Greetings! Newcomer needs some help :)

[tonjo]

Hello to everyone!
Maybe i am posting in the wrong section,but i never introduced myself so i decided my first post to be combined.
My name is Toni and i am from Bulgaria(Eastern Europe). My squirrel is named Marlo and he is 11 months old.I think he is a Japanese squirrel(compared to photos posted in here).Hes been in my care for several months now.Me and my girl love him very much and offcourse we want the best for him.
I discovered this forum 2 weeks ago.I've been a bad parent and i really feel bad for it :sniff Why i didn't found this wonderful forum sooner...
My biggest mistake of taking care for Marlo was his diet.I was spoiling him with nuts,fruit and treats constantly.For 2 weeks now hes eating heathy stuff.I had to make homemade blocks because i can't get Henrys products from the USA(shipping takes way too long and its way too expensive).I followed a recipe for blocks i found here but didnt add any vitamins because i wasnt able to find any suitable ones in my country.
I've spoken with couple vets and i think i found a solution about the vitamins.It's a vitamin powder pack prescribed from the vet.
I would be really thankful for your opinion about the contents.Are they okay? :thankyou
p.s Please excuse my english i may have some mistakes.

Here are the contents,
Analytical composition: Calcium 33%, sodium 2.24%, 0.45% phosphorus;
0% Lysine, Methionine 0%
Ingredients: chalk, sodium bicarbonate.
Contents for 1gr of powder
Vitamins and chemically welldefined substances with similar effects:
Vitamin A (retinyl acetate) 207,5 IU
Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) 41,5 IU
Betain 2,075mg
Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol acetate) 1,66mg
Niacin 0,83mg
Pantothenic acid 0,498mg
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine Hydrochloride) 0,1245mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavine) 0,083mg
Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin) 0,083mg
Vitamin B1 (ThiaminiHydrochloride) 0,083mg
Vitamin K3 (Menadione natrii Bisulfite) 0,083mg
Folic acid 0,01245mg
Biotin 0,00414mg
Compounds of trace elements:
zinc (zinc oxide) 4,150mg
Iron (ferrous sulphate monohydrate) 3,320mg
manganese (manganese oxide) 1,660mg
copper (copper sulfate pentahydrate) 0,6225mg
Iodine (calcium iodate anhydrous) 0,0415mg
selenium (sodium selenite) 0,0083mg
cobalt(cobalt carbonate monohydrate) 0,0062mg

[lovesmice]

I do not rehab squirrels so cannot help with your Q, but I wanted to say hello and thank you for caring about this squirrel's diet. There are some great folks from the UK on here so maybe they can tell you what they use as I am thinking it will be easier to locate over there.

Your English is just fine, by the way. Also, please post some pictures of Marlo.

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 tonja

:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

Wow, Bulgaria! That's awesome. :)

I'm glad you found us. I am certain that none of us can evaluate the Vitamin mix and give an educated opinion on it. BUT, I do have an idea for you. You should contact Leigh at Henry's Pets. She has done all the research regarding the vitamins and minerals that are needed. I'm sure she would be able to look at the contents and give you an educated opinion. This link has contact info. There is an email address.
http://www.henryspets.com/contact-us/

I'm not sure if you know but Henry's does sell their vitamin mix that is used in the Henry's block. They also sell larger bulk packs so this might be an option.

Again, Welcome.

[CritterMom]

http://www.henryspets.com/vita-mins/

Hover over the label on the Vitamins and you can read the amounts and varieties clearly, so as to compare with what you have.

[tonjo]

Hi guys,thank you for the warm welcome!
Here is some info about Marlo.
Marlo is 11 months old,male,weight:240gr.He lives indoor with me and my gf.I have placed his cage infront of a big window looking east.(sun is shining trough the window almost the whole day) He was very picky about his food(for the time he was spoiled like a prince).When we started diet,he refused to eat blocks and veggies.That lasted a day or so. :grin2 He has an amazing appetite,he is always hungry.Last couple of days he is eating all of his blocks and vieggies(i think he is realizing what does reward mean and when do you get it) Like i said he is hungry for two squirrels..We are having some tail issues - tail is not fluffy top to bottom,just the bottom is furry.Tail fur is gray and dry,but i am noticing some change the last week.He is growing some new hair along the lenght of his tail and i think we are on the right path to a healthy squirrel.He needs his vitamins mixed with his next batch,although the vet said vitamins loose their benficial properties after heat treatment in the oven.Whats your opinion about that?

Here are some photos of the little devil:
269045269046269047

[lennysmom]

Welcome to TSB tonjo. :wave123 I'm not sure the answer to your question about the heat, but I did have to stop by and say that your little Marlo is just beautiful!!:Love_Icon:Love_Icon Thank you for sharing some pictures. :)
I do agree with you that once he begins to get proper nutrition, his tail and coat will probably fill out more and look better.

[lovesmice]

Oh my goodness, what a super, super adorable squirrel your Marlo is! I love those ear tufts. None of the squirrels that I feed (Greys, Reds and Flyers) have them like that. Thanks for posting the photos.

[tonjo]

Thank you for these kind words!
I would like to share and greet you all with a traditional Bulgarian folklore dance! Folklore dancing and singing is part of our cultural heritage and we really value and cherish it!
I hope you enjoy watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysLF7Ij-QiY

[Spanky]

This may help answer the questions about the effects of heat on vitamins... I glanced quickly adn came away with do not use a copper or iron pan/sheet for baking the homemade squirrel block!

http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2e.shtml

[lovesmice]

Thank you for these kind words!
I would like to share and greet you all with a traditional Bulgarian folklore dance! Folklore dancing and singing is part of our cultural heritage and we really value and cherish it!
I hope you enjoy watching!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysLF7Ij-QiY

That was very cool! Sofia is your capital if I remember correctly from when I looked up where you were located yesterday? (Geography was never my best subject.) Thank you for sharing this.

[Mel1959]

Quite possibly the cutest squirrel I have ever seen!.:love:love Welcome

[tonjo]

This may help answer the questions about the effects of heat on vitamins... I glanced quickly adn came away with do not use a copper or iron pan/sheet for baking the homemade squirrel block!

http://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2e.shtml

Thank you that was helpful!
I also wrote an email to henry's ragarding the vitamins,hope they answer soon.

lovesmice,i am glad you liked the video! Yes,Sofia is our capital but I live in the province.It's more quiet and peaceful. ;)

[island rehabber]

What an ADORABLE squirrel! He looks like the Aberts squirrels we have here, only in a very small area in the southwest. Aberts are the only North American squirrels who have ear tufts like Marlo's. SO cute! :blowkiss
Marlo may be going through a moult, losing his winter fur and growing in a new coat for spring. Many times a squirrel's very first moult will be awkward-looking, and sometimes their tail gets completely bald like a rat's, but eventually the fur grows back.

[tomcics]

Welcome Toni

Marlo is quite beautiful and does look like a Japanese squirrel to me too, love those ear tufts

Enjoyed the folk dance video you posted a link to, festive and fun.

[DarkLies212]

:eek SOOOOOO CUUUUTTTEEEEE!!!!! :klunk

[Chickenlegs]

Marlo is beautiful. LOVED the folk dancing! Please post more pix of Marlo. He's a smile maker fersure! :grin3

[tonjo]

I've been noticing he is less active these days..Sleeps most of the day and becomes more active in the evening when he tries to beg us for treats.Is it normal his new diet to affect him that way? When he was spoiled with nuts and other high on calories foods he wouldn't stop whole day long-running and doing flips in his cage.Now he looks like a lazy sloth,becomes interested to move when there is food..Should i be worried? Please share your opinion.This morning he ate his block and when i called him for veggies he was like..naaah.He just had a few bites from them and laid down on the table for some sun baths,after 15mins he went back to his nest to lay down. :dono
Here are some photos while doing sun baths:
269130269131

[island rehabber]

I've been noticing he is less active these days..Sleeps most of the day and becomes more active in the evening when he tries to beg us for treats.Is it normal his new diet to affect him that way? When he was spoiled with nuts and other high on calories foods he wouldn't stop whole day long-running and doing flips in his cage.Now he looks like a lazy sloth,becomes interested to move when there is food..Should i be worried? Please share your opinion.This morning he ate his block and when i called him for veggies he was like..naaah.He just had a few bites from them and laid down on the table for some sun baths,after 15mins he went back to his nest to lay down. :dono


Here's a $10-dollar word I learned when I first started rehabbing squirrels: crepuscular. Wikipedia says:
Crepuscular animals are those that are active primarily during twilight (i.e., the period before dawn and that after dusk). It is thus to be distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behavior where an animal is active during the hours of daylight or the hours of darkness respectively.

Squirrels are crepuscular, most active at dawn and dusk. Adult squirrels do sleep all day. When your boy was getting lots of nuts his instinct to stash and hoard them was overriding his natural body clock. With no need to feverishly hide nuts, he reverted to his natural daily behavior.

[grampyngramy]

He is a cute little thing. Just a few things to ask. Is he getting fresh water? May try a small bowl and a bottle. Also are your windows tinted? They need sun light to help convert the vitamin D. Tinted windows may stop certain types of sun rays and therefore he may not be getting the right type of sun. Good luck and thanks for the pics.