Boo Balls

[CrazyCatLady]

I was wondering if boo balls(squirrel refuge recipe) along with fresh fruits and vegetables provides enough calcium for a squirrel. The next batch I make I plan on using powdered goats milk in place of the FV formula.
I've read that squirrels free feed on rodent blocks, is it the same with the boo balls? So far I have only been giving him 4 balls a day, but he was also eating Henry's Blocks. I ran out of Henry's some time ago and now I'm wondering if he should be eating more of the boo balls.

One of the reasons I ask is because this is a squirrel I posted about in the summer who was suffering from rear end paralysis brought on by injury after I had taken him in. His name is Twiggy and he was recovering beautifully thanks to the wonderful people here on the board. He never got to 100%. His back right leg is always held at an angle, leaning in towards his body. He sometimes stands on his right foot with his left because of where it is positioned. When he walks, his rear end lists to the right a little. I hung a rug on the wall for excercise hoping to strengthen his legs and it seemed to be working. He finally started jumping, although not very well. He still cannot sit up to eat. The last couple of days I feel like that right leg is worse. I haven't seen him on the rug much recently and when I put him on it, he seems to gingerly walk down it in order to get off. Usually he zips around on that thing like he was never injured. I don't know if he can zip around on it and just doesn't because I'm the one that put him there.

The difference in his gait is only noticeable to me and it's only slight, but I can tell something is off. Since his diet has changed, I'm concerned it may be related.

[Mel1959]

I think you should check the label of the goats milk versus the label of Fox Valley 20/0 and compare the calcium. Goats milk is very lean and doesn’t contain nearly the nutrients as the Fox Valley does, which was designed for squirrels.

What block do you use for your boo balls? Some are better than others. Harlan Teklad makes one of the best hard extruded blocks on the market. It is 100% complete.

I make boo balls for my yard squirrels and any others I might have. I use Harlan Teklad 2018, ground nuts, veggie/fruit baby food, some FV 20/50 and Ultraboost, coconut and avocado oil. If you wanted to up the calcium buy some calcium carbonate or calcium citrate powder at a health food store and add it. I’m pretty certain it will contain a higher level of calcium than powdered goats milk. Sometimes I’ll throw in some oatmeal or granola. I don’t limit how many boo balls they can have.

Your boy might benefit from some additional calcium. If he likes and was eating Henrys blocks why don’t you buy some more? I feed my flyer both.....boo balls and a half block a day.

[CrazyCatLady]

I think you should check the label of the goats milk versus the label of Fox Valley 20/0 and compare the calcium. Goats milk is very lean and doesn’t contain nearly the nutrients as the Fox Valley does, which was designed for squirrels.

What block do you use for your boo balls? Some are better than others. Harlan Teklad makes one of the best hard extruded blocks on the market. It is 100% complete.

I make boo balls for my yard squirrels and any others I might have. I use Harlan Teklad 2018, ground nuts, veggie/fruit baby food, some FV 20/50 and Ultraboost, coconut and avocado oil. If you wanted to up the calcium buy some calcium carbonate or calcium citrate powder at a health food store and add it. I’m pretty certain it will contain a higher level of calcium than powdered goats milk. Sometimes I’ll throw in some oatmeal or granola. I don’t limit how many boo balls they can have.

Your boy might benefit from some additional calcium. If he likes and was eating Henrys blocks why don’t you buy some more? I feed my flyer both.....boo balls and a half block a day.

Thanks so much for responding. As far as comparing labels, FV doesn't list the amount of calcium. Goats milk has 300mg per 1/4 cup. I used oatmeal the very first time I made them while I waited for my FV to arrive, but then became concerned with the amount of phosphorus in it. I'm ordering Teklad blocks now. I'm honestly not sure what kind of blocks I have now as they are no longer in the original package. They look like other rodent blocks that are recommended for squirrels, but I'm pretty sure they are not one of the main brands everyone uses. I needed something fast and went in search of something that was only for rats, not rats/hamsters. I wasn't worried because soon after I got my Henry's Blocks in the mail, which he got daily and I used my rodent blocks to make boo balls with. Eventually I will get more Henry's Blocks, but am not able to at this time and have been out for 12 days. In the meantime, I now know I don't have to limit his boo balls. Thanks for that.
Since I first posted this, I have since noticed a red spot on Twiggy's ankle and posted that in non-emergency help if you would like to take a look.
So for now, should I add calcium to his boo balls? I have some from Henry's that I ordered to keep on hand.

[Mel1959]

If you’re using a generic block it may not hurt to put a little calcium in the boo ball mixture. You don’t have to add a lot or add it all the time unless you know for sure he is calcium deficient. If you suspect he is then you can treat him with the MBD protocol. A little extra calcium is not going to hurt him.