Malnutrition

I just wanted to take a moment to remind everyone of what malnutrition is and what it isn't.

Malnutrition is not the same as emaciation (starving).
Malnutrition is the condition that results from eating an unbalanced diet in which certain nutrients are lacking, in excess, or in the wrong proportions. This results in decreased ability for the body to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.

Malnutrition CAN lead to death or serious illness. This is especially true in sugar gliders, where malnutrition can lead to issues such as HLP, seizures, neurological impairment, crystals in the urine, liver disease, blindness, kidney disease, difficulty with wound healing, rejected and canibalized joeys, etc, etc.

This is part of the reason that we who love gliders so much focus greatly on diet. It is so vitally important that all gliders are provided a wide variety of foods (fruits, veggies and protein sources) so that they have available to them everything that they need to maintain healthy tissues and organ function.

Through research, we know - factually backed up - that gliders can and do die if fed only bugs as their protein source, if they are fed only fruits and veggies and/or if they are fed only a staple mix (no fruits and veggies). They NEED a fully balanced and fully enriched diet on a daily basis.

Gliders can eat every single day - they can even eat a LOT every day - and still be malnourished. Please do not mistake eating for nourishing. They are not the same thing.

Also just wanted to point out that one cannot LOOK at a glider and diagnose malnutrition. Just because a glider is skinny or dehydrated does not mean the are MALNOURISHED. They may be emaciated. They may be dehydrated. They may be both or all 3.

Because malnourishment is a condition of long term unbalance. Therefore, testing that might be done includes blood work, urinalysis, and a full diet analysis. Often when testing reveals multiple organ impairment or dysfunction, a diet analysis will confirm that there is an unbalance in essential nutrients and will assist your vet in appropriate diagnosis.