Hair loss

[squirrelmommy22]

I have a 3yr old squirrel and this morning when i was petting her i realized her hair was coming off on my hands like a shedding cat, I read some things on here about diet and I am going to increase her calcium with yogurt and maybe cream cheese, she loves those things, are those good to give or does she need more calcium? I wondered if it could be from stress? I recently had to move her house to another room and she is exposed to more people and noise, could that be a possibility? Her main diet is fresh fruit and veggies and i give her several acorns a day, she has not had peanuts lately I read that can cause it. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I was so alarmed by it I didnt know if i should take her to the vet?

[farrelli]

The shedding could just be molting or it could be from poor nutrition. The diet does need to be changed. Rodent blocks should form the basis of the diet. Please see this link about proper squirrel nutrition and buy some blocks now:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39275

And yes, you should probably add calcium to the diet for awhile given that she's been lacking for some time, if not all her life. Yogurt is great, but I don't know about cream cheese. It's probably not too great for squirrels because it's not too great for people.

[SammysMom]

With the diet you describe, Farrelli is absolutely right about changing it. As a matter of fact, I would be inclined to treat her as though it is MBD which is caused by a lack of calcium. Below is the treatment to follow. Most importantly though is to add rodent block to her diet. Henry's Healthy Blocks from henryspets.com are the way to go as far as my opinion goes. They are tasty and more nutrient dense so require fewer of them to be eaten in order to get the proper nutrients.
Emergency Treatment for MBD

Get calcium into the squirrel IMMEDIATELY, not later, not tomorrow, NOW. Delaying treatment can cause death or permanent paralysis.

You will need:

--Tums or calcium pills (any kind)
--a syringe, eyedropper, or spoon

Crush one Tums or calcium pill and add a little water or fruit juice. Use the syringe, eyedropper, or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. Feed a total of 600-800 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If the squirrel is having seizures, weakness, or paralysis, the symptoms will usually improve within a few hours, but this does not mean the squirrel is cured. It will take many months to rebuild the calcium in the bones.

Long-Term Treatment for MBD

The next step to curing MBD is to fix the diet.

1. Remove ALL seeds, nuts, corn, and treats.

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found at the top of the “Squirrel Nutrition” forum. (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=16093) Your squirrel MUST eat rodent block or squirrel blocks every day. If your squirrel doesn't like rodent blocks, you can try crushing them up with peanut butter or avocado temporarily. You can also make a tastier version of squirrel blocks using the recipe at the top of the Squirrel Nutrition forum.

3. In addition to the Healthy Diet, you will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for several weeks. Either use the syringe/eyedropper or you can try putting the calcium on a small piece of fruit.

Week 1: calcium = 500 mg per day
Week 2: calcium = 250 mg per day
Weeks 3-8: calcium = 100 mg per day

The cause of the acute symptoms—weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis—is a drop in blood calcium levels. If these symptoms return at any time, you will need to give another emergency dose of calcium.

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone. Also, if he is in a tall cage, either place him in a smaller cage, or pad the bottom very well.

Heat is very soothing for a squirrel with MBD. A heating pad turned to low and placed so they cannot chew the pad or cord, or a rice buddy (a sock filled with dry rice/beans and microwaved for about 20 seconds) will work.

[squirrelmommy22]

Thanks for the advice, I have the rodent block that I usually offer a few times a week but she doesnt usually eat it, I crush it and mix with peanut butter, I think I will try the home made, and I will do the calcium, but just curious why no corn? she loves corn on the cob. Thanks again

[farrelli]

Corn is one of the worst things you can give. There's too much phosphorous in it which reduces calcium absorption. You want foods which have as close to possible a 2:1 calcium to phosphorous ratio. I think that corn is something like 2:80. Have you looked at the nutrition guide as to approved foods?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=39275

Corn is definitely not on the approved list.

Here's the calcium/phosphorous guide:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=15397

You really NEED to get her to eat blocks. What kinds have you tried? There are tricks we can give to help you make them more appealing, but you may end up using tough love and giving her nothing else every day until she eats them.

[farrelli]

Btw, peanut butter (and peanuts) are also bad. If you don't fix the diet, she'll die very early and very badly.

[squirrelmommy22]

I just saw the squirrel diet goods and bad I will be adjusting her diet right away. The only place i was able to find the blocks was bulk at animal house, maybe I should order some on line or like i said try making the home made, and like you said just make her eat it, I will just have to be tough on her. Thanks again and I will go home and make the adjustments and get rid of the corn, It is strange that when you by squirrel food it has corn in it, I guess thats why I thought it was good for her.

[farrelli]

The ones most recommended on here are Henry's:

http://www.henryspets.com/flyer-diet/

They're the only ones made specifically for squirrels. You might want to start out with Picky Eaters. Two a day for a grey, three for a fox. If you're on a budget, you might to only give one a day and mix in lesser quality blocks like Harlan Teklad or ZuPreem which can be found at many pet stores.

[farrelli]

Corn and peanuts are allowable as small treats but yours needs to get her diet fixed first. You may consider supplemental calcium for awhile.