Hand Raising
When hand raising a sugar glider joey there are three main priorities:
– Keep the joey warm
– Feed the joey
– Stimulate the joey to poop and pee.
Information
Quick Help Guide for Rejected Joeys and Hand Raising A Joey by Suz’ Sugar Gliders
Rejected Joeys Q&A by Glider Nursery includes directions for using Esbilac puppy milk formula
Hand Raising a Joey and Breeding and Joey Development found in the Sugar Glider Minions files.
Supplies
Rejected joey kit (with heating pad and incubator), marsupial milk replacer ingredients, and sample packs available on the SpinZoneGlobal website
Marsupial milk replacer for joey rejection available on Etsy and on The Pampered Glider website, which offers an inexpensive sample kit with enough of each ingredient to last through the shipping time for a full kit in the event it becomes necessary.
Sugar Glider Incubator pdf (SGG Group Files). Instructions for how to set up an incubator to keep rejected joeys warm.
List of glider medical supplies on Amazon, including syringes and scales.
Kitchen scale that can weigh in tenths of a gram to monitor the joey’s weight.
Warning Signs
Joey loses ANY weight or fails to gain weight for 3 consecutive days. This should be the deciding factor in ambiguous cases.
Joey cries frequently while parents are in pouch with it.
Joey climbs to the top of the pouch frequently.
Parents settle to sleep in a pouch without the joey and leave the pouch when the joey is added in.
Any marks, scratches, or sores on the joey.
Mom curls into a ball to keep the joey out of her pouch.
One joey is considerably smaller than its sibling.
The joeys always look wet (this is likely “ick” and needs vet care)
Hand Raise or Supplement Feed?
If the joey is not gaining weight but mom is letting them into her pouch and keeping up on the butt lickings, then consider supplement feeding the joeys but keeping them with their parents.
If there is any risk of harm to the joey, such as scratches or sores, then you must separate the joeys from the parents and do a full hand raising.
Whenever safe, it is better to supplement feed instead of hand raise. Sometimes it will be possible to let daddy raise the joeys while you supplement feed them. Dad can warm, groom, and stimulate the joeys to defecate.
Formula
I strongly recommend using the Wombaroo marsupial milk replacer style of formula for its colostrum supplement, which marsupials need throughout their weaning time unlike other mammals who only need it at first.
“2 Tbsp. Wombaroo® Sugar Glider Milk Replacer
2 Tbsp. Warm, Distilled Water
1/4 tsp. Wombaroo® Impact Colostrum Supplement
1 Tbsp. Wombaroo® Shake-N-Make Nectar (optional)”
When this is not an option, I suggest:
Esbilac formula
1 teaspoon Esbilac Puppy formula powder
1 Tablespoon Water or Pedialyte (unflavored)
.5 cc Dextrose (must be obtained from your vet: optional)”
or
Baby BML Recipe
1 boiled egg, shell removed
Blend well. Turn off blender. Add the following ingredients:
4 oz bottle premixed Gerber Fruit Juice with Yogurt (Banana or Mixed Fruit)
1 teaspoon RepCal Herptivite Vitamin Supplement
Blend well. Turn off blender. Add the following ingredients:
2 teaspoons RepCal Calcium Supplement with Vitamin D3 Phosphorous Free
4 oz jar Stage 1 or 2 Heinz or Gerber Chicken with Apples Baby food (NO GARLIC OR ONION)
1/2 cup dry Heinz or Gerber dry baby cereal (Mixed, Oatmeal, or Rice with Fruit Bits)
Blend well , turn off blender, pour into ice cube trays and FREEZE. It will be the consistency of ice cream. One cube in ice cube tray is about 2 tablespoons.
or
Ensure/Pedialyte formula
CAUTION: Ensure should not be given to a dehydrated glider, as they wont be able to digest it if they are dehydrated. Start with addressing dehydration with 100% pedialyte for 24 hours, then step up to a 25% Ensure with 75% pedialyte mixture for a couple of days, and step up again to a 50% Ensure with 50% pedialyte mix. The joey will eat this 50/50 mixture until weaned onto solid foods.