Very sick flyer

[Thealmightypiggy]

I came home from work today to find my flyer on his side at the bottom of his cage. At first he wasn't moving and then he started reaching with his forearms. When I got him out he would wiggle a little but kept falling to one side, arching backwards, and twitching. I assume for now that it is mbd but he has been on rodent block since weened, then get nuts, fruit, and veggies as extras. He was fine last night, eating, drinking, and running on his wheel like crazy! The only emergency vet in town will not treat him because he is a squirrel and my regular vet has very limited hours. Right now he is just sitting on a heating pad at my side but I'm pretty sure he just seized. So far I have him a bit of corn syrup in case his sugar is low, dissolved a calcium supplement in water and given him some, and forced down some Esbilac. What else can/should I do?

[SammysMom]

Check the water bottle to be sure it is not clogged. Is it possible that he fell in his cage?

[Shewhosweptforest]

Hopefully the experts are on this right now and will be responding.....I will PM someone just in case who knows flyers.....sounds like you're doing all the right things so far:Love_Icon

[IrishHarps]

Can you give us better detail about his daily diet? What exactly do you feed on a normal day? Does he get yogurt or protein? What are his sources of calcium and vitamin D?

If MBD is suspected, pushing calcium will be necessary, asap.

Also, just more general info will be helpful - how old is he, how long have you had him, what is his cage setup like, how much room does he have, so on. Is it possible he has an injury? What kind of wheel does he have?

I know these are a lot of questions, but these are things that will help the experts here help you.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I've tried giving him water but he won't drink. He won't eat or do anything unless I force him too. I suppose he could have fallen but he is a flyer who hasn't shown any issues before. He's never slipped or fallen off of anything that isn't slippery. He has seized a few more times since I posted last.

[IrishHarps]

I see you are pushing calcium already - good move.

[SammysMom]

I would suggest starting the MBD treatment below. It can't hurt and it may help:
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.

[SammysMom]

Get some molasses on his gums. It raises the blood sugar and has other nutrients as well.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I'm a teacher in Alabama and some student of mine found him on the ground in October. I suspect he was 5 weeks when they brought him to me. He is 2.1 oz and gets 2 rodent blocks a day. He gets sunflower, pumpkin, squash, watermelon, and cantaloupe seeds as treats, as well as acorns. He also gets orange, strawberry, carrot, kale, apple, and banana a few times a week.
He has a large light cage that is made for several small birds so it is plenty of room for one flyer. He has a hammock that he sleeps in as well as a box that he likes to hide and eat in. There are also several branches and rods for him to play on. He has a silent spinner wheel which is one of those solid ones that they can't lose their tail in. It is attached to the cage to also reduce chances of it falling or flipping over.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I would suggest starting the MBD treatment below. It can't hurt and it may help:
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.


I've done most of that and the link it shows doesn't work. He seems to be getting worse though. Also not sure how much of the calcium paste to give because he is only 2.1 oz. I don't want to do too much.

[SammysMom]

What kind of rodent blocks?

[Thealmightypiggy]

What kind of rodent blocks?

Kaytee Healthy Support Diet

[SammysMom]

Is this rodent block or is it for birds?

[SammysMom]

I see there is one for rats and mice so I assume this is that one. It is still low on the calcium, so the MBD treatment is a better plan for starters. Is he still seizing?

[Thealmightypiggy]

It says it is rodent block. For mice, rats, and hamsters. When I got him I did a lot of research on what to feed him and that's what I found.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I see there is one for rats and mice so I assume this is that one. It is still low on the calcium, so the MBD treatment is a better plan for starters. Is he still seizing?

Yes! He has seized several times in the past hour!! I can't even force him to take in any more of the calcium paste. He doesn't respond at all when I inject a little into his mouth.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I found where it suggested KayTee. It was actually on here: http://thesquirrelboard.com/squirrel_nutrition.htm

[SammysMom]

Put syrup or something sugary like karo syrup on his gums to raise his bloodsugar. Do it right now. You can do it on his gums without opening him mouth. Just inside his lips.

[Thealmightypiggy]

I've done that already but I will try again. How much? He is so small!

[SammysMom]

How old is he and did you say 2.1 oz? I need to convert to grams. Do you have a heating pad? The heat will help to circulate the calcium. Before today, did you see anything odd about his behavior?

[Thealmightypiggy]

He is about 4 months and was 2.1 oz a few days ago. Seems to be smaller now though. About a week ago I noticed a lump on his wing flap and when I took him to the vet they said it was a tumor. It wasn't attached to any bone or fat and "slid right out" when the vet prodded it. They removed it and glued it back up and sent him home. The strange thing is that ever since then he has been going 90 to nothing!! Running all the time and chirping away. That's why it was such a shock to come home and find him this way.

[SammysMom]

He is 60 grams. This is just easier for any dosing that may be needed.

[SammysMom]

That high speed racing may have caused an injury if he was really going nuts. Do you have a heating pad?

[Thealmightypiggy]

Yes, he has been on a heating pad since the calcium paste was given the first time.

[SammysMom]

Okay, how is he doing now? Do you have an emergency vet clinic by chance? Does the area where the tumor was seem warm or different in any way?

[Thealmightypiggy]

The only emergency vet I know of will not treat him because he is a squirrel. And no, he is not doing any better. He is urinating some when he seizes now so I take that as a good sign but between seizures he is essentially unresponsive. The place where the tumor was is almost completely back to normal except for the glue that they used.

[SammysMom]

Please check your messages. She is waiting for your call. I got a text asking me to have you call her. Please do this. If anyone can help you, she can

[Chickenlegs]

Does your little guy get enough protein? Flyers are MEAT eaters! They need it everyday.

[Thealmightypiggy]

Rocky died on my way to get help. After talking to your friend I have 1 request. Please delete the article that I linked to earlier because it is one of the reasons my baby died. I would really appreciate it.

[SammysMom]

Godspeed Rocky...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon
I am so very sorry this happened. My thoughts and prayers are with you...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[Anne]

My heart is breaking for this flyer owner. I hate that damned old diet listed with our site, but have been told it can not be deleted. It isn't good for squirrels, horrendously outdated and inadequate for flying squirrels and certainly was a major cause of this little ones death.
RIP little sweet flyer, you were loved and will be terribly missed.

[farrelli]

It's just an HTML file, it can be deleted. I don;t have time to read it all, but what exactly about it is supposed to have caused the issue.

[SammysMom]

But the page has not one pic that is not a gray. It is not a flyer diet, No protein etc. that flyers require. It is very very sad for sure, but I am afraid it was because the diet was not for flyers.

[farrelli]

Could we at least put a link on the page to the flyer diet? It's just an html file, so it's pretty easy to do.

Btw, I thought these were gone with the new site. Is the one which recommends Esbilac and refers people to a bitter old rehaber who gives terrible advice still sitting out there?

[SammysMom]

I will investigate tomorrow. It has been a long day... I will not forget this needing to be looked at though.

[farrelli]

Goodnight SM! Sleep tight! Tell Sammy I said hello.

[California Squirrel Lover]

I'm so sorry Rocky didn't make it. Rest in peace little one. :Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Thealmightypiggy]

In response to "That is not a flyer diet", Google "rodent block for flying squirrels." That article is the 3rd response it pulls up. There are very few things out there with information about JUST flying squirrels so we have to use what we can find. Doesn't matter now anyway. Just know that that is not an appropriate diet for ANY squirrel and hope that yours doesn't have the same problems as mine.

[farrelli]

I am very sorry for what happened, but we cannot control what Google displays in its search results. We do have a thread which lists flyer diets, and it's the first link in our flyer forum:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?37700-HEALTHY-DIET-for-PET-Flying-Squirrels

We do the best we can, and hopefully we will post a link on that web page to the diet thread. Unfortunately, flyers have different nutritional needs, but we have directed countless people to it. I wish that we could control the search engines, but we can't.

Again, I'm very sorry for your loss.

[SammysMom]

In response to "That is not a flyer diet", Google "rodent block for flying squirrels." That article is the 3rd response it pulls up. There are very few things out there with information about JUST flying squirrels so we have to use what we can find. Doesn't matter now anyway. Just know that that is not an appropriate diet for ANY squirrel and hope that yours doesn't have the same problems as mine.

Oh goodness, this is NOT a reflection on you! We need to revamp and include a redirection to the flyer diet so this does not happen again. My heart is breaking for you...Please don't think I was being rude or critical of your care. You tried and that is all any of us can do.:grouphug

[IrishHarps]

I'm sorry to hear about Rocky :( You did your best.