How to Medicate Your Sugar Glider

Giving medication to sugar gliders can be tricky. They don't particularly care to be restrained and they are fragile. Be careful when holding the glider, and try to give the medicine quickly, yet safely. Below are methods for giving liquid and tablet medication to your sugar glider.

Liquid Medication

This type of medication is easiest to give a sugar glider.

• Draw up the prescribed amount of medication in a syringe or eyedropper.
• Hold the head and neck of the sugar glider with one hand. Use the other hand to insert the tip of the syringe or eyedropper just behind the front teeth.
• The sugar glider will usually open his/her mouth to try to remove the syringe.
• While the sugar glider is chewing at the syringe or eyedropper, slowly administer the medication.

Tablet Medication

Tablets can be difficult to administer. Crushing the medicine first is strongly recommended. Pill crushers are available at most local pharmacies.

• Crush the medication using a pill crusher or other method.
• Once the medication is in powder form, mix the medicine with a small amount of flavored Sustacal or Ensure.
• About 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) of flavored diet supplement should be enough.
• After mixing the powdered medication with the supplement, follow the instructions for administering liquid form medication.