Not sure what the problem is with Snuggles!

[ShereeJacobi]

I appreicate everyones help with my MBD 12 week old baby. Now something new! I took her off the bad calium with d and started her on her 2nd week with the extra 250mg recommended dosage of calcium via tums 3 days ago but now her eating has dropped to at least half. I also started adding a very very small amount of whipping cream to the Ebsilac just about 3 days ago when I took her off the bad calcium. Normally she would drink an ounce of formula with the added calcium in the mornings, now less than half that amount. So, I thought she just didn't like the very small amount of cream so I left it out this morning. Still not eating like she did. I could only find the tums with an added flavor so I bought the fruit flavored. She seems okay so far but she doesn't lay on the heat anymore and avoids it like the plague. When the MBD started she was laying with her paralyzed legs out and now that she is getting movement back in them a small amount she is laying on her side with her legs kinda curled up. I am concerned about the lack of formula vs what she was eating. She is not chewing on her cuttle bone or stick anymore and she is chewing almost none of her veggies. No dark or smelly urine. Henry's formula has been ordered but not arrived along with the blocks. How much should she be eating and what could possibly be wrong? I don't think she's out of woods yet! One other thing, I realized that Esbilac had to be refrigerated and that was not done so I don't have Henry's yet and I immediately went up to Petco and bought a new can. I knew the mixed formula had to be refrigerated but nowhere on the front of the Esbilac can did it say the whole can had to be refrigerated. After reveiewing all the research on Esbilac yesterday I realized it only because they were talking about mixing it from 40 degrees vs 0 degrees. I had bought that can the 2nd day of her MBD so not sure what 7 or 8 days out of refrigerator consequences are! Refrigerate after opening is in tiny print on the back of the can under storage! Unbelievable! :dono

[mugzeezma]

I appreicate everyones help with my MBD 12 week old baby. Now something new! I took her off the bad calium with d and started her on her 2nd week with the extra 250mg recommended dosage of calcium via tums 3 days ago but now her eating has dropped to at least half. I also started adding a very very small amount of whipping cream to the Ebsilac just about 3 days ago when I took her off the bad calcium. Normally she would drink an ounce of formula with the added calcium in the mornings, now less than half that amount. So, I thought she just didn't like the very small amount of cream so I left it out this morning. Still not eating like she did. I could only find the tums with an added flavor so I bought the fruit flavored. She seems okay so far but she doesn't lay on the heat anymore and avoids it like the plague. When the MBD started she was laying with her paralyzed legs out and now that she is getting movement back in them a small amount she is laying on her side with her legs kinda curled up. I am concerned about the lack of formula vs what she was eating. She is not chewing on her cuttle bone or stick anymore and she is chewing almost none of her veggies. No dark or smelly urine. Henry's formula has been ordered but not arrived along with the blocks. How much should she be eating and what could possibly be wrong? I don't think she's out of woods yet! One other thing, I realized that Esbilac had to be refrigerated and that was not done so I don't have Henry's yet and I immediately went up to Petco and bought a new can. I knew the mixed formula had to be refrigerated but nowhere on the front of the Esbilac can did it say the whole can had to be refrigerated. After reveiewing all the research on Esbilac yesterday I realized it only because they were talking about mixing it from 40 degrees vs 0 degrees. I had bought that can the 2nd day of her MBD so not sure what 7 or 8 days out of refrigerator consequences are! Refrigerate after opening is in tiny print on the back of the can under storage! Unbelievable! :dono
WHOA...
Are you saying that your animal has MBD while still on formula???
Was she weaned?
Something is wrong here...:dono

[ShereeJacobi]

WHOA...
Are you saying that your animal has MBD while still on formula???
Was she weaned?
Something is wrong here...:dono
She was weaned way too early and that is part of problem. Ignorance on our part, we thought if she had teeth and wanted to eat other things the formula might as well be elimated. 2nd problem is she had the wrong diet when she was taken completely off formula, so it took 3 weeks or so and then boom, MBD. Now she is back on formula and offered the right kinds of foods but has been just about exclusively been on the formula the past 10 days or so since the MBD kicked in with paralysis. Right now she is not drinking much formula and has completely quit chewing on the sweet potatoe, cuttle bone, stick, yadayada that she was at least snacking on periodically til the past 3 days. I am so concerned about the lack of interest in the formula since the calcium with d was removed because that is bad for her 3 days ago. I do not know what is normal amount for a squirrel to eat and wouldn't be concerned but now she is eating half as much as she was the past 3 days. Does the vitamin d that she was getting make them eat more than necessary? I don't have a clue if 2 1/2 tablespoons of formula in 2 feedings between 6:30am and 10:30am is sufficient and is okay.

[mugzeezma]

She was weaned way too early and that is part of problem. Ignorance on our part, we thought if she had teeth and wanted to eat other things the formula might as well be elimated. 2nd problem is she had the wrong diet when she was taken completely off formula, so it took 3 weeks or so and then boom, MBD. Now she is back on formula and offered the right kinds of foods but has been just about exclusively been on the formula the past 10 days or so since the MBD kicked in with paralysis. Right now she is not drinking much formula and has completely quit chewing on the sweet potatoe, cuttle bone, stick, yadayada that she was at least snacking on periodically til the past 3 days. I am so concerned about the lack of interest in the formula since the calcium with d was removed because that is bad for her 3 days ago. I do not know what is normal amount for a squirrel to eat and wouldn't be concerned but now she is eating half as much as she was the past 3 days. Does the vitamin d that she was getting make them eat more than necessary? I don't have a clue if 2 1/2 tablespoons of formula in 2 feedings between 6:30am and 10:30am is sufficient and is okay.
1Tbs =15ccs
so 40-50ccs ain't bad!
You can also mix the formula powder with finely ground rat block in equal parts =1/2part finely ground nutmeats.
mix with applesauce or fruit only babyfood to make a thick dough
roll into chicpea sized balls and you have the BooBall.
Remember recovering from MBD can take weeks to months.
Get a full (UVA UVB) spectrum light for vitamin D synthesis.
OR
expose to direct sunlight for 1/2hr daily minimum

[Kristal]

Well... so long as she is eating good stuff? I would think her little body is processing all that nutrition. It is likely she will want to sleep a lot in the next days or weeks. The heating pad may be too hot now that she is getting some strength and some ability to regulate body temp back. It's recommended to keep it on the lowest setting and place her sleeping box half on and half off of the pad. It will warm up to a nice, ambient temperature inside, and she can get some relief on the cooler side of the box if it is too hot. That she is moving and expressing a preference for a bit cooler space seems like a very good sign to me.

[ShereeJacobi]

1Tbs =15ccs
so 40-50ccs ain't bad!
You can also mix the formula powder with finely ground rat block in equal parts =1/2part finely ground nutmeats.
mix with applesauce or fruit only babyfood to make a thick dough
roll into chicpea sized balls and you have the BooBall.
Remember recovering from MBD can take weeks to months.
Get a full (UVA UVB) spectrum light for vitamin D synthesis.
OR
expose to direct sunlight for 1/2hr daily minimum
Wow, in my other post I asked this question 5 times to people and never got a response about how to make sure she got vitamin d without it being in her calcium. Thanks so much! Now my question is she is in a cat carrier cage where she can't climb and lays on a towel and stays under a handtowel most of the time. So, do I need to put the uva/uvb lighting at the entrance on the outside where it shines through the opening at the door with bars so she can't chew any wires? Will that be sufficient? Will she naturally let the uva/uvb lighting hit her enough to get enough absorbtion of the rays? Next question too is do I leave the light on 24/7 or 12 hours a day or ? And next question, I am really not educated on the lighting so if I knew what size bulb and lighting set I will go get today and get it on her, can you tell me exactly what to get? :thankyou

[ShereeJacobi]

Well... so long as she is eating good stuff? I would think her little body is processing all that nutrition. It is likely she will want to sleep a lot in the next days or weeks. The heating pad may be too hot now that she is getting some strength and some ability to regulate body temp back. It's recommended to keep it on the lowest setting and place her sleeping box half on and half off of the pad. It will warm up to a nice, ambient temperature inside, and she can get some relief on the cooler side of the box if it is too hot. That she is moving and expressing a preference for a bit cooler space seems like a very good sign to me.
I don't have her on a heating pad. I have her with one of the ice/heat packs that can be frozen or heated. At least every 3 hours it is warmed back up so there is pretty much consistency in the heat. She was always had the option of being on or off of it and it has been placed under the main towel with several layers but just past 2 or 3 days has she decided she didn't want to be on it. So, I guess I can continue the same practice so if she does decide she wants to warm up she can. It has been a gruling routine the past 10 days with the feeding (which was every three hours for the first 5 days of the MBD realization) and the continued heating of the heat pack. I was just told to get a uva/uvb spectrum light. Will that supply warmth so I can forgo the heat pack?

[mugzeezma]

I don't have her on a heating pad. I have her with one of the ice/heat packs that can be frozen or heated. At least every 3 hours it is warmed back up so there is pretty much consistency in the heat. She was always had the option of being on or off of it and it has been placed under the main towel with several layers but just past 2 or 3 days has she decided she didn't want to be on it. So, I guess I can continue the same practice so if she does decide she wants to warm up she can. It has been a gruling routine the past 10 days with the feeding (which was every three hours for the first 5 days of the MBD realization) and the continued heating of the heat pack. I was just told to get a uva/uvb spectrum light. Will that supply warmth so I can forgo the heat pack?
Depends on the distance of the lamp. You don't want it where she can burn herself on it either.
A full spectrum reptile lamp should do the trick...a few hour a day should help. You want her exposed to the light so any way you can do that will work.
Make up the BooBalls
do the tums
do the formula
She has to do the healing

[ShereeJacobi]

Depends on the distance of the lamp. You don't want it where she can burn herself on it either.
A full spectrum reptile lamp should do the trick...a few hour a day should help. You want her exposed to the light so any way you can do that will work.
Make up the BooBalls
do the tums
do the formula
She has to do the healing
:thankyou

[Kristal]

I just used an electric blanket... they are cheap and run constantly. You could put it under half the cage, too, and that would help keep it warm inside. That is pretty much what I did.

[ShereeJacobi]

:thankyou
Well, I just am not educated enough on lighting. I pulled up Petco, PetsMart, and Walmart and none of them have Full Spectrum UVA/UVB lighting. This is a full spectrum UVB light but has no UVA from what it is saying? They tell you to compliment it with another light.

This is a 26 watt bulb UVB bulb.

PetsMart has this:Exo Terra Full Spectrum Repti Glo 2.0 Terrarium Lamp


Product Description: Item: 2752558
The Exo Terra Repti Glo 2.0 is a general light source with a high visual light output and a very high color rendering index (CRI), but a lower UVB radiation. This bulb is suitable for snakes, all amphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders) and nocturnal animals. Plants will thrive under this light as well. It is also a perfect complementary light to a UVB bulb to boost visual light.

I called Dr. Smith and Fosters and this light has Full Spectrum and is uva/uvb.

Spiralux Compact Fluorescent Bulb

* The world's only patented full-spectrum natural light

Patented, 20-watt Spiralux bulb produces beautiful colors, blends flawlessly with natural light, and lasts about 8 times longer (8,000 hours) than a regular 100-watt bulb (avg. 1,000 hours). Spiralux requires no fancy installation. Simply screw the unit into any medium-based socket. Use it anywhere you would use an incandescent bulb! Perfect in aviaries or near your bird's cage. Great for reptiles, too!

Which one if either of these will work or do I need to keep looking? You would think that it would be easy since reptiles need uva/uvb but after researching, companies are very misleading and have caused many animals to die because they advertise full spectrum and they are not.:dono

[CritterMom]

The best available is a Zoomed Repti-sun 10.0. The numbers refer to how far the UVA and UVB penetrate under the bulb - so a 2.0 would onle be providing the UVA/UVB 2" from the bulb. Unless you keep your squirrel in a shoebox, that won't do much.

If you can, get the tube fluorescents, not the spiral screw in type.

If the cage is on wheels, you can also roll it outside so she can get some real sunlight. Always provide shade as well.

[mugzeezma]

Well, I just am not educated enough on lighting. I pulled up Petco, PetsMart, and Walmart and none of them have Full Spectrum UVA/UVB lighting. This is a full spectrum UVB light but has no UVA from what it is saying? They tell you to compliment it with another light.

This is a 26 watt bulb UVB bulb.

PetsMart has this:Exo Terra Full Spectrum Repti Glo 2.0 Terrarium Lamp


Product Description: Item: 2752558
The Exo Terra Repti Glo 2.0 is a general light source with a high visual light output and a very high color rendering index (CRI), but a lower UVB radiation. This bulb is suitable for snakes, all amphibians (frogs, toads and salamanders) and nocturnal animals. Plants will thrive under this light as well. It is also a perfect complementary light to a UVB bulb to boost visual light.

I called Dr. Smith and Fosters and this light has Full Spectrum and is uva/uvb.

Spiralux Compact Fluorescent Bulb

* The world's only patented full-spectrum natural light

Patented, 20-watt Spiralux bulb produces beautiful colors, blends flawlessly with natural light, and lasts about 8 times longer (8,000 hours) than a regular 100-watt bulb (avg. 1,000 hours). Spiralux requires no fancy installation. Simply screw the unit into any medium-based socket. Use it anywhere you would use an incandescent bulb! Perfect in aviaries or near your bird's cage. Great for reptiles, too!

Which one if either of these will work or do I need to keep looking? You would think that it would be easy since reptiles need uva/uvb but after researching, companies are very misleading and have caused many animals to die because they advertise full spectrum and they are not.:dono

http://www.petco.com/product/12129/Zoo-Med-Powersun-UV-Self-Ballasted-Mercury-Vapor-UVB-Lamp.aspx?CoreCat=LookAhead

This is pretty similar to what I have.
Gets pretty warm too. My indoor cage is 5' tall and 3' wide. THey get full run of my bedroom too.
Supposedly, and there is a thread about this here somewhere, sunlight coming through the window provides a broader fuller spectrum light.

the Petsmart 10.0 looked good to me

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752556&keepsr=0&clickid=body_rv_txt

[ShereeJacobi]

http://www.petco.com/product/12129/Zoo-Med-Powersun-UV-Self-Ballasted-Mercury-Vapor-UVB-Lamp.aspx?CoreCat=LookAhead

This is pretty similar to what I have.
Gets pretty warm too. My indoor cage is 5' tall and 3' wide. THey get full run of my bedroom too.
Supposedly, and there is a thread about this here somewhere, sunlight coming through the window provides a broader fuller spectrum light.

the Petsmart 10.0 looked good to me

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2752556&keepsr=0&clickid=body_rv_txt
I ordered the ZooMed Rep 10. Screw in for right now cause she is in a cat size cage so she can't jump, climb (except on the small door). Not that she can do any jumping anyway but she did try a little today and it was a belly flop. lol The cage is so small and she isn't walking yet, just crawling but at least the legs are not always completely trailing like they were when I got her with the MBD. Took her out for 10 min in the sun. She loved it. Will do 30 min everyday starting tomorrow. Weather should be changing here soon to cold so have to get the light to give her enough of what she needs. Again, thanks for your help and I hope she starts eating more. Going to make her the little balls to see if she will eat those. She's a handful!mjs

[PDXErik]

I took her off the bad calium with d


I also started adding a very very small amount of whipping cream to the Ebsilac

...