Dietary Information
Captive gliders require a balanced meal of fresh fruits, vegetables, healthy protein, raw foods and natural minerals for proper growth, health and longevity.
 Their diet must be balanced. Information provided below can help an owner provide sugar gliders with a healthy, balanced diet.
Choose a Staple Diet
Many "staple diets" are out there thanks to dedicated research by glider owners with vast experience. Click for a Discussion on Staple Diets, Healthy Diets and Myths...
CA:P Ratio
Sugar gliders need a particular Calcium:Phosphorus Ratio or they can develop bone problems including deadly Hind Leg Paralysis (also known as HLP). Phosphorous inhibits the absorption of calcium. The recommended ratio is 1.5:1 to 2.5:1 and it's best to stay as close to 2:1 (or even higher) as possible. Simply put, there should be double the amount of calcium as phosphorous.
Oxalates
Oxalates attach themselves to calcium molecules & inhibit their absorption, therefore counteracting a high CA:PH ratio. Items typically high in oxalates are dark, leafy greens such as spinach (which has a 2:1 CA:PH ratio). So, if you want to feed your gliders dark, leafy greens, stick with the ones with a super high CA:PH ratio like collard greens (14.5:1) & mustard spinach (7.5:1)"
What is Safe?
Gliders may eat high quality dog/cat kibble, marsupial zoo pellets or monkey biscuits to serve as a crunchy tooth-cleaning forage snack, or to serve alone in case of emergency, domestic meal worms and grubs, and most all foods safe for human consumption. Avoid processed foods, foods with sugar added (cane sugar/syrup, corn/rice syrup), high fats, artificial coloring and preservatives.
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Should not feed: Chocolate, Garlic, Leek, Raw Meat, Onion, Rhubarb, or Wild Insects.
 

Candy, fried or processed foods, like french fry, a spoon of pumpkin pie or crumb of peppermint candy during the holiday season, will not kill a sugar glider, but feeding regularly can cause serious health problems.
Avoid artificial coloring and preservatives when ever possible. Rinse canned fruit or vegetables several times if using them and never regularly use canned vegetables containing salt.
Fresh produce is always the best and safest option and can be cooked in bulk and frozen for later. Microwave prepackaged frozen raw food before serving to kill possible contaminants.
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Moldy or spoiled foods and unwashed commercial produce are dangerous. Your glider is safer eating a muddy carrot from the organic garden behind your house than an unwashed carrot from a superstore grocery center. Wash all foods before feeding, remove spoiled areas and especially areas of mold or wild insect burrows.
Remove peach and apricot pits or supervise when eating, because the inner seed is high in toxins and should not be ingested. Other seeds, pits, rinds and skins are safe. Gliders enjoy picking flesh from a core and doing so promotes oral health.
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Taste Preferences
Every sugar glider has it's own likes & dislikes and many change over time. You will need to be observant and see what they eat and adjust as needed. Inspect their spit-out remains in the morning to see what parts of the foods your gliders actually eat. Keep in mind, feeding too much volume or variety nightly will decrease the nutrients sugar gliders are getting from the given foods.
Foods to Avoid
As we learn more about what our sugar gliders can and cannot eat, this list will change. For now we know to avoid:
onions & everything in the onion family (ex. leeks)
garlic
chocolate
raw meat (CWD and parasite hazard)
raw egg
wild insects
toxic plants - click here for a list of safe plants
products containing catnip
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Search for Fruits And Veggies on all of GliderGossip for even more information.
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Currants, Grapes, and Raisins
Are they dangerous?
Grapes and Raisins: Many believe that there may be a connection from grapes and raisins to kidney failure in sugar gliders. High quantities of either can be toxic to other animals. (Click here to read a newsletter regarding the grape controversy.
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It is our opinion that is based on a multitude of scientific evidence suggesting Grape Toxicity is a "dog or amount" reaction, grapes do not pose a threat to sugar gliders.
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Ingestion of grapes, raisins and currants (fruits from Vitis species) has resulted in development of anuric renal failure in some dogs. It is unclear whether this is a new problem, or if the toxic nature of grapes and raisins became recognized after the establishment of a computerized animal toxicity database about 25 years ago. Whatever the case, the number of identified cases of illness or death in dogs after they have eaten raisins or grapes is on the rise. Cases reported to date have been in dogs; anecdotal reports exist of renal failure in cats and ferrets after ingestion of grapes or raisins.
It is not known why many dogs can ingest grapes or raisins without negative effect while others develop renal failure after ingestion. It is clear toxicity is more likely with large ingestion levels, and each dog has an individual tolerance level different from others. The condition has not been reproduced experimentally, although raisin extracts have been shown to cause damage to canine kidney cells in vitro.
No reports verifying renal failure in gliders after eating grapes exist. Anecdotal reports of gliders who died after eating grapes attributed renal failure from grapes despite many other causes of renal failure in gliders. Dogs are affected by grapes in 6-12 hours after ingestion and display many ill effects with renal failure occurring in 72 hours. No sugar glider suffering renal failure was reported have consumed grapes for the first time during 72 hours prior to diagnosis. Grape toxicity is well recognized by veterinarians, and has not been clinically observed in animals other than dogs.
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Grapes are a delectable source of juice which combats dehydration, a cause of renal failure in sugar gliders. It is most safe and healthy for sugar gliders to have a constant source of hydration, such as apple slices, orange plugs or grapes in a bonding pouch when away from normal water sources.
It is good to often rotate and mix the type of fruit treats given.
Malnutrition
Often gliders suffer from malnutrition resulting in hypocalcemia (too little calcium in diet) which causes Hind Leg Paralysis (HLP).
 Choose a staple diet that works best for you and the sugar gliders, do not mix it with another diet, and feed as it was designed to be fed.
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Treats
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Normal diet ingredients such as extra berries, nuts, grain meals or vegetables can be dehydrated, baked, or vacuum sealed for storage and utilized later as foraging treats.
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Many gliders like yogurt drops, these too should be given sparingly because they are often high sugar.
Experiment with making safe treats at home from natural ingredients, doing so is far better for your sugar gliders than anything made in a commercial factory for common pets.
Ask us about our recipes for natural fruit gels, "candy" foraging pieces, any-flavor yogurt flakes, sour flowers, fruit rings, popcicles and more.
For a list of SOME safe vegetables, click here. Fruits found at the supermarket are all safe for gliders.

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Gliders can eat almost anything humans can eat that is natural. It is far easier to have a list of unsafe foods than to possibly list all foods a sugar glider can eat.
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If you have questions about potential food toxicity, send us a message on our website!
All adopted Night Sky gliders must be fed one of the following diets found here.
Click to read about the different kinds of HPW, what is good and what is... Not.
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Click for a Great Discussion on Staple Diets, Approved Diets and Myths...