Can Sugar Gliders Eat Radishes? What about Radish Greens?
Slightly spicy with a hint of sweet, if you like the peppery taste of radishes, and you like to spoil your sugar gliders, you’ve probably wondered if your sweet sugar babies would like a bite of radish. Radishes, after all, are healthy for us humans
Rather than giving your sugar gilders radishes and hoping for the best. It’s always better to make sure that the treat you are giving your lovable, little friends is healthy for them.
So, what about radishes? Can sugar gliders eat radishes? Can sugar gliders eat radish greens? The quick and easy answer is: Yes, sugar gliders can eat radishes and their greens in moderation. Fresh and frozen radishes are the best. If you opt for fresh either go organic or wash the radishes and the greens well before feeding them to your suggies.
Precautions to Take When Feeding Sugar Gliders Radishes and Radish Greens
As a responsible sugar glider owner, you never want to feed your furry friends anything that’s unhealthy. So be sure to stick to the same rule as nearly all produce when you feed radishes and radish greens to your sugar gliders: fresh and frozen are best and avoid feeding your sweet suggies canned or pickled radishes.
The canning process uses additives that your sugar gliders really shouldn’t be eating. And the brine in pickling also contains what would be unhealthy additions to your sugar glider’s diet.
Another safety measure you should take when feeding your furry friends radishes and their greens is to do so in moderation. You should not feed your wide-eyed pals radishes more than a couple of times a week. It is better to rotate radishes with other treats.
Most sugar glider guardians try to maintain a calcium to phosphorus ratio of 2:1 in their suggie’s diet. Fortunately, radishes, and even more so their greens, are good sources of calcium. This makes radishes more favorable than other treats when you are trying to keep your sweet sugar babies’ calcium to phosphorus ratio in balance.
Finally, always rinse fresh radishes thoroughly. This will remove the pesticides from the greens and roots. Consuming pesticides can cause a lot of harm to sugar gliders. To avoid worrying about pesticides all together, buy organic!
My Sugar Glider Does Not Like Radishes, Should I Be Worried?
Just like people, not every sugar glider will love radishes. So, if your furry pal doesn’t chow down on radishes, there’s nothing to worry about. Ignoring a slice of radish or a bit of radish greens does not, by itself, mean there is something wrong with your sugar gliders.
Sugar gliders can also be slow coming around to new foods. If your sweetie doesn’t immediately love their slice of radish, try offering it a few more times. Your sugar glider may come to love eating radishes and radish greens.
You can also try cooking radishes to see if that makes them more tempting for your sugar gliders. Obviously, don’t add salt, pepper, or any other goodies we use when cooking radishes for ourselves. Added salt, spices and oil don’t belong in a sugar glider’s diet.
Be aware that the nutrients of radishes can change when you cook them, so you’ll need to investigate how you’re changing this based on the cooking method you choose.
Summary: Can Sugar Gliders Have Radishes and Radish Greens?
Can sugar gliders eat radishes and radish greens? In a word: Yes! Sugar gliders can eat radishes and their greens in moderation. Never serve canned radishes and be sure to wash the radish and greens well. Better than washing the radish, buy organic so you don’t unintentionally feed your suggies pesticides.
Be sure to keep track of your sugar glider’s overall calcium to phosphorus ratio.
Remember, not every human likes radishes, so don’t worry if your sugar glider doesn’t either.