4 month old Very Restless and Not Eating

[Bravo187]

My Jimmy is almost 4 months old and he is acting the same way. He stairs out the front window and then he hops he trail around to the window in the den and back. And sometimes he will hop over and see me. He is still playful with me and he hasn't been any different that way. But his diet has changed 100%. I can't find anything he will eat. He refuses to eat all the foods that he has been eating. Yesterday I went to the store and bought some foods he didn't eat in the past and thought I would try them again. I did get him to eat some fruit but no vegetables. He won't eat the chow which he didn't eat in the past. I was feeding him puppy chow which he ate everyday and now he won't eat. I have been giving him hard nuts to chew and he has been eating his nuts and I do put vitamins in his water which he is still drinking. He has been like this for about a week now. It sounds like other squirrels are giving their owners the same problems. He does love to play out on the screened porch which I fixed up for a place for him; I let him out there to run off some steam and he loves to play and climb out there. He does sleep more since he has been running around more. He hasn't lost any weight and seems healthy otherwise.

Any suggestions

[Mel1959]

Is this squirrel non-releaseable? Or are you over-wintering? Can you give us some background on him? When did you get him, what formula was he fed, when did he wean, etc?

Do you have him on some type of rodent block like Henry’s Healthy block, Harlan Teklad, Mazuri or Zupreem? Dog/puppy chow does not contain the nutrients that squirrels need. Can you post the complete list of the foods he WAS eating and the foods you just attempted? I think you might be setting this guy up for metabolic bone disease. Diet is VERY important for captive squirrels.

[Bravo187]

Jimmy fell from his nest at 3 weeks. He was fed Esbilac Formula and he weaned himself off around 7 weeks. When he was around 5-7 weeks old he liked to eat Avocados and he was given rodent block and when he wouldn't take to the rodent block I tried Science Diet Puppy Chow. When he was old enough I started introducing other foods. He again is almost 4 months and has been eating Zuchinni, Yellow Squash, Cranberries, Grapes, Brussel Sprouts, Acorn Squash, Beet Greens, Beets, Apples, Pomagrantes, Blueberries and Rasberries. For treats he would get nuts, Almonds, Acorns, ,Peanuts, Walnuts and Pecans. I have also been putting supplements in his water for small animals. In the last week, week 1/2 he has stopped eating most of the above.

I pretty much have tried almost all the foods that are on the list for squirrels; but the ones I have listed are the only ones that he has taken to. In the past week `I have tried broccoli, cauliflower, cantelope, melon, watermelon, peas, pea pods. I did get him to eat Avocado again but he would only eat the portion that was closet to the skin and not the rest of it.

I do have a rabbit so sometimes he will eat her Kale or carrots but he just takes a bite but doesn't really care for it. He did eat the watermelon and he is still eating the blueberries, pomagrantes, grapes, beet greens. I am still offering the rodent block and puppy chow but he will not eat it. Sometimes he might take a bite of the Acorn Squash or Sweet Potatoes but not enough to sustain himself. I also have been giving him sunflower seeds.

He will eat his nuts and sunflower seeds and he has not lost any weight.

Yesterday he acted normal. He played with his toys and jumped around; he cuddled with me and even curled up in my lap while I was petting him and slept for about an hour. He even stayed up later than normal playing. He likes to jump around and chase the rabbit around house when he spots her.

Yes my plan is to try and release him once the weather warms a little.

[Jen413]

7 weeks is REALLY early to have weaned. That along with not having a rodent block and eating puppy food has probably caused this issue. I agree with Mel about the MBD. If I were you I'd order the HHB picky formula blocks and try to get him started on them.

Here is the link for MBD treatment https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?17680-Emergency-Treatment-for-MBD-(Updated-3-31-09) Even if MBD isn't his issue treating him for it won't cause any harm. There is an entire forum dedicated to MBD information. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?168-MBD-(Metabolic-Bone-Disease)

I'm sure others will be along to offer more input and advice.

[cava]

He hasn't lost his appetite if he continue to eats nuts and seeds. He is choosing not to eat anything else but nuts and seeds. Not only are these things very unhealthy and contribute to Metabolic Bone Disease, which is fatal if not treated, but once bad eating habits are created, he will continue to turn his nose up at healthy foods.

Here is the healthy food pyramid for squirrels. You can also put formula in a dish and see if he will eat it. You can also add or offer separately full fat vanilla yogurt...https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

Here is a step by step plan for getting picky eaters to eat what is best for them. I suggest you start this asap as well as the MBD protocol or you will have a very sick squirrel on your hands. It's a lot easier to correct things now rather than try to bring him back from the symptoms of late stage MBD. Please take this advice, so many don't have this chance early on and come back over and over worrying and lamenting over the length of time it takes to help a MBD squirrel overcome this very avoidable disease. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?31473-Dealing-with-Picky-Eaters

[Bravo187]

Thank you....I will start him on your suggestions as I don't want anything to happen to him. I did find a recipe online for homemade Squirrel Block and he did eat that. He has been eating a little bit of some of his fruits and vegetables but not as much as he was. He is still putting his nose in the air on the vegetables he use to eat all the time.

I also have been taking him outside in the sunshine as well everyday.

Again, I will continue to watch him carefully and follow your directions closely.

[cava]

Oh, you know how kids are about treats vs veggies. Squirrels are the same. Here's my feeding schedule twice a day: On a plate they (I have four) get a salad with leafy greens and veggies and a bit of ONE fruit and their boo balls (you can go to my Main Street Foursome link below for the recipe). I call them squirrel cookies but it's rodent block, small amount of nuts, coconut oil and organic baby food for variety.

In the evening they get the same and there is always a bowl of plain old rodent blocks in their cage. Sometimes I find all of the rodent blocks gone and lots of salad left. Other times they choose the veggies over the blocks. Since rodent blocks are the basis of a healthy diet they have access to them at all times and it's what I make their cookies out of too. (They love those things)

Mine are about 4 months and they still like formula in a bowl twice a day and when I have it a little dish of yogurt for a treat. Starting them off on a healthy diet has made their nutrition a success, but you can totally get him back on track.

About the recipe you found online, would you mind sharing. Someone else recently was using one they found online and it had a lot, I mean a LOT of nuts and some other bad stuff in it that could have hurt the squirrel. Keep up the good work and keeping us posted!

[Bravo187]

Also just to play it safe I ordered the MBD kit from Henry's. He is not happy with me stealing all his nuts he had hidden around the house and only feeding him vegetables but he did eat his veggies yesterday. Last night he kept on grabbing my finger and pulling on it; when he does that he wants something. I knew exactly what he wanted. Today I did not get cuddle time with him; he is just jumping to all his spots and going in the living room. I think he is searching for his stash. Again he seems healthy, but I have to get his picky eating under control before it gets too bad. We even went outside together yesterday and found somethings on the healthy outside list to eat. I placed a coverup on the floor and placed them down there and he enjoyed that. I also have been putting him outside on the screened porch for more than 20 minutes a day in the sunshine. We have had a cold front blow in so I don't like to leave him out too long. He loves to play out there; he runs around and jumps like a crazy little squirrel.

Will keep you updated. But so far he is good; but I will keep him on the well side as I wouldn't want him to ever get the symptoms of MBD.

Thanks

[Bravo187]

The rodent block consisted of the following ingredients:

3 cups nuts (300g)*
1 3/4 Cups 100% Whey Protein Powder (Plain or vanilla)(150g) **
3 Large Eggs (50g each, total 150g)
2/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour or ground rodent block (100g)
2 tsp Vanilla
2 tsp Aluminum-Free Baking Soda
1-2 Tbs water
Vitamins***
Total food weight approximately 700 grams or .70 kilograms
(Important for calculation vitamin and mineral supplementation)

Here is the website with the directions: http://squirrelrefuge.org/squirrelblock.html

Thanks