marmoset dietary needs

Store  bought baby formula should NOT be used long term, they contain high  iron which can cause liver and kidney failure. If you want to keep  feeding formula after 3 months of age you need to use LOW IRON formula,  you can purchase low iron formula and all your small monkey needs from marmosetmom.com

                                                   The dangers of IRON

Hemochromatosis  (HC), or iron storage disease, is a pathological condition associated  with excessive iron deposition in the tissues. It is common in marmoset  and tamarin monkeys and it is a significant problem due to the feeding  of human infant baby formula and other human baby products that are iron  fortified for human babies. Primates DO NOT process iron in the wild.  All of the water sources are rich in tannins, the tannins work as a  binding agent so their organs do not have to process it. They do not  receive a tannin rich diet in a home environment so the excess iron is  stored in all the organs, especially the liver,kidneys, heart and pancreas. The  excess iron can poison these organs, leading to symptoms all over the  body, some of which include stomach pain and joint pain and then lead to  life-threatening conditions and organ failure.

                                                               Do's and Don'ts
   
NO ONIONS, GARLIC, CHOCOLATE, CANDY, GUMMIES, SPICY FOODS, NO RAW POTATO OF ANY KIND, NO RAW EGG.  READ ALL THE LABELS ONION AND GARLIC POWDER IS IN A LOT OF FOODS INCLUDING BABY AND TODDLER FOODS.  Avoid baby and toddler foods most are iron fortified. They have teeth, they don't need their food pureed.NO SUGAR FREE PRODUCTS, THEY CONTAIN DANGEROUS ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS LIKE ASPARTAME OR XYLITOL BOTH ARE DEADLY TO MONKEYS. Don't give them tap water, purified/bottled water only

They NEED D3 and calcium supplements,  My guys get bone defense for humans, not the powder formulated for reptiles.  Calcium/calcium rich foods help inhibit the absorption of iron. They also need a probiotic.

 Primates should never, ever, ever be fed solely a commercial primate diet from a can, bag or container. They're not like dogs or cats they need a wide variety of nutrient rich foods to stay happy and healthy. How would you like only eating triskets the rest of your life? Pretty boring and gross, right? How do you think they feel when they are served the same nasty thing every single day. I'll tell you, they aren't living a happy and fulfilled life, they're merely existing. It's extremely cruel. We don't give ours any commercially made food.  I'm sure y'all have heard the saying "they'll eat it if they're hungry enough" that will not work with marmosets. In fact marmosets will become anorexic for many different reasons. Not liking the diet they are given is one of them. Stress,anxiety,depression,abuse, neglect and loneliness can also cause anorexia. They will literally starve themselves to death.  

In the wild they are constantly on the move searching for fruit, nuts, bugs, sap/gum, nectar, flowers, little birds, eggs, frogs, lizards the list goes on and on. Being in captivity they have already lost the ability to roam free and find their favorite foods the least we can do is keep their diet interesting and enjoyable. 

 Way too often people are following a diet that is not meant for the small monkeys and it can cause irreversible damage. Small monkeys CAN NOT have onions or garlic they will become anemic. You also need to be very careful with how much iron they are getting, too much iron will cause kidney/liver failure. Almost everything  that comes in a can is high in sodium, that causes high blood pressure and heart failure. Fresh fruits and fresh or steamed vegetables are always the best option. 

Every week we steam a huge pot of fresh vegetables it changes from week to week but here are some of the things we use, yellow squash, zucchini, celery, bok choy, cabbage, sweet potato, broccoli, brussel sprouts, acorn squash, rutabaga, green beans and we also add an unseasoned rotisserie chicken and a little parmesan cheese. They also get a lot of nuts mainly raw cashews, peanuts, almonds, brazil and pecans. Scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt, string cheese, fish, shrimp, turkey,super worms,crickets. They get 4 different fruits a day apples, peaches, pears, mangos, papaya, watermelon, honey dew melon, cantaloupe to name a few. They also get yogurt every evening with their supplements.  They are NOT prone to diabetes but they need space to run,jump and climb. If they are kept in small cages, on a leash, fed junk food or candy  they will have a plethora of health and mobility issues, not to mention it destroys their mental health. When adding a new food watch for signs of distress (quick chirps/barking and backing away) they can have food fears and will not touch anything in their bowl until it's removed. I know it sounds strange but it's very true.