Suggestions needed on behavior and feeding

[Earltheofnutz]

Hi There👋, i recently came back from being out of state for 2 weeks from my grandmothers funeral. I tried my best to prep all my littles food ,formula,treats etc.But when getting home i realized that my Husband hadnt kept to the schedule and routine he was on. I have been home for a week now and i still cant get him to drink any formula. He is aroun 11-11.5 weeks old

He has grown and is doing a ton of stuff he wasnt doing when i left (swinging upside down, long jumps, very fast,back flips, more courageous no fear,but does miss from time to time).Eating things he wouldnt eat before i left. As it was i was only feeding formula 2 times a day maybe 3 if he did not finish is morning feeding ge was already trying to ween himself off.

But now that he is 2 weeks off non routine he refuses. I tried even just putting it in a bowl for him but nope wont touch it. I havent been able to get gim out of the cage yet. My house is still being worked on so meantime he has to stay in his mansion and even when i try to remove him the way i did for feeding formula that wont work he is too fast now. I guess what i need suggestions are these below.

Do i stop trying with the formula? Or should i try something else?( he has a water bottle that he drinks from no problem, just as concerned he isnt drinking enough? But he is aware of his water and somedays he drinks alot and somedays just a tad)

His current diet, AM-arugala leaves/broccoli straws/blueberry/ Henrys protein block
Pm-arguala/broccoli/snaps/butternut/carrots/block
Treats-sunflower seeds, blueberries, grapes,unshelled pecans ans walnuts in rotation
He also gets leaves from outside i try to get different stuff. He gets a magnolia cone evryother day.

He is very playful takes naps during the day,hides treats,digs in his pile. I dont see any signs of anything wrong with him other then him wanting to comeout and climb me. He also has been nibbling a tad harded then norm and trues to eat the metal bars and plastic potty/hidden box. I just want to makesure that its okay to stop giving him formula. If not whats a better way to get him his formula. And what signs of failing health should i recognize. I still struggle with getting him to eat green leafy stuff unless its from outside he kida just leaves it there. He has been pooping fine and peeing fine. He pees more when he drinks more and less when when he drinks less. I just want to make sure he is staying hydrated. And getting enough fluids.

What are signs of anger and distress. This is my first time with a squirrel so i just want to make sure im aware of behaviors that are alarming. Also what about bathing him any suggestions?Thank you

[cava]

It doesn't sound like you're going to get him back on the nipple, but you can continue to leave formula in a dish and may be he'll come back to it.

As for his hydration, you mentioned he knows where it is and is drinking so I wouldn't worry about that. Make sure it's never stuck/stopped up and for peace of mind you can add a dish with rocks in it and a bit of water for play and something else to drink.

His diet should probably have more blocks if he isn't on the formula. And sunflower seeds are a no-no. Other than that, a nice variety of approved stuff from the food pyramid should keep his interest up. He's not going to like everything, you guys will figure it out together. If you're worried about his weight, make sure he always has something in there to eat and go to two HHB's daily.

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

[Earltheofnutz]

It doesn't sound like you're going to get him back on the nipple, but you can continue to leave formula in a dish and may be he'll come back to it.

As for his hydration, you mentioned he knows where it is and is drinking so I wouldn't worry about that. Make sure it's never stuck/stopped up and for peace of mind you can add a dish with rocks in it and a bit of water for play and something else to drink.

His diet should probably have more blocks if he isn't on the formula. And sunflower seeds are a no-no. Other than that, a nice variety of approved stuff from the food pyramid should keep his interest up. He's not going to like everything, you guys will figure it out together. If you're worried about his weight, make sure he always has something in there to eat and go to two HHB's daily.

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

On most days i guve him 3-4 blocks becuase he doesnt always finish them. At the very leasr he doea get a min of 2. Whar kind of rocks should i get and how big a dish do you recommend? He has one of those corner potty boxes for chincillas but he pretty much throws all the bedding out everytime. He put his favorite stuff in the box after its empty maybe i can try putting it in there maybe? I am trying ti get him to sleep in his cube ans hammock i made him but right now he prefers the box. Go figure? I get so many mixes responaes on seeds. Can u tell me wht u say no to sunflower seeds?what about pumkin? Thanl you forbtour responses

[cava]

You know how nuts are high in Phosphorus (which depletes Calcium, which we don't ever want)? Seeds are even higher. So I searched around and am reading two seeds a day or a few every few days. Better safe than sorry.

I'd say put the bowl wherever you want. I just used round rocks, washed with dawn and water before using. They're easier to clean up.
I used a small ceramic flat bottomed dish. The rocks help to keep it from tipping. Again, totally up to you if you want to add it. You have to clean it daily, it will get slimy.

[Diggie's Friend]

Most seeds are typically higher in phosphorus than calcium. Some are even worse for reason of being higher in calcium robbing anti nutrients known as as oxalic acid, or soluble oxalates, that they not only don't add any calcium to the the body, but are known to lower available calcium from other sources that they are ingested with according to research. Sunflower seeds for example are high in both phosphorus and oxalates; yet organic ground pumpkin seeds just higher in phosphorus, not oxalates.

Speaking hypothetically here for the purpose of explaination of this issue: Let's say that you didn't feed a block diet, which already has a phosphorus base, but a whole foods diet where you added calcium, and magnesium to the diet, so that you would need to provide foods in the diet that provide a sufficient level of phosphorus, not just calcium, in order to support a 2:1 Calcium to phosphorus ratio for the total diet. Then a source like pumpkin seeds that is very high in phosphorus, wouldn't be a bad source to include in the diet in support of the phosphorus base, save for one thing, it being very high in fats. It is for this reason that to include nuts in the diet more than 3/4 Tsp. for the larger northern ssp. of the E. Gray or E. Fox squirrels in captive care could can cause an unhealthy weight gain over time. Too high protein from nuts also contributes to obesity, and cause calcium loss in rodents.