Can Sugar Gliders Eat Coconut?

Just like the personality of some of our lovable sugar gliders, coconuts are nutty and sweet.  Whether you eat coconut regularly, drink its milk or water or just treat yourself to coconut from time to time, you probably have considered sharing it with your sugar gliders.

Coconuts aren’t just yummy; they are also well known for their health benefits for us humans.  It would make sense that coconuts are healthy for our furry friends too. 

While most fruits and vegetables are safe for our furry friends, not all of them are.  So, before you give your sugar gliders any new food, always investigate whether or not that new food is healthy for them.

So, what about coconut?  Can sugar gliders eat coconut?  Can sugar gliders have coconut milk and water? The quick and easy answer is: Yes, sugar gliders can consume coconut products if it is in moderation.  However, there are a few ‘rules’ to follow.

Can Sugar Gliders Have Coconut of All Kinds?

While coconut is very healthy, sometimes when it is prepared, other not so healthy additives are used.  So, just like nearly every type of produce, stick to the golden rule of treating sugar gliders.  Fresh or frozen coconut is the best and avoid canned coconut. 

The canning process usually involves using preservatives and additives that don’t belong in your sugar glider’s diet.  However, since there is a wide variety of canned coconut products available, it is possible that there is a canned coconut product available that doesn’t have anything bad for sugar gliders in it.

You’ll need to carefully check the ingredients of canned coconut before you feed it to your furry friends.  You don’t want to give them anything they shouldn’t have.

Fresh coconut meat can be slightly difficult to get to.  Some sugar glider owners like to crack a coconut open and give it to their suggies while still on the shell.  Getting coconut off of the shell can be a fun activity for your sugar gliders. 

Since coconut should be fed as a treat in moderation rather than as a staple part of their diet, you might have an easier time regulating how much coconut your sugar gliders eat by scraping the coconut meat from the shell and only giving your sugar gliders a few bites. 

Dried coconut is also fine for your sugar gliders.  However, many dried fruits come with added sugars.  You don’t want your sugar gliders eating added sugar, so make sure the dried coconut you get for your sugar gliders is only coconut with nothing added to it.

Can Sugar Gliders Have Coconut Milk and Coconut Water?

Coconut milk and water are excellent treats for both humans and sugar gliders.  The same caveats for canned coconut and dried coconut apply to coconut milk and coconut water.  Make certain there are no added ingredients that could harm your sugar gliders. 

In the U.S. you can often find coconuts in the store.  This makes getting pure coconut water a lot easier.  Simply put a hole (or a few) into the coconut and pour the water out.  That way you will know for sure there is nothing in the coconut water that is harmful to sugar gliders.

You can also attempt to make coconut milk on your own with the flesh of the coconut.  Just make sure you skip any of the ingredients you don’t want your suggies to have.

Don’t add coconut milk or coconut water to your sugar glider’s water bottle.  You always want to have a pure water source available for your sugar gliders.  Also, coconut milk and water are sticky which can cause the water bottle to clog up. So, it is best to give the coconut water or milk in a bowl.

Just like coconut flesh, you only want to treat your sugar gliders to coconut milk and coconut water in moderation.  So, give them a little at a time or stick around to monitor them and make sure they don’t drink too much.

Summary: Can Sugar Gliders Have Coconut?

Can sugar gliders eat coconut and have coconut milk and water? In a word: Yes!  Sugar gliders can eat coconut and drink coconut products. But they should do so in moderation. 

Stay away from anything canned that has preservatives or additives your sugar gliders shouldn’t have.  You can get coconut water from a fresh store-bought coconut and also make your own coconut milk.  This will ensure you don’t accidentally give your furry friends anything unhealthy.

Dried coconut often comes with added sugar as well.  Make sure this isn’t the type of dried coconut you feed your sugar gliders.