View Full Version : Recovering from back injury a bit bloated, does he need more calcium ?
LASquirrel
06-08-2012, 09:59 PM
My squirrel suffered a back injury almost a month ago. He is improving slowly. We massage his back legs and there is improvement daily. He is a little bloated and I'm thinking he might have some calcium deficiency. He does eat way too many nuts and seeds and I have cut back on that. I read somewhere here that cuttlebone is a good source of calcium, is there anything else? He does like yogurt, cheese and sour cream - is that good for him?
I asked the vet about dexamethasone and he said that he is too young for it (he's about 5 months old) and that it had too many side effects. So I'm just wondering if there is any alternative?
Sweet Simon's Mommy
06-08-2012, 10:20 PM
Hi :wave123 :Welcome
Calcium is very important in their diet as is Vitamin D which is what helps the body absorb the calcium.
Do you give him any rat block?
There are several different kinds block
Kaytee for rats in the blue bag at pet stores
Mauzi ordered on line
http://www.squirrelsandmore.com/the-squirrels-at-chriss-squirrels-and-more?___store=default
and Henrys Healthy blocks also ordered on line.http://www.henryspets.com/
Also he should be eating fresh green leafy veggies and only one or two nuts as a treat.
Take a look here for more information about diet.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=191
Does he ever go outside ?? He should get 15 to 20 minutes of sun every day so he can absorb the calcium, and so should you :D
island rehabber
06-08-2012, 10:26 PM
Everything you need to know about a healthy, high-calcium diet for pet squirrels is right here in our Nutrition Section:
http://www.thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218
And ditto everything Sweet Simon's Mommy said :D
LASquirrel
06-09-2012, 12:06 AM
Thanks! Yes he is getting outside on the balcony but he likes the shady pot plants, will try to get him in the sun more. I just got the LM Animal farms blocks for mice and rats, I saw the Kaytee are those better? I haven't started him on them yet, he's asleep now. I never gave him blocks before because he seemed to be healthy and was getting a good variety of fruits and veggies and his nuts and seeds, but yes he's been eating way too many sunflower seeds and now that he's not moving as much he is gaining weight, also he's lost a bit of fur from his tail. I'm just trying to massage him and stimulate the blood flow to his tail and legs, he does move everything if he is massaged and even tries to jump, but if just left to himself he still crawls along dragging his legs.
I also got him some cuttlebones. Thanks, I'll read the food chart again and make sure he's getting everything.
Jackie in Tampa
06-09-2012, 05:26 AM
low calcium foods = BAD food
Bad food= weak bones
weak bones=severe injuries
he will continue to have issues until his diet is tweaked.
Low calcium, high phosphorus is a recipe for disaster..
NO SUNFLOWER SEEDS IN CAPTIVE SQS....
they are sq crack, death in a shell.
They are not nutrition, they are not ever treat worthy...they are crap!
With any spinal injury the goal is to get the inflammation down so that circulation and blood flow are continuous, both are needed to heal.
Nutrition plays major key especailly after the injury...
the injury may not have been as dibilitating had his bones been stronger.
Too late for dex, I did get your PM...
I understand the injury was 4 weeks ago...
really no magic medicine exists..all that can be done at this point is nutritional therapy and physical therapy...
no magical drugs..
no metacam treatment, no steroids will turn that around, it's done.
He needs a complete diet change, he needs a small cage until he is eating well and strong.
MBD is a wicked disease...brittle bones...not genetic..POOR NUTRITION>>>weaned too early..one or the other or both.
we need pics and a list of his diet past, and present..
bad eating habits are hard to break, you will need to make a commitment to change what you feed.
BTW, 5months is NOT too young for dex, this is so typical of vets, not knowing safe treatments for sqs. Not vets fault, laws and law makers need a swift kick in the butt to make change so wldlife gets good top shelf treatment as any little yapping chihauhau does...I won't get on that rant, but it's so true.
Please be leary what you give to him per other members advise..
there are some things and treatments that are a waste of time and energy and some may even hurt him.
I am into modern medicine, I do agree that homopathics have a place, but they need to be studied well and dosed correctly, please do not spend a ton of money on that sort of thing until the issues have been diagnosed.
Did the vet do a Xray? {doubtful}
do you feel a lump or divet on his spine?
can you post pics of sq, cage and his dinner plate?
With a visual, TSB can help advise you how to promote healing and keeping him safe.
I am one to say try formula again...and he absolutely needs a good QUAILITY RAT BLOCK. If he likes the syringe, it is okay, if he will lap from a shallow bowl, great...FORMULA is good! No matter how old the sq..I have 5 Year olds that love FV no matter how I give it!:)
In my opinion there is only block one made for sqs and it's the best, HHB.
Other blocks will have some value, but nothing will be as complete and perfectly nutritious as species specific food, Just my opinion.
However, my sqs have been on them consistantly for years with out any issues, no broken bones, no seizures, perfect health.
As advised by others..you must read the forum on nutrition...
there are charts with calcium to phosphorus ratios..
THERE MUST BE STRUCTURE in feeding.
Yes cuttle bones are good, but no where near enough...
His entire existance and health and HAPPINESS are in what YOU FEED HIM.
-------------------------
enough rant...
We need pics and daily diet info..we need his history, what formula, when he was weaned, how he was found...cage size etc..
please no trameel etc until he can be evaluated, we don't want to start damaging his organs.
There are precautionaries with anything..hydration will always be key with any medication.
Hope to see a follow up post with all info included..
thank you for rescueing him and reaching out for help...
------------------------------------
I just read all your threads, it appears you know about the healthy diet:thumbsup
I also see that you wanted to know about DONG something as an anti inflammatory...
if you have or are giving homopathics..please list what you are giving.
In one of your old posts it says you did have Xrays done...can you post a pic of the Xray or have the vet forward them so we can see the injury.
Did you find that vet thru Coast and CANYON? ARE YOU STILL WORKING WITH THE REHABBER THAT RECO'D THE VET?
sorry caps..
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug
LASquirrel
06-09-2012, 10:08 PM
My boyfriend found him in the street when he was I estimated 5-6 weeks. At first I didn't know about rehabbers so I just looked for info on the internet. I gave him pedialyte the first day then mixed with Esbilac and then just Esbilac. I weaned him first on corn which he loved and peeled grapes. I got some mouse/rat food that the pet store recommended which was a mix of seeds and pellets and looked inedible, he didn't like that so I never tried him on the blocks. I introduced other fruits and veggies. At around 10 weeks he started loosing some fur around his chin so I gave cheese and yogurt and it grew back. He's never been in a cage, he's always been a very active squirrel and runs around my entire apartment and 2 balconies since the next door apt is vacant. At I worried that he might fall since I live on the 6th floor, but when I saw how agile he was at negotiating the railings I started to relax and just let him do his own thing. The morning of the accident he went out earlier than usual, I heard crows flying around and suddenly I heard scratch scratch on the railing, not like he was falling but as if he'd been lifted up. I ran downstairs and took me a while to find him as I thought he would be in the ground floor apt courtyards because I originally thought he had fallen. I eventually found him further away in the bushes and there was a blood mark on his tail that could have been from a birds beak, so I think a bird definitely lifted him up and dropped him. I called coast and canyon, Marcia gave me some info but didn't recommend any specific vet. I found a vet through another rehabber. The vet took x-rays we saw a hump on his back where the spine had been pushed up and there was swelling but nothing severed and he said there was feeling in his feet. The vet gave me a weeks supply of Metacam, in the midst of the drama I forgot to ask about the dex. When I called back 2 days later, the vets assistant who has squirrels of his own said it couldn't be mixed with the Metacam then said he was too young for the dex and it had too many side effects. The rehabber who referred the vet wasn't too keen on dex either. He's been getting a lot more feeling back in his legs and tail but only when we massage him, he's not in control of those movements yet. We do express his bladder but sometimes he urinates on his own. And his dropping are natural a normal looking. Just within the last few days he's been bloated or is getting fat but feels more like bloat. He was eating alot of walnuts, pecans and sunflower seeds which I stopped today. I really never worried about feeding alot of but before cause he always looked healthy when he was more active and also couldn't resist him when he brings me his little jar of nuts to open. Yesterday I got him the blocks and cuttlebone, he only nibbled on both. He's had alot of yogurt today that has 50% calcium. I gave him a choice of apple, plum, some lime, carrots, sweet potato and celery today (of course not to eat all that but he usually chooses) - he had some plum, nibbled the apple and sweet potato, but mostly he's had the yogurt. He's never been too into greens. He will nibble broccoli, arugula and eat some celery. He does eat some of the potted plants outside and has never been sick from any. He may have eaten some rotten pumpkin seeds that were thrown there in the soil - don't know if that could cause bloat? I asked about the dong quai and algae but no one answered back so haven't given him any. Will try to get the x-ray from the vet. The hump on his back has almost gone down completely. I'll try to post pics or if I can email them to you ? I'm trying to think of anything I left out? My Internet is down at the moment so doing this from my phone. Will post pics when it's back up, I tones of pics of him from the beginning. Thanks!
LASquirrel
06-09-2012, 10:22 PM
There's also a huge patch of fur missing from his tail and I'm really worried about that incase he's not getting enough circulation in his tail.
Jackie in Tampa
07-01-2012, 09:26 AM
thanks for the emailed updates..I think he is home!:Love_Icon
Glad he shows improvements..awesome that BF loves him too!
I have attached his xray and a recent pic!
adorable little one:Love_Icon :D
Great that he loves HHBs!!!:alright.gif
Jackie in Tampa
07-01-2012, 09:52 AM
HERE'S THE Xray, HAD TO DO SOME EDITS:thumbsup
LASquirrel
07-02-2012, 12:09 PM
Thanks Jackie for posting the pic's. I'll post a video of him soon if I can here.
He had a major meeting with a wild squirrel yesterday, my bf was taking him for a walk in the park and she/he came down out of a tree to investigate him. Wish I had known that squirrels lived so close here I would have tried to release him b4 his accident. Still hoping he can make somewhat of a recovery I see improvement in him everyday!
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