Crys
11-08-2013, 07:35 PM
Hello, I'm new to the forum.
I have a baby squirrel that is about 11 weeks old. That's just an estimate as I got him from a neighbor who found him in the backyard where a tree had fallen and his mother died soon after the fall, his eyes were open and he was fully furred weighing about 150 grams. I compared him with the pictures to see how old he was and guessed about 5-8 weeks. I took him to the vet because he had a head injury/tilt and a swollen eye. Dr. Davis told me he had inter-cranial bleeding and his eye was permanently damaged, he also gave him a steroid shot for inflammation and swelling. After learning this, and doing research on pros/cons and expenses of having him with me for his lifetime, I decided to keep him with me. I live in Ar, we have very lenient pet laws. Literally on the game and fish website/book it states that any person may own up to 6 bobcats, raccoons, skunks, deer, squirrels, and all kinds of other critters from outdoors, weird right? My vet showed me the book and the website for our state. I have a very close relationship with my vet bc the store I work at uses him as well and I have to see his face everyday haha. He rehabs a lot of wild animals and owns 2 greys so he has been a anchor getting nugget through his injury. He is very strong and healthy besides a lame eye. His head tilt is completely gone, bleeding quit a day after taking him to the vet.
I've done enough research to get him through the formula stages which we're still on and will remain on until he decides he doesn't want the formula anymore. My vet reccommended and I have seen many other users on here recommend self-weaning, so that's what we are going with. He started on a goat milk recipe that my vet gave me until I recieved the FV formula that I ordered after I left the vet. He has his teeth and I have been providing antlers, twigs, and other small animals chews which he does gnaw on. Recently I have been putting in forti-diet rodent blocks for him but he has yet to show any interest in them and still drinks the formula consistently. I have saw many on this forum using the HHBs and I like that they are especially formulated for squirrels. I have not purchased any bc currently I get the kaytee forti-diet blocks for free from petsmart where I work as the petcare lead. I know, it's not fair, but hey. We use the blocks for all the small animals we sell and I have a very awesome boss that doesn't really care that I take some home every week. I get my carefresh, cuttle bones, rodent blocks, and chews from store use. My point with this past the rambling is that I would like to make the HHB before I buy them and try them out. I saw that one of the main post mentioned a recipe but I have not been able to locate so I was wanting someone to help me find it by posting a link or directions for where to go. I really want to encourage him to try his blocks. He doesn't seem ready to wean just yet, but when he is I want to have them available for him. All he gets is formula and a few blocks I put in his cage for the day. He is currently on about 3-4 feedings a day with FV, I'm going with the tough love approach that I read on here about getting him to eat blocks before introducing supplements. Another question, I have seen that forti-diet is an option but since the HHBs are speciafically for squirrels are they then better, and if i make them myself with the vitamins from the website are they just as good as the original HHBs?
Behavior/Training
My little nugget is really playful and active. I've read that they are one-person animals, and I am definitely that person. He is not mean to my fiance but he doesn't particularly like to be handled by him unless he happens to have formula on him haha. However, he runs to me soon after James is done feeding him and he likes to bum underneath my cover with me usually on my stomach or lap curling up to sleep or running under the covers creating tunnels. I also use my hand to play "fight" or that's what I am calling it. So here is the question, is this bad? When I trained my doberman through schutzhund, I learned that a dog should never have their teeth on you unless commanded, not even with teething or play. Is this the same with squirrels? Should I not allow him to nibble my fingers when he pounces on my hand. He turns flips and really enjoys play biting my fingers especially. He doesn't usually bite too hard, only when he gets carried away, which I then squeal like an idiot to let him know he is hurting me. He usually acknowledges it and lessens his bite.
Any answers will be greatly appreciated, Thanks so much!
Do you think my professor will believe me if I tell him my squirrel ate my homework??!
218455
I have a baby squirrel that is about 11 weeks old. That's just an estimate as I got him from a neighbor who found him in the backyard where a tree had fallen and his mother died soon after the fall, his eyes were open and he was fully furred weighing about 150 grams. I compared him with the pictures to see how old he was and guessed about 5-8 weeks. I took him to the vet because he had a head injury/tilt and a swollen eye. Dr. Davis told me he had inter-cranial bleeding and his eye was permanently damaged, he also gave him a steroid shot for inflammation and swelling. After learning this, and doing research on pros/cons and expenses of having him with me for his lifetime, I decided to keep him with me. I live in Ar, we have very lenient pet laws. Literally on the game and fish website/book it states that any person may own up to 6 bobcats, raccoons, skunks, deer, squirrels, and all kinds of other critters from outdoors, weird right? My vet showed me the book and the website for our state. I have a very close relationship with my vet bc the store I work at uses him as well and I have to see his face everyday haha. He rehabs a lot of wild animals and owns 2 greys so he has been a anchor getting nugget through his injury. He is very strong and healthy besides a lame eye. His head tilt is completely gone, bleeding quit a day after taking him to the vet.
I've done enough research to get him through the formula stages which we're still on and will remain on until he decides he doesn't want the formula anymore. My vet reccommended and I have seen many other users on here recommend self-weaning, so that's what we are going with. He started on a goat milk recipe that my vet gave me until I recieved the FV formula that I ordered after I left the vet. He has his teeth and I have been providing antlers, twigs, and other small animals chews which he does gnaw on. Recently I have been putting in forti-diet rodent blocks for him but he has yet to show any interest in them and still drinks the formula consistently. I have saw many on this forum using the HHBs and I like that they are especially formulated for squirrels. I have not purchased any bc currently I get the kaytee forti-diet blocks for free from petsmart where I work as the petcare lead. I know, it's not fair, but hey. We use the blocks for all the small animals we sell and I have a very awesome boss that doesn't really care that I take some home every week. I get my carefresh, cuttle bones, rodent blocks, and chews from store use. My point with this past the rambling is that I would like to make the HHB before I buy them and try them out. I saw that one of the main post mentioned a recipe but I have not been able to locate so I was wanting someone to help me find it by posting a link or directions for where to go. I really want to encourage him to try his blocks. He doesn't seem ready to wean just yet, but when he is I want to have them available for him. All he gets is formula and a few blocks I put in his cage for the day. He is currently on about 3-4 feedings a day with FV, I'm going with the tough love approach that I read on here about getting him to eat blocks before introducing supplements. Another question, I have seen that forti-diet is an option but since the HHBs are speciafically for squirrels are they then better, and if i make them myself with the vitamins from the website are they just as good as the original HHBs?
Behavior/Training
My little nugget is really playful and active. I've read that they are one-person animals, and I am definitely that person. He is not mean to my fiance but he doesn't particularly like to be handled by him unless he happens to have formula on him haha. However, he runs to me soon after James is done feeding him and he likes to bum underneath my cover with me usually on my stomach or lap curling up to sleep or running under the covers creating tunnels. I also use my hand to play "fight" or that's what I am calling it. So here is the question, is this bad? When I trained my doberman through schutzhund, I learned that a dog should never have their teeth on you unless commanded, not even with teething or play. Is this the same with squirrels? Should I not allow him to nibble my fingers when he pounces on my hand. He turns flips and really enjoys play biting my fingers especially. He doesn't usually bite too hard, only when he gets carried away, which I then squeal like an idiot to let him know he is hurting me. He usually acknowledges it and lessens his bite.
Any answers will be greatly appreciated, Thanks so much!
Do you think my professor will believe me if I tell him my squirrel ate my homework??!
218455