Can you overfeed a sugar glider

Rejected Sugar Glider Joey: All You Need to Know

A rejected sugar glider joey is one that has been rejected by its mother and is not being cared for. If you have found a rejected sugar glider joey, there are some things you need to do in order to care for it.

The first thing you should make sure is that the joey is warm. Sugar gliders are tropical animals and need to be kept warm. You can do this by putting the joey in a covered box with a hot water bottle or heating lamp set on low.

The next thing you need to do is to feed the joey. You can do this by using a syringe to feed the joey formula designed for sugar gliders. Make sure you do not overfeed the joey as this can make it sick.

In this article, we talk about everything you need to know about taking care of a rejected sugar glider joey. We cover how to keep the joey warm, how to feed it, and when to leave the joey alone with the mother again.

How do you take care of a rejected sugar glider joey

From time to time, it happens that a female sugar glider will reject one of her joeys. If you have found a rejected sugar glider joey, dont despair! There are some things you need to do in order to care for it, and with a little bit of effort, you can successfully raise the joey yourself.

After pregnancy, you should observe from distance how the mother takes care the little babies. If, for some reason, the mother is not taking care of her joey, then you will need to step in and take over the caretaking duties.

Caring for a rejected sugar glider joey is a lot of work, but it is definitely worth it! With a little bit of patience and effort, you can successfully raise a healthy and happy joey.

Feeding

The most important thing is to make sure that the joey is eating. You can do this by using a syringe to feed the joey formula designed for sugar gliders. Make sure you do not overfeed the joey as this can make it sick. Below, we provide a table about the amount of formula you should give per feed and the frequency of the feedings.

Stimulating the Joey

After feeding the joey, it is important that you stimulate it to go to the bathroom. This can be done by using a cotton swab or soft cloth to gently massage the joeys stomach in a circular motion.

You can also use a Q-tip to massage the joeys stomach in order to stimulate defecation. Do this for a minute or two after each feeding.

Cold

A rejected joey can become too cold very easily. The easiest way to warm the baby is by picking it up in a soft cloth and placing it against your chest until it is warm. You can also warm the piece of cloth in the dryer for a few minutes before placing the joey inside.

Another way to keep the joey warm is by using a heating lamp on low. Make sure that the joey has enough room to move away from the heat source if it starts to feel too warm. We do not recommend this, because it can be very easy to accidentally hurt by causing dehydration if the heat is too strong.

It is important to know that joeys dont know how to regulate their own body temperature, so it is up to you to make sure that the joey doesnt get too cold or too hot, so you need to pay attention to the little baby all the time.

Dehydration

Dehydration is a serious concern for sugar glider joeys. Make sure that the joey is getting enough fluids by offering it water or sugar water (equal parts water and sugar) from a syringe. You can also give the joey Pedialyte to help prevent dehydration.

If the joey is dehydrated, you will need to take it to the vet as soon as possible. Dehydration can be fatal if not treated promptly.

Sugar glider joeys are very delicate and need a lot of care. If you are not able to provide the necessary care, it is best to take the joey to a local exotic vet or sugar glider rescue.

How to feed the joey

The most important thing is to make sure that the joey is eating. You can do this by using a syringe to feed the joey formula designed for sugar gliders.

Be sure do not refrigerate the formula as this can make it go bad. Also, be sure to warm up the formula before feeding it to the joey, as sugar gliders are tropical animals and need to be kept warm.

Here are some tips on how to feed the joey:

• Warm the formula up to body temperature. You can do this by placing the bottle of formula in a cup of hot water for a few minutes.
• Use a soft cloth to support the joeys head while you are feeding it.
• Insert the syringe into the side of the joeys mouth and slowly squeeze the formula into its mouth.
• Be sure to not get milk in the nose of the joey, as this can cause respiratory problems.
• Stop feeding the joey if it starts to cough or choke.
• Do not overfeed the joey as this can make it sick.

How to make milk

There are many recipes for milk replacers for sugar gliders, but we recommend using this one:

• 5g Biolac M100 (marsupial milk replacer). You can also use Esbilac Puppy Milk Replacer Powder. Dont use kitten formula because it is too high in lactose;
• 10g Unflavored Pedialyte (or bottled water/filtered water);
• 0.3 ml 0.6 ml of simethicone (baby gas drop relief);
• 1:2 ratio of powder:liquids (1 part powder for 2 parts liquid).

Feeding Schedule

*OOP Out of pouch

When should I leave the joey alone with his mother again?

After the joey is warm again, well fed, and it doesnt suffer from dehydration, you can try to let him alone with his mother again. If the mother doesnt accept him, you will have to continue taking care of the joey.

Also, when you discover that the joey is rejected, make sure that it doesnt have bite marks or scratches,as this could mean that the mother is aggressive and might hurt the joey if you put him back with her.

Signs that the mother accepts the joey back are:

• The mother starts to feed the joey;
• The mother starts to clean the joey;
• The mother allows the joey to hang out onto her back.

Signs that the joey was rejected

There are several signs that can indicate that the joey was rejected:

The mother sugar glider is not seen taking care of the joey

It can happen that the mother sugar glider doesnt take care of the joey anymore and starts to avoid it. This can be because the mother is not producing enough milk or the baby is too weak to survive, so the mother gives up.

The joey has bite marks

If you see that the joey has bite marks or scratches, it means that the mother sugar glider has rejected it, and it is in danger.

The joey is found on the ground away from the mothers nest

If you find the joey on the ground away from the mothers nest, this is a sign that the joey was most likely rejected. Sugar gliders are very protective of their young and will not usually leave them out in the open like this.

Joey is cold

As we mentioned, joeys do not know how to regulate their body temperature, so if the baby is cold when you touch it, its a sign that it may have been rejected. The little baby can also cry and make a distressed noise when it is cold.

Why do sugar gliders reject their babies?

There are several reasons why the sugar glider mother can reject a joey. The most common reasons are:

The mother is not producing enough milk

Usually, female glider give birth to 2 joeys, and sometimes they cant produce enough milk for both, so one of the joeys gets rejected. Or she gave birth to more than 2 joeys, and she cant care for all of them, so she has to pick the strongest ones.

The joey is too weak

The joey can be born weak and cant latchonto the mothers teat to feed or hold on to her fur. If this happens, the mother doesnt have what to do, so she rejects the baby.

The mother is ill

The mother can be ill, and this is one of the reasons why she rejects the joey. When the mother is not feeling well, she doesnt have the strength or the milk to care for her joey.

The mother is stressed

The mother can be stressed because of the lack of food, water, or because she is not in her natural habitat. When a sugar glider is stressed, she cant produce milk and will most likely reject the joey.

Conclusion

If you find yourself in the position of having to take care of a rejected sugar glider joey, there are some things you need to know. First, make sure the joey is warm and well-fed. You will also need to give the joey stimulation for gas relief.

Be sure to follow a 1:2 ratio of powder to liquids when feeding the joey. If possible, try to reintroduce the joey to its mother. If the mother does not accept the joey, you will need to continue taking care of it.

If you have any concerns, be sure to consult with a veterinarian familiar with sugar gliders.

How to Potty Train a Sugar Glider (In 4 Simple Steps)

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The purpose of this blog is to share general information and is written to the author's best knowledge. It is not intended to be used in place of veterinary advice. For health concerns, please seek proper veterinary care. In addition, as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Unlike traditional pets like cats and dogs, potty training a sugar glider is a bit different. Training your glider to pee or poop at specific intervals is possible, but requires lots of patience.

Nevertheless, once you learn how to potty train a sugar glider, itll all be worth it. Youll notice the difference when your little marsupial stops peeing on your hands or shirt.

The training mainly involves a reward system using treats and creating a peeing schedule. Sugar gliders dont exactly defecate at a particular place like a litter box, instead, they usually do so in the cage.

That being said, stick around to learn more about how to potty train a sugar glider and the tools youll need.

What to Consider Before Potty Training Your Sugar Glider

Before you start the training, its worth noting that sugar gliders are free roamers. They dont have a specific space to defecate in.

For example, gliders can pee or poop on you. The reason for this is usually because they want to mark you and show their affection.

Otherwise, they could be peeing out of excitement, as some dogs do. Now, sugar gliders do pee and poop a lot, especially when you hold them.

Not to worry though, they only pee a trickle and their poop is solid and tiny, at least most of the time. All things considered, if you have a sugar glider, youll most likely get some excrement on you, regardless of any potty training.

How to Potty Train a Sugar Glider

Although the possibility of potty training a sugar glider is debatable, some owners have been successful. Having said that, its best to not expect too much from your sugar glider, especially if theyre new to your home.

Correspondingly, you need to have a strong understanding of your sugar gliders habits and behaviors to properly train them.

Besides that, heres how you can start potty training your sugar glider.

Step 1: Establish a Defecating Area

Sugar gliders, otherwise known as honey gliders, are smart and organized creatures. They like to establish their sleeping, eating, and playing area.

Once the glider recognizes each areas function, itll rarely go there to poop or pee. Any other remaining area in the cage is likely where youll see their excrements.

Wherever you see the little poops, you can lay out some newspaper in that area for easier cleaning.

Since sugar gliders arent specific with where theyll relieve themselves, a litter box is mostly unnecessary.

Step 2: Encourage Your Sugar Glider to Pee in a Specific Area

Sugar gliders have a similar potty schedule to us. As soon as they wake up, they excrete whatevers built up in their bowels.

Thats when you can condition them to pee in the newspaper area youve laid out for them to pee in. All you have to do is grab your sugar glider and get some baby wipes.

Afterward, hover the sugar glider over the newspaper and caress their butt using the wipes. This, in turn, will stimulate their bowel system and allow them to pee or poop.

An alternative method could be to massage their little tummy while holding them above the newspaper.

Your sugar glider may still have some waste it needs to relieve in its system. Thats why youll want to move its body around my holding it from hand to hand, sort of like pulling a rope.

This action will stimulate its digestive tract and allow the glider to excrete any leftover waste. You can do this technique for about a few seconds or minutes until it poops out a couple of pellets or so.

Step 3: Repeat if Necessary

After completing the above process, you may have to do it again until the sugar glider is done. This is especially true if your glider is new.

On the other hand, trained honey gliders can take about one to five minutes to relieve themselves. Other gliders can take about five to seven minutes to finish.

This step is crucial because if you stop too soon, then your sugar glider will likely poop or pee on you.

After youre certain the gliders bowels are emptied, you can wait about two to three hours before you restart this process again. Unless you want some pellets on your shoulders, you should try your best to be consistent with this training process.

Step 4: Reward Your Sugar Glider

Like any other domesticated animal, a reward system is critical to training your pet. Thats why youll want to give a treat to your little suggie once it has done its business.

That way, itll be conditioned to recognize which area it can pee in. Speaking of which, if youre not a fan of newspapers, you can use paper towels or make a litter box.

Nevertheless, the litter box cant be filled with cat litter since the glider may try to eat it. Instead, you can fill it with shredded paper, grass pellets, or paper pulp.

In addition to this, your sugar glider may not always use the litter box. To encourage it, you can place all the stray poop pellets in the box.

How to Determine When Sugar Gliders Need to Potty

Dogs may sniff the floor and rabbits push their tail out, but what about sugar gliders? How can you know when they got to go?

Well, its not so simple since it varies between glider to glider. If its in your pocket, it can fidget when it needs to pee.

Meanwhile, other gliders may not show consistent signs of wanting to pee or poop. This tends to make things more difficult.

The good news is that most, if not all, sugar gliders, need to go every time they wake up. Apart from that, you can simply keep track of when you can make them go through anal gland stimulation.

For instance, after your honey glider is done with its morning potty, you can wait a couple of hours before stimulating its bowels again.

This routine will lessen the chances of the glider relieving itself on your shirt. Regardless of that, gliders have highly active bowel systems and tend to pee a lot.

Accordingly, you may want to give your pet some time to get used to potty training.

Can Sugar Gliders Wear Diapers?

If youre particularly squeamish about your sugar glider pooping or peeing on you, then you may have considered using diapers.

While glider diapers are sold, you may want to avoid them. The diapers can potentially harm the critters little patagia or gliding membranes.

Additionally, the little marsupial wont be able to glide as far while being confined to the diaper. Youll be better off potty training your exotic pet.

Final Thoughts

The effectiveness of potty training a sugar glider has been widely discussed by several owners. That being so, its possible.

Its also worth considering that bathroom training a sugar glider is nothing like training other pets. In short, you want to encourage your glider to relieve itself onto a paper towel or newspaper.

By doing so consistently, the honey glider will develop an understanding of where to pee or poop. You should also know when it needs to go, which is usually once it wakes up.

Also, dont forget the treat. Once the glider gets the hang of it, you may not have to constantly change your pee-stained clothes.

I have a bachelors degree in construction engineering. When Im not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, Im at home with my wife, two daughters and a dog. Outside of family, I love grilling and barbequing on my Big Green Egg and working on projects around the house. Growing up, I had pet dogs, cats, deer, sugar gliders, chinchillas, a bird, chickens, fish, and a goat.

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