1.5 year old female... something's wrong.

[sammalamm]

My 1.5 year old female squirrel, Twiggy, has been acting weird for about 2 weeks now... with things escalating within the past few days. I have had Twiggy since October 2009, when I found her as a young one. She always been really playful and fun, but does not like to be held much at all. Lately, she hasn't been eating as much as usually and is really picky to what she eats. She even has left pecans sitting in her cage, untouched! :eek: Within the past few days I've noticed her breathing is a bit weird sometimes. Like, she will start breathing sort of heavy, when she hasn't even been running around, and rocking back and forth a little. Not to mention, she hasn't wanted to play hardly at all. She doesn't even come out the cage that much, even if I leave the door open, and she sleeps a LOT more. One more thing that is a little weird, but could just be squirrel nature, is the noises she's been making. She has never barked before, but since she's been acting weird she kinda has. It's not very loud, but she will sit in cage in a crouched position (on all fours), and bark/groan.

The only thing I could find with some of these symptoms was MBD, even though it seems this is usually found in baby squirrels.. but she doesn't seem to be in much pain or have much soreness which is one of the main symptoms. I've attempted to up her calcium intake just in case, but like I said she isn't eating as much. My parent's say they think she is in heat, but I've read that it usually only last 1-5 days.. and it's been at least a week. Does anyone have any ideas of what could be wrong? :confused:

I hate seeing her like this!

[Rhapsody]

I wish I knew enough to help you with what is going on with your squirrel, but at point I am not sure..... I am concerned with her not eating, having a decrease in activity and a hard time breathing - those three things along are enough to be alarmed by. And the barking could be her telling you that she is in pain or some kind of discomfort.

Until someone with more exp comes by to offer some help and advice please keep her warm and try to get some pedialyte into her so she does not become dehydrated in the middle of everything else that is going wrong. You and your squirrel are in good hands here on TSB so dont worry... ((( hugs ))

Homemade Pedialyte
1 tsp salt (teaspoon)
3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water

[astra]

MBD happens not only to baby squirrels, but even to older squirrels who had an incorrect diet as babies, especially, if that incorrect diet continued into their teenage and adulthood.
Could you list what she eats daily?
Does she eat any rodent block on a daily basis?... What kind?... how many per day?
Did she wean herself off formula or did you wean her?

Has she been pooping/peeing?... what do those look like?...

What are her daily activities like?...
Does she get the run of the house/room?
Is there anything toxic that she could chew on?... any house plants?... painted areas?
Do you bring her branches from outside?... What kind?...

Did she have any in-shell nuts, or acorns, or peanuts before it all started?

Could you post pictures?...

Please answer the above questions as detailed as you can because that will help experienced rehabbers rule out/figure out what might be going on.

For now, you might want to put a heating pad underneath in such a way that if she doesn't want it, she could move off it to another side. If she is in pain, heat can help alleviate that.
Keep her hydrated. Even if she doesn't eat much, she needs hydration - very important.

Just in case, start the emergency MBD treatment - if it is MBD, it will help and you will notice improvement soon. If it is not MBD, it won't hurt.
Lethargy and loss of appetite are often MBD symptoms.
Here is the link to the Emergency MBD treatment: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21235
If the link isn't working, you can find it in Squirrel Nutrition section.

Could you think of anything since before her symptoms started that was different from her usual routine?...
Are there any other pets in the house?... If yes, have they been well/ill?...

Keep checking here - experienced people will be here soon.

[lilidukes]

Because of the barking I would have to say she is in heat. Heat cycles tend to be 7-14 days. Check her bottom and see if she isn't dark pink and a little swollen. My Ella is bi-polar during her cycle.

If not this I would start the MBD emergency treatment right NOW!

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[Scooterzmom]

I too would take no chance and start the MBD treatment right now.

For squirrels who were properly fed on formula I have noticed that, once they're weaned, many of them showing symptoms of MBD seem to be between the ages of 1.5 and 2.5 years old. It may be only a coincidence, since I'm no expert but I'm going by my own observations here. :dono

[squirrelfriend]

It sounds like a combination of MBD and being in heat at the same time. If she is making the sounds continuously for a couple of days that is heat. It will only last two daysish. The other symptoms sound like MBD. Does she get sunlight? DO you have a full spectrum sunlight bulb for her? She needs that on several hours a day for her. It needs to be close to her cage but just out of reach for her. THe farther away it is it loses strength. Good luck with her. Keep us updated.

[sammalamm]

There isn't anything that she consistently eats on a daily basis. She gets all kinds of leafy greens, depending on what I have bought that week.

She does not eat any rodent blocks. I've tried them before, and she doesn't like them.

She weaned herself of the formula.


POOPING/PEEING: I haven't physically seen her poop, and her cage has grate on the bottom so it all falls through into the pan, but I have seen her pee (like 10 minutes ago). While she was peeing is when she made her barking sound, while crouched like I described before. I'm thinking this is where the problem is... maybe something is wrong with her digestion? Like a urinary tract infection or something?

She comes out everyday and runs around my room. If I'm home in my room, she's out or the cage is open so she is able to come out. There aren't any house plants and there isn't anything that she chews on. She has occasionally attacked the handles on my pull-up bar, but she just tears it up and tosses it. She has got a hold of chocolate a few times, but never gets more than a few scrapes with her teeth before I snatch it away from her.

I do not bring her branches from outside, but I do bring acorns and these pods from the magnolia tree with red seeds on it if they are ever on the ground.

She has in shell nuts all the time. Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds, and Brazil nuts.. but the pecans are the only ones in the shell right now. She does eat the nuts, but more often she is usually hiding them around the room.

Her appetite seems to be a little better today, as she went digging through the nut bowl for some walnuts.. and ate some leaves & stems from a beet.

What type of pictures are you looking for? She looks fine.. she's just acting a little weird. I'll post a picture I took of her a few days ago laying on the towels in the bathroom.

[sammalamm]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/cRunksamm/208491_1686598720490_1103310087_31410758_940412_n. jpg

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/cRunksamm/207885_1686598200477_1103310087_31410757_1710215_n .jpg

[gs1]

mbd is the most probable disease any squirrel has if it hasn't been eating rodent blocks or hhbs blocks....

in order for her body to absorb the nutrition in nuts it takes out calcium in the bones... that means her bones will become very brittle and easily breakable...

she will also need to be kept very warm...

with the mbd treatment you give her enough calcium over the next few months to build up her bones again ... she can't be released until that happens since one fall in nature and she'd break something....

squirrels are guaranteed not to eat their blocks if they've got something else... and so it's recommended that you give them blocks first ...no giving in ...

at this point i'm glad that you are in florida ... a trip to the vet might help you ...

but i'd also start giving her calcium supplements (instructions below)... it is very difficult to bring them back when they start showing advance mbd symptoms... and considering there's no harm in giving her treatment ...

also if you have any fox valley formula in a small dish or in vanilla full fat yogurt many squirrels decide that they like it that way ... she might surprize you...



anyway ...if you need to have the name of a squirrel vet i know that we have many wonderful squirrel rehabbers/members in florida ....


:grouphug
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17677


Emergency Treatment for Metabolic Bone Disease (updated 3-31-09)

Get calcium into the squirrel IMMEDIATELY, not later, not tomorrow, NOW. Delaying treatment can cause death or permanent paralysis.

You will need:

--Tums or calcium pills (any kind)
--a syringe, eyedropper, or spoon

Crush one Tums or calcium pill and add a little water or fruit juice. Use the syringe, eyedropper, or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. Feed a total of 600-800 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If the squirrel is having seizures, weakness, or paralysis, the symptoms will usually improve within a few hours, but this does not mean the squirrel is cured. It will take many months to rebuild the calcium in the bones.

Long-Term Treatment for MBD

The next step to curing MBD is to fix the diet.

1. Remove ALL seeds, nuts, corn, and treats.

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found at the top of the “Squirrel Nutrition” forum. (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=16093) Your squirrel MUST eat rodent block or squirrel blocks every day. If your squirrel doesn't like rodent blocks, you can try crushing them up with peanut butter or avocado temporarily. You can also make a tastier version of squirrel blocks using the recipe at the top of the Squirrel Nutrition forum.

3. In addition to the Healthy Diet, you will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for several weeks. Either use the syringe/eyedropper or you can try putting the calcium on a small piece of fruit.

Week 1: calcium = 500 mg per day
Week 2: calcium = 250 mg per day
Weeks 3-8: calcium = 100 mg per day

The cause of the acute symptoms—weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis—is a drop in blood calcium levels. If these symptoms return at any time, you will need to give another emergency dose of calcium.

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone. Also, if he is in a tall cage, either place him in a smaller cage, or pad the bottom very well.

Heat is very soothing for a squirrel with MBD. A heating pad turned to low and placed so they cannot chew the pad or cord, or a rice buddy (a sock filled with dry rice/beans and microwaved for about 20 seconds) will work.

[astra]

GS1 posted excellent info.

if she has not been eating any rodent block, she will have MBD (if this is not it yet, but sounds like it is). Without rodent block squirrels in captivity cannot get all the nutrients they need from the food we give them, even if that's the best food we can get.

There are a number of rodent blocks you can try with her: Zupreem, Mazuri, HHB regular and HHB for picky eaters (from www.henryspets.com), Harland Teklad etc etc.
There is a home-made recipe here in Nutrition section for HHB blocks.
There is also a Boo-Ball recipe for extremely picky eaters - most squirrels, who rejected a regular rodent block, eat BBalls and you can be creative with it.

You might also want to supplement with some extra calcium, at least a few times a week (that is if she gets a couple of blocks per day) - calcium without phosphorous, e.g., Rep-Cal calcium with vit. D Phosphorous-free, but different people use different calcium supplements.

But for now, start Emergency MBD treatment.
During MBD treatment - no nuts.

When she gets better, she shouldn't be getting more than 1-2 nuts a day as a very special treat only.

As gs1 said, you might have to practice tough love with her in order to teach her to eat block. It is not easy with squirrels who are not used to a block since their infancy, but it is completely doable.
Give the block first thing in the morning, when she is the hungriest. Once she eats it, then you can add other things (veggies, fruit). Nuts are better at the end of the day, after she ate all of the 'good' stuff, as a special bedtime treat or something.
She might not like it, but you have to be ready for that. If she doesn't eat rodent block, she can die of MBD.

Clean all her stashes regularly, so that she eats the block and not her stashes.

Brazil nuts are not good nuts to give (they and cashews). Almonds, hazelnuts and walnuts are best, pecans - only as a rare treat.

She does need branches from the outside: safe trees (e.g., oak, maple etc - there is a list of them here on the board). Watch which trees wild squirrels eat and bring those to her.

The reason I asked about in-shell nuts and acorns is that sometimes if those are moldy, they can get sick. But right now it sounds more like MBD to me, especially, since she hasn't been eating any rodent block.

She might be having a combination of problems, MBD being one of them. If she is experiencing pain while peeing it could be UTI, but it could also be result of MBD because if she feels pain in her bones/hips/legs, it might be more painful to pee as well.

If this is MBD and she responds to treatment well, you will have to keep supplementing her with calcium and monitor her diet closely as 100% recovery from MBD takes time, mere disappearance of external symptoms is not full recovery.

Some experienced rehabbers will be here with more detailed suggestions and thoughts.

[UDoWhat]

This sounds like MBD. I see it often. This board sees it all the time. I have 2 MBD squirrels at this time. They were turned over to me with similar symptoms. Please begin the emergency MBD treatment described above. This will save your squirrel's life. Please do not delay. I am sorry to sound so urgent but I and many others here have treated MBD in squirrels. Sadly some were brought to me too late. Bones too brittle to move. I would not wait even 1 hour.

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[astra]

just would like to correct myself: someone very knowledgeable in rodent nutrition just shared some information with me regarding Repti-Cal: the dose of vit. D in Repti-Cal with vit. D might be too high for squirrels, especially, for squirrels with MBD. So, get plain Repti-Cal, not with vit.D (and, of course, no Phosphorous).

[sammalamm]

She's seeming even better today. More active, and even wanted to play a little (she was just avoiding me, running past me to the window then back to where ever, to the window again for about a week.. which was unsual.)

Even so, I will start her on MBD and get some rodent blocks to her.

I just don't feel like she's in that much pain. She's been very active in the mornings (even to a point of waking me up! She was on a schedule where she went to sleep with us and woke up with us).. and starts slowing down in the afternoon. In the morning she's running and jumping around in her cage, doing all kinds of back flips and such. When she's out, she's also jumping around without hesitation.

I really think it's something with her peeing because everytime she has been barking she's been in the corner of her cage. I found that this is where she has also been peeing recently. (There were some paper towels there...)

Brazil nuts are only enjoyed in extreme moderation. Like, 1 or 2 a month.

There are two more things that I can think of that have changed kind of recently:
1) I gave her a stuffed raccoon dog toy that she has ripped open.
2) All are windows are open and it get's quite hot in here late afternoon into the evening.

Could either of these possibly effected her?

I hope none of you guys are mad at me not giving her rodent blocks. I take care of my squirrel, love her, and I'm positive she's pretty happy. But, I do understand that without calcium she may not stay well forever.

This is her cage. I figured I would show you this because she has real trees built right in that she eats the bark from. But, I will give her fresh branches from outside as well.
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y126/cRunksamm/P4110235.jpg

[Busysqrl]

I don't think anyone's mad at you for not feeding rodent blocks, but she does need signficant calcium, magnesium and also vit D to be able to absorb the calcium. Rodent blocks are the best way to get that into them. Have you ever tried yogurt with her? If she likes yogurt, you can crush the rodent block and mix with yogurt as part of her daily diet. That is just for maintenance. To assist with her potential MBD condition, you should definately give her extra calcium/magnsium/vit D beyond what's in commercial rodent block. If she hasn't had a good and consistent source of calcium/magnsium/vit D, she most likely does have MBD. I would not delay in getting her the cal/mag/vit D. If you're concerned it's a urinary problem, take a urine sample to your vet and have it tested. That way you'll know for sure. Whatever the problem is, barking like that is not normal. There is something wrong, whether it's urinary or MBD, she is in some kind of pain. That needs to be addressed ASAP.

[Best Life]

I agree with treatment for MBD and supplementing is definitely good for long-term general health. I see the info has already been copied and pasted - whoosh! that was fast! http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17677

Is it possible that she is also suffering from Urinary Tract or Bladder Infection? I am not qualified to suggest anything for squirrels, but this sounds very much like how my cats act when they have a problem, and sometimes it's pretty bad before I notice. It isn't just painful to pee, they get feverish and generally sick all over.

Any experts out there have an opinion on UTI's in squirrels?

[stepnstone]

sammalamm, just something to take in consideration about MBD from my own personal experience.
My two girls were growing very well, had good weight, healthy coats, were eating their veggies extremely well. They were very active, played with each other and ran around the house like a freight train... Right up until I found one dead and the other dropped with a seizure right in front of me! If not for the advice of TSB, treating for MBD, and getting her on the nutretition of a good rodent block, I have little doubt she would be with me today.
It has been pointed out many times on this board about the resilience of squirrels not showing they are sick as it is their natural defense not to show weakness. Showing weakness would subject them to becoming prey in the wild, the fact that they are not "in the wild" does not necessary alter that natural defense.
I know you are searching for answers to your immediate problem and I sincerely hope you find the answers. In the meantime, I would not risk not getting your little one on the proper nutretition it needs to avoid the events and effects of MBD.

[2ndHandRanchRescue]

Yes, this is the place for MBD education. I had never experienced it as I have always been so carful with lots of good nutition, but not all squirrels will cooperate. Last month I got a fox squirrel in that was in bad MBD shape. Her rescue mom was a wonderful care giver - but this squirrel would not eat the blocks - ever. I was so happy since she didn't have a computer to contact TSB she called me. Homemade Boo Balls, the MBD emergency treatment and taking away the nuts/seeds saved this squirrel. She was good one day and listless and breathing shallow the next. TSB was so caring and helpful - you have found the right bunch here. I am so happy to report this little FeeBee is 100% on the mend. She goes through BooBalls like they were a drug, Mushrooms like they are her favorite candy, and will fight you for her cuttle bone and deer antler sheds. I also have a very very very old car strike rescue with no teeth and the booballs made with FoxValley formula have kept this guy happy and healthy for 3 years now - my vet said he's so old - that she can't believe he lived 1 let along 3 years healthy and happy. SO follow this groups nutrition instructions and you will be amazed!!! And BTW I love your cage set up!!!

[sammalamm]

Thanks everyone. I think she's starting to feel better. She's definitely more active and I haven't heard her bark all day. I brought some branches in from outside... is there any specifically that I should stay away from?

Also, I just read that squirrels shouldn't have corn. Why is this? I've given her quite a bit this past week or so as it was leftover (never cooked nor eaten).

[Best Life]

Thanks everyone. I think she's starting to feel better. She's definitely more active and I haven't heard her bark all day. I brought some branches in from outside... is there any specifically that I should stay away from?

Also, I just read that squirrels shouldn't have corn. Why is this? I've given her quite a bit this past week or so as it was leftover (never cooked nor eaten).
Wonderful to hear she is already starting to feel better!

[Busysqrl]

Corn has a VERY hgh phosphorous ratio. You want to strive for an overall intake of a 2:1 calcium/phosphorous ratio. That is 2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorous. You should avoid corn. Are you now giving her the MBD treatment?

[UDoWhat]

Please continue on the MBD treatment. It takes months even up to a year to build/strengthen bones. Continue the emergency treatment and try hard to get her on some kind of rodent block. The Boo Ball recipe in the Squirrel Nutrition Forum can help transition squirrels to eat block. You can add/substitute the flavor of the baby fruit food (apples and plums) if you think your squirrel would prefer another flavor. The trick here is to get her used to eating rodent block as soon as you can. I am glad to hear she is better. However, if she has MBD you have a long way to go yet to achieve strong healthy bones. Please keep us posted. :poke

Marty, Licensed Maryland Master Wildlife Rehabilitator

[Scooterzmom]

Thanks everyone. I think she's starting to feel better. She's definitely more active and I haven't heard her bark all day. I brought some branches in from outside... is there any specifically that I should stay away from?

Also, I just read that squirrels shouldn't have corn. Why is this? I've given her quite a bit this past week or so as it was leftover (never cooked nor eaten).

If you bring branches in from outside make sure they are not branchces you picked up off the ground... you'd run a hig risk of having toxins on those and toxins could be fatal ... alpha-toxins are one thiing we suspect might have contributed to my Scooter's death (from a branch I brought in)... so, jut play it safe... best err on the safe side and get branches only directly from the trees themselves. ;)

[sammalamm]

Yes, I have started the MBD treatment. ]

Thanks for the info on the corn.. hope she enjoyed while it lasted. She won't be getting it anymore..

[Busysqrl]

Yes, I have started the MBD treatment. ]

Thanks for the info on the corn.. hope she enjoyed while it lasted. She won't be getting it anymore..


Good to hear :jump Please keep us posted on her progress. :grouphug