In Reply to: Is my glider diet ok? posted by Holly on April 03, 2000 at 13:07:28:

you are so right about the controversial info out there, as I have said on my diets page that the diets issues are controversial and will be for a very long time, as for as the difference between my modified version and the leadbeaters is not really that different, you see the original leadbeaters is only part of the Taronga Zoo diet plan. the Zoofare that your vet was refering to is the insectavore part of the diet, and the extra proteins. I have talked to Caroline mcPherson.. (she is the published author that uses cat food) and she does use cat food, however she only uses a tiny bit of it, and would never advocate it as a sole diet. Nor will she advocate the use of cheap cat food.. But all this is on the diets page listed below. On that page I have stated that many breeders have agreed that the 25/75 figures were far too low in proteins.. But that is where the confusion and controversies come in. You see Caroline also doesn't feed live insects. So yes she does need to suppliment that. In my leadbeaters I do have the insects , but also the high protein Baby cereal that is listed in the origianl leadbeaters was 10 grams of protein, due to something with the wheat flour that was being used it can no longer be sold in the US. What we have now is a leadbeaters diet that is short 8 to 9 Grams of protien. so that had to be added somewhere..somehow so those of us in the states can offer a balance. which is where the second jar of chicken came in. As for the vits and mineral suppliments, that is where the fruits and veggies come in.. The diet plan that she is suggesting also is on the lower end of the calcium scale. the vits and mineral suppliments needs also the calcium extras, which is where the other part of the taronga zoo diet comes into play. it has a lot of high calcium low phosporus foods. The tarongs zoo diet was the FIRST diet that Ruth was able to get for us here in the states directly from Australia. But there are things there, that also can not be found here, and you run into the day old chicks, (where we added the chicken to ours to make up for that. In the Taronga zoo diet they also list the insectsavore feed. whereas We feed live insects, as that is more like the wild. they also feed maggots (fly pulpa), and I don't know about most of you, but that is not my choice of feeding. the only other difference in the Bourbons modified leadbeaters, is the mixed fruit juice with yoguart. and looking at the ingredients of the taronga zoo diet, there is many fruits, the addition of the yoguart was for the extra protein and calcium, as well as the good/bad bacteria.. I hope this helps clear up some of the controversiaes between the different diets. As for the cat food, some vets believe it causes intestional blockage or renal (kidney)failure. Also listed in the controversial section of my diets page. The University of Michigan had done studies regarding this, I would love to see the reports, and Cynthia's vet was the one that had talked about the renal failure. There I say if in doubt don't. Please have her check out the diets page I have listed below, and check the taronga zoo diet as well as the original leadbeaters.. That is what was recieved from Australia as a package unit. to only offer part of that diet leaves things out..

• Bourbon's SGI - Diets Page

Follow Ups:

• Re: Holly, Holly 13:04:42 04/04/2000 (0)