Help

[Michelle1212]

I have been a squirrel rehabber for years, today something alarming happened. 2 siblings, 8 weeks old 1 female 1 male died within hours of each other. Both successfully weaned and eating on their own. The female passed away first, I was not present, found her this am, the male I gave a few green acorns, he was in the process of eating a green acorn when he had a seizure and died within 2 minutes, help....anyone know if I could have caused harm by giving the babies freshly picked green acorns?

[SammysMom]

I am so sorry for your loss. Godspeed little ones...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

As for acorns, I am not sure about when they are green, but I did stop feeding them as we have had several losses that seemed to coincide with feeding acorns.
Personally, I would not feed them anymore, but would also realize that what you did was something that many rehabbers do without incident and would not be guilt ridden. I truly am so sorry for this terrible loss...:grouphug

[lennysmom]

Oh goodness, I am so sorry. This is terribly sad. :( Yes, I too have heard acorns can be dangerous, so I opt not to feed them to any of my indoor babies. Once squirrels are in the wild, they learn the difference between good nuts and bad ones. Unfortunately, sometimes it is nearly impossible to tell a bad nut just by looking at it from the outside. I am sorry for your loss. Rest in peace little ones. :sad

[island rehabber]

TO be honest, the fact that both babies died suddenly, and with seizure involvement, does not suggest toxins from acorns to me at all. Illness & death from acorns happens much more slowly.
Were these squirrels head trauma babies at all, when they were found? Bloody noses or swollen heads? It is a fact that sometimes a head trauma baby will survive and do well for several months, but then growth of the skull causes pressure on the brain and sudden death occurs.

Either way, I am SO very sorry for your loss, Michelle. :(

[Shewhosweptforest]

:boohoo I am sooo sorry also....what a terrible loss :shakehead just to let you know I fed my squirrel Baby and a few releases acorns and green acorns for years....I froze them and fed them year round. :dono It wasn't until after the losses, that may have been linked to acorns, that I stopped feeding them frozen acorns. I still feed acorns and I've fed greens ones this fall....but I only feed the ones I find fresh on the ground....when I'm walking through my woods I pick up new acorns on my trail....beechnuts too....I feed them to my squirrels. My squirrels don't want some of them and I hope that's their good squirrelly sense:great I think it's important to feed natural foods when possible...but as I said I will never feed frozen acorn again. Please don't beat yourself up...green acorns never hurt mine :Love_Icon I agree with IR it sounds odd for it to happen so quickly. Was anything in their environment different the last few days? Any changes made? I would start there....it won't help ease your pain but it may ease your mind :hug