Feeding Your Sugar Glider Part 7

There are certain foods that are “acceptable foods” for sugar gliders and certain foods that are considered “foods to avoid”. Within the “foods to avoid” category there may be certain foods that are OK in extremely limited quantities. The following list provides some general guidelines. I have noted foods that are debated by the sugar glider community.

Acceptable Foods
o apple
o avocado (some breeders put this on the “bad foods” list because of a toxin it)
o baby foods with no added salt or garlic or onion
o banana
o beef (well-cooked and cut up finely)
o blueberry
o cantaloupe
o carrot
o cherry (no pits)
o chicken (without skin)
o coconut
o cucumber
o eggs
o fig
o grape
o honey (sparingly)
o honeydew
o insects (only those raised as small animal food)
o kiwi
o mandarins
o mango
o mealworms (limit amount; they are high in fat)
o melon
o papaya
o peach
o pear
o pineapple
o pinky mice
o plum
o prune
o raisin
o raspberry
o squash
o strawberry
o sweet potato
o tofu (a debated food; see discussion above)
o wheat germ (Wheat germ is controversial because it has a great deal of phosphorus and a small amount of calcium. It does have good attributes, such as a high amount of protein, but if you feed it to your glider, it would be prudent to use only small amounts.)

Foods to Avoid

o Baby foods that contain onions or garlic
o canned foods (most contain added salt and sugar)
o cat food (see the discussion of the cat food debate)
o cheese
o chives
o chocolate
o coffee
o dog food
o fried foods
o garlic
o iceberg lettuce
o insects that are not raised as small animal food
o leeks
o milk (cow or goat’s milk)
o millet
o nuts (can only be given in very small quantities)
o onions
o peanuts (can cause aflatoxicosis)
o pits (from fruit)
o processed meat
o raw eggs
o raw meat
o rhubarb
o salt
o scallions
o soda
o sugar (granulated sugar or foods with added sugar)
o sunflower seeds (can only be given in very small quantities)
o tea

The above lists are not exhaustive! If you have a question about a particular food, ask your breeder, ask other sugar glider owners, etc. before you serve it to your glider! In addition, avoid making a habit of feeding your sugar glider table food. A glider’s nutritional needs are far different from yours.

(To be continued…)

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