Healthy diet?

[Wil781]

Hello, I have a question regarding diet. I have two babies 17 weeks old, I am feeding each baby two Henry’s food blocks, fresh vegetables, fruit, nuts and seeds daily. Are they receiving enough vitamins and minerals? They look healthy, act healthy with plenty of energy. Thanks!

[Mel1959]

Yes, everything sounds good…except the nuts and seeds daily. :eek. I would recommend you limit the nuts and seeds to a couple of times a week and only a nut or two then. If you don’t, you are negating all the healthy nutrients in the Henrys blocks.

Although Henrys blocks are designed to provide the necessary nutrients that squirrels need (along with veggies and limited fruits), it is still possible for a squirrel to develop metabolic bone disease when large amounts of nuts, seeds and corn are in their diet. All of these items are high in phosphorous. A squirrels body try’s to maintain the proper balance of phosphorous and calcium. When that balance is upset by large amounts of high phosphorous foods, the body tries to balance the proportion again by pulling the calcium from their bones. This results in MBD which causes hind end paralysis and eventually death if left untreated.

Nuts and seeds are a treat and should be given as such.

[Wil781]

Oh my, I didn’t realize that the nuts could actually be harmful. Ok I will cut out the daily nuts and seeds. Thank you so much for the information!

[Diggie's Friend]

Nuts aren't bad foods; but feeding more than a 1/2 Tsp. can easily result in overfeeding phosphorus from the protein in nuts, and obesity from increased total fat in the diet also. Then what was a healthy diet can easily become an unhealthy one, as this is what changes a positive Ca:P ratio into too close to equal or worse inverted with more Phosphorus than calcium. This is what leads to the development of metabolic bone disease, which if not corrected will lead to premature mortality in rodents.

I caution here that since for your squirrel that has been given too many nuts, I would wait to add any nuts back into their diet save additional calcium is added to compensate for even the small amount noted above to ensure that the diet is healthy Calcium to Phosphorus ratio wise.

[Wil781]

I will definitely do that they (Bonnie and Clyde) won’t be to happy about it but what is best for them is what we will do! Thank you so much