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Sugar Glider info?

Cat_72

Cat_72

Back from exile :)
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Well, my son has wanted a sugar glider for a long time, and I finally got him one today..his birthday is approaching, and I got it REALLY cheap at an exotic sale....I did meet and spoke with the breeder before making the buy however.

I've done plenty of research on these guys, and have the basics pretty well down pat, I think....but as always, there are a few things that I tend to find conflicting info on in caresheets. Anyone with hands-on experience with these guys have any good tips, or a recommended site with correct care info?

She's an adorable little thing, just out of the pouch in July. She's somewhat tame, but will need some work. Am shopping for a carrying pouch tonight, lol.

And OMG, I never realized just how much voice can come out of that little body, lmao....my daughter freaked out and said it sounds like something out of a Stephen King movie. :rofl:
 
Hey Cat my BF bought me one of these little guys a few months back and this is what I do for food.
The breeder called this Ledbetter Mix: 1 egg, 1 2oz baby juice w/ yogurt, 1/4 cp apple juice, 2 2oz jars chicken/turkey puree baby food, 1/4 cp wheat germ, 2 teaspoon Reptical Calcium w/ D3, 1 teaspoon Reptivite, 1/2 cp honey, and then you add enough rice baby food with apples or bananas to make it the thickness of runny mashed potatoes. Freeze it in an ice tray and once it is frozen cut the cubes in half and put them in a Ziploc.
Brutis gets 1/2 of a cube every evening with a peas and carrot mix and halved grapes. I also give him chunks of banana and apple.
You have to spend a lot of time with them for them to get and stay friendly.
Hope this helps.
 
I kept Sugars for a few years and also bred them a couple of times. I gave them all away after my son was killed because I just couldn't give them enough attention. They require a lot of it, in addition to a pretty specialized diet. I did not go the "BML Diet" route and instead fed a complete but varied diet of superworms, crickets, pinkies, big variety of fresh fruits and veggies, boiled egg. My Gliders were extremely healthy and I never had problems with females eating the babies as some have had.

Unless your family is prepared to interact with your Glider on a daily basis for a 2+ hours then I would highly recommend you purchase another female Glider soon to keep your girl company. They are very social animals and need companionship and can quickly become depressed and stop eating when they lack companionship.

I kept my Gliders in the biggest cages I could get online. I cannot remember the exact dimensions but I know they were 6 feet tall. If I would have had room for even larger cages I would have done so (as far as width and depth). I think they need much larger caging than what is recommended on some websites.

A couple of must have items: two pouches for each cage: one high up in the cage and one more towards the ground, a "Wodent Wheel", lots of toys that you move around and switch out with other toys on a regular basis.

Good luck with your Suggie, they are awesome, awesome animals that can make fabulous pets in the right home. Dang, this post is kind of making me want to get some! ;-)
 
Thanks for all of the info!! :)

I think we are going to go with using a combination of small portions of the BML diet and a lot of fresh foods. I do like the idea of the supplementation in the prepared diet, but I like to give them all of the fresh foods as well. I've read that they can be finicky and get bored with having the same type of foods too often? So far, we've been giving her boiled egg, dark greens, diced apple, and superworms....the top part of my blender has mysteriously vanished, so we haven't gotten the diet mixed up yet, but she seems to be feeding very well so far. She will take the apple out of Josh's fingers, so she's not too freaked out.

We're definitely going to put her in a larger cage, I've seen some sites that say you must have the horizontal bars, but some say it isn't neccessary as long as you have plenty of climbing/landing places in there for them? It's seeming tough to find a really tall cage, with the right spacing between the bars, with horizontal bars. And I will admit, I was kind of dismayed with the small caging I did see on some breeders' websites...it just doesn't seem right.

He's got two pouches in there for her, a wheel, and a couple of toys, but don't want to over crowd her until we get her in a bigger cage.
 
read up on there diets because they are important. miealworms are great for them and also u would want to feed then some baked or boiled chicken or turkey pieces. they need good protien. fruits are more of a treat for them so i basically feed mine veggies and a little meat 3 to 4 times a week and fruits 3 times a week. also u want to purchase some small wooden chew blocks to keep there teeth filed down because sugar gliders teeth never stop growing and you want to check on purchasing a weel that has like a soft type of sandpaper like on it to file there nails down on while they run in it. as far as pouches and bedding pouches i buy all of mine from one lady on ebay. she makes them very affordale and like 9x9's. if you keep them happyyou will enjoy them when they are out at night. mine bark like a puppy and make some wierd noises playing but they love to do back flips from one corner of the cage to the other. they are very active animals at night.
 
the males more then the females because the male sprays alot lol but i usually change his out about 3 times a week and the females once to twice a week for washing. id suggest if you use dryer sheets then use the arm and hammer essentials because they work great and smell awesome and they keep a nice smell for a few days.and one thing i did find to add to there diet that helps balance it out and keep the odor down somewhat is to feed them live crickets. seems liek since i started giving them about 10 crickets each once a week really calmed his spraying down. also you will need some body spray from the male because when he sprays he rends to get his undercoat a dingy yellow. i can give you the names of the cleaning products i use n mine if you need them and i can also give u the ebay sellers id if you would liek to see what her pouches are like. i love them because they are 9x9 inch poucheslol my gliders are very comfy in them and have alot of room.
 
I think I've already seen those pouches on Ebay. ;)

I've read a couple of different places that if their diet is kept correct, it makes a big difference in the odor as well....any truth to that?
 
I think so. When I got Brutis he was very stinky. After I changed his diet from cat food (which is what the guy who sold him to me was feeding him) to his current diet his odor has decreased tremendously.

We tried out fresh green beans last night and he really likes those as well.
 
yes his diet will reduce the odor alot but if you have more then one and a female is around he will spray more often regardless of diet lol. its also said when owning a sugar glider you should have atleast one other because sugar gliders can get very lonely so i have 2 and there cages are set side by side so they can see each but cant put them in the same cage because they are brother and sister and he will try to breed with her.
 
also i forgot to mention that they will and can eat small mice as part of there diets.
 
You should only feed your glider an approved diet.

www.sugarglider.net

That site is to sugar gliders what this site is to reptiles (except the sugar glider people seriously treat their gliders like their flesh and blood children).

I really wish you would have joined that site before you got your glider in the first place, because you are in for a REAL committment. Gliders bite just like snakes do. Gliders bond by scent (your sweaty armpits). Gliders need massive enclosures to excersize their patagia and keep it supple. Do not, under any circumstances, even consider buying a glider leash. Your toilet lid must now be closed at all times, forever. Your cats are your glider's worst nightmare. Your snakes are your glider's second worst nightmare. Dogs and ferrets can do some hideous damage too. Your glider should be monochromaticly gray with a black stripe and a light belly. If your glider is brown, he has been fed an unsuitable diet. Veterenary care for gliders is expensive, and annual checkups are absolutely needed. Your glider cannot eat hard corn or hamster food, which contains aflatoxins, which will kill it violently from the inside out. Your glider needs constant access to water. Your glider will keep your entire family awake every night. Your glider is capable of self-mutilation due to stress, which is extremely likely considering he is alone. Self-mutilation leads to many deaths every year. The best thing you can do for your glider is to get him a friend, or sell him to someone who has another glider. General glider care is expensive. My recommended diet is the BML diet, it is the only diet I trust completely, and it is easy to prepare in comparison to the rest of Ellen's recommended diets.

The best thing I can tell you is to please please please go to that website. It truly is the best thing ever.

Tell me how it goes or if you need help. I have close to 10 years of glider experience under my belt.
 
Adam,

I appreciate the thought of your post, however I must point out - just because I did not join up at sugarglider.net (or any other sugar glider site) does not mean that I have not done plenty of reading there, nor did I walk into getting her blindly. I simply asked for a few basic opinions from a few folks here, as there are some people that are members here whose opinions and knowledge I very much value and know that I can trust, as opposed to some names on a website whom I know nothing about - even if you think sugarglider.net is "THE" site to go to, as you said it's like this site - some think it's the best site there is for reptile info, some think it just plain sucks.;)

FYI, she is eating the BML diet with fresh fruits and veggies added, does not keep anyone up at night, is properly colored, is not allowed anywhere near the toilet, and has gotten to be quite tame in the 2 months that we have been caring for her. :)
 
HiddenHollowHerp said:
You should only feed your glider an approved diet.

www.sugarglider.net

That site is to sugar gliders what this site is to reptiles (except the sugar glider people seriously treat their gliders like their flesh and blood children).

I really wish you would have joined that site before you got your glider in the first place, because you are in for a REAL committment. Gliders bite just like snakes do. Gliders bond by scent (your sweaty armpits). Gliders need massive enclosures to excersize their patagia and keep it supple. Do not, under any circumstances, even consider buying a glider leash. Your toilet lid must now be closed at all times, forever. Your cats are your glider's worst nightmare. Your snakes are your glider's second worst nightmare. Dogs and ferrets can do some hideous damage too. Your glider should be monochromaticly gray with a black stripe and a light belly. If your glider is brown, he has been fed an unsuitable diet. Veterenary care for gliders is expensive, and annual checkups are absolutely needed. Your glider cannot eat hard corn or hamster food, which contains aflatoxins, which will kill it violently from the inside out. Your glider needs constant access to water. Your glider will keep your entire family awake every night. Your glider is capable of self-mutilation due to stress, which is extremely likely considering he is alone. Self-mutilation leads to many deaths every year. The best thing you can do for your glider is to get him a friend, or sell him to someone who has another glider. General glider care is expensive. My recommended diet is the BML diet, it is the only diet I trust completely, and it is easy to prepare in comparison to the rest of Ellen's recommended diets.

The best thing I can tell you is to please please please go to that website. It truly is the best thing ever.

Tell me how it goes or if you need help. I have close to 10 years of glider experience under my belt.
Click to expand...

It is nice to offer help, that is what we are all here for, to ask info if we need it, and to offer our experience and knowledge.
But there is no one way to take care of a critter. I always thing that gathering as much info as one can, and then making informed decisions, is best for the critter.
I've heard sugar gliders are not as easy to take care of as, let's say, a kitty.
But I know this one has a good home. I'd love to see pix.
 
Well, I must apologize, because from your first post, it sounded to me like you didn't know what you'd gotten into, which is the case with 80% of people who get sugar gliders. They are cute, they are fun, they are entertaining, but they are a committment. I learned that the hard way, and it still breaks my heart every time I think about it. It's a sensitive subject for me.

It sounds like you're on the right track, but really, please consider getting her a little sister. I can point you towards 50 different breeders who really know their stuff. Every person I've ever met with gliders, myself included, has said : "I never knew what a happy glider looked like until I got my glider a friend."

Just something to consider.
Again, I'm sorry if my post seemed pushy, but my heart falls like lead in the ocean whenever I hear about someone getting a glider. Most of the time, it is not a match made in heaven, so to speak.

Do you know how to do the tent-test or the HLP test?
Just curious.


Adam.
 
The "tent test" is commonly used in a lot of critters to check for dehydration - but as far as a test that I can actually perform for HLP, I can't say that I do. My understanding is that as long as angulation of the leg is correct, no swelling of the toes, etc. I wouldn't need to "test"....isn't the only definitive diagnosis test going to be an xray if those issues are present?
 
Yep, that's the only definitive test you can do.

However, if she starts shuffling, waddling, or trying to walk backwards, you should have an x-ray performed.

The HLP test was sprinkling flower on a countertop and trying to get her to walk a straight line. I remember that the results were either that the hind prints would be in the front prints or that the hind prints would be way wider. I just wish I could remember which was good.

Have you locked her in a tent yet?
 
It's the best way there is to get her to play with you. They love it. Especially if you bring feathers or tree helicopters or cat teasers (without catnip).

Just sit in the tent with her and have "tent time". Your son would love it too, I'm sure. The tent gives her an area to be wild where she can't get hurt.
 
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