Sugar Gliders can be very fragile creatures. If they are left without food and water, severe health damages can occur.
Sugar Gliders need both food and water to survive. However, you may be wondering, how long can these guys live without food and water?
Well, the timeframe a sugar glider can live without food and water can range from 12 hours to three and a half days. Overall, this mostly depends on the exact situation, which we will be discussing today.
I highly encourage you to read on if you are interested in whether or not sugar gliders can live without food and water!
Can Sugar Gliders live without food or water?
The answer is pretty complicated because it can be both “yes and “no”.
Sugar Gliders are exotic animals and have very unique needs compared to your average house pet. Perhaps your cat or dog could go a few days without food and water and be totally fine.
However, for gliders, this isn’t as simple. They have much more complicated needs.
Can they live without food?
Yes, Sugar Gliders can sort of live without food as long as they have access to water. However, not for a very long period of time as this can become dangerous.
They can only live up to about three and a half days without food as long as they have access to water.
However, if left without food for an extended period of time and then fed their regular meals afterward, they can develop an intestinal blockage. This could, in turn, be deadly if not found and properly treated on time.
Therefore, be sure to have someone trustworthy watch over your pet, such as a family member or pet sitter, if you have days where you simply do not have the time to. That way, they will have access to food and water if needed.
How about without Water?
When it comes to water, sugar gliders cannot live without this for any longer than twelve hours as this can cause their bodies to shut down, resulting in death.
Therefore, leaving them without water is definitely not a safe option for your pet. You want to always be sure they have access to fresh water to keep them healthy.
The issue is that they can become severely dehydrated because they need water in their systems, or else they cannot function.
These creatures are so small that most likely, it becomes too much for the body to regularly function without water.
How to know if my sugar glider is dehydrated?
There are a few different key signs to look out for that may show that your sugar glider is dehydrated.
Look out for these signs to help determine if your glider is dehydrated. You can also consult a veterinarian if you’re concerned about potential dehydration in your glider.
- Lack of energy
- Sunken eyes
- Dry nose and mouth
- Abnormal breathing
- Seizures
Lack of energy:
If your sugar glider isn’t acting like itself by being less active, this could be a sign of dehydration. If this occurs, be sure to check and see if your glider has water or that their water bottle isn’t clogged.
Sunken eyes:
If your glider’s eyes appeared sunken and abnormal, this could also be a sign of dehydration.
Sugar gliders’ eyes are naturally prominent and aren’t sunken in. If the appearance of your glider’s eyes starts to look sunken, check to make sure your glider has been drinking.
Dry nose and mouth:
If your sugar glider’s nose is no longer wet and their mouth seems abnormally dry, be sure to check on their water source.
Typically, your sugar glider’s nose is slightly wet, similar to a dog. So, if it seems to be drier than usual, please make sure they’re drinking water!
Seizures:
If your sugar glider starts to have seizures, I recommend immediate vet attention! Unlike the other symptoms of possible dehydration, seizures can be extremely life-threatening a lot sooner.
Seizures may be the key sign that something is going on with your sugar glider, whether it be dehydration or another health concern.
Please consult a veterinarian:
Again, if your sugar glider has any of these symptoms, please consult a veterinarian. Consulting a veterinarian is very important to help determine if your glider is dehydrated.
A veterinarian can help confirm if these are, in fact, something to be concerned about or if it’s a false alarm.
How much do Sugar Gliders eat in a Day?
Sugar gliders eat up to 20% of their weight every single day.
Therefore, it is imperative that these guys have access to food at least once every day. That way, you can ensure your sugar glider is happy and healthy.
What does a Sugar Gliders Diet Consist of?
Sugar gliders are opportunistic omnivores. In the wild, they eat vegetables, nectar from tree sap, insects, and fresh fruit.
It’s important to feed your Glider a well-balanced diet to keep them happy and healthy. They should have a diet consisting of fruits, vegetables, and proteins.
Safe Fruits:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Cantaloupe
- Blueberries
Safe Vegetables:
- Asparagus
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Celery
- Tomato
Safe Proteins:
- Chicken
- Eggs
- Cricket
- Mealworms
There are so many other fruits, vegetables, and proteins that sugar gliders can eat. However, there are way too many to list!
Before feeding your glider a new food, be sure to look it up and make sure it’s glider safe!! There are tons of reliable websites you can check to ensure what you’re feeding is, in fact, safe.
Foods that should be avoided:
There is a much longer list of foods not to feed your glider, but these are a few foods that may easily be confused as glider safe:
- Birdseed
- Cheese
- Apple seeds
- Chocolate
- Fruit pits
Sugar Gliders Calcium Intake Importance:
Sugar gliders need to have a very strict intake of calcium with their diet. To ensure these needs are met, they sell sugar glider calcium powder to sprinkle onto their food when they eat.
Without the proper amount of calcium, sugar gliders can develop partial or total paralysis. This is the result of a calcium deficiency in their diet.
Sprinkling calcium powder on their food daily is a solution. This calcium powder can be found at your local pet store or even ordered online.
What to do if my sugar glider refuses to eat for days?
If your Sugar Glider hasn’t been eating, there are a few crucial steps you should take.
Provide a balanced diet
Firstly, be sure to swap around the foods you are offering your Sugar Glider. Sometimes these guys can become picky and show favor to foods they like the taste of most.
If there is a fruit or treat you’ve noticed your glider eating more of in the past, be sure to offer that first thing! As it could just be pickiness.
Look out for any underlying illness.
Secondly, If this isn’t working, try to keep an eye on your glider to see if any other behaviors seem abnormal.
If this is the case, they may have an underlying illness that needs to be treated because sometimes they will lose their appetite when they become sick.
Engage a vet for help
Lastly, if you still cannot get them to eat and have tried a variety of foods, and their behavior isn’t showing any other obvious changes, you should seek veterinary attention.
This way, they can run tests on your glider to see what the underlying cause is and be able to treat it. This will ensure that your glider gets the help it needs and that it won’t get any worse over time.
I don’t recommend waiting too long to take this step, though. Because the sooner the visit, the sooner you can catch what might be causing your sugar glider not to eat.
Overall, when trying to help your sugar glider eat, be sure to take notes. Yes, notes, this can help with your future vet visit if it happens to be needed.
That way, you don’t forget the little things that have been going on with your glider. Just note their behaviors, the last time they ate, and their weight over the few days before this visit.
How often should I feed my sugar glider?
Sugar Gliders need to be fed once daily at a minimum. The maximum would be twice daily. This way, you can ensure they get the right amount of food, rather than too little or too much.
Be sure to feed them around the same time daily. That way, your sugar glider has a daily eating routine. It ensures that they know when to eat and helps keep them happy and healthy.
When feeding them, it’s recommended to feed them either in the early morning or at dusk. These are the times that sugar gliders are waking up and going to bed. Therefore, they’ll already be awake to eat.
Why is it important to monitor how frequently they eat?
It’s important to be sure to feed your sugar glider at least once a day. This can help ensure that your sugar glider is happy and healthy.
Without proper monitoring of their diet, as previously discussed, they can develop calcium deficiency. That being said, this can lead to paralysis, which is definitely preventable if properly monitored!
Consult a veterinarian if you are concerned that your glider isn’t properly eating. You can also try different types of fruits to see if they are just picky eaters. However, don’t leave them without eating for too long!
Final thoughts
Making sure your sugar glider has constant access to food and water is extremely important as this can become life-threatening.
If for some reason, you’re concerned your sugar glider hasn’t been eating or drinking, there are a few signs you can look out for. However, consulting your veterinarian is always the best option.
There are also a variety of foods that your glider can eat, but be sure to look up whether or not it’s a safe choice, or reference the list we went over today.
Sugar Gliders are overall very sensitive and quite fragile creatures. Therefore, it is really important to try your best to keep them well-fed and hydrated.
If they aren’t eating and drinking like they should be, take this up with your veterinarian and see what the underlying cause may be.