Snickers has stopped eating since change in diet

[Phoxy8947]

Last week, I was advised by several members to change Snickers diet to avoid MBD... I was worried that if I took away his nuts and seeds, that he would stop eating-- I was rite-- He didn't like the Kaytee fortified rodent blocks, so I bought him Henry's Healthy Blocks for squirrels, the picky eater' s diet, but he still really only nibbles on maybe one per day... At first, he was still eating his vegetables (kale, spring mix greens, cucumbers, white button mushrooms, avocado, snow peas, sweet potato), but for the past 3 or 4 days, he's barely touched ANY of his food... He's also been kinda sluggish, and sleeping a lot, and when he drinks, I notice he'll drink a lot longer now... He also barely comes outta his cage to play and run around... What's going on with him?! Please help!! I would try grinding up his blocks and trying to make those "Boo Balls", but he doesn't like peanut butter (maybe cuz it's no salt, no sugar)...

[Mel1959]

I'm not sure why he would stop eating completely because of a change in diet. It sounds like something else might be going on with him....especially sleeping more and being lethargic. Could he already have the beginnings of MBD? I'm sorry I haven't read your whole thread, but a diet high in nuts and seeds is cause for concern. Have you offered any calcium, like tums?

Boo balls don't have to be made with peanut butter. Grind the block and grind some nuts. Mix them together with some formula, protein powder, henrys vitamins (or calcium) and then use almond butter, a little coconut oil and some type of fruit babyfood to hold it all together. Although there's nuts in the boo balls there's a lot of other nutritious stuff, too.

[Phoxy8947]

I'm not sure why he would stop eating completely because of a change in diet. It sounds like something else might be going on with him....especially sleeping more and being lethargic. Could he already have the beginnings of MBD? I'm sorry I haven't read your whole thread, but a diet high in nuts and seeds is cause for concern. Have you offered any calcium, like tums?

Boo balls don't have to be made with peanut butter. Grind the block and grind some nuts. Mix them together with some formula, protein powder, henrys vitamins (or calcium) and then use almond butter, a little coconut oil and some type of fruit babyfood to hold it all together. Although there's nuts in the boo balls there's a lot of other nutritious stuff, too.

I did buy him Tums last nite, so I will give him some today... As far as the Boo Balls, I'll try to make them with avocado, since that's his favorite-- altho he's even stopped really eating that too... 😕😔

[island rehabber]

Does he have a water bottle? Check to be sure it's working properly and not clogged. A dehydrated squirrel has no appetite, and sometimes when we hear them drinking a loooooong time it's because barely anything is coming out of the bottle.

[Phoxy8947]

Does he have a water bottle? Check to be sure it's working properly and not clogged. A dehydrated squirrel has no appetite, and sometimes when we hear them drinking a loooooong time it's because barely anything is coming out of the bottle.




He has a water bottle AND 2 water dishes... The dishes contain water, his vitamin drops, and Bach's Rescue Remedy for pets stress reliever. And the water bottle has Pedialyte

[cava]

Could I recommend one with just plain old water? Just in case he is refusing the others...Also Pedialyte has salt which could be making him really thirsty.

He's very cute!

[Phoxy8947]

Could I recommend one with just plain old water? Just in case he is refusing the others...Also Pedialyte has salt which could be making him really thirsty.

He's very cute!

Thanks 😊 He is cute, isn't he? That's my fat boy, Snickers ♡♡ Lol yes, I'll try just giving him plain water

[Mel1959]

Could I recommend one with just plain old water? Just in case he is refusing the others...Also Pedialyte has salt which could be making him really thirsty.

He's very cute!

I agree. I would also suggest that you try Iceland Springs or Iclandic bottled water. It has a natural ph level of 8.4 and have read about others having great luck with their squirrels being more interested in drinking it. I also had good luck with my dwarf squirrel drinking it when I put it in his water bottle.

[UDoWhat]

I gave you my recipe last week for my version of Boo Balls. It does NOT have peanut butter in it. If he likes sweet, I have added molasses to that recipe to sweeten it a bit. Molasses has calcium in it. I have often added molasses to help get squirrels to eat the Boo balls. You can add and grind up anything that your boy will eat. Avocado, whatever!!! You can add some baby food along with or in place of the apple sauce I suggested in my recipe. I hate to say this, but in extreme obstinate cases I will increase the amount of nuts in my recipe from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup just to get a squirrel a little more interested. I drop the amount of nuts gradually as I see the squirrels I am working with eating them readily. Add small amounts of whatever you need to add. My squirrels like baby food peaches or baby food pears added with or in place of the apple sauce in the Boo Ball recipe I gave you last week.

Please, please please stop giving Pedialyte to your squirrel. HE DOES NOT NEED IT !!! You are creating another deadly problem for him. :shakehead

Get another water bottle if you think the one you are using is not working properly!!!! I have NEVER had one of the literally 100's of squirrels I have raised and released not be able to adapt to a water bottle as though they have been using it from birth. Now ...if he really is not able to use a water bottle.... then get a small dog bowl that is the kind that has a wide bottom that can't be tipped over.​ Get some clean stones and put a few in the bowl and pour water on top of the stones in the bowl. This will make it so your squirrel won't put is face too deep in the water and get it up his nose. I really would not worry about this but if it helps you not to worry,...... then by all means.... do it.

Snickers is darling. Please get him on the right track before he has trouble. That means RODENT BLOCK (in any form) and NO PEDIALYTE. You are his life line. You are the only one who can get him on the right diet without pedialyte. :Love_Icon

[Phoxy8947]

I gave you my recipe last week for my version of Boo Balls. It does NOT have peanut butter in it. If he likes sweet, I have added molasses to that recipe to sweeten it a bit. Molasses has calcium in it. I have often added molasses to help get squirrels to eat the Boo balls. You can add and grind up anything that your boy will eat. Avocado, whatever!!! You can add some baby food along with or in place of the apple sauce I suggested in my recipe. I hate to say this, but in extreme obstinate cases I will increase the amount of nuts in my recipe from 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup just to get a squirrel a little more interested. I drop the amount of nuts gradually as I see the squirrels I am working with eating them readily. Add small amounts of whatever you need to add. My squirrels like baby food peaches or baby food pears added with or in place of the apple sauce in the Boo Ball recipe I gave you last week.

Please, please please stop giving Pedialyte to your squirrel. HE DOES NOT NEED IT !!! You are creating another deadly problem for him. :shakehead

Get another water bottle if you think the one you are using is not working properly!!!! I have NEVER had one of the literally 100's of squirrels I have raised and released not be able to adapt to a water bottle as though they have been using it from birth. Now ...if he really is not able to use a water bottle.... then get a small dog bowl that is the kind that has a wide bottom that can't be tipped over.​ Get some clean stones and put a few in the bowl and pour water on top of the stones in the bowl. This will make it so your squirrel won't put is face too deep in the water and get it up his nose. I really would not worry about this but if it helps you not to worry,...... then by all means.... do it.

Snickers is darling. Please get him on the right track before he has trouble. That means RODENT BLOCK (in any form) and NO PEDIALYTE. You are his life line. You are the only one who can get him on the right diet without pedialyte. :Love_Icon

Thanks, I will stop giving him Pedialyte if u think he doesn't need it anymore... I only gave it to him to begin with becuz the wildlife rehabilitator that I've been corresponding with and updating on Snickers progress told me he needed it... I will try one of ur suggestions on recipes for Boo Balls-- I didn't know I could mix anything in there, and I'm hesitant to give him food if I haven't already seen it suggested online or something, becuz I'm afraid certain foods more be toxic (like chocolate)... I gave him a Tums, and he nibbled at it, but then dropped it, so I ground it up and put it in his water, becuz he gets very stressed whenever I need to force feed him something. I took away the Pedialyte, and put all fresh water in both his bowls, plus his water bottle. . He knows how to drink from the bottle, he just prefers the bowls... Thanks again

[UDoWhat]

Thanks, I will stop giving him Pedialyte if u think he doesn't need it anymore... I only gave it to him to begin with becuz the wildlife rehabilitator that I've been corresponding with and updating on Snickers progress told me he needed it... I will try one of ur suggestions on recipes for Boo Balls-- I didn't know I could mix anything in there, and I'm hesitant to give him food if I haven't already seen it suggested online or something, becuz I'm afraid certain foods more be toxic (like chocolate)... I gave him a Tums, and he nibbled at it, but then dropped it, so I ground it up and put it in his water, becuz he gets very stressed whenever I need to force feed him something. I took away the Pedialyte, and put all fresh water in both his bowls, plus his water bottle. . He knows how to drink from the bottle, he just prefers the bowls... Thanks again

Funny... chocolate is not toxic to squirrels, (Dogs yes). I give my squirrel 1 peanut M&M 2-3 times a year. He loves them. But remember rodent block and Henry's are 80% of my squirrel's diet. He can have almost anything as a treat since his main diet is rodent block and Henry's. A list that my squirrel eats as an occasional treat is sweet potato, kale, butternut squash, avocado, green beans, sugar snap peas, apples, grapes, cherry(w/o the seed), broccoli, strawberry, blue berry, mushrooms, radicchio, and a nut or 2 each week, to name only a few items. He can have 2-3 items from this list of foods each day because his main diet is block. These treats make up only 20% of his diet. He is 8 years old.:Love_Icon

We can all help you choose the safe foods for Snickers to eat if you ask us here at TSB. Most members can guide you and would love to help. :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon There are many lists of healthy foods here on TSB.

[Mel1959]

Funny... chocolate is not toxic to squirrels, (Dogs yes). I give my squirrel 1 peanut M&M 2-3 times a year. He loves them. But remember rodent block and Henry's are 80% of my squirrel's diet. He can have almost anything as a treat since his main diet is rodent block and Henry's. A list that my squirrel eats as an occasional treat is sweet potato, kale, butternut squash, avocado, green beans, sugar snap peas, apples, grapes, cherry(w/o the seed), broccoli, strawberry, blue berry, mushrooms, radicchio, and a nut or 2 each week, to name only a few items. He can have 2-3 items from this list of foods each day because his main diet is block. These treats make up only 20% of his diet. He is 8 years old.:Love_Icon

We can all help you choose the safe foods for Snickers to eat if you ask us here at TSB. Most members can guide you and would love to help. :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon There are many lists of healthy foods here on TSB.

KUDOS to you, Udowhat! That is the exact diet Dr. Emerson gave a lecture on! 75-80% of a captive squirrels diet should be rodent block like Harlan Teklad, Oxbow, Zupreem etc. the remaining 15-20% should be healthy veggies. This is what she has found in her practice to give the longest life to captive squirrels. I firmly believe that it is best to give squirrels that are rehabbed the same diet, because you never know if one may not be able to be released. At least with this approach you don't have to "retrain" them to like rodent block. :grin2

[Phoxy8947]

Funny... chocolate is not toxic to squirrels, (Dogs yes). I give my squirrel 1 peanut M&M 2-3 times a year. He loves them. But remember rodent block and Henry's are 80% of my squirrel's diet. He can have almost anything as a treat since his main diet is rodent block and Henry's. A list that my squirrel eats as an occasional treat is sweet potato, kale, butternut squash, avocado, green beans, sugar snap peas, apples, grapes, cherry(w/o the seed), broccoli, strawberry, blue berry, mushrooms, radicchio, and a nut or 2 each week, to name only a few items. He can have 2-3 items from this list of foods each day because his main diet is block. These treats make up only 20% of his diet. He is 8 years old.:Love_Icon

We can all help you choose the safe foods for Snickers to eat if you ask us here at TSB. Most members can guide you and would love to help. :Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon There are many lists of healthy foods here on TSB.

Damn, so I'll have to take away the fruits and veggies too in order to make him eat the rodent blocks... I thought it was just the nuts that were a problem... ok, will do... thanks. I'm just kinda worried becuz u weren't lying when u said he would try to hold out for the nuts, but it's been like a week now of him barely eating 😔😕

[Mel1959]

For the first time I have tried Harlan Teklad 18 and am amazed at how well liked it is. One of my cats has even gotten into the bag to get some! It can be purchased online and I highly recommend it! I have ground it up for boo balls and to mix in my dwarfs "mush".

[Phoxy8947]

For the first time I have tried Harlan Teklad 18 and am amazed at how well liked it is. One of my cats has even gotten into the bag to get some! It can be purchased online and I highly recommend it! I have ground it up for boo balls and to mix in my dwarfs "mush".

I've been seeing a lot of ppl mentioning these Teklad blocks around here on the site... Since my boy is a picky eater, do u think he's more likely to eat ZuPreem monkey chow, or Teklads? He only picks at Henry's Healthy Blocks for picky eaters

[Mel1959]

I've been seeing a lot of ppl mentioning these Teklad blocks around here on the site... Since my boy is a picky eater, do u think he's more likely to eat ZuPreem monkey chow, or Teklads? He only picks at Henry's Healthy Blocks for picky eaters

I would recommend trying the Harlan Teklad 18 block. I found it online at an Amazon site for $10 for a 2# bag and it included shipping. I though that was a pretty reasonable price to take a gamble on it. I have tried the Zupreem and the Mazuri and didn't have a lot of success with either. :grin2

[Phoxy8947]

I would recommend trying the Harlan Teklad 18 block. I found it online at an Amazon site for $10 for a 2# bag and it included shipping. I though that was a pretty reasonable price to take a gamble on it. I have tried the Zupreem and the Mazuri and didn't have a lot of success with either. :grin2

Thanks. I will try the Teklad, I guess... If he still doesn't eat the rodent blocks, then I guess I'll have to try ZuPreem... 😕 I think the problem is that Snickers came to us as a juvenile-- So I highly doubt he was eating rodent blocks in the wild 😅😅