Calcium advice requested...

[stepnstone]

EllieRay, (approx 8 months old, maybe more?) has taken to not eating her block,
she will eat maybe 2 out of 10 if I'm lucky! She will throw the rest out of her cage.
She is well over 2 pounds and I suspect going on 3 by the size of her,
she is also very mean!
I do put the calcium powder on her veggies, it don't work well in her water
as it winds up settling on the bottom.

Please don't suggest I hold her and feed it to her as that's not going to happen!!
I'd have better luck snatching one of my wilds out of a tree then I would trying
to handle her! ...Did I mention she's mean!!

I really don't mind her being so mean because she is a release and she's at the
wild stage she needs to be, I don't want to do anything to break that spirit!
In the meantime... we have a ways to go until release and I need to make sure
her calcium levels are kept up. Suggestions??

[SammysMom]

Will she eat them if there is notjing else? Or maybe soaked in apple juice or wuth almond butter. Would she drink formula from a bowl?

[stepnstone]

Will she eat them if there is notjing else? Or maybe soaked in apple juice or wuth almond butter. Would she drink formula from a bowl?

She will have no part of formula! She will not even eat the block
if I crush and mix with whatever! Not even half block, half nuts.
She simply refuses them regardless of the type block.

I tried two days after cleaning out her cage giving her nothing
else but block. She's the exception to a squirrel not starving themself!

[lilidukes]

Take un shelled nuts (whatever her fav is) put henry's
vitamins in small container with a lid and shake them
gently... give her the nuts and she will get her vitamins.

[Pointy Tale]

Stepnstone—hi, maybe the block doesn’t agree with her and she’s trying to tell you that? Are you using Calcium Citrate? Sometimes, not always we must help them eat, if necessary, not sure if that’s necessary in your case, but unfortunately sometimes it can be necessary.

What is her calcium requirement? Some foods options to help while you work with her with higher calcium are: kelp, spinach, broccoli, seaweed and even almonds have calcium.

Good luck, I know it can be hard.

[island rehabber]

Would she chew a cuttlebone, or one of these bird blocks, step? I usually find my rehab kids prefer one or the other but they will chew them -- and it's great calcium. (Good luck tying the block onto the side of the cage -- watch your fingers! :grin2)

[Milo's Mom]

Step - what kind of block do you have her on? Maybe she'd prefer another kind?

Does she have a favorite? Maybe avocado? Could you mash it up and add a tiny bit of pulverized block and just a tad of FV powder and roll it into a ball? Then ever so slowly increase the amount of block, but initially make the majority of it with her all time favorite.

Sesame seeds are really high in calcium and my guys have always liked them. Have you tried them with her?

Will she chew on an antler or cuttlebone? You can even scrape a cuttlebone to cover all of her foods with powder...I just use the edge of a butterknife...they powder beautifully.

Personally I'd back off any of the veggies that are known to have higher oxalate numbers.....spinach, kale, etc., if you even feed them. Let her be able to use every speck you are able to get into her, know what I mean.

Have you talked to Leigh at Henry's about this? She may have some really good ideas for you too.

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

can you get oyster shells from a local sea food place, they love them.
I put calcium powder and Henry Vitamins on everything not just this or that, so mine has no choice but to eat it.

[Duckman]

Step,

If she will eat Avacado, you can roll the calcium on that and give. My kids have Cuttlebones as well and I also have deer antlers for them to chew on. You can also take your veggies and rinse them off but not dry them, then roll them in the powder and that will get them coated with enough of the calcium. Last but not least, you can also try giving her pieces of fruit flavored Tums. Many flavors, and she might see one or two flavors as a treat. You know not to get the ones with Vit D, but just in case someone else looks at this, I added it.

[stepnstone]

Thank everyone for all the different idea's, :grouphug some I'm doing, other's
I'll try. As far as avocado, it's a hit and miss with her. Sometimes she
wants it, other times it just sits. She is a good veggie eater so I do use
the calcium powder. She's not going without, I just worry as I like mine
to still be eating block all the way out the door and at least with block
you know they are getting what they need.

This girl is so ready to be free, if not for winter she would definitely be
in the trees and building dreys. She has her cube but she makes nests
out of everything! Never know which pile she's going to charge out of! :rotfl
As much growling and slashing she's done, she has yet to bite me and
I can still give her back scratches. Go figure... :dono

Cage cleaning is the really hard thing with her, she takes it very personal!
Once she sets up on the outside, I pity any squee that comes into her space!
This girl is not going to be any push over.... :shakehead

[amandaleet1972]

Good luck, but since we are on the subject, is there anyway of overdoing calcium? I'm so paranoid now- my boy does eat the blocks but I have tums on hand and wanted to provide a bird block just in case.. There is always 'too much of something', or so I thought.. Is there such a thing as too much calcium with "pet, inside squirrels"?

[farrelli]

Yes, too much can cause problems. Can't remember your history but MBD cases get supplemental with blocks for quite some time. healthy sqs are fine with just a good block, but some people also use a dusting of powder. A big chunk of Tums would be too much every day for a healthy sq.

[amandaleet1972]

Thanks.. he never had any problems despite being on what I now know was a rotten diet for about 4 months.. He eats the blocks now, but I was giving an occasional Tums, being paranoid. I've pretty much taken him off nuts entirely but when I sneak him a few is when I felt paranoid and snuck in a Tums too.. What does too much calcium do? Kidney issues and such? I'm guessing I'm fine with him eating 2 blocks a day and even if I treat with a few nuts *now and then* don't need to freak out about it?

[farrelli]

It can cause painful crystals in the urine as well as the following:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hypercalcemia/basics/symptoms/con-20031513

A Tums once in a while certainly won't hurt anything.

[amandaleet1972]

Kinda what I thought.. Okay.. He's doing great- maybe too good, lol.. I'll slip him one now and again.. Thanks though. I LOVE this boy!