Behavior change

[UK squirrel owner]

Hi, I have a few questions about my 9 month old male grey squirrel, Wally. He is non releasable due to poor eyesight. Over the last few weeks he has been spending more time sleeping and is eating less (behaviour my other squirrel Simon shows in the autumn).
I was wondering if this is a normal change for squirrels of this age, or whether there might be a problem? He still behaves normally when he is awake and doesn't have any visible injuries and is not loosing weight.
My second question, which maybe related to the behaviour change is that he still has no man parts in his sack, is this normal?

Thank you,
Emily, Wally (partially sighted squirrel) and Simon (paralysed squirrel)

[Nancy in New York]

Hi, I have a few questions about my 9 month old male grey squirrel, Wally. He is non releasable due to poor eyesight. Over the last few weeks he has been spending more time sleeping and is eating less (behaviour my other squirrel Simon shows in the autumn).
I was wondering if this is a normal change for squirrels of this age, or whether there might be a problem? He still behaves normally when he is awake and doesn't have any visible injuries and is not loosing weight.
My second question, which maybe related to the behaviour change is that he still has no man parts in his sack, is this normal?

Thank you,
Emily, Wally (partially sighted squirrel) and Simon (paralysed squirrel)

Can you tell us what his diet is like, meaning what does he actually eat daily?
Most of the time when we see changes in squirrels, it's likely diet related.
Hmmmmmmmmm good question about his "man parts". I am currently overwintering
a little one a month younger and he has definitely developed the testicles. If he
allows I will get a photo. :)

[UK squirrel owner]

Thank you for replying.
He was eating around 22g of rat food plus a selection of veg and a couple of nuts in shells a day, but recently he has been eating around 16g of rat food, hardly any veg and most of the time he hides the nuts away. Yesterday he only ate roughly 8g of rat food and nothing else.

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you for replying.
He was eating around 22g of rat food plus a selection of veg and a couple of nuts in shells a day, but recently he has been eating around 16g of rat food, hardly any veg and most of the time he hides the nuts away. Yesterday he only ate roughly 8g of rat food and nothing else.

Is there anyway that you can get the Henry blocks. I'm not sure if they ship to the UK.
What are the ingredients of the rat food. Many times the ingredients contain corn and other fillers, which is
a not recommended for squirrels.
I would start the MBD Protocol.
Make sure that the tums that you get have the correct amount of calcium.
Let me find that link and I will post it in your thread once I find it.
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32122-MBD-Treatment

Harvey cooperated some for a photo shoot. Hopefully this will help you
to see what this 8 month old looks like.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-kvTZKRr/0/S/i-kvTZKRr-S.jpghttps://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-MGRrWPR/0/M/i-MGRrWPR-M.jpg

[Nancy in New York]

Hope this helps when choosing the correct tums.


Hi everyone,
Tums has changed some of their dosing and labeling. What it says on the label may NOT be what you think! Below is a sort of pictorial guide to the actual elemental calcium contained in the new Tums formulas. NOTE: People may have older versions of Tums, which might have different labeling/dosing, so check carefully and have them read the back label, including what the serving size is. The amount of elemental calcium listed on the back may well be for either ONE or TWO tablets.

249584 Contains 200 mg calcium per tablet


249585 Contains 300 mg calcium per tablet


249586 Contains 400 mg calcium per tablet

Back label for Tums Regular:
249588

Back label for Tums Extra 750:
249589

Back label for Tums Ultra 1000:
249587

[UK squirrel owner]

I have tried to get Henry's before but it is so expensive to get it shipped. He is fed exactly the same diet as my other squirrel i have had for over five years now. The rat food is Burgess suparat, it contains wheat, maize, peas, beet pulp, soya, chicken meal, poultry fat, monocalcium phosphate, slat,fructo-oligosaccharides, methionine. are there any alternative foods? I did look for foods when we got the first squirrel but this rat food was the best substitute back then so have just carried on feeding it.

[UK squirrel owner]

I have found these rat foods, do any of them look more appropriate?

Science Selective
Ingredients - Wheat, soybean meal, barley, oats, soya oil, dried apples, dried blackcurrants, wheat feed, limestone flour, salt. May contain genetically modified soya.
ADDITIVES: Vitamin A 15000 IU/kg, Vitamin D3 1500 IU/kg, Ferrous sulphate monohydrate 152mg/kg, Calcium iodate anhydrous 1.5mg/kg, Copper sulphate pentahydrate 20mg/kg, Manganese oxide 38mg/kg, Zinc oxide 62mg/kg, Sodium selenite 0.2mg/kg.
Analysis - Protein 14.0%, Crude fibre 4.0%, Fat content 4.0%, Inorganic matter 5.0%, Calcium 0.6%, Phosphorus 0.4%.

Mr Johnsons Advance Rat & Mouse Food
Ingredients - Torrified wheat, flaked peas, wheat extrusions*, flaked maize, whole oats, grass nuts, wheat extrusions*, whole maize, flaked beans, whole barley, red millet, locust bean extrusions, Soya extrusions, vitaminised extrusions*, flaked Soya beans, dried carrot, mealworms, sunflower seeds, Verm-X blend, Soya oil.
Nutritional Analysis: Vitamin A (E672) 5,360iu/kg; Vitamin D (E671) 710iu/kg; Vitamin E 19.2iu/kg; Copper (E4) 5.4mg/kg Additives: Colourants*
Analysis: Crude protein 16.00%; Crude fibre 6.00%; Crude oils & fats 4.00%; Crude ash 3.00%;

Argo Rat & Mouse Cubes
COMPOSITION - Wheatfeed, Barley, Wheat, Molasses, Rape, Maize, Vitamins and Minerals, Calcium Carbonate, Binder E565.
ANALYTICAL CONSTITUENTS - Oil 2.5% Protein 16% Fibre 6% Ash 6%