Hi there,

So, we have had two sugar gliders since October. We got them when they were very young and everything seems to be going well. However, my daughter brought to my attention that she thinks Willow is losing weight. After checking the gliders, I did see what she was talking about. It isn't real obvious, but Willow is smaller and thinner than her sister, Fiona. We have always fed them Critterlove complete, the kibble and salad #3. I occasionally switch up the fruit if we have something special at home like a small piece of fresh pineapple, strawberries, apples, etc. I also give them pumpkin seeds and yogurt drops as treats. They are both very active. I would even say Willow is more active than Fiona. Their fir looks good. no cracking, but Willow's stipe on her head seems to be changing a bit. their poop looks normal, too. They seem to be eating well. All their CritteLove is gone every morning and there is very little salad left. They also have fresh water daily. Is it normal for one glider to be skinnier than the other when they are fed the same diet? Should I be concerned or be looking for other signs that something is wrong? Should I be sprinkling vitamins on their salad? I thought vitamins were not needed if feeding CL.... Sorry for all the questions, I just don't want to miss something and neglect an issue I am not aware of. I'm hoping Fiona just likes to eat more than Willow.

Thanks,
PJ

Are you weighing the salad mixture when you feed it? Each glider should get 24 grams of the salad mixture.

I would give them each their own dish and place it on different levels of the cage.

I agree. Try 2 separate dishes. Put them out before they wake up and encourage both to come out and eat at the same time. That way you can observe them.

Thank you for your input. I ended up taking both girls to an exotic pet vet who specializes in sugar gliders. (we are lucky to have one close by) Turns out, they are both very healthy and Willow actually weighs more!!! Willow at 90 grams compared to Fiona's 80 grams. I was told this is on the low end of normal for female gliders their age (9 months old) They also did a fecal test and everything came back normal. After staying up late to watch them eat, I noticed that Fiona seems to like the the CritterLove Complete more than Willow. Fiona drinks a lot of it, while Willow drinks it too, but eats more of salad than CL. So, I started pouring the CL into the salad, too. I'm hoping Willow gets more CL that way and her coat will return to normal. The vet said the CL diet was great and to keep doing what I am doing. I also showed them pictures of their cage and accessories and all was good there too. I feel better about their health and glad I took them in.