Stella has NO interest in solids

[msriri]

Hi...Stella is now 11 weeks old. I have been giving her HHBs and rodent block for at least two weeks and beside a few nibbles, she is not eating either.

She gets a fresh bowl of veggies every day, a little fruit (none of which she eats much of) and of course she loves a nut, but her main diet is still her FV.

I dont want to rush her into weaning, but I expected her to be eating a lot of this stuff already......not to mention that my whole bag of HHBs is gonna go bad :(
At what point should I get worried and try something else?



(On a side note....how long do acorns stay good?)

Thanks everyone!
Maria

[Lulu2010]

Not sure about expiration of acorns....but, my Lulu would not eat any solid foods until she was about 13 weeks old. She was a failure to thrive and I am not sure if yours is, but she would only suckle on cheerios and then leave them shriveled for me to remove later. Point is, in my opinion, keep offering the different foods and eventually she should start eating more of them and slowly come off formula when she is ready. She may just need a little more time.

[msriri]

Not sure about expiration of acorns....but, my Lulu would not eat any solid foods until she was about 13 weeks old. She was a failure to thrive and I am not sure if yours is, but she would only suckle on cheerios and then leave them shriveled for me to remove later. Point is, in my opinion, keep offering the different foods and eventually she should start eating more of them and slowly come off formula when she is ready. She may just need a little more time.

Thanks.....Stella is thriving for sure and eats for me very well. I noticed her dipping into the chinchilla food...she loves it....I can't give her that, but it made me wonder why she won't eat her own.

[Pierre]

I'm sure she will soon. The longer on FV the better! She might really like boo balls too, if she's picky. My boy Grayson loved them but didn't like much else really, other than avocado and nuts!! :multi

[CritterMom]

Acorns are really problematic. If you break one open you will see that the insides are not dry and hard like a pecan or walnut - they are wet and crunchy like chestnuts are. That wetness is their downfall - they are EXTREMELY prone to mold, which will make a squirrel very ill or even kill it. All nuts can do this with improper storage but acorns are realy prone due to the way they are built.

I am a crazy person about my baby, so this is what I do - I have a large oak tree that hangs over my driveway. During acorn season, I sweep it off at night and the next morning I pick up the acorns that I know have only been on the dry driveway for a few hours overnight. They are washed well in soapy water and left on the counter for 24 hours to dry. I then freeze them in big bags. That way I know they are clean and fresh when the go into the freezer, and he actually likes them frozen (acorncicles, anyone?).

If you can reach the ones on the trees, you can pop those off and feed them. You just want to avoid picking old ones off the wet ground, or storing them in such a way that dampness can get trapped in them.

[island rehabber]

Are you sure her teeth are ok? Resistance to eating solids can sometimes be because of malocclusion or teeth problems....?

[msriri]

Acorns are really problematic. If you break one open you will see that the insides are not dry and hard like a pecan or walnut - they are wet and crunchy like chestnuts are. That wetness is their downfall - they are EXTREMELY prone to mold, which will make a squirrel very ill or even kill it. All nuts can do this with improper storage but acorns are realy prone due to the way they are built.

I am a crazy person about my baby, so this is what I do - I have a large oak tree that hangs over my driveway. During acorn season, I sweep it off at night and the next morning I pick up the acorns that I know have only been on the dry driveway for a few hours overnight. They are washed well in soapy water and left on the counter for 24 hours to dry. I then freeze them in big bags. That way I know they are clean and fresh when the go into the freezer, and he actually likes them frozen (acorncicles, anyone?).

If you can reach the ones on the trees, you can pop those off and feed them. You just want to avoid picking old ones off the wet ground, or storing them in such a way that dampness can get trapped in them.

thats what I thought when I was picking them up...they were a little soft, so I didnt get them. I like your ideas about storage though...thanks!

[msriri]

Are you sure her teeth are ok? Resistance to eating solids can sometimes be because of malocclusion or teeth problems....?

I am pretty sure they are ok, she has no trouble getting through those acorns or tearing the blocks to crumbles (just not consuming them), lol.....Ill keep an eye on them though, thanks!

[Rhapsody]

Question? --When do you offer her the Blocks?
We suggest giving them first thing in the morning when they are at their hungriest and before you offer then any thing else (like nuts & fv - which they already love).

Have YOU tried this yet...... and dont give her any FV for a good two hours and see IF she will eat the BLOCKS!!

[Rhapsody]

P.S.

Picky Eaters Link:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27996

[msriri]

Question? --When do you offer her the Blocks?
We suggest giving them first thing in the morning when they are at their hungriest and before you offer then any thing else (like nuts & fv - which they already love).

Have YOU tried this yet...... and dont give her any FV for a good two hours and see IF she will eat the BLOCKS!!

Thanks, yes, I have tried to just put the blocks in alone...for 2 days....she just stashes them.

Recently though she won't even eat her formula. This afternoon will be 24 hours and Ive only managed to get about 7 cc's in her. Is this normal in the weaning process even when she isnt eating any blocks? When should I worry? She will come out to play, but seems more anxious than active....not really playing her usual games, just running around.

[Rhapsody]

If she isnt eating her blocks and doesnt want her formula any more.... then I will would go ahead and give your squirrel her favorite vegetables and wild plants / acorns by mid day to make sure that the nutritional value is still there.

..... fruits and nuts can be given after the dinner meal.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I have been meaning to ask you how Stella is doing. Sorry to hear she still isn't eating much solid food. I have tried HHBs with my squirrels and they just won't eat them, not sure what is up with them, but thy don't like them. Since mine are released, I don't worry about it and give a balanced diet with no HHBs. I do give primate chow, which they always love.

How is she walking now? Did that leg ever heal up right?

[msriri]

I have been meaning to ask you how Stella is doing. Sorry to hear she still isn't eating much solid food. I have tried HHBs with my squirrels and they just won't eat them, not sure what is up with them, but thy don't like them. Since mine are released, I don't worry about it and give a balanced diet with no HHBs. I do give primate chow, which they always love.

How is she walking now? Did that leg ever heal up right?

Hey! How are you?
Stella is pretty good...picky eater! Her legs are the same....her foot is totally turned sideways though from how the ankle healed and no use of that foot. She gets around awesome though!
Im thinking about the primate chow, but she is starting to eat the blocks a little since I took all the treats out.

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I'm good, super busy with school, work, application to vet school, and of course all the babies, but things are going well. Glad to hear Stella gets around good. I had a feeling her foot would be stiff, that is the exact thing that happened to the last 3 legged cottontail I had. I bet it was a birth defect. Glad she's starting to eat her blocks :thumbsup