A Tale of Two Gliders (& Electrolytes)

Once upon a time (last week), I learned about sugar gliders and how delicate their stomachs are. While I knew that they needed to eat certain foods because they needed fresh fruits and vegetables, I didn't know how important that was to a certain extent. Also, I didn't know how stubborn they were about changing diets. Sugar gliders have a high standard for their cuisine.

Sugar gliders are the most picky eaters I've ever come across. If they don't like their food, they just starve themselves (dramatic, I know). The nutrients they intake actually accounts for how they act, how they use the bathroom, and could even lead to self-mutilation if not fed properly.

I learned that when it came to their new food. I had given them the new pellets after running out of their old food. Both came with the gliders, except the food I started giving them when I got them had dried fruit and this new one didn't. So when they stopped wanting to play and slept for almost 24 hours (for 3 consecutive days), I knew something was wrong.

Both little guys are very friendly. Mushu is more interactive but Wasabi adores having you around just to keep her company. She'll even sit on your hand so you can hand feed her. But this time, not even their favorite foods could get them out of bed. They didn't want to come near me.

Something to note about them is they are very prone to calcium and electrolyte deficiencies. I knew about calcium because they came with a calcium powder that I needed to mix in with their food. While I didn't give them the powder everyday because I was worried I would kill them from too much calcium, I had no idea about electrolytes.

Without electrolytes, no amount of water will be enough to hydrate them. I later learned that you could tell if they needed it by pinching their necks and seeing if the fat stayed up for a second. If it did, they need electrolytes, which they did need.After giving them peach juice (which has electrolytes) they were back to normal within the next day or so.

After this scare, my perception of sugar gliders has changed. They aren't these fragile little babies. They're the stereotypical "drunk" that almost gets themselves killed because they've never drank alcohol and are too stubborn to help themselves. Especially because after a night of drinking...

...you need electrolytes to get over a hangover.