Please double check my diet...

[modernpets]

Hello all you squirrely people!

My Flyers and Chipmunks won't touch anything with powder on it, so I've been using L & M Farms Hamster/Gerbil Vitamins (1 drop per oz) in one water bottle and Calcivet (1 capful per 8oz) in the other. I do this every other day with daily water changes. As well as free feed cuddle bones, antlers, femur bones, rodent blocks, Higgins Mayan Harvest Celestial Mix (bird blend), Organics By Nature Cat food (I don't think they eat this though...I find my self not refilling the bowl), and Alfalfa Hay and offering calcium rich veggies daily, filberts, almonds and acorns (in the shell) every three days as well as 8 hours UVA/UVB lighting over the Chipmunks. I've always been concerned that this wasn't enough because I can't use the powder :thinking. What do you think, does there nutrition sound complete or do I need to add/take away anything? Here is my seed mix ingredients: http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/Windycityparrot/PROD/31512151041 I know some people don't like dehydrated/dried things, but this has such a great variety!

Thanks!!

[4skwerlz]

Hello all you squirrely people!

My Flyers and Chipmunks won't touch anything with powder on it, so I've been using L & M Farms Hamster/Gerbil Vitamins (1 drop per oz) in one water bottle and Calcivet (1 capful per 8oz) in the other. I do this every other day with daily water changes. As well as free feed cuddle bones, antlers, femur bones, rodent blocks, Higgins Mayan Harvest Celestial Mix (bird blend), Organics By Nature Cat food (I don't think they eat this though...I find my self not refilling the bowl), and Alfalfa Hay and offering calcium rich veggies daily, filberts, almonds and acorns (in the shell) every three days as well as 8 hours UVA/UVB lighting over the Chipmunks. I've always been concerned that this wasn't enough because I can't use the powder :thinking. What do you think, does there nutrition sound complete or do I need to add/take away anything? Here is my seed mix ingredients: http://www.windycityparrot.com/page/Windycityparrot/PROD/31512151041 I know some people don't like dehydrated/dried things, but this has such a great variety!

Thanks!!

You certainly are trying to provide a balanced diet, but I think there are some possible issues here.

The trouble with vitamins in water is that you can't be sure how much they're getting--too much or not enough.

Seed mixes are also not recommended. They are very high in phosphorus and don't provide balanced nutrition, and they will fill up on that and not eat their healthy foods. If the seed mix is fortified with vitamins, that's another problem. Birds and rodents have very different nutrient requirements, and again, you have no idea how much they're getting.

This is why rodent blocks or squirrel blocks should be the nutritional foundation of the diet. They provide balanced nutrition according to the nutrient requirements of rats, which will be much closer to the requirements of a squirrel than any food designed for birds. I see you are feeding rodent blocks, but are they eating them? If they're eating enough blocks, they shouldn't need additional supplements of any kind--in fact, you could risk oversupplementation.

I don't see any reason to feed alfalfa hay to squirrels--it isn't part of their natural diet and it's packed with phytoestrogens, which can cause tumors in rodents. A little might be okay for your chippie; I really don't know much about them. If grasses are part of their natural diet, then fine.

I would eliminate the cat food; the rodent block will provide the protein they need, and too much protein can cause a lot of health problems, just like too little protein. Bless you for buying "organic" though...

As for the UVB lighting, I wouldn't count on that to provide the vitamin D your animals need; Vit D should be provided in the diet (rodent block). On the other hand, it won't hurt. You can't oversupplement Vit D using UVB light; the body will only manufacture as much as it needs.

Please check out our Healthy Diet, which you'll find at the top of the nutrition section. Rodent blocks or squirrel blocks, healthy veggies, wild foods, and occasional treats are all you need. I think you'll find it a simpler, cheaper, and better way to provide a nutritionally complete diet.

Hope this helps, and I'd like to offer you a warm welcome to TSB.

[modernpets]

Okay, so I just saw the Henry Blocks and they sound AWESOME! I'm making the switch!!!! Good bless there maker! I will eliminate the seed, vitamin drops, alfalfa and cat food! I'm assuming my these are good for my Chipmunks as well. Do you know the difference between the growth and the adult formulas? Thanks so much 4skwerlz your very knowledgeable! I'll make sure every squirrel maker I meet knows about these!

[4skwerlz]

Okay, so I just saw the Henry Blocks and they sound AWESOME! I'm making the switch!!!! Good bless there maker! I will eliminate the seed, vitamin drops, alfalfa and cat food! I'm assuming my these are good for my Chipmunks as well. Do you know the difference between the growth and the adult formulas? Thanks so much 4skwerlz your very knowledgeable! I'll make sure every squirrel maker I meet knows about these!

You're very welcome.

Growing rodents need 3 times as much protein as adults; the growth formula has the extra protein needed during the growth period. Most people feed growth formula until they are at least 6 months old, then switch to adult formula.

I don't know much about Chippies, but if they do well on rodent block, they should do fine on Henry's Blocks since they're based on the same nutrient requirements. Supplement your chippies' diet with some of the same wild foods they would eat if they were in the wild, and that will help ensure they get any special nutrients they might require. For example, if wild chippies are known to eat grasses and forbs, you can provide those as part of their diet. You can't feed captive animals a pure diet of wild foods though. Captive critters are less active than wild ones, so they simply can't eat enough wild foods to meet their nutrient requirements. That's why they need the blocks, which are a concentrated form of nutrition. I don't believe in a purely block diet either; "real" food has important micronutrients you can't get any other way. That's why we recommend the combo of blocks + veggies + wild foods.

Please let me know how your furry ones are doing once you change their diet. We've seen some nice results in the last year, and I like to keep track.

[modernpets]

I certainly will let you know! Thanks again!

[modernpets]

Henry's Healthy Blocks are GREAT! My female Flyer (who is currently the mom of two) came right out of the nest box as soon as I put them in her cage and started chowing down! My Siberian Chipmunk also loves them! I havent seen the others in action yet, but I know they are eating them because they're missing or knawed up, much more than the regular old rodent blocks! Thanks 4Sqwerlz, I'll keep you updated if there are any changes seen!

[4skwerlz]

Wonderful!:thumbsup Yes, please keep us posted.:)

[wheezer]

good Job 4S. You saved these little ones:thumbsup:bowdown

And Good job to MP for searching for what is best for her pets:thumbsup :bowdown