Cranberries!!!

[CritterMom]

This is it, the only time of year you can find fresh cranberries in the stores. Everyone who has a squirrel, or may wind up with one come Spring because they rehab needs to get to the grocery store, buy a couple bags (they are HUGE this year), take them home, wash them well and dry them. then double ziplock bag them and pop them in the freezer.

A couple cranberries a week is as close to a guarantee against urinary tract problems as you are likely to find - for both squirrels and humans (though humans need more than a couple). The acid in the cranberries coats the urethra and makes it impossible for for the bacteria that cause UTI's to attach itself, and it is flushed harmlessly out with the urine. It is kind of like urethra teflon! And the squirrels like them.

You can use dried cranberries in a pinch, but most of them have both sugar and sulfur added (sulfur to keep the red color). The fresh ones are inexpensive and freeze great. I did this last year and still have a few left - they are going to my wilds and a new batch will be taking their place.

Buy your cranberries.

BTW, I read something the other day - due to how effective they are for UTI's they are starting to be studied for wound flushing and other preventive health measures.

[mugzeezma]

This is it, the only time of year you can find fresh cranberries in the stores. Everyone who has a squirrel, or may wind up with one come Spring because they rehab needs to get to the grocery store, buy a couple bags (they are HUGE this year), take them home, wash them well and dry them. then double ziplock bag them and pop them in the freezer.

A couple cranberries a week is as close to a guarantee against urinary tract problems as you are likely to find - for both squirrels and humans (though humans need more than a couple). The acid in the cranberries coats the urethra and makes it impossible for for the bacteria that cause UTI's to attach itself, and it is flushed harmlessly out with the urine. It is kind of like urethra teflon! And the squirrels like them.

You can use dried cranberries in a pinch, but most of them have both sugar and sulfur added (sulfur to keep the red color). The fresh ones are inexpensive and freeze great. I did this last year and still have a few left - they are going to my wilds and a new batch will be taking their place.

Buy your cranberries.

BTW, I read something the other day - due to how effective they are for UTI's they are starting to be studied for wound flushing and other preventive health measures.

Mine have been dining on the berries regularly here.
Never even thought of freezing them but will now!

Do you remember where you found that article? I'd love to read that one....

My big question about UTIs would be
What's causing so many on here?
They don't come in that way....
To much calcium etc can cause kidney stones.
We need to be careful with overloading and causing kidney damage

[island rehabber]

I bought 'em, I froze 'em, I thawed 'em.....my heathens wouldn't touch 'em. :osnap

[CritterMom]

IR, have you tried cutting them in half? There are little seeds in them and once they know what is inside, they may change their mind???

Mugz, I think a couple things are happening. First, I think people see the piddling all over and butt dragging that especially the males do to territory mark and think they are seeing a UTI when there isn't one. Second, I think that after you read about MBD a few times, you get crazy paranoid and start dumping calcium into everything. I went through that phase myself until I forced myself to do a little research on the subject. I always now try to stress that TOO MUCH is not a good thing when I answer MBD threads, for that very reason. I literally had to force myself to stop trying to turn Mister P into a calcium-based version of Lott's wife!

[muffinsquirrel]

I bought 'em, I froze 'em, I thawed 'em.....my heathens wouldn't touch 'em. :osnap

Well there ya go - you THAWED them! You can't expect them to eat "Frozen Delight Surprise" after it's all mushy! Mine love their frozen surprises - cranberries, corn, peach slices, acorns....just whatever I found that I could buy cheap and couldn't use all of it. (In the winter, they are Frozen Suprise, in the summer they magically become.....POPCICLES!!!!!:D :D :D

muffinsquirrel

[mugzeezma]

Well there ya go - you THAWED them! You can't expect them to eat "Frozen Delight Surprise" after it's all mushy! Mine love their frozen surprises - cranberries, corn, peach slices, acorns....just whatever I found that I could buy cheap and couldn't use all of it. (In the winter, they are Frozen Suprise, in the summer they magically become.....POPCICLES!!!!!:D :D :D

muffinsquirrel

I offer peas and greenbeans frozen. Never even considered doing it with fruit.

Anything that's wet usually gets the funky whisker act

[pappy1264]

Cranberries.....ugh, I never tried em'.....oh, I hope my craziacks will like them!!!

[CritterMom]

Pappy, Mister P likes them, but my silly little mouse, Nate, LOVES them. He carries all of his food up on top of The Mouse House to eat, and the very first things that go up are his cranberry quarters.

[Anne]

[QUOTE=Mugzeema Anything that's wet usually gets the funky whisker act[/QUOTE]:jump :jump :jump How true!!!!:rotfl

[Scooterzmom]

I offer peas and greenbeans frozen. Never even considered doing it with fruit.

Anything that's wet usually gets the funky whisker act

Ditto here mugz :) :jump

[Anne]

Anything that's wet usually gets the funky whisker act
:jump :jump :jump :rotfl :jump :jump :jump

[Rescue04]

our local aldi store has them 1lb for .99 we bought 10 bags!we go through a bag every 2 weeks.

[pappy1264]

Can the flyers have these, as well as the greys????

[muffinsquirrel]

Yes, they can definately be fed to flyers - mine go through tons of them!

[pappy1264]

Well, guess I will have to get some tomorrow! TY!

[lizharrell1]

So I bought some yesterday, offered them to Jack and Tippy (flyers) last night....I was waiting for the bow downs of praise and thank yous and Hallelujahs and Mom you are the best........instead Jack and Tippy each sniffed one and just looked at me like "REALLY? You can't be serious. You want us to eat THAT? Woman have you been drinking again?":shakehead Neither one would touch them.

[Milo's Mom]

So I bought some yesterday, offered them to Jack and Tippy (flyers) last night....I was waiting for the bow downs of praise and thank yous and Hallelujahs and Mom you are the best........instead Jack and Tippy each sniffed one and just looked at me like "REALLY? You can't be serious. You want us to eat THAT? Woman have you been drinking again?":shakehead Neither one would touch them.


:rotfl :rotfl
too funny

Hopefully, my little Ellie will NOT have the same reaction...she is going to get some in her dinner tonight...we'll see how she acts...:D

[pappy1264]

Did you cut them in half???

[lizharrell1]

Yes, I cut them in half. No go for my guys. Maybe they are holding out for a little vodka to go with them?:dono

[mpetys]

My gang love their cranberries! For a few of them I did have to cut them in half to get them to try it, but now they LOVE them.

I did just buy some pomegranates that I froze for future use.

Michele