Hello All

[TreeMan15]

Been using your forum for a few months now and decided to go ahead and join. On my second round of raising orphans. The first round was last spring and this one was this fall. I am a tree trimmer by trade and always run into orphaned babies when we top or remove trees. The first round was an eye opener and with all the help from this forum we were successful in raising and releasing 2 boys and a girl. The second round was a success with 2 girls. However upon release we had to rescue one back because I believe it may have been too early for her. So now she's a spoiled little inside/outside (screened in back porch) brat..LOL. "Charlie" has been a lot of fun for both me and my retired parents, with my mother having spoiled her totally rotten beyond any possibility of help. She's a Missouri Red with plenty of the red-head attitude. I look forward to posting on the threads and meeting all of you soon. Also, with spring right around the corner, if there is anyone in the northern half of Missouri who has room for orphans, let me know as we always run into some here and there.

[TreeMan15]

249898

[wdlady59]

Welcome Treeman!! I'm really a newbie around here even though I'm listed as a Senior member. There's an enormous amount of awesome information on these boards as you have seen that can save wee ones lives. Some of the others will be along after while! Bless you for helping out those your work displaces... One piece of advice I can offer, since my precious girl Tasha is suffering because I didn't heed these folks advice early on, is to STUDY, STUDY, STUDY what an optimal squirrel diet MUST CONSIST OF!!! Even if the squirrels you've raised survived fine on what you've been feeding thus far, trust me when I tell you that MBD will kill and/or paralyze these precious little angels! I'm doing everything I possibly can to help my dear little angel survive and hopefully walk again. She's currently paralyzed in her back end. Sorry for preaching, but I'd give anything if I'd listened from the start... Anyways, again, WELCOME!!!:Welcome What a cutie!!! What's her name???

[island rehabber]

:Welcome to the best nuthouse on the 'net! I'm curious as to what you call a "Missouri Red" squirrel....I have a feeling you mean a fox squirrel -- like these guys? :clara1:orlando:foxer1

As I'm sure you've figured out by hanging around here, we LOVE PIX -- post 'em if you got 'em! :tilt

[TreeMan15]

MBD is a super scary thing! I worry about Charlie a lot but don't have access to bigger city pet stores with things like "Monkey Chow" and others. What are some of the things you recommend as a diet...having gone thru the experiences you have? It is very hard to not spoil these things by giving them only what they want...I know..I'm weak! We have cut way back on the pecans and walnuts with her main diet consisting of lettuce, cabbage, green beans, corn, sweet potatos, a few grapes once in a while, carrots, and broccoli. I would like to find a good rodent mix to ensure a better diet...something maybe found a walmart??

[TreeMan15]

:Welcome to the best nuthouse on the 'net! I'm curious as to what you call a "Missouri Red" squirrel....I have a feeling you mean a fox squirrel -- like these guys? :clara1:orlando:foxer1

As I'm sure you've figured out by hanging around here, we LOVE PIX -- post 'em if you got 'em! :tilt

LOL..yes a Fox Squirrel. Growing up we always called them greys and reds..but she doesn't think she's a "Fox Squirrel"...shhh! She thinks she's one of us! LOL!!

[island rehabber]

MBD is a super scary thing! I worry about Charlie a lot but don't have access to bigger city pet stores with things like "Monkey Chow" and others. What are some of the things you recommend as a diet...having gone thru the experiences you have? It is very hard to not spoil these things by giving them only what they want...I know..I'm weak! We have cut way back on the pecans and walnuts with her main diet consisting of lettuce, cabbage, green beans, corn, sweet potatos, a few grapes once in a while, carrots, and broccoli. I would like to find a good rodent mix to ensure a better diet...something maybe found a walmart??

Lose the corn -- ASAP! Loaded with phosphorous and leeches the calcium from her blood :nono
She needs more dark green leafies in her diet.....try kale, escarole, chickory.
But the BEST thing you can do for her is order Henry's Healthy Blocks and give her 2 per day. That takes care of all the calcium and vitamins she needs so that she will not develop MBD. The website is www.Henryshealthypets.com. Start with a bag of Adult Formula blocks. I have been feeding them to both my rehab squirrels and my NR's since the first batch was made years ago, and I swear by them.

[TreeMan15]

Charlie Growing Up

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[TreeMan15]

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[SugarHill]

these pictures are absolutely adorable!! I just love it! The Henry's food really is the best way to ensure Charlie gets exactly what she needs. If she's spoiled and used to getting her way (all of mine sure are; it's impossible not to!), it may take some coaxing, patience, and good old fashioned tough love but it's for her own good. I also order stuff from Chris's Squirrel Store (or Chris's Squirrels and More). Their number is (860) 749-1129. I usually just call in my orders with them and the woman I talk to is really helpful.

[wdlady59]

Awwww, how sweet! Ditto.. what Island Rehabber said! They MUST HAVE the blocks.That was where I screwed up to begin with. I stopped giving Tasha the blocks, and then I neglected to feed her a balanced diet. There is a Squirrel Nutrition thread I highly recommend you and your mother memorize. If you doubt what can happen to your baby, go check out my thread under emergency help needed. You have to use tough love with her. My poor Tasha is getting better, but whether she'll ever walk again remains to be seen. The calcium/phosphorus imbalance thing is so serious. Henry's Healthy Pets can supply you with EVERYTHING you need, and the owner Leigh is SUPER friendly and helpful. I share my experience because it's easier to prevent than cure MBD. Your baby is ADORABLE!!! Good job raising her! Now just protect her future...:Love_Icon

[Annabelle's papa]

Lose the corn -- ASAP! Loaded with phosphorous and leeches the calcium from her blood :nono
She needs more dark green leafies in her diet.....try kale, escarole, chickory.
But the BEST thing you can do for her is order Henry's Healthy Blocks and give her 2 per day. That takes care of all the calcium and vitamins she needs so that she will not develop MBD. The website is www.Henryshealthypets.com. Start with a bag of Adult Formula blocks. I have been feeding them to both my rehab squirrels and my NR's since the first batch was made years ago, and I swear by them.



:wave123 Greeting's TreeMan15, and :Welcome To The Squirrel Board. You just joined a World Wide forum with member's from every corner of the "Earth", And they post Everyday about all of the Beautiful and Exotic Squirrel's that they are caring for. :thumbsup And all of North America is Represented here from Alaska, and Canada to way down in Costa Rica!!! :w00t All the Good Folk's here will help You take care of Your Fuzzer's, as Good as They take care of Their Own.:Love_Icon As Island Rehabber posted above, That website is The First Place To Start, For The Best Health of a Squirrel! :serene

[farrelli]

Apparently you haven;t seen the proper diet guide? Here it is:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

People here live by it. Most of the problems we see come through the doors are diet related. This diet guide will provide the best nutrition anyone knows to give. If you have any questions, ask.

As to the Henry's blocks, yes, they are the gold standard. If you're on a budget, many people just give one a day in combination with cheaper blocks like Oxbow or Harlan Teklad. If that's still not an option, tell us and we can work with you.

If they haven;t had blocks before, they may not like them. If so, again, ask. We've been down that path a million times before.

[SammysMom]

Charlie is adorable!!!:Love_Icon
I will just ditto what everyone else has said. Diet is everything!
:Welcometo the world of squirrels:Love_Icon

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

What a precious squirrel. I gave my squirrel MBD by feeding it corn, so like Island rehabber said,stop that:grin2 . Not sure if Walmart has any good Rodent Blocks, but try a pet store. If you don't have a "City pet Store" you may have feed stores, they carry rodent blocks.

[HappyLittleSquirrely]

http://www.southeasternoutdoors.com/wildlife/rehabilitators/missouri-rehabilitators.html

[TreeMan15]

Thank You everybody for the warm welcome!! As I stated, I have been referring to this site for several months now and understand that diet is everything. I have trouble with getting things online as I don't use credit or debit cards..(I know, I am old school) so I am kinda stuck with things I can get at good old Wally World. We don't have a pet shop here so I may have to ask you all for a good recipe for homemade blocks. I have searched the forum and have seen several recipes, however it is difficult to choose one or two in particular. Any suggestions for a few of the better ones that a first timer is capable of succeeding at?
As far as Charlie, thank you all for the kind comments! She is quite the handful! "Charlie" was unintentionally thought to be a boy at first, so that's how the name came about. My crew and I were removing a storm damaged Maple tree last fall when one of the crew found her and her sister in a hollow void of one of the main leaders. This being my second go around with orphans, I brought them home and noticed they were very malnourished, as you can see in the pictures. Lots of warm Ebsilac and plenty of love and attention and they grew up very well. We turned them loose at the same time, however the dominant one of the two seemed to make it fine, but after a few days we noticed that Charlie was very withdrawn and was trying to nest in the box feeder we have on the tree. I waited for the opportunity to catch her while she was in the feeder box asleep after work one day. She didn't put up much of a struggle as I picked her up and put her on my shoulder..only trying once to climb back down my pant leg. After bringing her inside we gave her all the water she wanted as she was quite dehydrated. I know I should have probably given her pedialyte but we didn't have any at the time and she came around very well after a lot of water and all the food she could eat. It took her a couple of weeks to finally gain her weight back but she did very well. This was about 2 months ago and now she is almost fat. We keep her in the back screened in porch in a very large wooden cage that I built for the first litter we raised. She has everything she wants to play with and chew on, even some things she's not supposed to..haha..like the blinds and the chairs. I built it with 3 levels without plans..just trying to think like a squirrel...cost me almost $300 in materials but I didn't want her to feel like it was captivity. We put a shoe box with t-shirts in it and old fleece blanket pieces around the outside to keep her plenty warm, and hung a rope from the ceiling of it to play with. We also put 5 or 6 stuffed bears and animals in there from when she was a baby. Any time I have a tree job I bring home long tree limbs with various types of buds and leaves on them for her to explore. I'm definitely looking forward to spring when I can grow her some fresh grass to play in and give her some new buds to taste. The only concerns I have with her now are the fact that she just shreds my me and my mother's hands and arms. Found a few threads on clipping their nails, and am seriously thinking about something. It wouldn't be an issue but my mother just loves her and she is very fond of mother, but mom's getting older and her skin is thin so it just tears her up. Been trying to get her to wear mittens when she plays, but have noticed that Charlie is nipping harder with the gloves than without and when you forget to put them on, she can draw blood without trying. Now I've grown up in the outdoors and have a great understanding of woodland creatures, even the ones who rely on sharp claws to climb, etc...but with with the given situation, I now have two to look out for..mom and Charlie. Nails are gonna have to be dealt with. This may start a war, and could be something I'll soon regret...I've seen a pissed off squirrel and in no way do I want anything to do with that! I'll keep you all posted on how it goes...if I still have fingers to type with. Anyway, she get's to come inside and play and run all over the house several times a day, even "helping" mom vacuum the floors and make the beds. Her favorite thing now is to raid the kleenex boxes and the toilet paper rolls and build a nest in the top bookshelf in the office. It's quite hilarious to watch her, mainly because we have played along with her by giving her rides from the kleenex box in the kitchen and the toilet paper roll on the opposite end of the house to the office and then an elevator ride up to the top shelf. I'm sure you all can only imagine how much great fun she thinks this is. It was all going well until mom found that she had chewed a few really old collectors books. That pretty much put a stop to the whole nesting in the bookshelf idea. It is great fun to chase her through the house and watch her get her own pecans out of the freezer when you open the door and then promptly dissapear with them...only to wake up at 3am with them magically reappearing under your sheets and pillows, in your shoes, and under and behind your laptop. :serene

[Annabelle's papa]

Hi TreeMan15, I'm Middle aged and Mr. OLD SCHOOL, ha. I've only been using a computer about 4 month's, and pay Everything with Postal M/O's. When the bank's stopped giving back cancelled check's, I canceled banking. I like having a tangible paper receipt for anything over $10.00, and keep receipt's and old bill's for 7 year's or so. You can use Money Orders with Henry's, and still have your Order's in 4-5 day's or less. Their blocks come in thick resealable bag's, that you take out enough for a few day's and store the rest in the freezer. They are not made with any preservatives, and one bag will last a month for a single Squirrel. However, should you have to start caring for 3 or more at a time, then making your own block's could save a little, but you would still need to purchase a vitamin compound from Henry's to supplement your home made block's. BTW, your state and my state kind of look alike, ha. :tilt Do you live near Bran son, or further North. Keep posting picture's, and ask all the question's you want.:thumbsup

[pnut2014]

:Welcome charlie, I know u dont like internet and paying with debit cards bit I gave my squirrel mbd qith the squirrel fd sold n a pet store tht goes outside.captive squirrels get enough phosphorus to make up for calcium thts n corn and seeds. U wouldnt know pnut had it as she never had a seizure or went down n her back legs until she had a broke arm and at vets they did an xray ever 2 weeks and her tubular structure were almost depleated and tht was just 2 weeks of the stuff n the bag. Nutz do not help. I see someone posted the healthy squirrel diet which is a must. Atleast if u cant get to some where to buy henry rodent block or some of the second best like zupreem picky eaters at pet store or amazon ,but as someone said henerys gives them all they need. Also try meal wrms .they have to have protein. Do not buy meal wrms from bait and tackle store. I cnt copy and paste this but I got a lot of gd advice from the ppl on the squirrel board. My post are under nonemergent care section on forum. Captive squirrels need calcium also. There a calcium guide line on the web page at henerys pet ood and info on metabolic bone disease. Im by far no expert as im still learning and pnut wont eat the block.THERE ALSO IS RECIPES FOR MAKING UR OWN BLOCK ON THE SQUIRREL board. )sorry about all caps) im on a smart phone. Hemerys also will answer ur calls.and take a money order by mail or check by mail then send u ur order. The lady is so nice I think her name is lila. Heres the number..(321) 626-1897 if she doesnt answer leave a message .shell cal with in a couple hours. When u go to those posts ull c pnut. Shes six months old now,five n the califlower pic and way small.for her age. Thats due to nits,squirrel food for outside squirrels( although I wld only feed outside squirrels veggies now) and no calcium.supplents. I get the calcium carbonate from henery but there is a tums,not rolaids protocal on their site or the squirrel board. Ppl here really want to help. As far nails...they have to have them to climb and grab on to.stuff.they r not like cats. Their nails r conttef to ligaments so thts why they dont retract. I cut pnuts and she fell of my shoulder one day so in my opinion plz sont cut them. Sorry she bites the gloves and tears up ur moms hands and arms. My shoulders hamds and arms look like ive walked through bryers. All u can do is watch them play more and avoid letting them jump or wrestle with ur hands. Pnut doesnt have any playmates and she thinks im hers to wrestle. They usually get use to one.person so.watch out for tht. Again I am no.expert and still getting help from TSB ppl. They r awesome and almost all are very experienced. They were even better than pnuts exotic vet. She didnt even know why she had a small patch of hair missing. Itbwas diet and tht was before I gave the pet store squirrel fd. Lastly call henerys foods. U can.order over ph and send a check or money order if u dont like using cards. Again nice to see u. Keep us posted. Love pnut:grouphug

[TreeMan15]

Hi TreeMan15, I'm Middle aged and Mr. OLD SCHOOL, ha. I've only been using a computer about 4 month's, and pay Everything with Postal M/O's. When the bank's stopped giving back cancelled check's, I canceled banking. I like having a tangible paper receipt for anything over $10.00, and keep receipt's and old bill's for 7 year's or so. You can use Money Orders with Henry's, and still have your Order's in 4-5 day's or less. Their blocks come in thick resealable bag's, that you take out enough for a few day's and store the rest in the freezer. They are not made with any preservatives, and one bag will last a month for a single Squirrel. However, should you have to start caring for 3 or more at a time, then making your own block's could save a little, but you would still need to purchase a vitamin compound from Henry's to supplement your home made block's. BTW, your state and my state kind of look alike, ha. :tilt Do you live near Bran son, or further North. Keep posting picture's, and ask all the question's you want.:thumbsup

Thanks annabelle! I've been using a computer a little longer than 4 months..lol. I guess we should start a forum on being old school and remind the new generation what it's like paying with green paper! I'm only 35 but I have adopted a few old tricks. I live in the northeastern part of the state, about 20 minutes from the state line.

[TreeMan15]

:Welcome charlie, I know u dont like internet and paying with debit cards bit I gave my squirrel mbd qith the squirrel fd sold n a pet store tht goes outside.captive squirrels get enough phosphorus to make up for calcium thts n corn and seeds. U wouldnt know pnut had it as she never had a seizure or went down n her back legs until she had a broke arm and at vets they did an xray ever 2 weeks and her tubular structure were almost depleated and tht was just 2 weeks of the stuff n the bag. Nutz do not help. I see someone posted the healthy squirrel diet which is a must. Atleast if u cant get to some where to buy henry rodent block or some of the second best like zupreem picky eaters at pet store or amazon ,but as someone said henerys gives them all they need. Also try meal wrms .they have to have protein. Do not buy meal wrms from bait and tackle store. I cnt copy and paste this but I got a lot of gd advice from the ppl on the squirrel board. My post are under nonemergent care section on forum. Captive squirrels need calcium also. There a calcium guide line on the web page at henerys pet ood and info on metabolic bone disease. Im by far no expert as im still learning and pnut wont eat the block.THERE ALSO IS RECIPES FOR MAKING UR OWN BLOCK ON THE SQUIRREL board. )sorry about all caps) im on a smart phone. Hemerys also will answer ur calls.and take a money order by mail or check by mail then send u ur order. The lady is so nice I think her name is lila. Heres the number..(321) 626-1897 if she doesnt answer leave a message .shell cal with in a couple hours. When u go to those posts ull c pnut. Shes six months old now,five n the califlower pic and way small.for her age. Thats due to nits,squirrel food for outside squirrels( although I wld only feed outside squirrels veggies now) and no calcium.supplents. I get the calcium carbonate from henery but there is a tums,not rolaids protocal on their site or the squirrel board. Ppl here really want to help. As far nails...they have to have them to climb and grab on to.stuff.they r not like cats. Their nails r conttef to ligaments so thts why they dont retract. I cut pnuts and she fell of my shoulder one day so in my opinion plz sont cut them. Sorry she bites the gloves and tears up ur moms hands and arms. My shoulders hamds and arms look like ive walked through bryers. All u can do is watch them play more and avoid letting them jump or wrestle with ur hands. Pnut doesnt have any playmates and she thinks im hers to wrestle. They usually get use to one.person so.watch out for tht. Again I am no.expert and still getting help from TSB ppl. They r awesome and almost all are very experienced. They were even better than pnuts exotic vet. She didnt even know why she had a small patch of hair missing. Itbwas diet and tht was before I gave the pet store squirrel fd. Lastly call henerys foods. U can.order over ph and send a check or money order if u dont like using cards. Again nice to see u. Keep us posted. Love pnut:grouphug

:thankyou for the info pnut! Am I correct that you typed all that from a phone? Good grief you are seriously way more patient than me!! It took me a half an hour to chicken peck my submission on a laptop!

[TreeMan15]

Welcome Treeman!! I'm really a newbie around here even though I'm listed as a Senior member. There's an enormous amount of awesome information on these boards as you have seen that can save wee ones lives. Some of the others will be along after while! Bless you for helping out those your work displaces... One piece of advice I can offer, since my precious girl Tasha is suffering because I didn't heed these folks advice early on, is to STUDY, STUDY, STUDY what an optimal squirrel diet MUST CONSIST OF!!! Even if the squirrels you've raised survived fine on what you've been feeding thus far, trust me when I tell you that MBD will kill and/or paralyze these precious little angels! I'm doing everything I possibly can to help my dear little angel survive and hopefully walk again. She's currently paralyzed in her back end. Sorry for preaching, but I'd give anything if I'd listened from the start... Anyways, again, WELCOME!!!:Welcome What a cutie!!! What's her name???

:thankyou wdlady59!!

[TreeMan15]

these pictures are absolutely adorable!! I just love it! The Henry's food really is the best way to ensure Charlie gets exactly what she needs. If she's spoiled and used to getting her way (all of mine sure are; it's impossible not to!), it may take some coaxing, patience, and good old fashioned tough love but it's for her own good. I also order stuff from Chris's Squirrel Store (or Chris's Squirrels and More). Their number is (860) 749-1129. I usually just call in my orders with them and the woman I talk to is really helpful.

:thankyou SugarHill! I will look into Chris's Squirrel Store ASAP

[TreeMan15]

Apparently you haven;t seen the proper diet guide? Here it is:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

People here live by it. Most of the problems we see come through the doors are diet related. This diet guide will provide the best nutrition anyone knows to give. If you have any questions, ask.

As to the Henry's blocks, yes, they are the gold standard. If you're on a budget, many people just give one a day in combination with cheaper blocks like Oxbow or Harlan Teklad. If that's still not an option, tell us and we can work with you.

If they haven;t had blocks before, they may not like them. If so, again, ask. We've been down that path a million times before.


Charlie is adorable!!!:Love_Icon
I will just ditto what everyone else has said. Diet is everything!
:Welcometo the world of squirrels:Love_Icon


What a precious squirrel. I gave my squirrel MBD by feeding it corn, so like Island rehabber said,stop that:grin2 . Not sure if Walmart has any good Rodent Blocks, but try a pet store. If you don't have a "City pet Store" you may have feed stores, they carry rodent blocks.

:thankyou!! I have downloaded the copy of the diet and printed a copy for reference. We will adjust the diet immediately and hopefully get some blocks ordered as soon as possible. You guys are great!!

[wdlady59]

You might want to try Picky Eater blocks pnut2014, and you too Treeman! Lol ibknew you must be a youngin since you're a tree man. You're my son's age... I too have pitiful looking arms. One of the members on the board has some pretty impressive looking arm sleeves I'm going to buy as soon as I have some extra cash, but I'm sorry I can't remember right now which one. MM's Boutique maybe. I'll find out and get back to you. Have a good day at work!:grin3

.