Emergency help advice needed

[Angel34]

Hi everyone, I'm hoping for some advice as I'm really worried about the baby squirrel I rescued a few weeks back, shes been doing great up until last night, iv had her for about a month & she was about 6 weeks when I found her

Last night about 8PM, I heard a thud in her cage & when I checked her, she was laying on her back with her legs in the air & when she saw me she let out a distress call so I picked her up gently & she was floppy & seemed distressed, I held her close to me for a while & she just layed there while I stroked her, about an hour later I put her back with a warm beanbag but she had another episode at 11pm the same, I found her laying on her back again & she let another distress call out so I comforted her again but since then she hasn't been herself & she is really quiet, shes laying funny & all her fur is standing on end, I think she hurt herself when shes fallen or had a fit of some sort as shes not using her back legs so good & cant seem to sit up to eat her food as usual, I dont know what to do for her, is there anything I can give her? I cant go out as I'm in isolation with this virus going round & I'm in the uk, any help is appreciated

Tia

[Mel1959]

What formula are you feeding? How often? How much?

It sounds like she may have had a seizure? A small drop of corn syrup or honey in her mouth can help if the seizure is brought on by low blood sugar.

How large is her cage? How far could she have fallen?

[Angel34]

Iv weaned her off formula now, shes on an all solid diet now, I got her a special food for squirrels that has acorns, seeds, apple, banana chips & peanuts in it, I'm also giving her fresh foods such as grapes, tomatoes & carrots & she has fresh water too

If she has fallen, the furthest she will have would be about 1 & a half foot

Shes crawling around her cage now but shes dragging her back legs 😕

[Mel1959]

This could be a case of metabolic bone disease. You should start the MBD protocol ASAP. MBD is fatal if left untreated and the treatment won’t hurt her if it’s not needed. Here is the protocol link

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32122-MBD-Treatment

She should have limited access in her cage so she doesn’t hurt herself again. MBD is painful so a non shut off heating pad placed on low under her bed and out of reach from her will be soothing. MBD is caused from not enough calcium in the diet and/or too much phosphorous. Nuts contain a lot of phosphorous and should be discontinued completely until you determine exactly what is going on with her.

When she was on formula which formula were you feeding? Does she eat any type of rodent block?

[Spanky]

This is most definitely MBD... she needs to be started on the MBD protocol ASAP. MBD is lethal and the protocol can save her.

Her diet needs to change otherwise the MBD will come back and it is deadlier the older they get. Here is the link to the healthy diet chart:
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[Angel34]

She just had another episode but this time she was running around her cage screaming, I went to get her out & she attacked me, which shes never done & gave me quite a nasty bite, iv put her back in her cage now & shes just hanging onto the bars staring into space, I'm a bit shocked to be honest as she was dragging her legs before, I will start the MBD protocol asap but not sure what to do as shes not acting herself,

I was feeding her royal canin baby dog milk formula before, she doesn't have any rodent blocks at the moment but I have ordered her some

[Mel1959]

MBD is extremely painful. Begin the protocol immediately. You should see some results fairly quickly but the protocol needs to be continued for a long time to restore the bones to their normal healthy state.

Captive squirrels must eat some type of rodent block and have their nut intake limited to occasionally.

While treating for a MBD remove all nuts and seeds from the diet.

[CritterMom]

How long ago did you wean her? How old was she?

[Mel1959]

(I was feeding her royal canin baby dog milk formula)

According to your earliest post on 4/4 you said you were feeding Esbilac. Did you switch to Royal Canin? The problems that developed with Esbilac last fall were that the calcium in the formula couldn’t be absorbed so squirrels were developing MBD, and some were dying, at very young ages.

[Angel34]

(I was feeding her royal canin baby dog milk formula)

According to your earliest post on 4/4 you said you were feeding Esbilac. Did you switch to Royal Canin? The problems that developed with Esbilac last fall were that the calcium in the formula couldn’t be absorbed so squirrels were developing MBD, and some were dying, at very young ages.

Yeah I changed her formula as I heard about the problems esbilac was having, I weaned her off the milk just last week & she was taking to the solids well but I have been keeping my eye on her & like I said shes been doing well until last night

[CritterMom]

OK, she really was "weaned" too early. We don't wean our babies, we let them decide when they are done with formula. Solids are introduced but they get formula as well until they don't want it anymore. Given that she was not only started on esbilac, which MAY have been the same bad stuff we have seen for the past year, and then weaned early onto high phosphorus food like nuts and seeds, I would pretty much guarantee she had MBD. PLEASE start her on the protocol immediately. If you cannot easily obtain calcium, you can make your own using eggshells - google "Making eggshell calcium" - it is easy. You will need to grind it REALLY fine to use.

[stepnstone]

Yeah I changed her formula as I heard about the problems esbilac was having, I weaned her off the milk just last week & she was taking to the solids well but I have been keeping my eye on her & like I said shes been doing well until last night

Not a doubt, Mbd!
If she will take the formula again let her have it, we do not wean our babies we allow them to wean themselves when they are ready.
The first solid food they should be given is a good quality rodent block, eating it and eating it well before other solids are introduced.
Formula and then rodent block are your assurances against getting Mbd. The "squirrel diet" with acorns, seeds , peanuts is junk and
was robbing her body of calcium which causes mbd.
As stated mbd is very painful, you were bit due to her being in pain. She needs to be allowed something for her pain along with the treatment for mbd.

[Angel34]

Not a doubt, Mbd!
If she will take the formula again let her have it, we do not wean our babies we allow them to wean themselves when they are ready.
The first solid food they should be given is a good quality rodent block, eating it and eating it well before other solids are introduced.
Formula and then rodent block are your assurances against getting Mbd. The "squirrel diet" with acorns, seeds , peanuts is junk and
was robbing her body of calcium which causes mbd.
As stated mbd is very painful, you were bit due to her being in pain. She needs to be allowed something for her pain along with the treatment for mbd.


Ok thanks, I'll try her with the royal canin formula again & hopefully she will take it, iv started with the MBD protocol & given her a calcium tablet mixed with a bit of fruit juice & I have put her in a smaller cage with 2 warm bean bags as I dont have an electric heat pad but will keep them warm for her, what can I give her for the pain though?

[CritterMom]

I just checked - they sell infant ibuprophen in the UK. They are in a syrup base - lots of squirrels love it. Make sure you get the infant version. When you get it, come back here with your squirrel's weight and one of us will dose it for you.

[Angel34]

314694

I asked my aunty to get me some infant ibuprofen but she brought me paracetamol for babies as they had run out at the store, I hope this is ok, iv weighd her & she is 10.4oz

Tia everyone

[CritterMom]

314694

I asked my aunty to get me some infant ibuprofen but she brought me paracetamol for babies as they had run out at the store, I hope this is ok, iv weighd her & she is 10.4oz

Tia everyone

Nope. This is acetaminophen - like Tylenol. Different drug, won't work.

Whoever doses this needs to note the strength. The dosing many of us have is for 50mg/1.25ml strength and it may be different in the UK

[Mel1959]

314694

I asked my aunty to get me some infant ibuprofen but she brought me paracetamol for babies as they had run out at the store, I hope this is ok, iv weighd her & she is 10.4oz

Tia everyone

This product is the same as Tylenol. I’m not sure if it’s been used for squirrels. Other folks will have to answer that and help you with dosing.

At 10.4 oz she is roughly 295grams.

[Angel34]

Ok no problem, I'll see if I can get some ibruprofen from somewhere else then, thanks all x

[Angel34]

Hey everyone, I finally got hold of some ibuprofen for her, how much can I give her now? Iv been giving her a nut & seed free diet & tried her with the puppy formula again but she wouldn't take it, iv been giving her a calcium tablet mixed with water every 4 hours, Shes still shivering like shes In pain/cold but I'm keeping her bed warm & shes just been sleeping/lethargic since her episodes but thankfully she hasn't had any episodes since 314758

[Mel1959]

Bump. :bump:bump

[Spanky]

Dosing sent in PM. :thumbsup