introduction

[ngoodwin]

hi my name is nikki i live in bristol tn i have a 1yr old squirrel that his mother was killed by a hunter and she had two babies i week old we took them in and raised them they are boo and bo. bo died suddenly at 4mo. old not sure what happenedto him, but boo was doing great. at 6 mo. boo jumped and missed his target and hit his face hard his teeth were loose and i changed his diet for a week then he seemed fine but for the last several months he has been having weird attacks not sure what they are. symptoms are he jurks his head back and blinks alot shakes these only last several seconds but he does this alot. last week he had a bad attack he was on the couch with me and all of a sudden he arched backwards his head almost touching his behind and was gasping for breath i picked him up and started rubbing his chest trying to help him breathe it lasted several minutes and he hasn't done that since but it scared me badly what should i do any suggestions... thank you nikki&boo.

[Skul]

Might suggest getting some regular Tums.
Crush one up, and mix with some water.
Do what ever you need, to get him to eat some.
He may be experiencing onset of metabolic bone disease. (MBD)
Do this as fast as you can. Time is very important.

If you would, please describe his current diet.

[stosh2010]

Please follow Skul's advice-
Then check our NUTRITION threads--
Include Fox Valley as part of a Healthy Diet---

Praying that Boo will recover fully. Has he had problems climbing or holding on to the side of his cage??? MBD comes on fast --and needs IMMEDIATE response by you...
Not tomorrow--NOW !!

[stosh2010]

Nikki,
I posted a link to THIS thread on the EMERGENCY HELP forum...
Hopefully you will get even more good advice to assist you
Keep him quiet, warm, and in a darkened area to maintain a calm relaxed atmosphere. No excitement for a few days...and follow the TSB rehabbers' suggestions.

[astra]

Please describe what he eats daily in as much detail as possible (frequency, amounts etc).
Does he eat a squirrel/rodent block daily?... Does he eat green veggies?...do you give him peanuts, corn, sunflower seeds etc?...

This might be MBD, metabolic bone disease - in captive squirrels whose nutritional requirements are not met.

In the meantime, start Emergency Treatment for MBD - even if it is not it, it won't hurt, but if it is, it will save his life:

Emergency Treatment for MBD

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

You will need:

-Tums, rolaids, or calcium supplement (any kind)
-a syringe or spoon

Crush one pill and add a little water or fruit juice to make a paste. Use the syringe or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. The first day, give a total of 600-800 mg of calcium, spread throughout the day/night to maintain blood calcium levels.

Important!

1. Any kind of calcium pill is okay for the initial dose. But you must use PLAIN calcium pills (without Vit D) from then on.
2. Try to give many small doses of calcium throughout the day/night to keep blood calcium levels as steady as possible.
3. If seizures or paralysis worsen or return, give another emergency dose, and make sure you check back in to TSB for help as relapses can be very serious.

The acute symptoms (weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis) 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. (See the "Long-Term Treatment for MBD" http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=28007)

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel confined to a small cage and away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone.

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.

Be sure to check in with TSB on a regular basis; this is key to avoid relapses.
__________________

[stosh2010]

Healthy foods for Boo

..please use the "Good" and "avoid the "Bad", anything that you are currently feeding Boo that is NOT listed...ask HERE--for a recommendation

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28009