doing some digging in the diet section.

And all I come up with is more questions.

What diets have you tried? (What issues were there?)

Again, how did the vet come up with this?

Sugar gliders are predators as well as prey. In the wild, they hunt and eat birds, eggs, and anything that doesn't eat them first. They are also sap suckers, eat nectar and are free to find what can or need.

My knowledge is limited, so I hope someone can help you soon. In the meantime, they may need to know more about your glider's issues.

Ok, lets start with the beginning.

1. What is going on with him?

2. Do you have a diagnosis?

3. What diet have you been feeding them?

4. Which vet did your vet consult with?

Kim/Feather's questions are very important, so please do not overlook them when answering mine.


http://www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/...ers#Post1409603

Is the post above the condition you are talking about with your gliders or are you dealing with something new?

1. What is going on with him?
The post that Karen linked is indeed still the same issue I'm having. It's gotten worse.

2. Do you have a diagnosis?
There is no for sure 100% diagnosis except that the result of Pi's biopsy was that he was allergic to something, and the vet that was most recently consulted said a likely allergy could be animal protein. The other possibility was that it's an autoimmune disease. I realize that wild sugar gliders will consume animal protein, but I'm wondering if, in this case, it's still valid since in humans most people can consume a certain thing while other people are allergic?

3. What diet have you been feeding them?
I've only been on Critterlove with Pi. There doesn't seem to be anything really obviously linked to the food but I haven't tried anything else and he's still sick after trying antibiotics, anti fungal, anti parasitic, Benadryl, and steroids.

4. Which vet did your vet consult with?
The consulted vet's name is Dr. Echols. I can get more information about which Dr. Echols he is if that would be helpful.

Have you considered beans for protein? Dry beans that you have cooked in plain water.

Seeing as your using the CL diets are you feeding vegetable mix with corn?

I would try eliminating corn. With dogs and cats with allergies that is where they start.

You will have to be corn free for a few weeks to get everything out of his system.

suggiemom: I didn't consider beans except soy, that's a good idea!

Feather: This has been going on since march and I only recently got brave enough to put corn in the diet from old rumors I heard corn was bad for gliders, meaning the problems started while he had no corn in his diet and continued for a long time while cornless

If you need no animal protein, you can try the Critter Love Plus and leave the eggs out.

You may also want your vet to do an ultrasound and a bile acid test if they are capable of doing so.

Also, blood work and find out what the protein content is in the blood work.