Can Sugar Gliders Eat Grapefruit? What About Grapefruit Peels?
It’s hard to beat a good, fresh grapefruit, and it’s hard to resist the urge to spoil our gliders! While you’re eating grapefruit, you might be tempted to treat your furry friend to some of your tasty snack.
As most sugar glider parents know, not everything that is healthy for us humans is also healthy for them. So, before you treat your furry friends to anything new, make sure that what you’re giving your lovable suggies is something that won’t harm them.
So, what about grapefruit? Can sugar gliders eat grapefruit and grapefruit peels? The quick and easy answer is: Yes, sugar gliders can eat grapefruit and grapefruit peels if it is in moderation, especially the peels. However, you should avoid feeding them grapefruit seeds.
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Why Should Sugar Gliders Have Grapefruit in Moderation?
Sugar gliders eat a wide variety of foods in the wild. As omnivores, their diet also incorporates many types of fruits. Grapefruits do have a lot of good nutritional value, however they also have a lot of citric acid.
Too much citric acid is not something you or your suggies want to experience as it can cause loose stools. These loose stools that come from too much citric acid might last for a few days! That’s not a situation you or your sugar glider want to be in.
A little bit of grapefruit can be a good treat for sugar gliders. Not all sugar gliders like grapefruit or the grapefruit peel. If yours does enjoy either of these, make sure that it is really only a treat for them. Which means both not letting them have too much at a time or letting them have it too often.
Many sugar glider owners try to maintain a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1. If you decide to add grapefruit into their rotation of treats make sure you are aware of how grapefruit changes this ratio in their diets.
What Else Should I Know About Feeding Sugar Gliders Grapefruit?
Some sugar gliders do not like citrus at all. So, it comes as no surprise that many suggies won’t be crazy about grapefruit and grapefruit peels as well. If your wide-eyed friends turns up their noses to your grapefruit offering, there is nothing to worry about.
Feeding a your sugar glider a small sliver of grapefruit still on the peel is an excellent way to give them their treat. A lot of times, sugar gliders are really only interested in the juice. They’ll suck the grapefruit flesh dry and leave the peel behind.
Another way to treat your suggies to grapefruit peel is to zest a little of it. Then mix the zest up with your sugar gliders’ meal. Remember that the peel, especially, should be eaten in moderation.
If you want to treat your sugar gliders to grapefruit peel, or even give them a slice with the peel on, be sure to wash the grapefruit very well first. Sugar gliders can’t handle the pesticides found on most produce.
With grapefruit as with most produce, fresh and frozen are best for your sweet friends, and always stay away from canned grapefruit.
Summary: Can Sugar Gliders Have Grapefruit and Grapefruit Peels?
Can sugar gliders eat grapefruit? In a word: Yes! Sugar gliders can eat grapefruit and grapefruit peels in moderation, though the seeds should be avoided.
Sugar gliders like to eat a variety of things, just like humans. However, not all sugar gliders will enjoy eating grapefruit or grapefruit peels. If they don’t love grapefruit, there’s nothing to worry about.
For those sugar gliders that do enjoy grapefruit, eating it in moderation is key. Remove pesticides by washing a fresh grapefruit well. Zesting the peel and mixing it with other food is also a good way to give your lovable furball this citrus treat.
Always remember to pay attention to the calcium to phosphorus ratio in your sugar glider’s diet.