Gliders love fruit but can your pet sugar gliders eat bananas?
It is important to follow a strict diet to keep your furbaby happy and healthy so as a glider parent you need to know what food is safe, like bananas.
Here, I will focus on bananas, if they’re safe, their nutrient profile, and how much you can feed.
So let’s get started!
Table of Contents
Can Sugar Gliders Have Bananas?
The quick answer is: yes! Your sugar baby can have this sweet fruit treat.
In fact, the TikTok Community is obsessed with sugar gliders eating bananas. They’ve been sharing pet videos all over the platform.
If you regularly consume fresh bananas, you are surely aware of their health benefits. In fact, the term ‘superfood’ came from promoting them!
The fruit is low in fat and calories but high in potassium, vitamin C, vitamin B6, and fiber.
Here’s a quick video about a sugar glider eating a banana.
@brickley_exotics Sugar glider eaint banana 🍌 #sugarglider #pet #mypet #petseating #furryanimals #cute #animals ♬ original sound – Brickley_Exotics
ALSO CHECK: Can Sugar Gliders Eat Strawberries?
The Good Thing About Bananas
This food is a nutrient-dense fruit that is widely available all year. For the nutritional benefits, it is an excellent source of potassium and proteins.
Wondering about the fruits’ nutritional profile? (1) Here is an overview of what a 100-gram serving of the fruit contains, according to Healthline Medical Research Manager Atli Anarson.
- Calories: 89
The energy equivalent to this many calories is enough to help a person do a 9-minute run. What more energy can it give your little friend?
- Water: 75%
In a way, the fruit keeps your baby mammals hydrated as well. This is good, especially during the summer heat.
- Protein: 1.1 grams
The fruit treat will help make them strong. Proteins are an essential part of muscle repair and building. These building blocks also help make hormones and enzymes and strengthen the bone.
- Carbs: 22.8 grams
Carbohydrates provide glucose to the body, used for metabolic and physical tasks.
- Sugar: 12.2 grams
Ripe bananas contain three main types of sugars – sucrose, fructose, and glucose.
- Fiber: 2.6 grams
This fruit contains a high percentage of resistant starch, which passes through your intestines undigested.
- Fat: 0.3 grams
Fat gives the body energy, protects the organs, promotes cell growth, and lowers cholesterol and blood pressure. It also aids in absorbing essential nutrients.
- Vitamins and Minerals
This wonderful tropical fruit is rich in potassium, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C, which you can find more information on the video provided below.
Why Should You Feed Sugar Gliders Bananas in Moderation?
Excited to feed your sugar pal some bananas? Before you go to the supermarket to buy a bunch of bananas, let me share this fact with you.
Sugar gliders can eat bananas, but like with any other food, you must take precautions in feeding. Too much intake of this fruit can be harmful to your pet.
Like most fruits, you must feed your gliders in moderation.
The biggest reason is that bananas have horrible calcium to phosphorus ratio, which can endanger your pet’s overall health.
Arbor View Animal Hospital stressed that “Maintaining a Ca:P ratio of 2:1 is critical in sugar gliders.”
Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Catherine Love added that “Calcium and phosphorus are opposed in the body, which is why gliders should avoid phosphorus-rich supplements and meals.”(2)
What Happens When There’s Calcium: Phosphorus Imbalance?
Some gliders have issues with calcium absorption. Calcium deficiency weakens their back, legs, and limbs. On the opposite end of the scale, high calcium levels in their bodies are fatal.
The ideal diet should always have a balanced protein supply, favorable calcium and phosphorous ratio, vitamin B6, and fat. Other extra nutrients are also needed to achieve a healthy nutritional profile.
When feeding, make sure to compensate for the banana’s poor Ca:P ratio with something that brings the diet to the correct 2:1 ratio stated above by DMV, Catherine Love.
Feed your glider every fruit in moderation. No single fruit can provide the correct balance of essential nutrients that your pet needs.
ALSO READ: BML Diet for Sugar Gliders
Can Sugar Gliders Eat Banana Peels?
Sugar gliders can not eat banana peels. This is because they are often sprayed with pesticides.
Feeding your furry companion the peels can cause serious health problems and even lead to death.
The best way to offer this fruit to your pet is to remove the peels and give them only the banana slices.
What About Banana Seeds?
Yes, gliders can eat banana seeds!
If it is a part of the fruit that is safe for sugar glider owners to eat, it is usually safe for gliders. However, always check with a vet with experience in the sugar glider diet if in doubt.
Do you eat the seeds? And even if you don’t they are absolutely ok for your pet sugar glider!
There is no need to remove the seeds, thankfully, as that is a tedious, time-consuming task.
Can Sugar Gliders Eat Dried Bananas?
Yes, you can definitely feed your fur baby with dehydrated banana chips. However, keep this to one or two feedings are enough every month.
The sugar content of bananas skyrockets when they are sliced and dried. While this gives the gliders a sweeter flavor, it isn’t exactly good for them.
Your furry pals will end up eating more sugar due to the higher concentration. When this happens, it will lead to health issues in the future.
This sugar glider enjoys the banana chips!
This brings me to another question, I’ve seen many glider parents ask.
What about the commercial food version of banana chips? All dried fruits, from orange peel to banana chips or anything made for human consumption, are preserved with added sugar content.
As I already mentioned, captive sugar gliders can get sick from too much sugar. So, refrain from feeding them commercially made banana chips.
Additionally, other preservatives that sugar gliders should avoid are sometimes added to dehydrated fresh fruits. Make sure your sugar gliders aren’t eating anything else than a pure dehydrated banana.
One solution is to cook banana chips at home to avoid the extra sugar. They’re simple to make in a food dehydrator.
This will ensure that the banana treats you feed your sugar gliders are entirely made of bananas.
Here’s a Tiktok Video on how to dehydrate bananas.
@misfit_mama3 Dehydrating Bananas. #misfitmama #mamasmisfitkitchen #madewithlove #canning #preserving #dehydrated #dehydratedfruit #bananas #bananachips #fruitchips
♬ original sound – Ashley. L
Can Sugar Gliders Eat Plantain?
Of course! A cooked banana is okay. Just make sure that there are no added sugars or other harmful preservatives in your recipe.
A plain, boiled banana treat is enough to make your sugar babies happy.
What About Frozen Bananas?
Opt for fresh rather than frozen bananas.
Why are frozen bananas such a big deal? They’re still bananas, right?
Well, the reason it is a problem has to do with digestion. Frozen bananas are hard for gliders to chew; therefore, they leave chunky amounts of bananas in their stomach.
Do Sugar Gliders Eat Bananas?
You’ve patiently read about bananas, but do sugar gliders like bananas?
When giving your sugar glider a banana treat, consider that many sugar gliders dislike bananas. So, if this is the case with your adoring but finicky eater, don’t be alarmed.
Rather than giving up on this choice after one attempt, serve them to your sugar gliders several times. Some sugar gliders require a few exposures to a new food before trying it.
Bananas For Sugar Gliders: 2 Things To Consider
1. How Often Can Sugar Gliders Eat Bananas?
The ideal, maximum frequency for feeding bananas is once a week or every other week if you’re offering fresh ones. However, you must always take care of and monitor your pet’s nutritional ratio.
Keep feeding of dried or dehydrated bananas to once a month at most. You don’t want to harm your furry friend’s health with too much sugar.
2. The Serving Size
How much is one serving? One tablespoon of cubes or a few slices is enough for each of your pets. Bananas make excellent snacks and add variety to the sugar glider diet.
FAQs
What fruits are best for sugar gliders?
The best fruits for sugar gliders include bananas, grapes, apples, cantaloupe, cherries, plums, and pears. They can also eat strawberries. Find out more about how sugar gliders can eat strawberries in this guide
What can I feed my sugar glider?
There are several types of glider diets from meats, fruits, vegetables, and snacks for sugar gliders available in pet stores or that you can make yourself.
Each food is packed with good sources of protein, source of fiber, and other nutrients for your little friend.
Conclusion
Going back to the question, “Can sugar gliders eat bananas?” the answer is a BIG YES!
Always remember that part of the yes is a responsibility. Feeding should be in moderation for any amounts of fruit.
Does your glider like bananas?
Have you tried feeding your sugar glider with bananas? Let us know how it went down in the comment section!
Resources
- Bananas 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits. (n.d.). Bananas 101: Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits; www.healthline.com. Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods/bananas
- Sugar Gliders (n.d) Retrieved April 5, 2022, from https://arborviewah.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Sugar-Gliders.pdf.
My name is Ben Roberts, and I absolutely love animals. So, naturally, I love writing about them too! As far as my animals, I have a Pit-bull, a Beagle-lab mix, a Chihuahua, and one old cat. Each one of them provides me with a new adventure every day. And the best part is they’re all best friends. Well, except the cat when he gets a little annoyed.
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