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Thread: Help needed

  1. #1
    Tiffy Guest

    Default Help needed

    My squirrel is 8 months old. She is suffering from severe hair fall. please suggest some remedy. Kindly advice me on the type of food to give her.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Help needed


    hair loss can be associated with poor nutrition and/or mites and other similar parasites.

    It's hard to suggest anything without knowing the history of your squirrel.

    Please, provide as much detail as possible about the following:

    1. What kind of squirrel species is your squirrel? Could you post photos?

    2.Your squirrel's history: how it was found, any injuries when it was found, wounds etc.

    3. What formula did you feed it?.... when did it wean?... did it wean itself, or did you wean it?

    4. In great detail: what and in what amounts does it eat daily?

    5. Does it scratch itself?... does it itch?...

    6. What is her environment like?.. cage?... what do you use for bedding?
    When she spends her out of the cage time, what is in the room?


    I understand you are in India and, most likely, you won't be able to find the kind of food that people feed squirrels in North America.
    However, you might be able to find substitutes.
    There are a few Indian members who were able to find equivalent substitutes.

    But again, before anything can be suggested, please answer the above questions so that experienced rehabbers can make suggestions.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Help needed

    We are in Bangalore right now. The seasons here are different from the seasons at home in the US. If yours is a Palm Squirrel, and a young adult, she may be going through a normal moult for this climate. If she's really itchy or has patches of irritated skin she most likely has a problem. I think meds are not as hard to get here as at home but I'm not going to even go there before Astra's very good questions are answered. By the way, there's another board member in India--Chickoo. She may be helpful with issues as she's had a Palm Squirrel

  4. #4
    Tiffy Guest

    Default Re: Help needed

    Hi astra, i will answer ur questions now.

    she is a palm squirrel (found her on a palm tree).

    there were no injuries when v found her.
    we fed her cow's milk for a couple of days then we gave her bread and milk. we found her when she was four weeks old.

    She likes the food what we eat and some of them are, noodles, dhal and rice, egg rice, idlies, chocolates, apples, oranges, beans and onions (cooked) and at any cost she doesn't consume nuts. normally she eats once in every 3-4 hrs in small quantities and sometimes neglects it at all.
    she scratches herself quite often. I give her a bath once a week with warm water and johnson & johnson baby wash. but it is winter for us and now she bites when i try to bathe her and so i don't.

    she sleeps in her cage. her bedding is a thick soft towel. when she is not aged,She roams about in the house with the balcony and windows closed.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: Help needed

    her diet needs to be as close to the wild diet as possible for her immune system to be strong and if she does have mites (invisible) for her to fight those mites.....

    good nutrition will make her much better at fighting mites and diseases....


    i'm going to post what we have as the correct diet for american greys/reds and you can see what you think about using something like it for your squirrel

    as well you can look at these following threads since we have a member who has a palm squirrel too in india.....


    chickoo

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/member.php?u=4709

    on the right of that page you'll see send chickoo an email....if the link works it's fine to send but if it doesn't work then copy and paste it to your email account.....

    i'll send her one to just to make sure she gets an email.

    also you can send her a private message ...just click on the link for private messages.



    this is the main thread for chickoo(the squirrel) ...it has her story ....

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=15594




    here is another interesting thread...regarding meat..... here chickoo caught and ate a house lizard and also chased a moth and ate it.....

    it causes me to think that palm squirrels also need to eat some meat at least once or twice a week.... because of parasites i wouldn't recommend lizards (because i don't know if they can transmit) but i would consider some kind of cooked meat like chicken or mealworms etc....

    please remember the cooked chicken should be plain ...no flavour... just boiled in plain water or baked plain... no curry, no salt, no onions etc....

    (but you will know better than me what she can eat without problem .... you have already been giving her flavours so i'm leaving this decision to you ... )



    i know you said egg rice so i'm thinking she eats egg? which is another good thing - in the wild they do eat egg - although there they eat it raw ofcourse... and i'm not sure about how safe because of salmonella raw eggs would be for your squirrel.

    this is the link below to chickoo eats a lizard......

    I must warn you that there is a very disturbing photo posted in this thread of a squirrel eating a baby bird .....posted by another member....


    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=28631




    this is a link to the other threads that concern chickoo there has been many issues that have happened to her and so a lot of information for you on palm squirrels....

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...archid=1319654




    i'm so glad you found us .... i can imagine how difficult it was to try to raise a baby squirrel without any information.... so i am not being critical to you ..... you have done very, very well!!!


    but at least one of the things that you mentioned we would consider dangerous ....chocolate.

    as for the other foods too much carbohydrates and not enough vegetables

    .... but we have to see what you have available that she will be good for her to eat and healthy.

    but.... first ...never give eggplant... never give avocado skin and seed (the flesh might be ok) and never give potatoes.... (sweet potatoes can be an exception for grey squirrels but i'd hesitate right now to give her those even if they're available to you because we must consider that names will be different over there so sweet potatoes can be yams for example but also since we don't know how toxic the potato family is to palm squirrels.)

    i'd stick to the easy translation, no confusion foods ....

    i wouldn't change her diet too quickly either she has been doing fairly well to now and acting too quick is not good.

    she does seem to need more calcium in her diet but it can't be calcium with vitamin d and we have to go slowly to find the best calcium and combination of minerals that don't harm her.

    ok ... now i will go look for the healthy diet information.


    Silvana..

    *************************************

    tip for flyer parents.... Flying Squirrels need meat every single day (mealworms/waxworms/cooked chicken breast)

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Help needed

    looking at the chart and knowing where you live.....i'm assuming that you'll need to do a lot more figuring out what to give.....



    i agree that you'll need some kind of healthy rodent block but i don't know how you will get one... that is a good thing to talk to chickoo about.....



    for now i'm concentrating on getting more vegetables, plants and flowers etc for her ....

    so i would advise you to look at healthy vegetables groups 1 and 2 - argula, bell peppers (not hot ofcourse ...), brocolli, safe mushrooms .... (i don't know if she'll eat cabbage, brussel sprouts, bok choy etc.. it might cause her gas ...she will let you know) ... the group 2 has more lettuces like romaine which are easy for them to digest.....


    and wild foods

    always be careful not to give anything that might have been sprayed with pesticides/herbicides etc...

    so hibiscus flowers are good but not if they've been sprayed with anything.....

    the same for roses and dandelion etc...very healthy but not if sprayed .....etc....



    the treats section has fruits and insects....

    but i think it's possible that insects can be given more often..... if you can find safe insects to give her....(not toxic, not sprayed etc)



    too much fruit/carbohydrates isn't good ....



    read the page ... i'm sorry it doesn't allow me to copy and paste information here.... and then discuss as much as you like... and it would be an excellent idea for you to talk to chickoo....




    here is the link....

    http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=32218

    Silvana..

    *************************************

    tip for flyer parents.... Flying Squirrels need meat every single day (mealworms/waxworms/cooked chicken breast)

  7. #7
    Tiffy Guest

    Default Re: Help needed

    Thanks a lot. will get in touch with chickoo. and also will update u about Tiffy's improvement in her eating habits.

    we are a lot worried about her hair fall, which is quite severe now. the local vet suggested provi boost vitamin drops. will tht be safe on her?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: Help needed

    are those human grade vitamins?...

    human grade or any other species vitamins can be dangerous due to potential overdose. Might do more harm than good.

    The most appropriate stuff for squirrels would be stuff for rats as they are the closest species in terms of nutrition and stuff like that.
    Even though palm squirrels are different from tree squirrels, I would assume that overall needs are just about the same.

    What you could do is send an e-mail to 4skwerlz - you can find her in Members List.
    She has extensive knowledge of nutrition and will be very helpful in determining whether these vit. are suitable or not, and also about possible food substitutes.
    Definitely contact chickoo, too.
    Also, as you look through your pet stores, look for stuff for rats and mice.
    You need an equivalent of a rodent block.

    So, contact chickoo and 4skwerlz, see what you can find and get, and please keep posting regular updates on how you and your squirrel are doing.

    Also, what do you have over there in terms of puppy formula?

  9. #9
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    Default Re: Help needed

    there is another member from India here - aida.
    Contact her, too.
    You can find her in Members List as well.

  10. #10
    Kristal Guest

    Default Re: Help needed

    Tiffy is very beautiful

    http://picasaweb.google.com/sinyblues/TIFFY#



    I noticed that you feed her beans. Dried beans are very, very bad for their health, but cooked beans are ok. There is a substance in dried beans that prevents protein metabolism, so they are not only useless for protein but also cancel out any protein she might be getting from other sources. Rats who are fed dried beans at every meal lose dangerous amounts of weight and often die.

    If you feed her beans, make sure that they are well cooked.

    I have a wild squirrel who visits me for food every day. She arrived in the neighbourhood very hungry and with a lot of fur loss due to mange mites. She lets me get close enough that I was able to squeeze some vitamin e from a capsule onto her skin. She healed quickly and grew fur back in the areas where I was able to get the vitamin e onto her skin. Now that she is eating more healthily and often, she has a thick coat of fur all over her body and no more sores or itching.

    If your squirrel has sores and itching, you could try rubbing some vitamin e into her skin. Also, look into changing her diet since she might have a vitamin deficiency.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Help needed

    hi tiffy ....

    i contacted chickoos mother a few days ago.... she wrote back and she would be happy to help you. She is having problems with her internet and the tsb board but if you email her she would be happy to write with you.

    her email address is in the location i gave you several posts ago ... top right hand corner.

    if you have any problems please pm or contact me by email ...


    Silvana..

    *************************************

    tip for flyer parents.... Flying Squirrels need meat every single day (mealworms/waxworms/cooked chicken breast)

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Help needed

    Hi Tiffy.....she hasn't received anything from you..... but here is what she asked me to send to you....


    ************************************************** ********

    hi tiffy,


    first off, welcome to TSB.........so GLAD you found us...........


    i read about your squirrel's problem, and it sounds nutritional to me............i am not an expert on squirrels at all.........i just happen to be lucky to have chickoo, and she is alive and well today because of my friends on TSB............am sure you will get good advice on the board, but here is what i think -


    1. you need to change her diet.............and do it soon...........squirrels do not do well on human food, although some of the things she is eating may actually be good for her (egg)..........rice, noodles, idlis etc are too high on carbohydrates..............squirrels need a high protein diet, with plenty of calcium..........read the information on "healthy diet for pet squirrels" on the nutrition forum on TSB very carefully.............i will help you out with the local indian things that you can give her..........


    2. getting her on the healthy diet is going to be a long process.............i would suggest a few changes in the meantime - get her to eat a "ragi" based porridge............are you familiar with ragi?............its high in iron and calcium, and will also give her the calories she needs for the time being..............you can also give her chappathis instead of idlis and rice...............avoid sugary foods - this includes chocolates...........these can cause hair fall............give her fresh vegetables (beans, cabbage, cauliflower) , fruits (banana, apple, orange, watermelon) and a little coconut (they love it!!)..........avoid onions and potatos.........


    3. try to give her some calcium daily - you can buy PLAIN CALCIUM CARBONATE powder from a pharmacy...............it is available in 500 gram packs.............dont give her calcium tablets - they all contain too much vitamin D for squirrels...........plain calcium tablets are not available in india..............


    4. to get some vitamins into her quickly, you can buy becosules syrup and put half a drop in her ragi porridge daily.............this is till you figure out how to get her to eat squirrel blocks.........


    5. stop the weekly baths..........this can dry out and irritate her skin...........which will make her bite and scratch herself............which will cause hair fall...........squirrels need not be bathed unless they have mites etc............i NEVER bathe chickoo (except once or twice when i suspected she had mites)...........they know how to lick themselves and stay clean............


    6. take away her towel...........she can get her feet or toes entangled in the threads.............this can be dangerous.............we had one member whose squirrel's foot got caught in the threads of her towel, and was permanently damaged................replace the towel with soft banian material or a fleece blanket...........NO TOWELS


    i will prepare a list of things that i feed chickoo, and get back to you soon.........


    in the meantime, feel free to ask me anything you need to know.........


    hope this was helpful..........


    regards,
    chickoo's mom.


    **************************************************








    i don't know about protein - if you can feed worms/bugs etc... something that does not have parasites/bacteria ...but she does say they need a high protein diet .... i don't know if yours will eat plain chicken?

    i wouldn't consider feeding the house lizards since there is a possibility that they are not safe and might have parasites.

    and she also mentions beans ... i don't know if she means fresh green beans, cooked dried beans... string beans ...but you probably know what she means.

    anyway i'll ask her about those things...the protein and the beans.....

    hopefully her internet connection will be worked out soon and the two of you can talk to each other.....


    Silvana..

    *************************************

    tip for flyer parents.... Flying Squirrels need meat every single day (mealworms/waxworms/cooked chicken breast)

  13. #13
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    Default Re: Help needed

    if she'll eat cabbage, brussel sprouts, bok choy etc.. it might cause her gas ...she will let you know) ...
    Squirrels get gas? Who knew?

    P.S. Your little darling is SO adorable. She looks a lot like golden ground squirrels and chipmunks here in New England.
    Sciurus meus amicum optimum est!

  14. #14
    Clifton Guest

    Default Re: Help needed

    Problem seems to be bit ambiguous but I'm not sure about it. Thanks for
    making a nice discussion. Whats about the coconut oil? I found it best ever
    stuff for hair fall treatment.

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