Nutri-Cal and Nutri-Stat

[rambosmom]

I have a blind (she never opened her eyes and it looks as though they may not exist or are underdeveloped) 9 month old eastern grey. She is small for her age and thin. Her frame has always been 'narrow' and her development has been 'different'. I think that she was, possibly, exposed directly and through her mother to pesticides in the park where she was found. I have had her since she was about 5 weeks of age and had her on FV and have always tried to provide her with healthy foods (veggies, fruits, limited nuts/seeds, rodent blocks, monkey chow, HHBs). Unfortunately, she is not a fan of the last three aforementioned foods. She nibbles on them somewhat but I am not satisfied with the amount she consumes. Because she is so thin, I admit to giving in and pushing veggies instead. I do want to say, though, that she is active and happy and has the run of the house most of the time during the day. I have recently been giving her calcium carbonate once a day in yogurt or applesauce. She has been eating that okay for me until I tried to pull a fast one on her and slip in a crushed HHB for picky eaters. No go. Anyway, I would feel better if she would put on some weight and have been reading about Nutri-Cal and Nutri-Stat. What type is it exactly (they have it for different species), how much/often should I give it to her, and does anyone have any other suggestions?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

[island rehabber]

I know that my vet, who is very experienced with squirrels, has said that Ensure is actually a nutritionally good food for them -- on a temporary basis. It has a lot of sugar, so it's not advisable long term, but maybe if she likes it you can at least put some meat on her bones?

[lilidukes]

I make homemade HHB's (too many squees to buy them) and over time I have found that a mix of pecan chunks, pecan meal and sliced almonds for the nuts keeps everyone happy. I tried a couple of different nut mixtures in my blocks until I found one that works best for all of my squirrels.

I follow the rest of Leighs recipe just played with the kind (not weight) of nuts I use.

[rambosmom]

Thanks for the suggestions...I'll try them out. Where can I find Leigh's recipe and would anyone recommend the use of Nutri-Cal or Nutri-Stat or is it dangerous to squirrels? Also, did you see the short video clip I posted of my baby?