View Full Version : Solid Foods and Missing Toes
missbteh
09-18-2012, 12:56 AM
Hello everyone!
This is my first time posting about a squirrel I found a couple of weeks ago (Roscoe). I found him, and from what I can tell he is about 7 weeks old. He can't go to a squirrel place here because he is a non-indigenous breed. We've (my boyfriend and I) been feeding him the recommended formula every few hours, letting him sleep at night as he seems to be old enough, and leaving fruits and the primate biscuits in his house between feedings. He LOVES the formula, but won't really touch the food (he recently ate a sliver of plum, but nothing else). I read not to give him nuts and seeds until week ten, and to only offer fruits now, and veggies in a week or so. What should I be doing to get him to eat foods?
My other issue is about what appears to be a deformity and a healed injury. Roscoe has a toe missing on each of his front feet (looks like from birth), and his back right foot as no toes at all (looks like a well healed injury). I've put some wood with bark in his house so that he can get used to climbing on it, but I'm worried that this will disable him and make him unable to survive in the wild. We have a big yard (not huge) in the suburbs of Portland, and there are other squirrels for him to hang out with when he is older, but I was wondering if anyone had any advice outside of the normal release procedures considering his toe issues. Anything helps!
kastillo
09-18-2012, 01:16 AM
The front feet are normal. That small bump is like their thumb. All squirrels have that. As for his back right foot, POOR BABY, I wonder what happened?
What do you mean about the breed?? It looks like a grey squirrel. At 7 weeks they should still be on formula. I hope this helps. I'm sure someone else will answer soon.
Nemehoto
09-18-2012, 10:34 AM
The front feet are normal, the "stub" is their thumb. The back foot ouchie, he seems to be missing about half of it, most likely from a bird (crow or otherwise) he probably lost it trying to escape. I'm no expert on squirrels by any means just raising a couple myself. In my opinion he would have a very difficult time in the wild with such a deformity.
My Kiddos are just turning 8 weeks old and have started chewing on their HHB blocks, one plays with them more than eats them, and one will eat them.
You might want to check his teeth and make sure they are growing in right, he might be a little young to actually eat the blocks or they might be a little too big for him to eat comfortably. I cut my HH blocks up into 6 pieces so they can hold them and chew on them better.
At 7 weeks he probably is not very interested in solid food but they start to want to gnaw on things (fingers twigs blankets and blocks) and once they discover blocks are tasty they prefer that over gnawing on fingers. (Thank heavens)
astra
09-18-2012, 10:44 AM
without any toes on his back legs he won't do well in the wild.
So, raise him as a non-releasable (NR), which means you need to bond with him well, so that there is strong trust between you.
Just be prepared: squirrels are a one-person animal. While they are babies, they will be sweet to everyone, but once they grow up - they will accept only one person and remaining family will be either tolerated or openly disliked.
That's normal.
There are cases when it does not happen and a squirrel is accepting of more than one person, but it's rare.
So, just in case yours is a regular one-person guy -
Be prepared.
Also, if you are in an "Illegal" state, keep him low profile.
So that no one knows you have him, or you may get reported, and he will be seized and euthanized.
Besides, if he accidentally bites someone - he will be euthanized.
As Jackie in Tampe says, squirrels are not for show and tell.
Since he will be a NR, his whole life will depend on you.
Which means, his nutritional needs will have to be met by you.
So, please follow this Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrel: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=32218
Without correct diet he will get MBD - a crippling and deadly illness.
What formula is he drinking?
Should be Fox Valley: www.foxvalleynutrition.com or www.henryspets.com
Never wean him off formula.
Let him eat it for as long as he will want.
Formula is his insurance against MBD.
You will need to squirrel-proof the room where he will be having out of cage time: no house plants, cover all cords/wires, no narrow spaces under/behind/between furniture and appliances, toilet seats ALWAYS covered - http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30728 etc etcetc - please post your questions.
And overall - never hesitate to post your questions.
You will have lots of them.
astra
09-18-2012, 10:49 AM
as for solids,
right now feed him formula only and start giving him quality squirrel block (HHBs are the best)
He may not eat them right away, but he will eventually.
ONLY AFTER he begins to eat his block with pleasure, will you start adding good veggies
ONLY AFTER he starts eating good veggies and block with no problem, can you start giving him little treats - a small piece of fruit and/or a nut PER DAY, no more.
Since he is a NR, he needs to establish solid block-eating habits to ensure his long-term health
stosh2010
09-29-2012, 05:55 PM
Here are your pics --a tad smaller..
Jackie in Tampa
09-29-2012, 06:05 PM
often times, rats get in the nest and nibble the toes and even more when they are wee tiny ones...It could have been a birth defeat also.
I think time will tell how well he adjusts...
he is a cutie!
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