Ruby squirrel back legs not moving. Please help

[RubySquirrel]

Yesterday i checked on ruby. she is 6 months old. When i picked her up i noticed she was not moving her back legs or tail. When you put a little pressure on the tips of her toes and tip of tail she try to retract them away from my hands . is that a voluntary response ? We took her to the vet this morning. The vet took an ex ray but could not see anything wrong on the spine or legs. She was giving a shot of antibiotics and dexamethasone. I am going to take her back to the vet for 2 more dexamethasone shots.

IS there anything i shold be asking the vet to look at ? any tests i need to ask him to do ?


Any information would be great thank you Please help

[SammysMom]

:Welcometo TSB! Can you tell us how long you have had her, what formula she was given as a baby, what she eats every day? Does she get rodent block daily? I will post the treatment for MBD in the next post, but if you could answer these questions it will help to know what the issue may be.
Yesterday i checked on ruby. she is 6 months old. When i picked her up i noticed she was not moving her back legs or tail. When you put a little pressure on the tips of her toes and tip of tail she try to retract them away from my hands . is that a voluntary response ? We took her to the vet this morning. The vet took an ex ray but could not see anything wrong on the spine or legs. She was giving a shot of antibiotics and dexamethasone. I am going to take her back to the vet for 2 more dexamethasone shots.

IS there anything i shold be asking the vet to look at ? any tests i need to ask him to do ?


Any information would be great thank you Please help

[RubySquirrel]

I cant remeber the formula we used but it was something the vet told us to get from the pet store. Daily she east nuts ( in shell unsalted). some veggies and fruits ( grapes apples broccoli avocado ) and rodent blocks. does MDB come on so suddenly ? she was fine yesterday morning and by bed time her legs were not working. is it hopeless ? She brings our family together everyday when we play. We dont want to lose her .

[SammysMom]

Definitely NOT untreatable! You must follow the below treatment beginning RIGHT NOW though. I will tell you that I just spent 2 weeks with a little 6 month old girl who has MBD and was having trouble walking. She is now playing and acting fine even though she still has weeks of calcium treatment to go. Do you have Tums by chance? You need them right now. If you have to buy them just don't get the ones that are extra vitamin D. To answer your question about the sudden onset, yes, it does come on that quickly. Squirrels are hardwired to hide weakness. By the time they show it they are in serious trouble. What kind of rodent block does she eat and how much does she eat? NO MORE NUTS for a while. It is counterproductive to the MBD treatment.

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]

Not to be disrespectful to your vet, but they often really don't know much about squirrels. People here have many more years experience and will happily help you to get your baby back on track.:grouphug

[RubySquirrel]

Thank you for all this help. Where they was no hope there is some :). Should i not take her to the vet for the dexamethasone shots and antibiotics or continue. Also i just ran to the store and got apple and cranberry juice. Which should i use.

Sorry if i seem random in the posts i am just very upset.

[RubySquirrel]

Also when i mix up the tum should it be a paste or more liquid

[RubySquirrel]

I have a 1ml infant droper how much should i give her right now ?

[SammysMom]

Tums and water is fine. If you think the juice will make her take it more easily then whichever she will like more is fine. I would not take her for more injections until seeing if the Tums help. Crush it and mix with a bit of liquid and give it a bit at a time until you get the full amount in for the first day. Use a syringe and put it into the corner of her mouth. I can't impress upon you enough how important it is to follow the instructions I posted. You want to do it a little at a time so that her calcium blood level is as steady as possible. Offer her a spot in her cage that has a heating pad on low under the OUTSIDE of the cage. The MBD means they are in pain and the heat helps. If she fights you, fight back. She needs this to survive. What kind of block are you using? We recommend healthy blocks from henryspets.com. They actually sell an MBD kit that includes calcium and picky blocks. You might want to order one of those.

[SammysMom]

Also when i mix up the tum should it be a paste or more liquid

However it is easiest to get it into her is fine. What does the Tums bottle say for the amount of calcium per tablet?

[Duckman]

The Tums is without Vitamin D, correct? VERY important!

[RubySquirrel]

the tums says 750mg per pill

[RubySquirrel]

the tums do not say Vitamin d anywhere on the wrapper

[SammysMom]

Day 1:
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

Not too much water/juice. Less is better for getting it into her.

[Duckman]

Perfect! I just wanted to make sure because Vitamin D is what they use in Rat Poison, which will also kill a squirrel. :grouphug

[SammysMom]

Remember that you want to SPREAD it out over 24 hours. Don't give it all at once.

[RubySquirrel]

I checked the tums wrapper again there is no mention of the Vitamin D just says extra strength 750mg tums. I gave her abuot .3ml right now. i will give her more in a few hours and so on.





Thank you so much for this help you all are great people

[SammysMom]

Perfect! This should help in a few days. Please keep us in the loop. I will be saying many prayers for a wonderful outcome for your baby.

[RubySquirrel]

I am supposed to take her to the vet in the morning (7:30am est) for the steroid injection. Does this sound like MBD or like a an injury ?

[SammysMom]

I can only say what I would do and I am not an expert. I would hold off unless you really feel she had a fall. The thing is, a fall can cause injury because of the MBD. I don't think there is a benefit to steroids for MBD. Do you feel she had a fall?

[SammysMom]

May I ask who your vet is?

[island rehabber]

RubySquirrel, you are getting excellent advice here so I won't muddy up the waters. Just a question: when you think back over the past week, was she doing ANYTHING unusual, or NOT doing something she normally does? I am trying to see if this is what it looks like: the onset of Metabolic Bone Disease, or is it a back injury. I would not give her antibiotics, no.....but if she did injure herself the steroid shot actually could help.....think back for a moment and let us know.

[RubySquirrel]

IF there is no benefit to MBD, then would it hurt to do both the tums and the injections ? the injection is an anti inflammatory.

[island rehabber]

I would go with both the MBD treatment AND the injection, yes. The antibiotics, no -- we are not seeing signs of an infection and why mess up her GI system for no reason, which antibiotics nearly always do.

[RubySquirrel]

Now that you say something abouty it in the past week she has been sleeping more and a few days she was acting very sluggish. We thought maybe she was not feeling well because the next day she was playing like normal .


The vet is not an exotic vet. there are no vets like that with in a 75 mile range .

[SammysMom]

Okay, so no antibiotic and one shot of steroid may be the way to go, but do NOT stop or slow down on the Tums. What brand of block has she been eating and how many does she actually eat per day?

[island rehabber]

Now that you say something abouty it in the past week she has been sleeping more and a few days she was acting very sluggish. We thought maybe she was not feeling well because the next day she was playing like normal .


.

RubySquirrel, it is possible that the early onset of MBD was causing her sluggishness and now the weakness in the back end confirms it. It is ALSO possible that because of the weakness in her hind legs, she fell and injured herself. So, you are treating two situations at once with the MBD protocol AND the steroid shots, and I think it's the way to go.

[RubySquirrel]

She eats more nuts than blocks. I will have to ask my wife about the blocks she gets them from the pet store. But if i need to ill go anywhere to get her what she needs.

[SammysMom]

NO MORE NUTS!!! No matter how pathetic she acts. henryspets.com has what I think are the best blocks available. The Picky formula is what I use.
I have to go to bed, but if you have questons or concerns post. Others will be here and we will be back in the morning. For now, keep giving that calcium every so often overnight and tomorrow if possible. Steady levels of blood calcium levels are important.
Goodnight and God bless.... Many prayers for all of you...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[island rehabber]

You'll have to cut the nuts out completely for awhile. (I know, she'll be so mad...) but it is a matter of life & death. Pet or captive squirrels should not get more than one, maybe two nuts per day at the most. You need to keep her calcium very high right now, which will happen when you follow the MBD treatment, and nuts will only drag it down and keep her from recovering.

[Nancy in New York]

I'm not sure if you were given the link to the blocks.
These are made by a member here who has researched squirrel's nutritional needs for
years.
Get the blocks for picky eaters.

http://www.henryspets.com/

edit: Here's the link to the healthy diet.
You can feed foods from group 1 and 2 freely.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[RubySquirrel]

Thank you all for the help. And i will take the nuts out of the diet completely for a while. I am reading the sites advise for diet.



Thank you all for this help. I just want the best for her.


We have recurred a lot of different animals over the years and work close with the local animal shelter. This is our first squirrel. we found her on our front porch 6 months ago just out of the pinky stage

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you for helping this little darling.
She sure was lucky to have found her way to you.
I too will be signing off for the evening.
Remember to keep up the Tums and water throughout the first 24 hour period
as indicated. Follow the directions closely what I posted below from the protocol.

"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."

This will help maintain her calcium levels.

[lilidukes]

Did your vet do an x-ray??
Might want to ask your vet for Tramadol for pain. It's safe
to use with Dex.

Dex is considered by some to be old school but I have
personally had a good number of positive results using
it. I agree with ir that no ab's are needed here. But I
would offer a probiotic such as yogurt or benebac as
the Dex is hard on the system too.

A heating pad and rice buddies are very benificial to the
healing process.

I'm in the upstate and if their is anything you need please
contact me.

[island rehabber]

:thankyou lilidukes -- good to know you are in the general area!

[RubySquirrel]

Ruby update:

We just got back from the vet. I asked him if he had ever heard of MBD and he just looked at me funny. Not giving me the best of confidence. Any way i am continuing the MBD treatment. One thing that worries me is she has not used the bathroom ( pee pee ) since yesterday. but i think that could be because she can not stand to have pee on her at all . We were able to get her to use the bath room with a wet towel.

I am going to keep giving her the MBD treatment and hope for the best.

[island rehabber]

Good thinking, making her go. She may be dehydrated so make sure she gets her fluids. With all due respect, in this case your vet should probably not be the final word for you on squirrel matters. :)

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

you may have to stimulate her for a few days until, everything starts working again.
You should see a big change in just a week or two. Unless she has injured her self.
PLEASE make sure you give her plenty of nice cool water, even if you must syringe it into her between the tums.
Do you have a heating pad? it must be where he can not chew it, and must be on low , just in a corner so he can get on or off it as he needs.

[jbtartell]

ruby, can you post her xrays?? and I was wondering were in sc are u, I have a wonderful vet here who deals with lots of squirrel daily.. maybe I can help you.. xrays show bone density which will determine MBD.. if I can help let me know. I have a boy I got in who could not hardly walk from MBD and now he is jumping across the room, my vet is wonderful..

[RubySquirrel]

I am going in tomorrow to the vet. I will see if i can get the copy of the xray

[SammysMom]

I hope that you see improvement. We are all praying for her recovery. Stimulating her each time you give her fluids is probably a good idea. How much of the calcium have you gotten into her and is she okay about taking it?

[jbtartell]

soo where are you located in sc.. anywhere near charlotte or Spartanburg?

[RubySquirrel]

I am in hartsville sc. Its a very small town.


She loves to take the tums she has gotten about 400 mg since 11 pm last night . I just gave her another dose about 5 minutes ago. We have not left her side in two days. I sleep on the coach and watch her during the day and my wife takes her at night in the bed. I know it sounds crazy

[SammysMom]

Sure doesn't sound crazy to me...:rofl4
Sounds like you love her and are willing to go the extra mile for her... Does she seem any more active today?

[RubySquirrel]

She is not eating her rat block. is there a formula we can give her to supplement food until we find out if this is going to work. Like puppy milk or goats milk ?

[jbtartell]

you are not that far from me Ruby... soo anything I can do to help I will:thumbsup

[SammysMom]

You can get Esbilac Puppy formula as long as it says "contains probiotics" on the can. If it doesn't say that it is the old formula and not good for squirrels.

[jbtartell]

I have some extra formula FV if you think she will take it that is a good thing. is she moving her leg or tail at all now

[jbtartell]

SM which do you think is better because I have them both.. FV and the good espilac

[SammysMom]

Thank-you so much Laura!!! The FV would be my choice. Are you close by?

[RubySquirrel]

She is the same she was holding her tail up a little this morning but it could be because the way the vet put her back in the carrier . if you put a little presser on her back toes she pulls them away with more power. But the vet told me that was an involuntary move but i am not sure what to believe from that guy.

[SammysMom]

The vet is an idiot. If you pinch the toes and she moves, she feels it and is responding.

[jbtartell]

I am about 77 miles from ruby 1hr 30 minutes but I am here to help and do have a wonderful vet, she deals with MBD also, she is the best I have come across.. I have a brand new bag of fv I can give ruby.. just let me know.. I can mail it or they are welcome to come get it.. :thumbsup

[jbtartell]

I don't know about you all but I am not sure the shots are the best to go with. unless she is injured.. cause to me it is like guessing..

[RubySquirrel]

We just called the pet store here that have what you suggested. Shuold we be seeing more improve ment by now ? should i increase the amount or decrease the time between each dose ?

We wait about 2-3 hours between giving her the tums

[jbtartell]

ruby I pm you my number if you need any thing call.. if I don't answer text or leave message I have a 2 yr old that requires a lot of attention and also 3 greys and 2 flyers..lol soo I will call u right back..lol right now the 2yr old has just got up from nap.. soo I have to go but like I said I am here..

[SammysMom]

We just called the pet store here that have what you suggested. Shuold we be seeing more improve ment by now ? should i increase the amount or decrease the time between each dose ?

We wait about 2-3 hours between giving her the tums

I see that a member nearby has Fox Valley formula that she can get to you. Probably in the interest of speed, you should get the Esbilac. Since she is an adult, you might want to also get some Ensure (for humans nutrition drink) They have butter pecan flavor that seems to be popular with squirrels or vanilla too. It has a lot of sugar so I would only use it to flavor the Esbilac if she doesn't take it without it. As far as the calcium, as long as you are sure she is getting it all into her every 2 hours should be fine. Is she eating anything else? You may want to offer juicy fruits for the hydration. Watermelon, or peeled grapes are good ones if she will eat them. You really want to puch the hydration so water with juice added in the syringe may be something to try too.

[lilidukes]

I don't know about you all but I am not sure the shots are the best to go with. unless she is injured.. cause to me it is like guessing..

Laura the Dex is a good thing. A steriod will help
her heal faster and will increase her appitite too.

RubSql gentle movement of her legs is needed.
This will keep good blood flow to the feet. Just
gently stretch the legs and bend the knees a few
times a day. I'm very tickled to hear that she responded
to a pinch. This is VERY good!!!!!

:grouphug:grouphug

[RubySquirrel]

Is it normal she is not using her back half of her body at all on her own . she does respond to a light pinch on her feet but does not move her back legs or tail at all on her own


It just seems so bleak


jbtartell i sent you a PM

[SammysMom]

It is typical of both MBD and spine injuries to lose the use of the back end of their body. It is also very possible to regain the use in both of those cases through therapy and calcium treatments. As Lilidikes said, move her legs for her to keep the bloodflow going. Like that old exercise "the bicycle" only very slowly and gently. Just to keep her blood flowing and her muscles moving. Watch for small improvements too.

By the way... I LOVE those big pink earsies!!!

[stepnstone]

It just seems so bleak


:nono Do not under estimate these babies...
These baby's are very resilient and have amazing healing power!

[Duckman]

One thing about MBD is that it is extremely painful. One reason she may not be using her back legs is because it is painful to do so. Are you using anything to help with pain? If the vet did not prescribe any pain meds, you might need to start her on Infant Ibuprofen. Not the adult or childs IB, but infant and it is very important not to use Acetaminophen, as that is poison to the squirrel. Sammysmom or anyone here can dose it for you, you will just have to provide a weight for them.

[SammysMom]

No ibuprofen if the pred is given though. Just be sure to let us know everything she has had and when she had it before adding anything to the mix.

[Nancy in New York]

:nono Do not under estimate these babies...
These baby's are very resilient and have amazing healing power!


Oh yes they do step!
As far as something for pain, ask the vet if they will give you some
tramadol, that can be given with Prednisone.

[Duckman]

Thank you for keeping me straight Gayle. I thought she didn't get the Pred shot. I wish that vet had prescribed something though.

[SammysMom]

Honestly, I was not sure if she got it or was getting it tomorrow. I thought I had better mention it though. It is so easy to forget and this vet doesn't sound too squirrel-knowledgeable.

[lilidukes]

Dex and Ib no no no!!!!!!!!!!!:eek

[SammysMom]

No IB, but Tramadol is okay, right?

[lilidukes]

tramadol is safe it's very mild but effective
Buprenex (sp) is safe but is super strong

[RubySquirrel]

Well we go back to the vet in the morning for her last injection. Some one told me it could also be kidney stop working. Are there any blood tests i need to tell the vet to do ?



I have been giving her the tums for almost 24 hours now. I will continue with the treatment. I am going to call a wildlife person tomorrow in town to see if there is anything else i can do .


She is so sad. We have not left her side. Just wish there was more i could do



I cant thank you all enough for the support. Ill keep updating as we go

[SammysMom]

Is she eating or taking formula? Has there been any sign of improvement at all?

[RubySquirrel]

no improvement in her legs or tail she just drags her self around. She is eating forumla and the tums meds. I read that kidney failure can have the same effect. I am going to try to post the xray tomorrow . i have an HD scanner so hopefully some one can help

[SammysMom]

If you request it, I would bet that the vet can email you the x-rays and then you can post them here. Give it time and stay the course of Tums and formula. Kidney failure seems like an odd thing to just have happen. She is far more likely to have MBD which is a very common thing to have happen. Continue the Tums and we will continue to pray. If you feel gently down her spine is there anything that feels out of whack?

[RubySquirrel]

We checked her spine nothing feels strange. The xray looks clear to me and the vet ( but i have said before he is not a squirrel vet). I am going to try to get her to see "sammysmom" vet.

[SammysMom]

I think you mean JBtartel's vet. :grin3

[RubySquirrel]

Yes Sorry i have not had much sleep.

[RubySquirrel]

I am not giving up on the MBD treatment at all. I have noticed that she is shivering. but the shivering only happens on the top half of her body. she does not willing move the bottom half of her body at all unless you you do a light pinch on her back toes

[SammysMom]

You are moving her legs gently for her, right? To keep circulation going and muscle movement?

[RubySquirrel]

Yes we have been moving them to the the blood flowing

[SammysMom]

Just be careful about what the vet gives her. No antibiotic especially injectables like Convenia. There have been issues with other squirrels with those type. Also remember that Tramadol is the one that can be used with Prednisone. Others react badly when used together.

[jbtartell]

I gave ruby my vet info and I am positive ruby will be in great hands.. hope she can get in fast.. good luck ruby and I am here for anything you need..:grouphug:thumbsup

[SammysMom]

Thank you for that generous offer laura! I encourzged ruby to get to yiur squirrel experienced vet. I believe they will call today.:thumbsup

[jbtartell]

Thanks. Hope she goes.. If there are any sc squirrels that need help please do not hesitate to call or email me I am always here just busy chasing a 2 yr old..lol but I am alway a call away or email :thumbsup

[SammysMom]

Do I have your vet's information on my list? I am trying to compile a squirrel friendly vet list by state. If you prefer, I will not give out the name without your permission. I have notes with each vet's name saying who recommended and whether they can be contacted or not. Would you be willing to give me the contact info?

[jbtartell]

Do I have your vet's information on my list? I am trying to compile a squirrel friendly vet list by state. If you prefer, I will not give out the name without your permission. I have notes with each vet's name saying who recommended and whether they can be contacted or not. Would you be willing to give me the contact info?

yes I will pm you the info

[SammysMom]

:thankyou

[jbtartell]

they have apt with my vet Friday and then I hope to get to meet ruby and them meet all my babes.. I wish they could have got in sooner than Friday but he is goin to try to get xrays to take with them.. I am soo glad she will see dr laura..:grin3:Love_Icon

[RubySquirrel]

Thank you all our vet is useless. we set up an appointment with jbtartell Vet. We go in on Friday at 4pm. We are keeping up with the tums treatment.today i was holding her and she twitched her back legs because her leg was in the bad spot. you all are the greatest. I will keep updating you as we go along

[jbtartell]

this is all soo glad to hear...:grouphug I am pray for ruby and u and ur wife:grouphug bless ur hearts, it is hard to watch your baby suffer.. but u know the end results.. just keep with it, :thumbsup you are doing great..

[RubySquirrel]

I just wanted to give everyone an update. We are still giving Ruby the MBD treatment. To day she moved her back half twice that we noticed.

I read on this site that she should be showing more improvement at this point. I am worried she is not improving the way others have . Should i be using a better source of calcium then tums ? We are taking her to a good squirrel vet on Friday. Are there any questions i should ask when i get there ?


She is eating more and using the restroom more offend that she was. We keep her clean so she does not get any urine burns.

[jbtartell]

Ruby, they all heal differently and it will take a long time to get where she was. Just keep up with what you are doing. U will wake up one day and she will be pacing her cage begging to get out. Just takes time, have u got her xrays yet? Would love to see them. Also eating more is a great sign:thumbsup new pics?

[SammysMom]

Nobody knows how quickly the treatment will work or even if it will work. The fact that she is moving is a good sign. I would really try to have the carefully go over her body to see if he finds signs of injury. That is one big concern. Just keep up the good work with the calcium. You can get calcium from henryspets.com, but at this point the Tums is just fine. Just follow the guidelines on the MBD protocol as far as the amount to give and be sure to spread the doses out over the whole day to keep her blood levels as steady as possible.:grouphug

[jbtartell]

I know itis hard not to worry, but I will give u some comfort in assuring u my vet will not leave nothing unchecked and she will give best treatment possible. She is very squirrel knowledgeable. And has a wonderful bedside manner, she cares as much as we do... cant wait to hear from you all. Kiss her nose for me:grin3:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

Waiting for that vet info Laura! She sounds wonderful and I am dying to get her on the list!:grin3

[MJS]

:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug

[grampyngramy]

Go Ruby. You can do it.

[jbtartell]

Waiting for that vet info Laura! She sounds wonderful and I am dying to get her on the list!:grin3

Sorry I will get it to u.. lol hands full and I do mean full lol 2yr old running house hold at the moment :tap lol

[farrelli]

I just quickly looked through this again and did not see an answer as to what kind of blocks you give. Did you answer that? Some blocks are crap, made with corn, seeds, etc. I'd worry that they might be the bad kind and either loaded with phosphorous which blocks calcium absorption, or don't have any vitamin D, without which calcium isn't absorbed. Too much D is toxic, but a good block provides the right amount. So, what kind are you giving? Did I miss it?

[SammysMom]

I think i remember that they came from walmart. I think that is usually kaytee. The henrys blocks from henryspets.com are reall y the best in my opinion and they usually like them better.

[SammysMom]

How is our friend Ruby doing today?:poke:Love_Icon

[RubySquirrel]

Hello,

Ruby is doing ok . We are still keeping up with the MBD treatment. Tomorrow we go to the new vet.


The store was out of the fomula we were getting her is "pro-Biolac" powdered puppy milk ok to give to her tonight ? Tomorrow we are getting the Fox valley formula.

[SammysMom]

Is she gaining any movement?

[RubySquirrel]

every now and then she will move her back legs shortly and spread her toes out. Her old vet said that its all involuntary.

[lilidukes]

every now and then she will move her back legs shortly and spread her toes out. Her old vet said that its all involuntary.

Even if it is involuntary it is movement.....this is always a positive.
So glad your going to see Dr Laura tomorrow. Looking forward to
hearing what she thinks.

Sending Ruby and her parents lots of prayers and healing vibes:grouphug

[RubySquirrel]

The store was out of the fomula we were getting her is "pro-Biolac" ok until we get the fox valley tomorrow ?

[lilidukes]

The store was out of the fomula we were getting her is "pro-Biolac" ok until we get the fox valley tomorrow ?


Yes:thumbsup

[RubySquirrel]

Well the vet we were taking ruby to is not the vet we use for our other animals. It was the only vet in our area that would see her. We heard some horror stories about this vet over the past few days. When we went in to the vet today to get the xray he tried to talk my wife in to putting her down so she will not be going back to that vet.

[SammysMom]

God, thank you for coming here and knowing that putting her down is NOT the only potential answer to her problems. It seems that whenever there is a question, the answer for some vets is "put to sleep". :shakehead

[RubySquirrel]

You all have been so helpful and given us hope. If there is anything i can do to help the board please let me know.

[jbtartell]

Ruby is on her way to see dr laura.. and then to visit me:grin3 soo glad she is getting to see dr laura..:Love_Icon and of course me:crazy

[SammysMom]

I could not remember when the appointment was and have been thinking of Ruby all day. Glad she is seeing both a good vet and you so you can see her with your squirrel-savvy eyes!:grouphug

[jbtartell]

O lol I would not call my eyes that..lol I just wanna put my hands on her, and they wanna put their hands on my babies..lol :grin3

[jbtartell]

Ok they were there awhile but I will let them tell u what was said but I did see ruby and pet her sweet little head.. I have faith she will recover in time but we will have to wait and see.. I gave him some fv and some supplies and loaned him my cage soo she will have a more confined area.. sooo say your prayers for her TSB angels... she needs them :Love_Icon

[MJS]

:grouphug RUBY SQUIRREL :grouphug THANK YOU JBT!!!

[SammysMom]

Thank-you Laura... I am so glad that Ruby had your help!:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[RubySquirrel]

Thank you so much jbtartell. She loves the FV milk.


The vet noticed a birth defect on her spine. She belives that an injury compounded with MBD caused her condition.

The vet was able to verify that she does have some feeling in her legs but less in her tail. Ruby is now on metacam for pain. She taught us a better way to express her bladder.

We are going to continue the MBD treatment and make sure we keep the blood flowing in her legs. In two weeks we are going to see if there is any improvement.



Thank you all


p.s. Thank you su much jbtartell i cant say that enough.

[jbtartell]

you are more than welcome :grouphug hope she gets better.. I have faith she will just takes time like I told you lastnight.. one day in about a month you may wake up and find her pacing back and forth wanting out of that little cage.. soo hows she doing in it?? I meant to tell you to spread a blanket on the bottom..lol sure you know this though..:thumbsup kiss her wittle head from da LaLa..:Love_Icon

[RubySquirrel]

We got rubys cage ready. she crawled in and hung from the stick in the corner. As she was hanging she was trying to flick her tail . Thats the first i have seen her try to move her tail.

She is also making a chattering sound in the cage. i think that was because one of the cats got n there while we where transferring her

[Chickenlegs]

Lurking with love for sweet Ruby :Love_Icon glad she seems to be better.

[jbtartell]

You go Ruby....:grouphug

[SammysMom]

:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[RubySquirrel]

Since its not such an emergency anymore where should i post to update about Ruby? or should i just keep posting here

[SammysMom]

Keep it here and I will move it to non-emergency...:thumbsup

[jbtartell]

Hows ruby doing?

[jbtartell]

how is ruby??

[SammysMom]

I too would love to hear about Ruby's progress...:Love_Icon

[jbtartell]

I call them today and she has not regained anymore of her legs... she is the same... I have an idea but I want to talk with him first before I say anything... don't want to over shoot.. lol:grin3 :Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

It sounds like Lilidukes is willing to do some therapy with Ruby. It sounds to me like this would be a terrific idea if it works out for you and your wife. Lilidukes is a very seasoned rehabber who has brought other squirrels with similar issues around to great health and mobility. I also know that she will do this and return Ruby to her family with no question. If you think of it as a short stay in a facility for physical therapy it doesn't sound so bad.
I don't know if you saw the thread about Roxy, but you might want to go and take a look at it. Roxy's mom and dad had a really hard time letting me, a stranger, take their baby, but they did it for her. Reuniting her with her mom and dad in good health was a wonderful experience! If you would like to see her thread it is:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...s-Recuperation

[jbtartell]

update on ruby. Ruby's mom and dad ave agreed to take her to lisa and let her stay for some treatment.. she needs lots of prayers..

[SammysMom]

Lots of prayers coming from here...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug Another family willing to put their faith in a more experienced person... If Ruby can get better Lisa will be able to help her. Wonderful decision!:grouphug

[lilidukes]

Ruby arrived yesterday.

Her squammy and squdaddy stayed for hours getting
her settled in and we spent time getting to know one
another. We discussed what I have planned for her
and a lot of the things they can expect if we do not
regain all 4's.

Ruby has very little feeling to the back legs. Her energy
levels are high, eyes bright but you can see she just
doesn't feel the greatest. No signs of a UTI. Legs are
very flexible but unresponsive. She does twitch the base
of her tail.

Got her up this morning to express her bladder and had
a thought.....I tried to stimulate her as I would a baby
and a wonderful solid stream of pee went off. The stomach
was contracting as babies do to go and she went ahead and
pooped too. I did check her bladder afterwards and it was
empty.
11cc's of beefed up pecan ensure has gone down twice
today and she has HHB's cut up so she can eat one handed
and veggies. Most of the food is missing out of her bowl
I'll know better tonight when I change out her fleece what
she's eaten and what she thinks she is going to save.

We have stopped the Metacam.....will start gentle water
therapy exercises tomorrow. I have Tramadol ready if she
has any signs of pain. Monday we will start on a round of
Prednisone.

Ruby and her parents need lots of hugs and prayers. Many
tears were shed over their decision to let me work with her.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

[SammysMom]

Thank-you Lilidukes... You are giving her a wonderful chance to regain a bit of what she lost. :bowdown:Love_Icon:bowdown

[PeeWee's Mom]

Sending positive thoughts and hugs your way!! Can't wait to hear about her progress!!
XO

[lilidukes]

The last time tonight I got Ruby out to use
the peepee pad I noticed when I would gently
rub the backs of her legs she can move her
back legs together. I had her feet on the counter
spread apart and she would draw them together.
Did this a couple of times just to be sure.

I've been asked about her teeth. The tops are
a little shorter than usual other than that they
are beautiful.

And again I'm seeing much thicker toenails on a
MBD squirrel.

[SammysMom]

Do her teeth seem at all "thicker" like her nails? The little girl who I had with MBD has extremely thick teeth. I am so very happy to hear that she has movement in those little legs of hers! You really are giving her a wonderful chance at recuperating!:grouphug

[lilidukes]

Do her teeth seem at all "thicker" like her nails? The little girl who I had with MBD has extremely thick teeth. I am so very happy to hear that she has movement in those little legs of hers! You really are giving her a wonderful chance at recuperating!:grouphug

Not to overly thick. As po'ed as she has been
with me today she didn't mind me checking her
teeth at all. Silly girl.
She did eat all her veggies today and a little
block. Found lots of poopies. lol

[SammysMom]

:grin3

[lilidukes]

Ruby decided not to drink any Ensure this morning. So
my little house guest got her veggies covered in calcium
and vitamins. These she ate gladly.
I barely have to touch her in order for her to empty her
bladder. Her urine has no unusual odor but is a little
darker yellow today. Thinking it may just be the extra
vitamins she's getting.
The heating pad must feel really good today since it's
rainy and a little chilly cause she has been stretched
out on it most of the day.

[SammysMom]

I am so glad that she is settling in with you! Thanks again for helping her...:grouphug

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Can you explain your water therapy???
Would love to compare notes on this :grin3
So Glad Ruby is eating well for you.

[jbtartell]

hows ruby today... I hope she is being a good girl:grouphug:Love_Icon

[lilidukes]

Ruby is much feistier today. She was waiting for veggie
bowl at the door this morning. She began chowing down
and digging to see what's on the bottom.

She is now crawling around the sides of her cage. Much more
active. But I know she's a little homesick for her family.

The back legs and feet are holding more heat and are not
as dry feeling as when she arrived. The pads were leaning
towards being a little brownish but are going back to pink.
Been massaging and stretching the muscles.

[SammysMom]

I spoke to Lilidukes tonight and she gave me some tentatively good news about our friend Ruby. She is much feistier today and Lili managed to piss her off and she STOMPED her foot and RAISED her tail up! Say a prayer for this improvement to continue...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[jbtartell]

I knew she was the best hope for her road to recovery. :Love_Icon still has a way to go but she is in great hands:thumbsup

[SammysMom]

In only 4 days...nobody was more surprised and pleased than Lilidukes!:grin3:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

:thumbsup:Love_Icon

[lilidukes]

I haven't started her on the prednisone yet because
my pred was getting a little old so we are waiting for
fresh to arrive.

I think she is done pouting about being left with me.
Today she really seems more like the Ruby who arrived
with her parents.

She has not been drinking much water and this concerns
me. Going to offer ringers by mouth. Though she is
eating a lot of veggies so she is getting natural fluids.
I made fresh blocks this morning and she is on number
3 already.

Her back feet are not very responsive, the right sometimes.
I stand her up with the feet on a pad to stimulate her.
Yesterday when I touched her she started protesting and
squirming. Like babies do when they think they're to old
for squammys help. I readjusted my hold and touched
her again and her tail flew up and she raised the left leg
and then lowered it very quickly. I looked at her and
said did you just stomp your foot at me? So I touched
her again and up went the tail and leg. Sure did surprise
and tickle me

Let's see what today brings?

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Watching their little bodies come back to life is such a wonderful sight to behold.

Is she a new resident or is she just visiting?

Good girl Ruby, we want you to be joining the Rockets reallll soon CM

[lilidukes]

Watching their little bodies come back to life is such a wonderful sight to behold.

Is she a new resident or is she just visiting?

Good girl Ruby, we want you to be joining the Rockets reallll soon CM

Ruby is just visiting. She is a beloved pet and letting
her come to me was a very difficult decision for her
family. I tell her to hurry up and get back on all 4's
so she can go home. :grin2

SSM call me some time when you have time to talk
and I will try to explain my water therapy method.

[Nancy in New York]

Glad she likes your baking and is doing better, and feisty is ALWAYS a good thing!
:thumbsup

[RubySquirrel]

Thank you so much for your help. Gives us hope to her she is doing well. We cant wait for her to come home.

[lilidukes]

Thank you so much for your help. Gives us hope to her she is doing well. We cant wait for her to come home.

I offer no promises as to what will be.
I do offer Ruby my very best assistance in trying to
heal and be whole again.

She was all wrapped up in Shannons shirt today. It
brought her comfort.:grouphug:grouphug

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

:thumbsup

[MJS]

:Love_Icon :grouphug :grouphug :grouphug :Love_Icon

[lilidukes]

I've gotten her started on Prednisone. Ruby's overall health
is much better. She has stopped losing weight her coat is
getting softer and is taking on a shine. She eats like a champ
excited to check out her bowl every day. Snatches block
out first most of the time. I relented a little yesterday by
giving her a pecan in shell. And she was able to crack the
shell on her own.
Ruby was very fast with just her front legs when she arrived
now she is faster and much stronger.

[SammysMom]

:thankyoufor this terrific report!!!:grouphug

[PeeWee's Mom]

Hooray!! Go Ruby Gooooo!!!

[jbtartell]

yayyy for you and ruby I knew you could help now lets see what the pred does.. just give it up to a week but with Alex it was 3 days when he showed difference of improvement...:Love_Icon

[lilidukes]

There may or may not of been some movement of Ruby's
back right toes this morning.
A lot of tail flicking today.
BUT I'm not happy here... I fell like her rear half is still
deteriorating even with all I'm doing.
Sure could use some input, suggestions, have I forgotten
something????????????????

[SammysMom]

I am so sorry that it isn't going as well as you had hoped. I think that what you are forgetting is that it takes more time than we want it to. Just keep doing what you are doing and we will keep the prayers coming. Prayers and Prednisone are a very nice combination along with your therapy!
:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[jbtartell]

Give Ruby LaLa kisses... if you can :eek

[lilidukes]

I will have to bring her with me Friday. So you can
give her lots of kisses then. She's a sweet thing for
sure:grouphug

[SammysMom]

How's she doing Lilidukes? :Love_Icon

[lilidukes]

I'm not happy....not happy at all!

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

LILI what color is her skin in the back area? Is she pink all over or is the area in question a different color, like grayish?

Maybe something in her back is pinched, so the blood flow is not right? Too bad she can't go to a chiropractor. I don't understand why the back end doesn't work but she can use her tail.........sounds like a slipped disc...

[grampyngramy]

All we can offer is prayers. Many prayers for you.

[lilidukes]

LILI what color is her skin in the back area? Is she pink all over or is the area in question a different color, like grayish?

Maybe something in her back is pinched, so the blood flow is not right? Too bad she can't go to a chiropractor. I don't understand why the back end doesn't work but she can use her tail.........sounds like a slipped disc...

Laura has a chiropractor who will see squirrels?????

She is nice and pink now. But was not when she arrived.

I feel like the rear end is deteriorating. She is not stiff.
Her spine feels knotty and you can feel every vertebrae.

Ruby's over all health has improved. Fur is softer and
beginning to shine. She must have some pain because
she stays on her heating pad or lays in the sun a lot.
She eats her hhb's 3-4 every day. I've increased her
protein and calcium intake. Cleans her veggie plate
always. Chews on her antlers and a tums daily.

We've done 5 days of Prednisone going to keep her on
it a little longer.
She pees when stimulated, her urine turned dark a couple
of days ago so I started her on SMZ to be safe. This has
cleared right up but going to keep her on it for 10 days.

Her cage is 18"x18"x4'. She climbs, hangs and moves
around as she likes. Gets excited about food like all the
others. Has good energy.

[SammysMom]

:grouphug:Love_IconLilidukes:Love_Icon:grouphug

[jbtartell]

I can ask my chiropractor to see her.. I am not sure if he will charge or not but he did great with my Sam.. he has a laser he uses that promotes healing.. but we are talking 2 -3 visits a week.. for 2 wks then 1 till she is healed. I was going to take peanut/ zeke to him but he has been doing good. if the family wants me to check in to getting her in with him I may could get by with 2 visits a wk... he is wonderful. but that is totally up to them and what lisa thinks. I don't know much about these situations just what lisa teaches me:)

[lilidukes]

After very long thoughts, speaking with Ruby's family and a
few members. I think it is in Ruby's best interest for her to
go home. I can teach her parents everything that I am doing
and they have the time and desire to continue helping her
recover as much as she can.
I am strongly recommending that she be taken to Dr Dan for
another exam. I believe that blood work and another Xray
would be beneficial. This vet is much more open minded in
treating squirrels with disabilities like Ruby's. Need to be
sure that there is no other underlying problems.
Ruby's demeanor is very subdued with me. When her family
was here she was very outgoing and spunky. She is homesick
and this has a lot to do with my decision. Truly believe she
needs a healthy spirit as well as good health care.:grouphug

[SammysMom]

I know that if you feel Ruby should go home, then Ruby should go home. She will be happier and happy is far more conducive to recovering. It was your intention to get her on the road to recovery and to assess her physical needs and you did that wonderfully. Thank-you from all of us for going far above and beyond for this sweet girl. Now she returns to her family and lives a happy life with people who love her like their child. What could be better than that?:thankyou:Love_Icon:thankyou

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

I think it is wise to let her go home, if she misses them that much, her health may go down hill due to depression.
Now they have the proper tools to have her be a healthy squirrel , the rest will follow.
Even if she never gets full use of her back legs, she will do better if she is happy, I agree whole heatedly to let her go home.

[lilidukes]

Ruby's headed home tonight. :thumbsup

Little girl was so happy to see her family. When it was time to
get in her carrier she took off back to her cage to get a pecan
she had hidden. :eek

She will be missed here. Happy little monkey girl :grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[SammysMom]

Thank-you so much for all you did for Ruby! I am so happy for her and for her family. You really gave her a new lease on life!:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug