Please help first squirrel.

[MO newbie]

Please help this is my first squirrel and i do not know what is wrong with him he will drink but not eat hes about 3 months old he has had a messed up penius since we got him. he will not crawl or walk unless its backwards seems to be alert but will not move if i move him he squals at me.

[farrelli]

I've got to go but will post some general care in a minute. Hold on.

[SammysMom]

We need a bit more information. Can you tell us what and how much he eats how often each day? How did he come to you and was he injured? What sort of container is he in? When you say "messed up" what exactly is wrong with his penis?

[SammysMom]

Pictures are VERY helpful for us to assess him. If you are not able to post, you can email them to me at vfwpost7666@sbcglobal.net

[farrelli]

Here's a link to basic care:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21626

Dark, warm, and quiet are the keys.

Why do you think that he's three months? Messed up penis? Please describe. Can he urinate? Is he self-sucking? That doesn't happen much in older squirrels, but I guess it could. What are you offering him to eat and drink? How are you offering it? Dish, syringe?

I have to go for work again, but I will PM a couple people to try to drive them here. If you have a pic, you can email it to them when they give you their address or you can post it yourself if an admin approves you.

All the info you have about his history and how he came to this point will help, so please write what you can between then and now. Someone should help shortly.

[MO newbie]

well it has had a scab on it since my wifes daughter got him from a guy at the elec company they were rescued from trees that were going to get topped. he has been in great shape till today we keep him in an oversized bird cage with limbs and all that stuff he eats Audubon park critter crunch and some non salted mixed nuts

[farrelli]

SM, good, you're here. You were going ot be one of my PMs. Gotta go.

You're in good hands MO!

[MO newbie]

He is peeing almost looks like out of the side of the penius im going to try and send pics to the email address provided

[CritterMom]

You need to soak that scab off NOW. If he cannot urinate it will eentually kill him. He may be "self nursing" on his penis. It can be a sign of hunger.

You need to either hold a warm, wet cotton ball or something similar against his penis for a WHILE in order to soften that scab so you can very gently rubg it away. Once you have done that, put a little dab of Neosporin on it and watch it closely - you may need to do this several times.

Have you ever seen him sucking on himself? What do you feed him - how much and how often. Sometimes if singles are hungry they will nurse on whatever liiks like a nipple...

[SammysMom]

This is an urgent situation. You MUST get that scab GENTLY off of his penis. You need to soak him in warm water up to his waist or use a saturated cottonball and put it on his penis. He is self suckling probably due to hunger. He still needs formula if he is doing this. I believe Farrelli sent the link that includes the temporary goats milk formula recipe.

[MO newbie]

I have sent 2 pics hes definitely peing ( got it all over me now ) i hve gotten the scab off we have had him less than a week i have never seen him suck on himself and he is out most of the day i work 9-5 but my wife is here all day with him

[Nancy in New York]

Your membership has been activated. I sent you a pm about it, so now you can post pictures.:thumbsup

[SammysMom]

pics

[SammysMom]

So did someone else have him before you? Just trying to figure out what his diet has been up until now. He is adorable! Thank-you for seeking help for him as he really needs it!:thankyou :grouphug :thankyou

[MO newbie]

file:///C:/Users/Tiger/Pictures/Photo_00011.jpgNow he looks like this:

[MO newbie]

Yes my wifes daughter had him before but you know kids and pets he was no longer the new pet but he was well taken care of just no attention i have no idea how to post more pics my cam on here is not the best and never used a forum before today so i do not know how this works.

Sorry he has had nothing but critter crunch made by Audubon Park and non salted mixed nuts

[SammysMom]

You can email it again if you want to.

[SammysMom]

Do you know specifically what she would have been feeding him? Good diet is an absolute MUST. We can help get you on track with this little guy.

[MO newbie]

She has been feeding him the exact same thing

Sorry he has had nothing but critter crunch made by Audubon Park and non salted mixed nuts

[SammysMom]

pics

[SammysMom]

He needs a definite diet change. I am not sure what that food is, but he absolutely needs rodent block and/or formula.

[MO newbie]

I made up some sugar water mix he will not drink it but he will take pedialyte

[SammysMom]

The salt in pedialyte is not good for him for more than 24 hours. Do you have any molasses?

[MO newbie]

Yes i do have molasses

[SammysMom]

Do you have any neosporin by chance? Many of us use Henry's Healthy Blocks (you will see them called HHBs here) They are wonderfully nutritious and you only need to feed two per day for 100% vit and minerals. You can go to http://henryspets.com/ to order them and they also carry Fox Valley Formula. I am not sure if he is too old or if you should offer it to him. Let's see if others weigh in on this one.

[CritterMom]

OK, hon, his diet is REALLY BAD. We will help you with that but right now you need to start giving him treatment for MBD (Metabolic Bone Disease). It is caused by low calcium and high phosphorus in the diet.

You need to get calcium into him NOW. Do you have any Tums? The antacid - preferably the fruit flavor. If not you can buy it at any drug store. You will be trying to get about 400 to 500 milligrams of calcium a DAY into him - you will need to read the label on the Tums - they make different sizes - it is likely about 3/4 of a tablet. Break it down into many doses spread out through the day instead of one big one.

He may be willing to hold and eat the little Tums pieces - if not, grind it up, mix with water and administer orally with a syringe.

Can one of our other members link to the MBD treatment? I am pressed for time.

Corn, seed, sunflower seed, nuts, all of those things are what are making him ill. I CANNOT more highly recommend that your immediately order some of the "picky blocks" squirrel food at www.henryspets.com. It will be a big part of the treatment. He needs the RIGHT food now and he needs the wrong stuff to end now too...

[SammysMom]

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

[SammysMom]

Current pic

[MO newbie]

ok crushed up half a tums and disolved into water hes taking it pretty good if any one has yahoo or something similar for more immediate help i would appreciate it trying to help him and type is not my fortay
my yahoo msgr id is orsubaru187

[SammysMom]

Okay, he is probably a bit old for formula, but he might take Butter Pecan Ensure. Any chance you could go get some of that as well as Tums? This is an emergency situation nutritionally.

[CritterMom]

OK, please remember, not all at once. If you can divide his calcium dosage up into at least 4 doses a day that would be good.

I obviously can't really diagnose your squirrel without seeing him - and I am not a vet - but his diet SCREAMS MBD so I am playing the odds here. It weakens their bones dramatically and you will need to take steps to make sure he doesn't injure himself. Pad his cage bottom. Let him rest as much as possible. And PLEASE order the food I linked to.

[MO newbie]

At this point i will try just about anything i dunno if our store will have it but i will have to look tomorrow its 8pm here in Belle,Mo and they roll up the side walks here after 8

Thank you all this has been a learning experience for me as it will be for her also

i guess i should have asked how to give it to him he drank it all

[MO newbie]

what do i feed him while im waiting on delivery of the food?

And what one do i get for him the growth formulas or the adult?

[CritterMom]

Pretty much ALL grocery stores sell the Ensure shakes - older people drink them for complete nutrition. The pecan is fun but almost any flavor will work. They are packed with nutrients and calories and they are SWEET, which most squirrels like. Warm it up and try giving by syringe - if he likes it he may even lap it from a little dish.

Food: http://www.henryspets.com/picky-blocks-adult-formula/

or

MBD Kit: http://www.henryspets.com/mbd-treatment-kit/

The second includes a bag of the food and also has calcium, vitamins, etc. in addition to the food. If you call the telephone number on the site you will get one of our members on the phone, who owns the company. She is EXTREMELY knowledgable about this and will be happy to hep decide what to get and answer questions.

[SammysMom]

Just give him plain water now. It will help to dilute the tums mixture. It always helps to hydrate anyway.
If you have a heating pad that does not have auto shut-off you can put it under half of whatever container he is in. MBD makes them very achy and heat helps to sooth that. If you don't have a heating pad, you can put uncooked rice or dried beans in a sock, tie it off and microwave it for 30 seconds or so to heat it up. Be sure to squish it around to be sure it doesn't have any hot spots to burn him. He looks uncomfortable to me so this might make him feel better.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome :wave123
it is not ideal to give the tums all at once...
what is the sq doing right now?...
sorry to barge in... I cannot stay..but wanted to advise going slower so we get the sq the right help....and don't harm him.

sometimes the info can be overwhelming...
we all want to help you and your sq....

MBD affects the bones... weakens them... he should be kept in a small cage, limit his activity.... his bones may be brittle...
and with low calcium, the healing will be diffecult...
so happy you found help before any serious accidents occured...
he is a cutie!

[MO newbie]

Im headded to dollar store for ensure as for heating pad i dunno ill have to look around i just hope that i can keep him going till the food arives its ordered with express shipping so im going to keep my fingers crossed

[SammysMom]

:thankyou for working so hard to help this baby...:Love_Icon :grouphug :Love_Icon

[CritterMom]

Im headded to dollar store for ensure as for heating pad i dunno ill have to look around i just hope that i can keep him going till the food arives its ordered with express shipping so im going to keep my fingers crossed

The Ensure will help with that.

He can have fresh vegetables and fruit (in moderation) too. Henrys ships REALLY fast - if you order tonight it will go out tomorrow.

[MO newbie]

Ok back with ensure and brand new heating pad without auto shut off

What veggies should i buy tomorrow?

UPDATE the ensure seems to help Duke is standing on his own to drink it out of a dropper

[farrelli]

You also might get a container of full fat vanilla yogurt in case he doesn't like the Ensure.

[SammysMom]

Remember to put it UNDER the container so he can get off of it if he is too warm. Set it on Low and have fleece and/or tee shirt material for him to burrow in. NO towels as the loops are too easy for their nails to catch on.

[MO newbie]

He seems to be eating the Ensure pretty good all the dollar store had was vanilla how much should i give him and how often? My wife is out of town for a couple days if i have to take Duke to work in a small kennel i have a desk job at a very understanding company.

[SammysMom]

I would take him with me if I were you. You can probably give him some every few hours. If Critter Mom or Jackie say differently, go with their information as they have far more experience than I do.

[MO newbie]

I would really like to know what Duke's normal temp should be we have a infrared thermometer so it will not stress him to much

[SammysMom]

I believe their normal range is around 102 degrees.

[MO newbie]

ok well then Duke is sick he is under temp well he should warm up he now has his own heating pad in his inclosure

[Nancy in New York]

ok well then Duke is sick he is under temp well he should warm up he now has his own heating pad in his inclosure


Heating pad should be UNDER the enclosure, they are known to bite on cords so do not put it in with him where he can bite it.
AND put it on low. What kind of a container do you have him in?
Also remember lots of fleece or flannel so that he can crawl off if he gets too hot.

[SammysMom]

Also remember that his body temp is likely higher than the air around him. If you are using an infrared I think it is probably measuring around him rather than his actual body temperature. The surface temp of his body will be lower and that is what is will measure.

[MO newbie]

Yes under the cage i got that and all the blankets are fleece (old baby blankets lol) we keep him in a large bird cage (when he is not out with us) it seemed appropriate for his size to be and keeps the other critters away from him when Duke is not out with us.

[SammysMom]

Do you by chance have a large plastic tote? It might be good to put the cage in a plastic tote. It will hold the heat better than an open birdcage. Even moving him into a plastic tote with fleece and the heating pad under half of it might be a better plan. Holes punched in the top for ventilation of course.

[MO newbie]

Well the cage in a tote is not going to work this thing used to house a large macaw parrot but i have since covered the bottom with fleece blankets and i will cover it tonight just wanting to keep an eye on him right now when he goes to work with me tomorrow ill put him in a small dog kennel and cover it with his heating pad under it.

[SammysMom]

:thumbsup

[Nancy in New York]

Remember when treating for MBD the important thing is to keep the calcium levels consistent. So make sure to keep giving him the tums mixture.

[MO newbie]

:thankyou all!!!!!!!!!!!!! Duke seems to be doing better so far so good! I think I should start a new thread out of the emergency section to keep everyone up to date on his condition you all are awesome you have no idea how much you have helped me and our economy (lol I dont think ive spent this much on a critter before) but now I know there is people out there willing to help in our time of need i know he is not out of the woods (lol) yet but i am sure he will be soon with your help.

Thank you all so very much
Chris and Duke

[Shewhosweptforest]

:grouphug :Welcome Chris and Duke:grouphug Sending :Love_Icon and Good Wishes:bowdown

[MO newbie]

Here is a link to the new thread try and keep yall updated daily if not 3-4 times a day:


http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?p=886892#post886892


:thankyou