NEED HELP NOW!!!!

[MyLittleBlessing]

I woke up to him practically screaming in pain. He is shaking terribly and won't move. He won't take water, or the emergency calcium I am trying to give him. I don't think his back legs are working, he won't move them. He has a RAPID heartbeat. Someone help! What's wrong???

[pappy1264]

Did he fall? Make sure you get him on heat. You will probably need to use gloves to grab him, as he is in pain and will bite. Do you have any infant Motrin? Others will be on soon, but right now, get him on heat.

[island rehabber]

I woke up to him practically screaming in pain. He is shaking terribly and won't move. He won't take water, or the emergency calcium I am trying to give him. I don't think his back legs are working, he won't move them. He has a RAPID heartbeat. Someone help! What's wrong???

He is six months old, am I right? It could be MBD and you must get the emergency calcium into him ANY WAY YOU CAN -- shoot it in the side of his mouth with a syringe, if you have to. Wrap him in a warm fleece like a burrito and make sure you get that calcium into him. Putting him on heat is an excellent idea, as well as a low container where he can't injure himself.

[island rehabber]

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.

After you give the initial dose of calcium, give 100 mg calcium every 4 hours. If symptoms return or do not improve, try dosing more often: every 3 hours. Severe cases may need 50 mg calcium every 2 hours.

Your squirrel's symptoms should improve within a few hours; within 1-3 days your squirrel should be alert, active, and eating, with no seizures or paralysis. You should be giving 500-600 mg calcium per day. Keep track of how many doses you give so you can adjust the dosage if needed. You should work with TSB members to do this.

Important!

Any kind of calcium pill is okay for the initial dose. But you must use PLAIN calcium carbonate (without Vit D) from then on.

Many small doses of calcium throughout the day/night are best to keep blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If symptoms worsen or return, give an emergency dose of 100 mg calcium, then consult with TSB members or a rehabber or veterinarian to adjust the dosing schedule. Relapses are very serious and often fatal.

White feces or a white film on dried urine may mean the dosage can be reduced, as this indicates not all of the calcium is being absorbed. It may also mean you need to give smaller doses more often.

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" below.)

More Tips

MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. You should pad the bottom of your squirrel's cage and keep him 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. Squirrels with hind-end paralysis may benefit from gentle massage of the legs and hips.


Long-Term Treatment for MBD

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

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

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found here: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=32046 (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32046) and on the Henry’s Healthy Pets website (http://www.henryspets.com/pages/Healthy-Diet.html) (http://www.henryspets.com/pages/Healthy-Diet.html%29). Your squirrel MUST eat rodent blocks or squirrel blocks every day (either 2 Henry's Healthy Squirrel Blocks per day, or a small handful of commercial rodent block per day). If you choose to feed commercial rodent blocks, which are extremely hard, you should crush them up with peanut butter, yogurt, fruit juice, avocado, baby food, etc., to make them easier to chew and improve the taste.

3. You will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for many weeks. You can use a syringe or spoon, or you can mix the calcium with a small amount of peanut butter, crushed nuts, yogurt, baby food, or any food the squirrel likes. An easy way to dose the calcium is to mix 500 mg of calcium powder with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or other tasty food and roll it into 5 little balls; each ball will contain 100 mg calcium.

Calcium Dosage:

Continue to give 500-600 mg calcium per day for 1 week. Then try reducing the total daily amount by 50 mg. If the squirrel remains stable for 1 week, reduce the daily amount by another 50 mg. Continue this weekly reduction until the squirrel is only getting around 100 mg of extra calcium per day. Continue this for at least another 2 weeks. If at any time symptoms return, give an emergency 100 mg dose, then go back to a higher dosage for 1-2 weeks.

The treatment for each squirrel may be slightly different and you should work with a rehabber or TSB members to tailor the treatment to your squirrel's needs. Depending on the age of the squirrel, severity of disease, and other factors, your squirrel may need extra calcium for many months, perhaps for life.

Important Information
The MBD treatment is a "standardized" treatment that will get most cases on the road to recovery. But every case is different and the treatment should be customized to each squirrel. Severe cases sometimes need more aggressive treatment. There is a limit to how much calcium the body can absorb at one time, so lower doses of calcium given more often is the key with severe cases.

What is MBD?
Calcium is a very important nutrient. It strengthen the bones, but also plays a vital role in all body functions. Every cell in the body contains water plus small amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals allow the cells to transmit small electrical signals. Without this cell-to-cell communication, the organs can't function: your heart can't beat, your nerves can't transmit impulses; in fact, you would die.

When there isn't enough calcium in the diet, the body will dissolve the calcium from the bones and use that instead. This eventually causes the bones to become depleted of calcium. Eventually the bones become so depleted, there isn't enough calcium left to maintain sufficient calcium in the cellular fluids, and the organs can't function properly. This is what causes the symptoms of MBD: loss of appetite, lethargy, muscle pain, paralysis, seizures, and eventually death. Humans don't get this type of severe MBD, partly because our calcium requirement is lower and our bones are much bigger, allowing us to store more calcium.

By giving high doses of calcium orally, you are artificially maintaining your squirrel's blood calcium levels because his bones no longer contain enough calcium to maintain his calcium levels normally.

Once the emergency calcium is given, your squirrel's blood calcium levels should normalize fairly quickly. He should "bounce back" and act normal or almost normal. If you are still seeing symptoms such as seizures, loss of appetite, lethargy, or paralysis, the calcium levels may still be too low. This means the body will try to pull the remaining calcium from the bones, which means the MBD is actually getting worse. So stabilizing blood calcium levels is critical. The next step to actually curing the MBD is rebuilding bone. This is the part that takes a long time.

Stabilizing the blood calcium levels can and must be done quickly. In severe cases, calcium may be needed more often throughout the day and night, as often as every 2 hours.
__________________

[MyLittleBlessing]

6 months exactly. He seems to be in a lot of pain and is pushing me away but he won't bite. The calcium drips out of his mouth. He isn't taking the tablet or the liquid, how do I get him to take it??? Would infants ibuprofen do anything? Or should I just keep pushing calcium??

[lilidukes]

Try a little syrup/molasses/honey on a Q-tip and wipr on his gums first

[island rehabber]

6 months exactly. He seems to be in a lot of pain and is pushing me away but he won't bite. The calcium drips out of his mouth. He isn't taking the tablet or the liquid, how do I get him to take it??? Would infants ibuprofen do anything? Or should I just keep pushing calcium??

I would push the calcium --
Stroke under his chin gently to encourage him to swallow. Use small drips but be firm -- don't take NO for an answer. It IS a matter of life and death.

Was he jumping around earlier this morning? Do you think he could have fallen and injured his back?

[MyLittleBlessing]

He was fine this morning around 1 o'clock. I woke up to him acting like this, besides stroking his chin are there any other tips on how to make him take the calcium???

[island rehabber]

The only other way is injectable, from a vet, so I'm betting that's not possible for you He needs it ASAP, because if it is severe onset MBD we have to help him NOW. You're the boss, MLB....you can save him with tough love :thumbsup, which right now means CALCIUM.

[MyLittleBlessing]

He keeps making this squealing noise, every time we try to give it to him he takes his hands and pushes away squealing. He also keeps wanting to be on his stomach.

[lilidukes]

Where in NC are you?

[MyLittleBlessing]

Right around Greenville

[lilidukes]

Can you drive to Raleigh?? About 1 1/2 hours

[MyLittleBlessing]

Can you give me an exact address? I'll type it in my GPS.

[Jackie in Tampa]

make a paste...do not add enough water to liquify...
crushed tums plus just enough water to be a thick paste
smear inside his mouth lining...
do this now
I am sorry for his screams...do this now
as other have shared,HEAT. heat via rice buddy...you are going to have to work with him for a few hours...get a rice buddy made so he can stay warm, constantly cking his feet for temp.
You are doing good, deep breaths, we are here to help you.
I do not suggest moving him until he is stable..
if seizures start, be very careful to keep hands away from his mouth, if he does bite you during seizure, please hold still and allow it.
His bones are brittle due to lack of calcium, be very careful with him, Please do not allow him to fall.
When seizure passes, get some form of sugar on his gums in a paste /thick form. Molasses, Karo, log cabin, etc..

[island rehabber]

make a paste...do not add enough water to liquify...
crushed tums plus just enough water to be a thick paste
smear inside his mouth lining...
do this now
I am sorry for his screams...do this now

Exactly! Jackie beat me to it and I'm glad she did!

[pappy1264]

(((Jackie)))....listen to her, she knows what she is talking about. Sending tons of prayers.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I have searched your threads and postes..I cannot see anywhere what your sweeties diet was..
can you post the formula that you used and the duration he was on it?
what does he eat daily?
do not worry these questions now, but please, once he is stable, do post his history after you found him.
good luck.
TSB has many fine sq peeps to help you..
listen to what they say.
good luck little guy:Love_Icon

EDIT: cacium is water soluable, calcium injections would need to be administered daily.
Not an option except in dire emergency.
The mouth lining is very fast to absorb..so the paste will benefit even better than in the stomach.
Please do not depend on a supplimental food spray as a calcium option...little Guys DIET must be ammended.

[MyLittleBlessing]

Ok, we've pushing calcium for about 45 minutes. His heartbeat is back to normal, not so rapid. And, there are no seizures going on. He is responding a little better to the calcium, we've given him the paste and the liquid. He keeps trying to close his eyes..I'm praying it's cause he's tired. He's had a rough morning and didn't get much sleep last night. Not now, I know, but when should we give him a break and let him sleep for a little?

Thankfully, he's responding a whooole lot better to the calcium.

[Nancy in New York]

11/15 this was posted: MyLittle Blessing, I am trying to find information that will help the people that are trying to figure this out.


My little guy is about 3 months old, and I've had him since he was 3 weeks old. I found him outside after a hurricane, he was abandoned by his mother and he had practically broken his back legs. Since it was after a hurricane it took awhile to get ahold of a local rehabber, but she told me with his legs it'd be best to take him in. His legs are not broken, and they do not seem to bother him because he loves to run and jump. But, he doesn't have enough speed to be put back into the wild.


His main 2 caregivers are me and my boyfriend, he is our baby and we would do anything for him. He has a room all to himself and the biggest obsession with pecans. We recently had a MBD scare, and had to buy him calcium supplement to spray on his food. After the emergency calcium he has been doing much better.

[Nancy in New York]

11/19 this was written:

We contacted a rehabber, but she was full with the hurricane squirrels and told me what to do. After about a week the rehabber caught herself up with everything, and could see our little guy. He had injured his foot pretty badly from the fall. She didn't think he could ever heal from it, but it didn't need surgery because he would be fine. She told me that releasing him might be a bad idea, because of his foot. He has a slight limp and cannot jump very far (that does not stop him though, he loves to run around and jump)

[MyLittleBlessing]

Is there anything else this could be besides MBD? He hasn't seizured, I keep expecting it but he hasn't. He randomly opened his mouth and screamed, like he was in massive amounts of pain. I think I've seen MBD before and it isn't the same as it was. Is there anything else that could make him scream and have no energy? He is just laying there, and he keeps closing his eyes...please oh, god, please let it be because he is tired...

[pappy1264]

From the sudden onset, MBD is most likely (and although there could be other things going on, treating for MBD is imperative, as it can kill him, but if it is not MBD the treatment will not hurt him.) MBD is very painful, and it makes the bones brittle and they can fracture very easily. You do not always see seizure with MBD. Keep pushing the calcium. And I would try to offer some extra fluids, if you can get him to take it. See if he will eat some yogurt (full fat, NOT the fat free). Most like french vanilla.

[lilidukes]

I HAVE IN A PM GIVEN MLB INFO ON DR DAN TOLD HER TO TAKE AND FOLLOW IR AND JITS ADVICE DR WILL NOT TAKE YOUR SQUIRREL I SENT THE PM NOT TRYING TO UNDER MIND ANYONE.

[Nancy in New York]

When your little one was 3 months old you said that you had a scare with MBD, why was that?

If a squirrel was still on formula, or even recently weaned....I'm not sure it would be MBD.

What was his diet, and what formula was he on, and when was he weaned?

What is his diet like now?

You need to asnwer the questions above to help us.....
If in fact this is a relapse, which I'm not sure it is, since he also has a problem with his leg,
this is serious, and you need to give frequent doses of calcium throughout the day at least 5-6 times daily, IR posted the treatment earlier.

[pappy1264]

How is this little one doing? Updates?

[cuteascnb]

Any News???

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Hope she has found someone who can help her.

[rygel1hardt]

MyLittleBlessing please check your pms. I know of a vet in NC that treats squirrels but dont know if you are close enough. Stacey

[rygel1hardt]

Is anyone working with this person and their squirrel? It has been about thirtytwo hours since their last post here. The vet I know of is about 4 1/2 hours from MYLITTLEBLESSING. Stacey

[jbtartell]

where do you live I am a rehabber and can help.. I am in rock hill sc.. how close are you? I have meds and supplies..

[Nancy in New York]

MyLittleBlessing please check your pms. I know of a vet in NC that treats squirrels but dont know if you are close enough. Stacey

Last time they were on was yesterday at 10:07 am:shakehead :dono

[jbtartell]

I hope that is because that baby is better.. she said it was getting better after that calcium.. lets just hope for the best.. :Love_Icon :dono :Love_Icon