vitamins

[Autumn_Dawn]

Hi everyone!! So I still have Crash my grey squirrel who is now almost a year old. She cannot walk so she has become our "pet". She eats a lot of veggies, loves cauliflower and zucchini and of course any fruit I give her which is only once or twice a week. She gets stubborn with the rodent block but likes similar items such as the petit croissants and pretzel sticks. I only give her those every couple of days as I'd prefer her to use the RB. I was wondering if anyone knows/uses a water soluble vitamin supplement. It is something I would like to give her periodically to keep her in optimal health. Even kids and adults take a supplement!
Thanks for your help...Crash appreciates it!

P.S.
Sweet Pea my other orphaned Grey Squirrel was released this fall and is doing wonderfully!!! He comes home every day to eat, plays in the trees around the yard, and barks like crazy at all the other squirrels. I love a good success story!

[SammysMom]

Well it is very nice to hear that your release is doing so well! However, with your NR, you are going to have to stop giving the human food. He needs the nutrition in rodent block. Croissants are not at all similar to RB and are not at all suitable for a healthy diet. check out the healthy diet forum for some great information! :thumbsup

[astra]

Well it is very nice to hear that your release is doing so well! However, with your NR, you are going to have to stop giving the human food. He needs the nutrition in rodent block. Croissants are not at all similar to RB and are not at all suitable for a healthy diet. check out the healthy diet forum for some great information! :thumbsup
yes.

Croissants and pretzels are not similar to rodent block in any way.
Your little one absolutely needs rodent block or its equivalent.

Here is The Healthy Diet for Pet squirrels:
http://www.thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218

Here is how to deal with picky eaters:
http://www.thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=31473

You might have to show her tough love, but she needs your help with learning how to eat well.
It is possible and it has been done.
Please keep posting whatever questions you might have about this
:grouphug

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Well it is very nice to hear that your release is doing so well! However, with your NR, you are going to have to stop giving the human food. He needs the nutrition in rodent block. Croissants are not at all similar to RB and are not at all suitable for a healthy diet. check out the healthy diet forum for some great information! :thumbsup:goodpost
the vitamin supplement you speak of that we give IS THE BLOCK

[JLM27]

Hey! Congratulations on Sweet Pea! Great job! :thumbsup

[astra]

P.S.
Sweet Pea my other orphaned Grey Squirrel was released this fall and is doing wonderfully!!! He comes home every day to eat, plays in the trees around the yard, and barks like crazy at all the other squirrels. I love a good success story!
:D :thumbsup does he have photos?

[JLM27]

If she is picky maybe she will eat the Boo Balls.

Can we see pics of your little ones?

[Autumn_Dawn]

Oh I'm really sorry for the confusion but I absolutely do not mean people food with regards to the croissants or pretzel sticks!!!! The petit croissants are from ecotrition and they are small animal treats for animals like rabbits guinea pigs and rodents. The same is for the pretzel sticks.

[Autumn_Dawn]

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This one is Sweet Pea
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Crash
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I love this picture of Crash she is so curious

Sorry I didnt know how to make these any smaller!!

[SammysMom]

They are adorable! I also love that pic of Crash! The same info holds true for those treats. They truly NEED RB or you will be coping with MBD before you know it. Tough love is the only way for some of these little "Fusspots". Sammy being one of them! Just when you think "Oh God, I'm starving him to death" they break down and eat what's put in front of them! Good luck!

[astra]

Look at that gorgeous Sweet Pea's tail!!!:thumbsup
That squirrelly nose - just want to kiss it (will Crash let ;)).:Love_Icon

Sorry, I cannot tell from the pics, are they Western grays or Eastern greys?.... Their colouring looks like W. gray to me... Beautiful!

[astra]

They are adorable! I also love that pic of Crash! The same info holds true for those treats. They truly NEED RB or you will be coping with MBD before you know it. Tough love is the only way for some of these little "Fusspots". Sammy being one of them! Just when you think "Oh God, I'm starving him to death" they break down and eat what's put in front of them! Good luck!
Agree!
She needs good quality rodent block

[SammysMom]

HHBs from Henry's were the answer to my prayers for my fussy Sammy. Some days he turns his nose up even at them, but usually he eats them nicely for breakfast. :thumbsup

[Autumn_Dawn]

(Astra...yes.. Crash loves kisses and any attention. She is so wonderfully sweet. I "adopted" her before she even had fur so she is very lovable to people. They are both W. Greys I'm in California near Yosemite and get a lot of orphans every year!)
However I think maybe I should rephrase and elaborate here. My main question is vitamin supplements. All of my animals... including the human ones... take a vitamin supplement. Crash is as dear to me as one of my own children! Her diet on a daily basis is RB in the morning and nothing but RB! After some exercise and sun for vitamin D she then gets her veggies. I try to maintain a very strict 2 to 1 ratio of Ca and Ph especially since she is a non releasable!! I've learned she stashes her veggies and treats so I look in her cadge every 1 to 3 days and remove her stashes so she will eat her RB when given. She gets stubborn the day after I remove her stash but since she has been fed RB most of her life she eats it willingly. Her treats include the small mammal snacks such as petit croissants and pretzel sticks which have a crude protein of 11% fat 6% fiber 1% and moisture 10% this is half of what they get from the RB. These treats are equally hard if not harder so she grinds her teeth down. Which all squirrel "people" know is important. Once or twice a week she gets some nuts and fruit and these are sparingly. I take great pains to ensure my orphans get the best nutrition they can get ALWAYS! I just happened to realize that after giving all my other pets a vitamin supplement Crash does not have one. I was wondering if anyone knows whether there are extra vitamins for squirrels to maintain optimal health when they become NR.

[SammysMom]

It sounds like Crash is getting a diet that is quite complete! Good job! I don't think they need supplements when they are eating RB and getting such a good variety.

[astra]

(Astra...yes.. Crash loves kisses and any attention. She is so wonderfully sweet. I "adopted" her before she even had fur so she is very lovable to people. They are both W. Greys I'm in California near Yosemite and get a lot of orphans every year!)
However I think maybe I should rephrase and elaborate here. My main question is vitamin supplements. All of my animals... including the human ones... take a vitamin supplement. Crash is as dear to me as one of my own children! Her diet on a daily basis is RB in the morning and nothing but RB! After some exercise and sun for vitamin D she then gets her veggies. I try to maintain a very strict 2 to 1 ratio of Ca and Ph especially since she is a non releasable!! I've learned she stashes her veggies and treats so I look in her cadge every 1 to 3 days and remove her stashes so she will eat her RB when given. She gets stubborn the day after I remove her stash but since she has been fed RB most of her life she eats it willingly. Her treats include the small mammal snacks such as petit croissants and pretzel sticks which have a crude protein of 11% fat 6% fiber 1% and moisture 10% this is half of what they get from the RB. These treats are equally hard if not harder so she grinds her teeth down. Which all squirrel "people" know is important. Once or twice a week she gets some nuts and fruit and these are sparingly. I take great pains to ensure my orphans get the best nutrition they can get ALWAYS! I just happened to realize that after giving all my other pets a vitamin supplement Crash does not have one. I was wondering if anyone knows whether there are extra vitamins for squirrels to maintain optimal health when they become NR.
I know that some people, sometimes, sprinkle extra calcium on their food.
Add cuttle bones for extra calcium and chewing.
Worms for extra protein.
Safe branches from outside for chewing.

But if she eats her rodent block and a nice assortment of veggies, no other supplementation is needed. How many rodent blocks does she eat daily?
It's important that she eats the needed amount of block per day.

If she eats Henry's Healthy Block, then 2-3 per day is enough (per directions).
If she eats commercial rodent block, such as Kaytee forti diet for rats and mice, Mazuri for rats and mice etc - then, I believe, the average daily amount should be 3-5 blocks (sometimes, opinions vary on how many, but that seems to be the average people feed).

So, if she gets the right amount of rodent block per day, she should not really need any supplementation (as oversupplementation might prove just as harmful).:thinking

[astra]

That silvery gray of Western Grays is so beautiful:) :Love_Icon