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View Full Version : IS my squirrel's Diet Healthy? christine 126



Sissy
12-07-2011, 10:18 PM
Is my squirrels diet healthy? I have been reading back and forth on the squirrel diet debate. And now I have gone from confident that their diet is healthy to just plain confused. So I am going to just put thier diet out there and anyone who wants to tell me what or how I could modify it to improve it would be appreciated.
After rehydrating with warm Pedialyte, and warming them up. These babies started out on formula of warm goats milk and water (50-50)
this was temporary till I got them to the rehabber.
The rehabber told me to put them on Esbilac 50%and goats milk 25% and water 25%.
When they started getting active, I put rodent blocks and acorns in their cage so they could snack on them in between feedings. Which they eventually did. Also fresh cut tree branches and dandelion leaves from the yard. I also gave them a half a pecan after each feeding to bribe them to not run everywhere while I was feeding their siblings.
Soon I was putting a full dog dish of different veggies, sweet potato, brocolli, cauliflower, and orange slices everyday as staples. Also a handful of rodent blocks .Then any other veggie I had around just to see if they like it. Also I put flowers and other vegetation out of the yard in there. Sometimes I even find fresh mushrooms growing in the morning . They really like those. I put another full dog dish of just acorns as well. Before they were weaned at 14 weeks (they weaned themselves one by one), there would be food left over at the end of the day, but now they eat it all. They eat the rodent block last. But I won't give them more food until they eat it. Sometimes they finish it before the end of the day and I will give them more veggies or pick them some flowers. ALL of their fruit and veggies are sprinkled with calcium powder. They have been getting daily sunlight since 6 weeks. This amount of food is for 3 squirrels..OK folks I am open to suggestions.:bowdown mjs

Be-careful when picking flowers I know some are toxic to squirrels. I made that mistake once. Luckly I administrated the proper meds and she was fine afterwards. It was Buttercups that made my squirrel so sick.

astra
12-07-2011, 10:25 PM
Be-careful when picking flowers I know some are toxic to squirrels. I made that mistake once. Luckly I administrated the proper meds and she was fine afterwards. It was Buttercups that made my squirrel so sick.
yes, do not feed anything unless you are 200% sure it is safe.

In addition to flowers, better not to feed any mushrooms from outside.
Mushrooms are so intricate and even complicated, it's very hard to tell a poisonous one from the good ones.
Even human mushroom experts make mistakes.
So, I would not feed wild mushrooms just to be safe.
Again, unless you are 200% sure it is safe.

Never feed flower shop flowers and plants - they are always sprayed with all kinds of stuff.

Most house plants are poisonous (again, hard to determine about each and all, so better to stay away). So, whenever you let them out of the room, keep all house plants as far as you can, so that they do not accidentally get to them.
Squirrels can get to stuff so fast before you even realize that, and before you can grab them they will chew some, enough to get sick.

Also, keep all meds, human supplements and what not as securely locked as possible - otherwise, tragic accidents are liable to happen

christine126
12-07-2011, 10:25 PM
Be-careful when picking flowers I know some are toxic to squirrels. I made that mistake once. Luckly I administrated the proper meds and she was fine afterwards. It was Buttercups that made my squirrel so sick.
Oh thanks! I was told before that plants arent toxic to squirrels. They can even eat poison mushrooms and not be affected. The only yhing I was told to watch for is yards that use pesticides. So what plants are toxic to squirrels?

astra
12-07-2011, 10:29 PM
Oh thanks! I was told before that plants arent toxic to squirrels. They can even eat poison mushrooms and not be affected. The only yhing I was told to watch for is yards that use pesticides. So what plants are toxic to squirrels?
WILD squirrels might handle poisnous mushrooms because they eat many other things that might act as an antidote for that particular poison (but, I said 'might" because we just do not know for sure).

But one thing we do know for sure is that house kept squirrels for sure do not eat anything that could possibly act as an antidote to a poisonous mushroom.

And after all, why give a potentially poisonous mushroom when there are so many safe and healthful foods available?

island rehabber
12-08-2011, 04:32 PM
christine126 (http://www.thesquirrelboard.com/forums/member.php?u=10329) IMG/statusicon/user_offline.gif
Member
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: north port, fl
Posts: 27


images/icons/icon1.gif Is My Squirrels diet healthy?
Is my squirrels diet healthy? I have been reading back and forth on the squirrel diet debate. And now I have gone from confident that their diet is healthy to just plain confused. So I am going to just put thier diet out there and anyone who wants to tell me what or how I could modify it to improve it would be appreciated.
After rehydrating with warm Pedialyte, and warming them up. These babies started out on formula of warm goats milk and water (50-50)
this was temporary till I got them to the rehabber.
The rehabber told me to put them on Esbilac 50%and goats milk 25% and water 25%.
When they started getting active, I put rodent blocks and acorns in their cage so they could snack on them in between feedings. Which they eventually did. Also fresh cut tree branches and dandelion leaves from the yard. I also gave them a half a pecan after each feeding to bribe them to not run everywhere while I was feeding their siblings.
Soon I was putting a full dog dish of different veggies, sweet potato, brocolli, cauliflower, and orange slices everyday as staples. Also a handful of rodent blocks .Then any other veggie I had around just to see if they like it. Also I put flowers and other vegetation out of the yard in there. Sometimes I even find fresh mushrooms growing in the morning . They really like those. I put another full dog dish of just acorns as well. Before they were weaned at 14 weeks (they weaned themselves one by one), there would be food left over at the end of the day, but now they eat it all. They eat the rodent block last. But I won't give them more food until they eat it. Sometimes they finish it before the end of the day and I will give them more veggies or pick them some flowers. ALL of their fruit and veggies are sprinkled with calcium powder. They have been getting daily sunlight since 6 weeks. This amount of food is for 3 squirrels..OK folks I am open to suggestions.:bowdown mjs