Understanding sugar gliders' dietary needs is the most important part of caring for sugar gliders as pets. Unlike the regular pets (cats and dogs), you need to understand the exotic nature of these little ones. Not feeding them properly will shorten their life span that should have been more than 10 to 15 years.
Sugar gliders are omnivores (eat both plants and animals). In their natural habitat, these cute ones hunt for any available insects and arachnids. Hence, these critters are often referred as insectivores.
Unlike the variable cat and dog food products, you would not be able to find commercial food products for sugar gliders in any stores. Even if you buy one from a specialized store, you cannot rely on it as a healthy diet. A sugar gliders' diet need to involve the following elements:
- Fruits and vegetables: They can be served fresh or frozen, but it is highly recommended that you serve them fresh. Canned products are to be avoided at all times since any contents and preservatives in them can potentially harm your little ones. Fresh fruits and vegetables need to be cut/chopped into small bite sized pieces in order to prevent these cute ones from easily choking. If you have to serve frozen ones, you need to thaw them first. Then microwaving/heating them needs to be done few hours before you serve them.
- Protein: This comes in different varieties. You can get processed insects from a specialized store and feed your cute ones a gut load. Avoid feeding them wild insects found around the house or your yard for they may contain parasites or pesticides. You can feed them regular source of protein like boiled eggs, chicken, and yogurt. When preparing any of these, watch for fat content since excesses of fat can ruin the health of your little ones.
- Calcium: More likely, it is already part of fruits, vegetables, and protein. You can add vitamins and supplements, which are highly recommended, to enrich this very important element. You still need to be careful not to overdose on vitamins when mixing them in a diet. Calcium in a healthy diet needs to be proportionately higher than phosphorus, exactly 2:1 ratio. Providing consistent diet with this ratio will prevent your cute ones from developing hind-leg paralysis and any other bone disease.
Preparing a well balanced sugar gliders' diet may seem challenging and complicated. It is actually like fixing a person's nutritious food, except that a person more likely would not consume insects. Just like a healthy conscious person, you get to control what your little ones would eat. You may sometimes feed your cute ones some treats and experiment with their diet. As long as you provide consistent diet with important elements above, your sugar gliders will stay healthier and will live longer.
Currently, there are different types of diets developed out there for these cute ones. Whichever diet you want to implement, you need to make sure that it contains the important elements for a healthy sugar gliders' diet. There is also a list of safe fruits and vegetables that can be fed to your cute ones, although this list is not conclusive. Feeding Sugar Gliders at Home will give you some advice, tips, and recommendation on how to prepare a well balanced sugar gliders' diet.
by Gani T, EzineArticles.com
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