Evil Grapes

[BDCurtis]

So today I decided to introduce grapes to my 6 week old babies (Peanut & Nutmeg). I've read that you have to peel them which I did. (Grapes are a pain to peel!!!) At their 2 o'clock feeding I introduced the grapes while I was holding them. Let them smell and nibble a little. Then I put two grapes in their dish and went about my day.

At the 6 o'clock feeding I noticed Peanut acting odd in her cage. She kept bowing her head and repeatedly lifting her hands towards her face and then pushing them against the floor. I picked her up to check her hands to see if something was wrong and then noticed her mouth looked funny. Took her over the light and sure enough there's a grape in her mouth - a WHOLE grape!!! I FREAKED but managed to get it out. Two little tugs and out it came. There was some blood on the grape. I checked her mouth and her teeth all look fine. Couldn't see where the blood had come from. She ate all her formula and of course I held her awhile and kept checking and rechecking her mouth to see if there was any bleeding. She seems fine but I'm a bit freaked out. I never read anywhere to chop the grapes up. I'm so upset!!! Just thinking about what could have happened if I didn't find her when I did. And wondering if there is any damage to her throat. Where did the blood come from??? She's playing in her cage but my hands are still shaking.

P.S. I took the other grape out!!!

[Mars]

I'm very glad you got there.:grouphug I slice my grape and still worry.

[island rehabber]

BDCurtis, many of us have experienced baby squirrels choking on grapes or, even worse, raisins. I know we've cautioned folks here on TSB in several threads about feeding to always cut the grapes in half, especially for squirrels younger than 7-8 weeks old. I'm so glad your baby is ok! As for the blood, I'll bet she clawed herself trying to get the grape out. Just keep on eye on her mouth to make sure she doesn't continue bleeding. I guess we can never bring this subject up often enough, because it does happen and it's awful -- for the squirrel and for us!

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

I've also had this experience with what is left of a small grape getting caught in a throat, as well as a small piece of soft apple. It's very scary. I have started using the tactic of giving them pieces of apple so large there's no way they can get the whole thing in their mouths. When it gets knawed down, I pull it out of of the cage.

[TexanSquirrel]

Poor baby! Wow! I'm glad she's okay!!!!!!!!!!

[muffinsquirrel]

Another thing to watch for - just because it says 'seedless' doesn't mean it's safe! Where the seeds would be if there were any seeds, there is a 'thick' membrane, like an extension of the stem, but not as tough. I always cut this out now, since I had a flyer pup half-way swallow one! He had it almost swallowed, but just the tip of it was visible and I was able to get it with tweezers and pull it out. (It didn't seem to bother him much, but I cried for a couple of hours, just from fright!) The same for apples - take off ALL the core, which leaves a weird shaped slice, but it gets all the tough part out.

[Gabe]

Here's my trick with grapes;

I don't peel them, but I cut them in half. I use only firm grapes (hubby gets the soft ones:) ) to prevent them from getting them in their mouth as easily. As they don't much care for the skins, keeping the skin on is another deterent. When they are older and I feed them whole grapes they peel them themselves!