Hello from Washington!

[ChubbyNTinksMom]

Hi all you amazing squirrel lovers!

A little background for context:

In August 2021, we had a horrible wind storm blow down our oak tree. 4 baby grey squirrels came out of a nest, 2 babies passed from the fall 😭. One of the babies (Tinky) is paralyzed from the waist down, one baby (Chubby) is fully functional. I called wildlife, every vet in my area and tried to find local rehabbers to no avail. Wildlife told me to put the babies outside and let nature run it's course, however my 4 young children had already seen the babies and my heart couldn't handle that anyway. So I have been pouring over this forum it seems like every day.

Tinky shows clear signs of mbd, they have a very well rounded diet and we switch to new fruits and vegetables about every 2-3 weeks when they become disinterested in them. They eat kale, avocado, some spinach on occasion, strawberry, blueberry, almonds hazelnuts, the list goes on. I sprinkle calcium on their food along with vitamins from Henry's. They sometimes eat Henry's picky blocks but I mainly make them boo balls. Tinky has a uvb bulb and I take her outdoors whenever possible.

I feel comfortable in my ability to care for them, they are very spoiled, each having a huge cage and toys, beds and necessities. However, I have tried to release Chubby, my fully capable squirrel, 6 times now. She returns very scared and skittish. This last time about 2 weeks ago, she stayed gone for 6 days so I thought she was finally ready. She can crack open nuts and loves to dig in the dirt and builds very elaborate nests. This time she came back through my window stuck to a sticky rodent trap 😭 she had pulled off a bunch of hair and some skin to try to get off the trap. We babied her and slowly fed and watered her back to health and now she will have nothing to do with going outside. I wanted her to live a normal squirrel life but this almost feels like a death sentence to try to release her.

With all this being said, I have 2 questions. Should I keep putting her release cage outside to let her go, or take the signs that she's giving me and have her stay with her sister?

Also, can anyone tell me the first signs of pregnancy in squirrels? I don't know if she has just packed on some more weight due to being stuck on a rodent trap for that long or if she may have been mated with during her outing.

Thank you all for your time, any and all advice welcome!

[Spanky]

Tinky shows clear signs of mbd, they have a very well rounded diet and we switch to new fruits and vegetables about every 2-3 weeks when they become disinterested in them. They eat kale, avocado, some spinach on occasion, strawberry, blueberry, almonds hazelnuts, the list goes on. I sprinkle calcium on their food along with vitamins from Henry's. They sometimes eat Henry's picky blocks but I mainly make them boo balls. Tinky has a uvb bulb and I take her outdoors whenever possible.

What are the signs he has MBD? I don't mean this harshly, but if their diet is very well rounded squirrel diet then MBD would not be possible.

Have you started the MBD protocol (it can only help, not hurt in any way)?
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?17680-Emergency-Treatment-for-MBD-(Updated-3-31-09)

How many nuts does Tinky eat daily? I'll also mention that sprinkling with calcium powder cannot compensate for a poor diet (e.g. too many nuts) any better than a diet coke does countering a super-sized Big Mac Meal... this is a all too common misconception.


However, I have tried to release Chubby, my fully capable squirrel, 6 times now. She returns very scared and skittish. This last time about 2 weeks ago, she stayed gone for 6 days so I thought she was finally ready. She can crack open nuts and loves to dig in the dirt and builds very elaborate nests. This time she came back through my window stuck to a sticky rodent trap 😭 she had pulled off a bunch of hair and some skin to try to get off the trap. We babied her and slowly fed and watered her back to health and now she will have nothing to do with going outside. I wanted her to live a normal squirrel life but this almost feels like a death sentence to try to release her.

Should I keep putting her release cage outside to let her go, or take the signs that she's giving me and have her stay with her sister?


Are you doing a (proper) soft release that squirrels require? The glue trap situation is horrible but I also suspect that this may have been a hard release and she was not avoiding humans like she should which caused her to wander to places with glue traps. Or there are morons placing glue traps in area accessible by (normal) wildlife.

It is a bit early in the season for a squirrel to be showing signs of pregnancy.

[ChubbyNTinksMom]

I believe Tinky has mbd because she has been having seizures since she was around 2 months old. She has them once every couple of months. I have put maple syrup water on her tongue after her convulsions and this does not help or prevent her from going to another seizure. Her nails stick to things from time to time. Her daily diet consists of 2 boo balls, fruit, greens, 3 almonds and 3 hazelnuts, avocado and rodent blocks but she is very picky and most of the time will not touch the rodent blocks. Her greens are kale and spinach, her fruit is bananas on occasion, apples and strawberries or blueberries. Her vegetable is cucumber, green peppers, fresh green beans and carrots.

I did start the mbd protocol the minute she had her first seizure, she didn't easily accept the tums mixture and so I bought the calcium bicarbonate powder from Henry's so I can easily sprinkle on her food, however she still will have a seizure fit every couple of months.

Concerning soft release, I take Chubby's entire cage outside and leave her door open so she is free to roam and then return for food/water/shelter. She initially roamed for the first few times and would return, then she was gone for 6 days so I thought she was ready to be on her own. Ii brought her cage inside. I had my bedroom window open and she came inside one morning stuck on the rodent trap.

[stepnstone]

I believe Tinky has mbd because she has been having seizures since she was around 2 months old. She has them once every couple of months. I have put maple syrup water on her tongue after her convulsions and this does not help or prevent her from going to another seizure. Her nails stick to things from time to time. Her daily diet consists of 2 boo balls, fruit, greens, 3 almonds and 3 hazelnuts, avocado and rodent blocks but she is very picky and most of the time will not touch the rodent blocks. Her greens are kale and spinach, her fruit is bananas on occasion, apples and strawberries or blueberries. Her vegetable is cucumber, green peppers, fresh green beans and carrots.

I did start the mbd protocol the minute she had her first seizure, she didn't easily accept the tums mixture and so I bought the calcium bicarbonate powder from Henry's so I can easily sprinkle on her food, however she still will have a seizure fit every couple of months.

Concerning soft release, I take Chubby's entire cage outside and leave her door open so she is free to roam and then return for food/water/shelter. She initially roamed for the first few times and would return, then she was gone for 6 days so I thought she was ready to be on her own. Ii brought her cage inside. I had my bedroom window open and she came inside one morning stuck on the rodent trap.

"I have put maple syrup water on her tongue"
The recommendation is molasses or another syrup in a pinch rubbed on their gums to get into the blood system faster.
The purpose is to raise their blood sugar level which seizures can lower.

"Her daily diet consists of 2 boo balls, fruit, greens, 3 almonds and 3 hazelnuts, avocado and rodent blocks but she is very picky and most of the time will not touch the rodent blocks."
Her "diet" is counter productive. Nuts should only be given as a treat, not part of a daily diet.
There are no nuts given within any protocol when treating for mbd.
Nuts rob the body of calcium, whatever you are doing to provide calcium is being canceled out by feeding nuts.

[Spanky]

I believe Tinky has mbd because she has been having seizures since she was around 2 months old. She has them once every couple of months. I have put maple syrup water on her tongue after her convulsions and this does not help or prevent her from going to another seizure.

I think it is important to clarify that the syrup (or molasses, etc.) is not to prevent seizures, this is to help bring them out of a seizure.


er daily diet consists of 2 boo balls, fruit, greens, 3 almonds and 3 hazelnuts, avocado and rodent blocks but she is very picky and most of the time will not touch the rodent blocks. Her greens are kale and spinach, her fruit is bananas on occasion, apples and strawberries or blueberries. Her vegetable is cucumber, green peppers, fresh green beans and carrots.

Sadly this is definitely not a well rounded diet for captive squirrels. Too many nuts, stop the green peppers (nightshade family) and it could be too much fruit and too little veggies. Here is the link to a healthy captive squirrel diet:
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels


I did start the mbd protocol the minute she had her first seizure, she didn't easily accept the tums mixture and so I bought the calcium bicarbonate powder from Henry's so I can easily sprinkle on her food, however she still will have a seizure fit every couple of months.

It appears the MBD protocol was not continued and the diet is keeping her in the danger zone for MBD. Her diet needs to be changed and after a few weeks of a more appropriate diet MBD might be ruled out as the root cause of the seizures if she continues to have them.

It is impossible to compensate for a calcium robbing diet by sprinkling extra calcium on food. It is much like ordering a super-sized Big Mac Meal and an apple pie, but having a diet coke with the meal and calling that a healthy meal. The sprinkled calcium is a good thing, but the diet needs to be adjusted.


Concerning soft release, I take Chubby's entire cage outside and leave her door open so she is free to roam and then return for food/water/shelter. She initially roamed for the first few times and would return, then she was gone for 6 days so I thought she was ready to be on her own.

With all this being said, I have 2 questions. Should I keep putting her release cage outside to let her go, or take the signs that she's giving me and have her stay with her sister?

The soft release protocol requires their being outside in a cage 24/7, preferably away from houses and other human structures and under trees, for about 3 weeks with limited human contact (feeding basically). Bringing it indoors each night is counter to a successful release. After a few weeks outdoors the portal on the cage can be opened and allowing them to come and go from the cage. After 7 consecutive nights of their not returning to the cage, it is a time to celebrate their being free in the trees. Sounds like Chubby might be a transitional / semi release that was never allowed to wild up.

[Mermer9]

I just wanted to offer a little encouragement because it sounds like you’re struggling with both your “fully capable” (I love that description!) and NR. They become so very much a part of our lives and consume a lot of our brain time when things aren’t going well. I’ve spent many an hour scouring over Ca:P ratios of veggies and random foods, worried about every fabric they’d touch and any new strange behavior the little boogers show up with on a day to day.
TSB has offered comfort and advice for me so many times in the last year, and I’m so thankful for that. Listen to these wise squirrel-folk!
Also know that hope is not lost for Chubby’s release. They’ve obviously bonded with you, and you’re such a safe place, that leaving when things seem to keep going wrong out there can’t seem like the easiest choice! Especially during mating season! Yikes!
I don’t post often, but I can relate so much to that scared feeling of not knowing what to do. So, just popping in to say: don’t give up on release if that’s what seems best for Chubby! That might mean finding someone in your area to help, or following the soft release guideline to a T. The Board is here for help, and I’m always up to encourage. You can do it! :grouphug:grouphug

[ChubbyNTinksMom]

Thanks to everyone who responded to my post, I appreciate all the information. I will be making changes to their diets. Thank you Mermer9 for the encouragement! I really appreciate it, I spend around 6-8 hours with my girls every day so I have grown to love them very much and I am grateful for your positive vibes!