SFS With raw, bare tail!

[DocPhilgood]

Leena is our 3 year old flying squirrel. About a year ago, a bald spot appeared near the base of her tail, then went up part of her tail, balded a spot on her hip, and a large amount of her face :( ! So after several different trips to different vets, we finally saw a full and complete recovery in her after using an anti-fungal and treated her for mites (Ivermectin, once a week for three weeks).

In the last month or so, it has returned and taken a lot of the fur from her tail. I see her grooming it so often, so I figured it was a recurrence of mites. She has been on an antibiotic, and anti-fungal, and also another round of ivermectin and nothing seems to be helping. Taking her to yet another vet, but maybe you have some suggestions?

She has a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables, parrot-mix seeds, fresh water and the occasional granola as a treat. She has an entire bedroom for herself with large branches across the ceiling to simulate a canopy for her. We have recently moved her to her travel-cage to isolate the conditions that are doing this to her, but she just won't leave her tail alone no matter what the conditions. She usually sleeps in one of several crown royal bags scattered around her room in different nooks and crannies.

Any information you can share with me will be greatly appreciated. Peace and love.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/9822/img08791d.jpg

[pappy1264]

She has no protein in her diet. She needs bugs...waxworms, mealworms, even plain chicken. Get rid of the parrot seed! O couple of black sunflower is ok, but that is it. She should be eating about 7-10 waxworms a day. Flyers require much more animal protein then other squirrels do. You should also give her full fat yogurt, as well. Veggies, one or two fruits a day and rodent block of some kind. As a treat, you can give a small piece of pecan or an in-shell nut (hazelnuts are a good choice), but make sure they are not just stashing them so they don't have to eat the foods they don't like!

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am with pappy, sounds like a deficient diet..
more protein..bugs, chicken,blocks
try HHbs too.. http://henryspets.com/
add mushrooms daily..
no parrot food for sure.
Dry oatmeal
chicken chips
yogurt
fresh greenery from outdoors/flora
Formula if he'll take it!:thumbsup

Be careful giving all the ABs unless you are positive it's a bacterial issue..
ABs break down the immune system, which will also cause hair loss and excessive itching, skin disorders and all sorts of crapola!
Ivermect scares the pajeez outta me...
if it were a mite/mange issue, Revolution for kittens is so much safer..

stick around, alot of flyer peeps on at night..:thumbsup
:Welcome :wave123

[Anne]

Maybe this will help!
This little one needs diet help fast! I think the SF Squirrel diet is stated over and over in many of Crystal's posts. This flyer needs mealworms, waxworms, and chicken wings now!

178891

[Anne]

Adult Flying Squirrel Diet

It's easy to take care of the nutritional requirements of the Flying squirrel. They will eat almost anything. In-the-shell pine nuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, pecans, walnuts, acorns and hickory nuts are all recommended when available. Give the flyer fresh fruit and berries, blossoms and seeds from sugar maple trees, honeysuckle and white clover flowers. Add fresh cultivated mushroom, broccoli, fresh or dried ear of corn and now and then a bit of unsweetened cereal, such as Cheerios. Sweet potatoes have the correct CA/p ratio and are very nutritious. Just keep the diet varied and they will get everything they need. They eat very little so what they are fed is very important.

In addition to the fresh fruits and vegetables, the flying squirrel diet can consist of a high quality wild bird food that is a mix of seeds, nuts (in-the-shell) and fruit. They prefer larger seeds to smaller ones.

Uncooked macaroni or egg noodles and/or
Small amounts of leftover dry breakfast cereal like raisin bran, Cheerios, Special K, Granola, etc.,
and

Mix well and serve with veggies, fruits, and hard shelled nuts
His flyers also get insects. Meal worms, wax worms, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, cicadas, etc.. In the summer, it's catch of the day.

Judy C says Wal-Mart sells two other wild bird foods her flyers like, made by 3-D Pet Products. One is "Krunchy Nut" and the other is "Nut N' Berry. "They are very similar - both have sunflower kernels, shelled peanuts,” tree nuts" (may contain pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans or filberts), hulled pumpkin seeds and dried raisins. In addition, the Nut'nBerry has sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and dried cranberries. She keeps one of these in the cage at all times, as a staple food .

If you choose to use bird seed, a variety of nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, etc., along with fresh fruits and vegetable should be just fine, though the nuts are very high in fat.

Moca offers a varied diet(fresh fruits, veggies, semi-wild roses, wild strawberries, that are in season) PLUS Zupreem monkey chow. She mixes the ingredients of one can with raw oatmeal, soy nuts, other nuts and seeds and small mealworms or wax worms then cooks a few minutes and places portions in ice cube trays for freezing. Her Nugget gets two very small balls of this at night rolled in sesame seeds and sesame Tahini.

Flying squirrels like to eat meal or wax worms. Giant Mealworms are treated with a growth hormone that stops them from turning into the adult beetle. This hormone causes the worms to grow to two to three times their normal size. We do NOT recommend that you use Giant Mealworms to feed your flyer, but they are great for fishing bait. Most flyers love almost any insect. They are part of the natural diet. They are crazy about moths.


Additional protein can be added to the diet with small amounts of boiled chicken or hard-boiled egg whites. Some people also offer a treat of soymilk like Silk.

Flying squirrels don't make very loud noises unless they are cracking nuts in the middle of the night. Make sure flyers have wood and nuts in their cage to gnaw on. This helps decrease the size of the incisors.

The Southern Flying Squirrel is commonly known to experience calcium deficiency because of its fragile bone structure and it's nocturnal nature. Providing the animal with sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D3 and foods enriched with these is critical to their well-being and can prevent this deficiency. Seizures are one of symptoms of calcium deficiency. And with calcium deficiency it may not be a lack of calcium itself, but the Vitamin D3 needed to process it. Phosphorous is another thing needed for the nervous system to function properly. The calcium to phosphorous ratio needed is 2:1. Sweet potatoes (have the correct CA/p ratio and very nutritious)

Understanding the Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio
Many different minerals and other nutrients have interactions between them that affect their availability or absorption in the body---for example, between copper and zinc, calcium and vitamin D, iron and manganese. One of the most important, and often overlooked, of these interactions are between calcium and phosphorus. A saying in animal science, is "as goes phosphorus, so goes calcium". What this means is that for every gram of phosphorus ingested in the diet, the body must match that with another gram of calcium before the phosphorus can be absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. If the required calcium is not available from the diet, the body will obtain it from wherever it can---such as from the storage depots in the bones. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that in any horse performing stressful exercise (as well as remodeling bone in response to conditioning), you do NOT want calcium being removed from and decreasing bone integrity. This is where the whole idea of calcium-phosphorus ratios comes in. The purpose of calculating such a ratio is to make sure that for every gram of phosphorus you're feeding, you're feeding AT LEAST an equal amount of calcium (a 1:1 ratio or better), so that calcium isn't being continually mobilized from bones. Most nutritionists recommend that the ideal levels are somewhere between 1.2-2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.


Good sources of calcium:
Kale, collard greens, broccoli and spinach (dark green veggies are great!!) and Dannon yogurt, instant oatmeal, soy beans, tofu, sesame seeds, beet greens, turnip greens, parsley, Wakame, figs, rhubarb, sweet potato, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries

Foods high in phosphorous:
Apple, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, orange, cucumber, lettuce, grapes, honey dew, celery, cabbage, carrots, dandelion greens (especially late spring and all summer), apples, banana, fresh corn, mushrooms, lima beans, oatmeal, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, and Brazil nuts.

There are some foodstuffs that humans relish which cause illness and death if eaten by pets. Chocolate, macadamia nuts and onions are good examples. It is best to only give flyers foods that grow in their natural range. Thus, do not give anything that is an import from out of the country. Anything that grows naturally in Florida would be in the Southern flyer range.

Water:
They require a constant supply of fresh water once weaned from formula. Some owners prefer water bottles while others like dishes. If you choose a dish to supply their water needs, make sure it is shallow enough so they cannot drown.

Nutritional Supplements:
A powered nutritional supplement that contains calcium and vitamin D3 (if you don't add vitamins to the water) should be sprinkled (a small pinch) on food two to three times a week. ReptoCal, for reptiles, is one such source. T-Rex makes a calcium/phosphorus powder in the correct 2:1 ratio. It is called 2:1 and also contains vitamins A, D3 and C. You can also give Yobaby yogurt, which is a good calcium source. Avimin is a water-soluble liquid mineral (mostly calcium) that can be used if food powdered with a calcium supplement is refused.

Add water soluble multivitamins like Vita-Sol, Sun Drops, or L&M which are made for hamsters and gerbils. Vitamins in the water (as directed) once or twice per week would be plenty. A lot of members add L&M Animal Farms Liquid Multi-Vitamins in the water supply as a vitamin option. One drop per ounce of water in the water supply three times a week, or you can offer both plain and vitamin-spiked water each day and give them a choice.



A super-varied diet that includes mushrooms and cruciferous veggies will often provide enough calcium.
Cruciferous (brassica) vegetables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables


Wild flyers do not get calcium constantly in their diets. You don't want to provide too much calcium or too many vitamins. You can provide what is needed by offering both plain water and treated water. If treated water is the only water provided, it is similar to force feeding the supplement and even with low doses it could an overdose. Giving foods with calcium and D2 can be hit or miss, but it also gives them the opportunity to eat more or less as needed. Flyers are able to convert D2 to D3. Flyers naturally crave foods they need or they would never get the vitamins, minerals, and protein in the wild that they need. In the wild, they choose the correct foods needed because of their innate intelligence.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Anne, where did this diet come from?
Adult Flying Squirrel Diet

It's easy to take care of the nutritional requirements of the Flying squirrel. They will eat almost anything. In-the-shell pine nuts, pumpkin seed, sunflower seed, pecans, walnuts, acorns and hickory nuts are all recommended when available. Give the flyer fresh fruit and berries, blossoms and seeds from sugar maple trees, honeysuckle and white clover flowers. Add fresh cultivated mushroom, broccoli, fresh or dried ear of corn and now and then a bit of unsweetened cereal, such as Cheerios. Sweet potatoes have the correct CA/p ratio and are very nutritious. Just keep the diet varied and they will get everything they need. They eat very little so what they are fed is very important.

In addition to the fresh fruits and vegetables, the flying squirrel diet can consist of a high quality wild bird food that is a mix of seeds, nuts (in-the-shell) and fruit. They prefer larger seeds to smaller ones.

Uncooked macaroni or egg noodles and/or
Small amounts of leftover dry breakfast cereal like raisin bran, Cheerios, Special K, Granola, etc.,
and

Mix well and serve with veggies, fruits, and hard shelled nuts
His flyers also get insects. Meal worms, wax worms, crickets, grasshoppers, moths, cicadas, etc.. In the summer, it's catch of the day.

Judy C says Wal-Mart sells two other wild bird foods her flyers like, made by 3-D Pet Products. One is "Krunchy Nut" and the other is "Nut N' Berry. "They are very similar - both have sunflower kernels, shelled peanuts,” tree nuts" (may contain pistachios, almonds, walnuts, pecans or filberts), hulled pumpkin seeds and dried raisins. In addition, the Nut'nBerry has sunflower seeds, safflower seeds and dried cranberries. She keeps one of these in the cage at all times, as a staple food .

If you choose to use bird seed, a variety of nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, etc., along with fresh fruits and vegetable should be just fine, though the nuts are very high in fat.

Moca offers a varied diet(fresh fruits, veggies, semi-wild roses, wild strawberries, that are in season) PLUS Zupreem monkey chow. She mixes the ingredients of one can with raw oatmeal, soy nuts, other nuts and seeds and small mealworms or wax worms then cooks a few minutes and places portions in ice cube trays for freezing. Her Nugget gets two very small balls of this at night rolled in sesame seeds and sesame Tahini.

Flying squirrels like to eat meal or wax worms. Giant Mealworms are treated with a growth hormone that stops them from turning into the adult beetle. This hormone causes the worms to grow to two to three times their normal size. We do NOT recommend that you use Giant Mealworms to feed your flyer, but they are great for fishing bait. Most flyers love almost any insect. They are part of the natural diet. They are crazy about moths.


Additional protein can be added to the diet with small amounts of boiled chicken or hard-boiled egg whites. Some people also offer a treat of soymilk like Silk.

Flying squirrels don't make very loud noises unless they are cracking nuts in the middle of the night. Make sure flyers have wood and nuts in their cage to gnaw on. This helps decrease the size of the incisors.

The Southern Flying Squirrel is commonly known to experience calcium deficiency because of its fragile bone structure and it's nocturnal nature. Providing the animal with sufficient amounts of calcium and vitamin D3 and foods enriched with these is critical to their well-being and can prevent this deficiency. Seizures are one of symptoms of calcium deficiency. And with calcium deficiency it may not be a lack of calcium itself, but the Vitamin D3 needed to process it. Phosphorous is another thing needed for the nervous system to function properly. The calcium to phosphorous ratio needed is 2:1. Sweet potatoes (have the correct CA/p ratio and very nutritious)

Understanding the Calcium-Phosphorus Ratio
Many different minerals and other nutrients have interactions between them that affect their availability or absorption in the body---for example, between copper and zinc, calcium and vitamin D, iron and manganese. One of the most important, and often overlooked, of these interactions are between calcium and phosphorus. A saying in animal science, is "as goes phosphorus, so goes calcium". What this means is that for every gram of phosphorus ingested in the diet, the body must match that with another gram of calcium before the phosphorus can be absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream. If the required calcium is not available from the diet, the body will obtain it from wherever it can---such as from the storage depots in the bones. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that in any horse performing stressful exercise (as well as remodeling bone in response to conditioning), you do NOT want calcium being removed from and decreasing bone integrity. This is where the whole idea of calcium-phosphorus ratios comes in. The purpose of calculating such a ratio is to make sure that for every gram of phosphorus you're feeding, you're feeding AT LEAST an equal amount of calcium (a 1:1 ratio or better), so that calcium isn't being continually mobilized from bones. Most nutritionists recommend that the ideal levels are somewhere between 1.2-2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus.


Good sources of calcium:
Kale, collard greens, broccoli and spinach (dark green veggies are great!!) and Dannon yogurt, instant oatmeal, soy beans, tofu, sesame seeds, beet greens, turnip greens, parsley, Wakame, figs, rhubarb, sweet potato, cantaloupe, kiwi, strawberries

Foods high in phosphorous:
Apple, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, orange, cucumber, lettuce, grapes, honey dew, celery, cabbage, carrots, dandelion greens (especially late spring and all summer), apples, banana, fresh corn, mushrooms, lima beans, oatmeal, almonds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, yogurt, and Brazil nuts.

There are some foodstuffs that humans relish which cause illness and death if eaten by pets. Chocolate, macadamia nuts and onions are good examples. It is best to only give flyers foods that grow in their natural range. Thus, do not give anything that is an import from out of the country. Anything that grows naturally in Florida would be in the Southern flyer range.

Water:
They require a constant supply of fresh water once weaned from formula. Some owners prefer water bottles while others like dishes. If you choose a dish to supply their water needs, make sure it is shallow enough so they cannot drown.

Nutritional Supplements:
A powered nutritional supplement that contains calcium and vitamin D3 (if you don't add vitamins to the water) should be sprinkled (a small pinch) on food two to three times a week. ReptoCal, for reptiles, is one such source. T-Rex makes a calcium/phosphorus powder in the correct 2:1 ratio. It is called 2:1 and also contains vitamins A, D3 and C. You can also give Yobaby yogurt, which is a good calcium source. Avimin is a water-soluble liquid mineral (mostly calcium) that can be used if food powdered with a calcium supplement is refused.

Add water soluble multivitamins like Vita-Sol, Sun Drops, or L&M which are made for hamsters and gerbils. Vitamins in the water (as directed) once or twice per week would be plenty. A lot of members add L&M Animal Farms Liquid Multi-Vitamins in the water supply as a vitamin option. One drop per ounce of water in the water supply three times a week, or you can offer both plain and vitamin-spiked water each day and give them a choice.



A super-varied diet that includes mushrooms and cruciferous veggies will often provide enough calcium.
Cruciferous (brassica) vegetables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables


Wild flyers do not get calcium constantly in their diets. You don't want to provide too much calcium or too many vitamins. You can provide what is needed by offering both plain water and treated water. If treated water is the only water provided, it is similar to force feeding the supplement and even with low doses it could an overdose. Giving foods with calcium and D2 can be hit or miss, but it also gives them the opportunity to eat more or less as needed. Flyers are able to convert D2 to D3. Flyers naturally crave foods they need or they would never get the vitamins, minerals, and protein in the wild that they need. In the wild, they choose the correct foods needed because of their innate intelligence.

[Anne]

Quite a few people worked on this diet. We tried to think of everything.:D

[MiriamS]

Yeah, I've always heard never to use Ivermectin on squirrels. I believe it's highly toxic for them.

Avocado is really great for fur health so maybe offer a little piece every day in addition to the new sources of protein.

It is possible that it's fungal, like ringworm. Do you have other animals in the house? Is the skin on her tail scaly or irritated looking?

[DocPhilgood]

Thanks for everyone's quick replies, I feel like I should be a little more clear on a few things. The "Parrot Mix" is not kibble or formed foods, it's simply seeds and nuts of various types.

Have already added protein to her diet this week on suggestion of the vet, by means of bits of boiled chicken breast, but getting her to eat the mealsworms/waxworms has always been an issue. She just doesn't seem that interested, but I know she needs them. Any thoughts?

[cuteascnb]

Mine like the LIVE worms...wont touch them is they are not moving!!! LOL!

I have gotten LOTS AND LOTS of help from everyone on here...they know what they are talking about!

Mine get absoulutly NO seeds...nuts as treats IN SHELL 1 or 2 daily...and Acorns are good source of calcium! I give them to them AFTER they eat some good stuff (mine never finish a plate of food...but as long as they nibble on some good stuff for a bit they get their nut!)

Calcium and Protien are the biggest factor in their diet...Also dont forget about D3 with them being nocternal and indoor pets, they dont get vitamin D3 from the sun...vitamin D3 is what is used to absorb calcium so if their is NO D3 then there is little or NO calcuium getting into their systems...(if im wrong please someone correct me!)

YOGURT everyday...I use either yobaby yogurt or vanilla dannon...I always add a little Fox valley 32/40 to it! Fox Valley is also full of nutrients they need.

Heres a bit of the diet they eat...

EVERYDAY:
collard or mustard greens
chicken or live worm (wax)
2 kinds of fruit
2 other veggies besides the greens
mushrooms
yogurt w/ fox valley

THEIR FAV FRUITS:
blueberries
blackberries
kiwi
grapes
mango
apricots (very high in sugar content...feed sparingly)
kumkwats
apples
oranges
strawberries (not a REAL favorite...but will give every now and again)

THEIR fAV VEGGIES:
sweet potato
carrots (only give 1 orange food a day)
squash
zuchinni
green peppers
yellow peppers
tomatos
broccoli
coliflower
asparagus(they will only eat the tops)


I try to stick to a variety but keep the foods the same...I dont want to upset their tummys! Mine are so very happy and healthy...once you get in a routine its easy as pie! I keep a couple pine cones around for them to chew on to.

** AVACODO is very good for them...I like to stay away from it cause the skin ad seed is toxic to them...I dont want to chance it! They are happy and healthy without!!!

Keep us posted and please update pics!

You may want to order some Foxvalley...I think for flyers they reccomend 32/40...thats what i use for the flyers and 20/50 (i think its labled 20/50...lol) for the grays!

[DocPhilgood]

We just started giving more protein, only to find her last night with half of her tail bitten off, and another inch degloved. Took Leena to the vet today and they recommend amputation. Needless to say, we're taking this very hard right now. Could this self-mutilation be caused by her diet?

Also, the bone is not exposed but much of her skin has been removed down to the base of her tail, which is still relatively healthy. Should I go ahead with the amputation this afternoon? Will it keep her from gliding? Do I even have a choice, will this skin not grow back?

brb, breaking down into a pool of sadness and woe. Fast replies appreciated.

[IrishHarps]

Have you talked to the Skuls? I can PM you Kristal's number.

[DocPhilgood]

I'm not sure who you're talking about. I'm not a regular around here, aside from lurking...

[Jackie in Tampa]

you are getting good help and talking to some really sharp sq lovers..

i have a different approach to the healthy diet.
I disagree totallly with adding anything to the drinking water..
when I am thirsty for water, that is what I want.
Plain water is an element of our earth/being.
It's clean and fresh and simply perfect..
I also dislike it when people add aftermarket junk to a perfectly beautiful corvette..
somethings are best left alone!:thumbsup

If your flyer/sq is eating a variety of choice veggies,
has his protein in the form of worms and or chicken,
eats a staple block whether it be HHb, Harlan Teklan lab blocks, Mazuri, or kaytee rat Block, the calcium is covered..*wink
I have never seen a flyer that didn't love mushrooms and I have 70ish.
There are four realistic ways to get the D that is needed to metabolize the calcium into our sqs...
fish...not going to happen
The sun, flyers are nocturnal
dairy...hence as much yogurt as he will eat
and mushrooms!

if your sq will eat the above with an occasional nut, dry oatmeal and a few choice seeds...
you will never have to add any reptile jargon..
Study what is available to them in the wild..
replicate that as best as you can with native flora etc
mosses, flowers, bird eggs, bugs, seeds, bark...

I truly believe in a wide variety of veggies to achieve the needed vitamins..
I do not believe in junk food for sqs...none!!
If they do not know something exists, they won't want it.
Their bellies are too little to have potato chip and still have room for healthy food..


the reason it is not advised to use the seed and berry mix is that it has been fortified with extra vitamins and minerals...yet it is said to use the same stuff in water or sprinkled on food..
ya got me:dono

There are very few pet food manufacturers that really care about what they are sweeping off the floor and putting on the shelf...

I am not disagreeing with the formatted diet, but I know how wonderful my flyers look and how happy they are.:thumbsup

[HRT4SQRLS]

DocPhilgood,

I am so sorry Leena is having this problem. I'm a new flyer owner so I'll let the experts advise you on diet. One thing I did want to tell you that I learned is that flyers are prone to self mutilation-- any type of wound or boo boo--they just can't leave it alone.

Whether she has the amputation or not, you will probably need to get an e-collar to prevent her from picking at the wound. This is a link for purchasing the collars. http://www.henryspets.com/rodent-e-collar/ I have not seen them so I don't know how big they are. It might need some adjusting for a flyer. Preventing her from reaching her tail is probably the only way to prevent her from chewing it.

Again, I'm sorry that you're having this problem, but once this has resolved and the diet is improved, Leena will still be your sweet girl whether she has a full tail, half a tail or no tail. I wouldn't worry about her gliding now, although I would think she could still glide.

GET BETTER LEENA

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi DocPilGood
Like I said Lack of Protein and Lack of calcium will cause all of this. Let me know what your Vet said today. Hear is a Picture of the E-Color for a Young Flying Squirrel. You can compare it to the one you have. :thumbsup
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=27799&page=2
Go to this cite and Look at Equipment then scroll down to Protected Collars. Click then you will be at the ECollars.Protective Collars
http://www.ottoenvironmental.com/
PS
Sorry it took so long to post. We are still having bad Electrical T-Storms hear. :shakehead
Call me any time day or night if you need.

[Mrs Skul]

Mine like the LIVE worms...wont touch them is they are not moving!!! LOL!
Calcium and Protein are the biggest factor in their diet...
Also don't forget about D3 with them being nocturnal and indoor pets, they don't get vitamin D3 from the sun...vitamin D3 is what is used to absorb calcium so if their is NO D3 then there is little or NO calcium getting into their systems...(if im wrong please someone correct me!)
** AVOCADO is very good for them...I like to stay away from it cause the skin ad seed is toxic to them...I don't want to chance it! They are happy and healthy without!!!

Keep us posted and please update pics!

You may want to order some Foxvalley...I think for flyers they recommend 32/40...thats what i use for the flyers!

:wave123 Hi Cuteascnb
Flying Squirrels Make their own Vitamin D!!!
:nono :nono :nono You should not be adding additional Vitamin D as a supplement! :nono :nono :nono
Feeding Mushrooms and what ever comes in their food is sufficient.
You CAN give to much Vitamin D and it will stop the Absorption of the Calcium.

[cuteascnb]

:wave123 Hi Cuteascnb
Flying Squirrels Make their own Vitamin D!!!
:nono :nono :nono You should not be adding additional Vitamin D as a supplement! :nono :nono :nono
Feeding Mushrooms and what ever comes in their food is sufficient.
You CAN give to much Vitamin D and it will stop the Absorption of the Calcium.


I dont give them extra VD I give them the extra VD3 supplement...??? should i not be giving that to them...this is what we were told to do at the gathering...also for grays if they do not get natural sunlight...often. oh....I dont add it to water just mix a little with the yogurt and foxvalley???

???:dono

[DocPhilgood]

A huge, enormous thank-you to Mrs Skul for her patience and clear advice over the phone. Some of it directly went against what my vet said, but I chose to avoid amputation for now. She has about and inch or so of tail currently, while although sad, because it had not been degloved to the bone, I decided to avoid the stress unless things look worse.

The outcome was a very well fabricated e-collar made by my vet, which leena hates but allows for her to eat, drink, and leave her butt alone! We transferred her to a single-level cage in our living room to keep an eye on her, and she loves the extra attention after all the stress of the last 24 hours. I will keep you all updated with her progress. Right now she's even eating some veggies.

Hoping for the best. My nerves are now completely shot.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:wave123 Hi Cuteascnb
Flying Squirrels Make their own Vitamin D!!!
:nono :nono :nono You should not be adding additional Vitamin D as a supplement! :nono :nono :nono
Feeding Mushrooms and what ever comes in their food is sufficient.
You CAN give to much Vitamin D and it will stop the Absorption of the Calcium.

:goodpost

[Jackie in Tampa]

I dont give them extra VD I give them the extra VD3 supplement...??? should i not be giving that to them...this is what we were told to do at the gathering...also for grays if they do not get natural sunlight...often. oh....I dont add it to water just mix a little with the yogurt and foxvalley???

???:dono
most vets have never done research on rodent nutritional requirements..

Mushrooms!:thumbsup

[Mrs Skul]

you are getting good help and talking to some really sharp sq lovers..

i have a different approach to the healthy diet.
I disagree totally with adding anything to the drinking water..
when I am thirsty for water, that is what I want.
Plain water is an element of our earth/being.
It's clean and fresh and simply perfect..
I also dislike it when people add aftermarket junk to a perfectly beautiful corvette..
somethings are best left alone!:thumbsup

If your flyer/sq is eating a variety of choice veggies,
has his protein in the form of worms and or chicken,
eats a staple block whether it be HHb, Harlan Teklan lab blocks, Mazuri, or kaytee rat Block, the calcium is covered..*wink
I have never seen a flyer that didn't love mushrooms and I have 70ish.
There are four realistic ways to get the D that is needed to metabolize the calcium into our sqs...
fish...not going to happen
The sun, flyers are nocturnal
dairy...hence as much yogurt as he will eat
and mushrooms!
If your sq will eat the above with an occasional nut, dry oatmeal and a few choice seeds...
you will never have to add any reptile jargon..
Study what is available to them in the wild..
replicate that as best as you can with native flora etc
mosses, flowers, bird eggs, bugs, seeds, bark...

I truly believe in a wide variety of veggies to achieve the needed vitamins..
I do not believe in junk food for sqs...none!!
If they do not know something exists, they won't want it.
Their bellies are too little to have potato chip and still have room for healthy food..
The reason it is not advised to use the seed and berry mix is that it has been fortified with extra vitamins and minerals...yet it is said to use the same stuff in water or sprinkled on food..
ya got me:dono

There are very few pet food manufacturers that really care about what they are sweeping off the floor and putting on the shelf...

I am not disagreeing with the formatted diet, but I know how wonderful my flyers look and how happy they are.:thumbsup

:goodpost XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX:goodpostXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX :goodpost
Nut and Berry USE TO BE SUGGESTED BE FOR WE FOUND OUT WHAT VITAMIN IT HAS BEEN TREATED WITH!!!
Jacky is so Right about this.
DocPilGood :)
How is Leena doing? I am so glad you chose to wait and see. What Antibiotic did the Vet put Leena On?
We are all praying for a Good Out come.
With Your Dedication, Patient, Care, and Love, she will thrive at Home with You. Call me any Time if you need. Just Keep the pictures coming so I can see what every thing looks like.
:grouphug Huggs to you all and Kisses to Little Leena. :Love_Icon

[DocPhilgood]

I will post pics later when I get home, but leenas spirits are high and she is very active. We have been giving her yogurt and kaydee rat block like someone suggested, as well as kale, sweet potato, mushrooms and cooked eggs whites and chicken breast. The e collar may be too small because there is some evidence that she is chewing again! Ugh! Also, fox valley is in the mail. Will post the medications later. Super, super sad and frustratated that she isn't looking better yet...

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi DrPhilGood & Leena
Glad Leena is feeling a little better. :grouphug
You need to give the Whole Egg! (Meaning the Yolk to) She Needs a High Calcium,High Protein, and some FAT!!. :thumbsup3
Did she eat ANY Rodent Blocks, Egg, Mushrooms, and Sweet potato? Did you get the Avocado & Broccoli? (Make sure when buying Avocado it is not real soft and squishy.)
You can cut a chunk off and wrap a Paper towel over the remaining Avocado and place it in the Fridge. It will keep for a week or so.
Did you offer her a Flavored Tums as I suggested? Did she chew on it? Did you start giving extra Calcium, and did the Vet give her a Calcium Shot??
I know this is a lot of Questions. It is going to help us know how she should be responding, or Not. :thinking Then we can figure out why she is not if that is the case. :thumbsup5
My Flyers Love Belgian Endive Letta's and will eat the Romain. Put the whole Stem/Piece in with and see if she will eat it that way. (Some Flyers do not like small pieces of Salad. It wilts to fast.) All so Not to much Sweet Potato.
You Should try Sugar Snap Peas, Broccoli, Butter Nut Squash and Acorn Squash. (You can wrap a Paper towel around them and store in Fridge. It will last awhile.) Feed Squash Raw or Microwave it just enough to make it soft. You can feed the Seeds. Just wipe the Slippery stuff off and feed, or Rinse off & Lay out on a Paper towel under a Ceiling Fan to dry them. :thumbsup5
Another way to get/buy several different Leafy Greens. Is to collect a lot of different kinds and Pieces.Then ask the Produce MGR. if you can have these Pieces that were Loose.
(""I will just add it to something I am buying, that is By the weight or put it in with the Romain Letta's."") :D How did she like the Broccoli?
Are you giving her some Fresh Oak Tree limbs with the Leafs and some fresh green Acorns on it. Let her pick them off. She might just be Very Board. :dono Hang in their DrPhill. Your doing a wonderful job. :grouphug
PS
Can your Vet help make a little longer E-Collar for her? Did you get any Rescue Remedy? Can your Vet give you some Panalog Ointment, or something topical for the Tail? Then help wrap her Tail with Vet Wrap? (Coat the tail with Panalog and some gauls, then Vet wrap.) With the E-Caller on she should leave it alone. If you can get her threw the First week that is the biggest hurdle. Remember when the healing begins, it is going to tingle and be itchy. She is going to wont to Prune and Scratch.
So the more she has to chew on and keep busy. The Less likely she will chew. Did you get any Rescue Remedy?
If you PM your address I can send you some Chicken Poppers, and Freeze Dried Chicken to see if she will eat it. Remember they are a Dog Treat and Only Chicken nothing else added. :thumbsup

[CritterMom]

Have you seen this?
http://www.henryspets.com/rodent-e-collar/

The squirrel blocks they sell are a good addition to her diet as well.