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SquirrelButteh
06-17-2013, 02:55 AM
Hello,
I have a 1 year old southern flying squirrel.
He has never done this before which is why I am concerned.
During his play time he got his nail caught on my dad's pants, so when he lept he landed strange, he rolled around and freaked out like how a child does. He did not have anything wrong other then landing strange, like when you jump and land on your ankle instead of your foot. He was fine some minutes later but he did panic in a big way and it was hard to calm him.
Tonight, in the same area, he lept onto his cage, and once in his cage he started rolling around again, he hugs the ground or anything tightly and is flat, like he's dizzy or something? I'm not sure, he looks like me when I have a panic attack where the room is spinning and he is just trying to hold on until it stops. This is the second time and it just has me worried, I had his cage in a different area tonight because I had to take it appart to put a new emery in his wodent wheel, I have speculated that he keeps getting his nails stuck on clothing and when he jumps lands not as well as he would like and panics. My mom said she babysat him for me once and he did it and he does just that he panics and makes a spectral of it. He does physically seem fine, I check all his limbs and every thing and he does not seem to have any tender area. He did it tonight and right now he is rummaging around his food tray happy as a little clam climbing around like normal. I am just not sure what to make of his rolling around and his sudden laying down, he really looks like how I feel when I have a panic attack and I just...grasp on waiting for the room to stop spinning and to catch my breath. I make sure his cage is clean but there are no cleaning solutions that would be making him sick. I make sure of that, I used to raise koi for companies and I know how the slightest chemical can harm a tiny animal.
Both incidents happened in the same area of the house. My dad sadly does not have a wealth of info on the house but my mom might. I asked him if there were any thing like a carpet cleaning solution or something that he could be reacting badly too.
Other then him needing a new emery to trim his nails so he does not get his paw stuck on my shirt then try to jump, land funny, and panic in complete hysterics. IS there something else possibly wrong? Is this some waring sign behavior? I thought he was having a seizure the first time I saw him, the second time as well, from the rolling, and the sudden laying down or grasping on to things. The "rolling" I keep referring to, can best be described as I said when you land funny or hit your leg or arm wrong and you flail like it will some how make it better? Like a charlie horse. I am just trying to give as much information to help give a good idea of what this is like.
Could he be stoving up from some defiance? I know they have a tendency to need calcium but I do ensure he gets calcium licks and orange slices periodically. I DO admit he has not had an orange slice prior too both events. I know they also offer potassium which helps with muscle cramps.
So if I have touched on anything here that sounds familiar please tell me what I should do or explain what might be happening. Again sorry for the explanations, I really just want it to be easy to understand roughly what he is acting like. All advice welcome!
:dono

Thanks for your time!

Unikorngrrl
06-17-2013, 03:41 AM
Ok, can you please tell me what diet you're feeding this little guy? I'm thinking what you are seeing is seizures instead of 'panic attacks'. The nails getting caught in clothing and such, along with seizures, is indicative of MBD from lack of calcium in his diet. Please give me details and while you're doing that, I'll hunt down the MBD protocol and healthy diet info.

Unikorngrrl
06-17-2013, 03:45 AM
Metabolic Bone Disease is painful. Put a heating pad under half of his cage or a portion. If in fact it is MBD his joints, bone and muscles will be painful. Here is the MBD protocol. After the protocol is a link to healthy diet.

Emergency Treatment for Metabolic Bone Disease

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=39275 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.


Healthy diet for pet flying squirrels:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=37700

Unikorngrrl
06-17-2013, 03:49 AM
You will need to go to henryspets.com and order the Fox Valley Day-One 32/40 formula, and Henrys Healthy Blocks. If he's been eating a mostly nut and fruit diet you may want to order the Picky Blocks b/c it is going to take a minute to get your little guy eating right IF he's been spoiled with McDonalds and Candy (nuts and fruit). You can opt to buy the MBD treatment kit if you would like, but MOST definitely order the Calcium Carbonate Powder when you order (along with the formula and blocks).

WORRY ABOUT THE MBD PROTOCOL FIRST AND RIGHT NOW!!! YOU CAN DO THE DIET AND FORMULA STUFF TOMORROW!!! I'm here and waiting for you to respond. Things are overwhelming at first, do the protocol and then take things one at a time!!!

SQUIRRELSAREME
06-17-2013, 03:56 AM
Hi and :Welcome the best person to contact is mrs Skul I will try to get her to this thread

Unikorngrrl
06-17-2013, 03:57 AM
Hi and :Welcome the best person to contact is mrs Skul I will try to get her to this thread

Mrs Skul is who I was referring to when I said someone I could get a hold of!! Squirrelsareme and I had the same game plan :thumbsup The skuls are our resident flying squirrel experts!!

SQUIRRELSAREME
06-17-2013, 04:06 AM
I just sent her a text message she is always up all night , but she had surgery . So I hope she will come on. If not , I think MDB treatment also .but the amount will be less this needs to be started now. Some more experience help will be on soon

Unikorngrrl
06-17-2013, 04:13 AM
Mrs Skul says sometimes they will eat the tums on their own. Hand him a tums and see if he'll eat it himself. She says they know when their bodies need the calcium. Fruit or berry flavored is good.

SQUIRRELSAREME
06-17-2013, 10:07 PM
Just got off the phone with Mrs Skul . I will pm you her phone number . Please call her :thankyou