seizures every now and then

[bjones2004]

My wife and I have had our squirrel "twitchy" for around a year now. We nursed him from a pinky to where he is now. He never got as big as the squirrels outside. About 3 months ago he had his firts seizure. I called my vet and they said to get a sun light or full spectrum light for him. I put one in and run it about an hour or so a day doing 2 or 3 30 minute sessions a day. It seemed to solve the problem until about 3 weeks ago. He has had 2 seizures in the past 3 weeks. This last one he foamed a little out of his mouth. His diet consists of a few nuts, fresh onions, grapes, green beans, brocolli, apple, and other veggies and fruit. Is there something else I can do?

[Buddy'sMom]

:Welcome :Welcome
I think you are on the right track with your questions and have come to the right place. His diet is not giving him the nutrients he needs, especially calcium. Others will be along to give you specific help, but to get you started, here is the Healthy Diet information that has been put together based on extensive research and discussion within and outside TSB:

Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels
(Revised March 21, 2008)

Your squirrel needs a balanced diet containing protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals, including lots of calcium. Feed a variety of foods from each category in the amounts indicated. Note: Amounts are for a 450-gram (1 pound) squirrel, and should be adjusted as necessary depending on your squirrel’s weight. For squirrels that are older, overweight, or less active, you should limit foods that are high in sugars, starches, or fat.

1. Rodent Block—2-4 small blocks per day. Below are two of the best:

Harlan Teklad 2014 and 2018 Rodent Diets. The cadillac of rodent chows. Vegetarian formulas contain no preservatives, phytoestrogens, or nitrosamines. The 2014 is a low-fat, low-protein formula suitable for older squirrels. The 2018 is for growing squirrels (under 18 months old). Store in the refrigerator. $5.00 for 5 lbs at the Crafty Rat:
http://www.craftyrat.com/Merchant2/m...tegory_Code=FS

KayTee Forti-Diet for Rats and Mice. A tasty vegetarian rodent diet available at pet stores. If you’re having trouble getting your squirrel to eat blocks, it can be a good choice. Does contain added sugars such as molasses, as well as preservatives for long shelf life. $3.47 for 2 lbs at Petco:
http://www.petco.com/product/5906/Ka...-Rat-Food.aspx

2. High-Calcium Vegetables—5-7 thumb-sized pieces per day. Arugula, beet greens, Belgian endive, carrots, celery, chicory, chinese cabbage (bok choy), cilantro (fresh), chrysanthemum flowers, collard greens, dandelion greens, escarole, fennel, kale, lettuce (looseleaf), mustard spinach, parsley (fresh), purslane, radicchio, radishes, romaine lettuce, squash (butternut; raw or cooked), swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress.

3. Other Healthy Veggies—2-3 pieces per day. Asparagus, artichokes, avocado**, bell peppers (green, red, or yellow), broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, carnations, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, mushrooms (1 per week), okra, pumpkin, squash (all types; raw or cooked), sugar snap peas, sweet potato* (raw or cooked), zucchini.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
**High in fat; also the skin and pit are toxic
Avoid: Dried vegetables, fresh corn, garlic, onion, palm hearts, potatoes, sprouts, yams

4. Wild Foods—Unlimited while in season. Magnolia cones, pine cones, pine branches and bark, branch tips of nontoxic trees, roses from your garden, wild rose hips, purslane, plaintain, lambs quarters, and dandelion greens can be gathered fresh daily. Look to see what the wild squirrels are eating in your area. Make sure the area wasn’t sprayed, fertilized, or treated with any chemicals.

5. Animal Protein. Live or dried mealworms, crickets, or live moths (2 per day). Another option is eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled, with the shell), cheese, or plain yogurt mashed with some fruit (1 tsp. per day). Mealworms are available live or canned from pet stores and online at http://www.exoticnutrition.com/Treat-Department.htm

6. Fruit—2 slices per day. Apple, apricot, bananas,* blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries* (sweet), cherries (sour), crabapples,* cranberries, grapefruit, grapes,* honeydew, kiwi, kumquats, lemon, lime, mangos,* navel oranges, nectarines, papaya, passion fruit,* peaches, pears, pineapple, pomegranates,* raspberries, strawberries, watermelon.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
Note: Pits and seeds can be toxic, except for berries.
Avoid: Dates, dried fruit of any kind, figs, fruit juice, persimmons, plums, prunes, raisins.

7. Nuts/Seeds—Two per day, preferably in the shell. Acorns, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest, followed by hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, in that order. Unlike other nuts/seeds, sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium.
Avoid: Cashews, sunflower seeds, dried corn, pine nuts (will cause severe calcium loss).

8. Something to Chew On. Antlers, tree branches, sea shells, or a walnut-sized rock from outdoors provide trace minerals and keep teeth from overgrowing. A cuttlebone or other calcium/mineral block should be hung on the side of the cage.

Foods to Avoid Generally
-Packaged “squirrel food,” “pet treats,” or seed mixes.
-Starchy foods: pasta, bread, grains, seeds, rice, potatoes.
-Sugary foods: candy, cookies, dried fruit, banana chips, soda, fruit juices, sweetened yogurt, granola, sweetened breakfast cereals.
-Junk food: french fries, potato chips, pretzels, crackers, anything salted.
-Legumes: beans (kidney beans, lentils, etc.), peas, and soybeans; except for green beans and sugar snap peas in the pod.
-Artificial sweeteners like Nutra-Sweet or aspartame.

Also Important for Good Health:

Natural sunlight. 1 hour per day in an outdoor cage or screened porch during the warm months provides Vit D and will help keep your squirrel healthy. An open window screened with aluminum screening or hardware cloth is another option. Indoors, a full-spectrum light (FSL) for 8 hrs per day is the next-best thing; although it does not provide Vit D, it is believed to have other health benefits.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight. Being overweight causes all kinds of health problems and is a major factor in diabetes in older animals. “Healthy weights” may vary: northern squirrels tend to be heavier than southern squirrels, and foxers are heavier than greys. In general, your pet should look like the healthy wild squirrels in your area.

[NOTE: Squirrels most frequently do NOT like the rodent blocks, esp. if started as adults. There is a "Squirrel Block Recipe" in our Nutrition section that has been developed to meet basic nutritional needs and is well-liked by most (not all) pet squirrels.]

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Buddy'sMom]

For "emergency calcium" in case of seizures:

Crush a Tums calcium tablet and give him a little bit.

Or a plain calcium carbonate tablet -- once crushed you can sprinkle it on food that he eats.

Or a tiny dab of molasses.

[Buddy'sMom]

bjones, I see 4skwerlz is here -- she is our Nutritional Guru and did most of the dietary research on which the above diet info is based. :thumbsup I leave you in her very capable hands.

[4skwerlz]

Although you are giving Twitchy some healthy foods, the one important thing that is missing is rodent block or squirrel blocks. These must be 70% of the squirrel's diet. There is no way for them to get all the nutrients they need with veggies, fruits, and nuts.

Since Twitchy already has MBD, you must get some calcium into him right away. You can use a human calcium supplement (600 mg calcium carbonate or calcium citrate). Crush it up and add it to a little peanut butter or avocado or whatever his favorite is. Squirrels need around 2,500 mg of calcium per week just for maintenance. Twitchy will need a little extra for several months.

You must also get him eating rodent blocks every day. Twitchy certainly has other deficiencies in addition to calcium. Since Twitchy has never eaten rodent blocks, you might have trouble getting him to like them. We also have a recipe for homemade squirrel blocks that has the same nutrition but tastes better.

EDIT: Buddy's Mom is right--the Tums will work also as they are calcium carbonate. GET SOME CALCIUM INTO HIM TODAY.

Squirrel Blocks: Revised Test Recipe
For Adult Squirrels (over 12 months old)*
Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Dry ingredients:
3 scoops* Pure Whey Protein Isolate
2 scoops** pecan meal or ground pecans (or 19 halves chopped fine)
2 scoops almonds or walnuts, chopped fine
1 scoop wheat bran, unprocessed
3 tsp aluminum-free baking powder

Vitamin mix:
1 tablet Vitamin B-12 (each tablet has 100 mcg)
4 tablets Vitamin B-complex (contains 100% human RDV)
16 tablets Calcium + D (each tablet has 500 mg calcium + 125 IU Vit D)
4 tablets Calcium (each tablet has 600 mg calcium carbonate)
2 tablets potassium gluconate (595 mg)

Wet ingredients:
1 whole egg
4 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 gels Cod liver oil (1000 mg)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. In a smaller bowl, crush vitamins to a fine powder and mix well. In another small bowl, place wet ingredients and mix well.

Now add the vitamins to the wet ingredients and mix well, then pour this into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork until dough sticks together. It will be fairly dry, like a pie crust or biscuit dough. Wearing gloves or with your bare hands, form the dough into a ball and place it onto a lightly greased surface and knead lightly. Then roll dough out into a long snake, divide into two snakes and roll again. Cut into 60 pieces with a sharp knife and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes.

Allow the blocks to cool for at least 2 hours. Then place into zip-lock bags and STORE IN THE FRIDGE. You can also freeze them. They keep very well in the freezer for at least a month. Some squirrels enjoy eating them frozen, but you can also put the frozen block into the microwave for about 10 seconds to warm it up.

Feed 2-3 per day for a 1-pound (450 g) squirrel. Different squirrels will have different energy requirements.

Notes:
*For squirrels <1 year old, use 12 scoops of Whey Protein Isolate; everything else is the same.
**The "scoop" is the one that comes inside the Protein Isolate jar (=28 grams).

Cost:
If you have to buy every single ingredient the total cost is around $60.00 but the good news is, it only costs around $4.50 per batch for the adult squirrel version; about $8.00 per batch for the version for squirrels less than 1 year old.

More info about the ingredients (including where to buy):

Whey Protein Isolate, 100% Pure (no flavoring) (Now Foods or Now Sports brands): Health food store (GNC does NOT carry it.)

Cod liver oil (Carlson brand super 1000 mg): Health food store

Other vitamin supplements: Walgreens or other drugstores

All other ingredients should be available at the grocery store.

Any questions, just PM me.

[bjones2004]

Thanks for the help. My wife just went to the store to get tums and some of the high calcium veggies. I do feed him carrots often although he's not the biggest fan of them. I just ordered the rodent blocks from craftyrats I thought the price was awesome until they hit me with 12 bucks shipping. I'll be glad when he's feeling better. He's one of my favorite animals in our "mini zoo" as my wife calls it. Thanks for all the help. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him or any of the other animals we have.