Obese squirrel. So confused.

[jenniferposey86]

My squirrel is huge. I follow all of the recommendations. He has HHBs, exercise, veggies and he is still HUGE! His brother is on the exact same diet and looks great. I don't really know what's causing him to be so much bigger. He pees and poops right and he doesn't act sick at all.

[sid'smommy]

Does he drink alot of water??

[sid'smommy]

Are his ears dry and crusty looking ??

[jenniferposey86]

[QUOTE=sid'smommy;917326]Does he drink alot of water??[/QUOTE

He doesn't drink any more or less than his brother. Their bottles are generally around the same level.

[jenniferposey86]

His ears and coat are normal. He looks great just so obese. He doesn't like to run around as much anymore bc of his weight.

[Nancy in New York]

His ears and coat are normal. He looks great just so obese. He doesn't like to run around as much anymore bc of his weight.

Can you post a picture?
How old is he?

[Trooper]

I want to chime in my concern about this topic as well. My Trooper follows a diet fit for kings, everything that is healthy and recomended by TSB he has, yet his weight oscillates at 800 grams, plus or minus 10 grams. Most respected books on the subject of eastern gray squirrels (EGS), like that of Kropowski et. al.; inidicates that the mean weight for EGS in the wild is 750 grams. Granted, a NR indoor squirrel with two cages and combined 282 cubic feet of playgraound area, cannot match the running spaces and trees of the wilds, so I wonder sometimes if 800 grams is too much for him.

Does anyone on the board have a more precise figure of what is the healthy weight of an NR squirrel, male, 2 years old? Is there a Body Mass Index applicable to squirrles??

Thanks,

Trooper's dad:)

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Peaches and ZuZu Petal were on the same diet , they looked like Jack sprat and his wife, one big ...one skinny......
Peachie is still a full figured girl but very healthy and in the house. ZuZu is in the trees.

[Trooper]

Thanks Sweet Simon's mommy. Yet I think we should have a sticky somwhere detailing the weights reccomendations of squirrels post-release. We have a good record up to 12 to 14 weeks while being weaned, but not much info on what is the healthy weight for NR's. It has to be higher than wilds due to their diminished exercise regimen. As I noted 750 grams seems to be the norm for wilds. Does any more experienced rehabbers have any comments as to what should be the reccomended weight for NR's.

Thanks,

Trooper's Dad:)

[CritterMom]

Thanks Sweet Simon's mommy. Yet I think we should have a sticky somwhere detailing the weights reccomendations of squirrels post-release. We have a good record up to 12 to 14 weeks while being weaned, but not much info on what is the healthy weight for NR's. It has to be higher than wilds due to their diminished exercise regimen. As I noted 750 grams seems to be the norm for wilds. Does any more experienced rehabbers have any comments as to what should be the reccomended weight for NR's.

Thanks,

Trooper's Dad:)

I would like to echo the request to see a photo of the squirrel in the thread - that would help a LOT.

As far as weights are concerned, it is regional as well. My eastern gray squirrel from Maine averages 900 grams and he is not obese - he isn't even particularly large in comparison to many of my wilds...however in Florida he would be KING OF THE SQUIRRELS where the EGS adults average only about half his weight!

[Trooper]

Crittermon: you are absolutely correct... region makes a difference and just like humans, cold weather regions tend to store more fat and make them heavier (an blacker, as northerner EGR have more melanistic black type than southerner ones, becuase the black coat gives them 3 deg. F warmer advantahe than their regular gray/brown coat).

Also to consider is that availability of food resources will mandate weight oscillations depending the season you look at them. winter are skinny and summer are fatter. Koprowski et. al. has an excellent book specializing in nutrition and weights of wilds ones. I am looking at perhaps carrying a census of NR or domesticated, living-indoors-with-humans ones and see what the average weight is.

My concern is obvious: diabetes, heart disease and others. But if their built and DNA genetis dictates that they can gross more weight in response to fodd availability in nature, then being slightly over the average of 750 g for wild ones on NR would be O.K.

Thanks,

Trooper's dad:)

[Charley]

My squirrel is huge. I follow all of the recommendations. He has HHBs, exercise, veggies and he is still HUGE! His brother is on the exact same diet and looks great. I don't really know what's causing him to be so much bigger. He pees and poops right and he doesn't act sick at all.

OMG Im having an obese problem with my Charley too! Other than her being big she is healthy and very happy. A friend told me a lot had to do with winter. If youd like to see pictures of Charley shes under Charleys gotten chunky.

[farrelli]

They do get a bit chunky, but some are plain fat and that can cause serious health issues which will shorten their lives considerably. Pics and a detailed diet plan would be great.

[island rehabber]

Just like with people, cutting out the more sugary foods will help with this: carrots, sugar snap peas and all fruits have way more sugar than legumes and green leafy veggies. That said, I have seen NR's long-term who have fluctuated in their weight over the course of a year from really chubby to normal again and back to chubby. It may be a seasonal thing. I was taught that an EGS "should" weigh about 1lb as an adult, but that is just an average. Critter Mom's EGS, as she said, is 900g and you've never seen a handsomer squirrel.

See if you can cut the high-glycemic foods from his diet, if that will help.