Chipmunk not eating or energetic

[mrtea630]

I have 2 chipmunks. One is doing very well and is full of energy and the other is not acting like it is feeling good and stays in the nesting box pretty much all of the time. I've not seen her drink or eat in quite some time. I'm wondering if there are some vitamins that she's needing that she's not getting or what it might be. They are both around 8 months old. One is male and the other a female. Any help that anyone can give me would be appreciated very much.

[kimbia]

hi:Welcome
first of...
how old are your chippies?
what do you feed em with?
is it the female or the male that isnt eating,?
when did you notice she (or he )
stoped being active or eating?
...
Im no expert but ,try answer these quiestion, and Im sure some one with more expriance will answer you soon:grouphug :thumbsup
and we'll be able to help ya out:wahoo

[mrtea630]

They both are about 8 months old. She's always been the more calm one where he has been the hyper one. I would guess that it's been 2 or 3 weeks that she's just not been very responsive and running around the cage, but she's never been like him even from the get go. Usually we'd see them both out from time to time, just her less often. I have a squirrel mix that I am giving to them along with apples, broccoli and extra peanuts and sunflower seeds. Some times I give them some grapes, but not bought any of them in a little while.

[Lady Squirrelly]

:Welcome

I have Eastern Grays so I am not able to help.

I just wanted you to know that even if we can't help, we care.

There are Chippie people on the board. I am sure they will get to this thread soon.

Hang in there.

Wishing you and your little girl the best. :grouphug

[kimbia]

and she doesnt eat at all ,or?
seems similar like mine two, one is female ,not as hyper as the male...
anyway, you can give em apple,carot,kale,broccoli,sunflower seeds(dont give much ,only for a treat coz they are high in fat,and makes your chippies fat)
you can give grapes(sliced in two halfs)
then orange(1-2 times a week ,one slice)
and yes there are some vitamins for rodents like Opti-vit from Prestige which I use and has all vitamins and minerals for rondents.
another question ...
about activity... does she sleep all the time and come out only sometimes?
some pics would help too:thumbsup try post some pics of your chippie:)

[kimbia]

there could be a posibility that shes pregnant ,yes...
is her belly big?
and how does she look in general?
try post pics(you can go to attachments,just click browse,add a picture that you want, and him upload:) )

[mrtea630]

She seems like she sleeps about 90% of the time. I will have to locate my digital camera so that I can take some pics and upload them. She's always been one to stay in the nesting box a lot more than he would, but now it seems that staying in it is all she does. Thanks for the tip on the vitamins for them. I'll have to see if I can locate some of them locally in this small town.

[kimbia]

hmm...90% in nestbox...looks like hibernating:dono
do you ever let them out of cage?
cos if you do heres some tips maybe she just needs some exercise(like mine litl stripe, shes was always in bed,sleeping, and the other one chewy runnin' in his wheel and jumping)and when I first let her out she always wants to come out....so here are some tips:
1. -when your lettin your chippies run out of cage, they have to be in a room where they cant get stuck,where are no wires they can cut with their littl' teeth..so in a secure ,risk free room(I let mine out in the dinning room where are no wires,some cupboards etc. where they cant get hurt...)
2. - be sure to remove all plants cos mostly all house plants are poisenous for chippies and other squirrels...
3.-block all ways to other rooms ,so there will be no problems..
4.-if the sleepy chippie gets out when you secured the room, try take some pics, and watch her behaviour out of cage... like is she slowly moving,shaking etc.
:thumbsup

[mrtea630]

I haven't let them come out of their cage (not willingly anyways). Both have made a mad dash and escaped and we ended up having to run around the house hunting for them. Neither one has really tamed down enough that we're comfortable to let them out. We hand feed them some through the cage as often as we can hoping that they'll become use to us. Tried to feed them through the open door, but when the door is open they seem very hesitant about approaching us even for treats. They've just not tamed up enough to actually let them out. I would love to be able to do so and hope that some day in the near future that they'll be able to be let out.

I did make her come out of the nesting box this morning just to check on her. When she came out she was a little sluggish and shaking some. Normally she'd have her tail all puffed up, but it was not this time.

[kimbia]

yeh, they should get tamed first before lettin' out:thumbsup
Ill PM to some chippie owners and hopefully they will answer:) :thumbsup

[mrtea630]

:thankyou I appreciate the help and advice and anything anybody can tell me that will help me with my little babies (Chip & Dale) I would be very appreciative of.:thumbsup3

[mrtea630]

OOPS!!! :banme I didn't finish my reply before posting that last message. I would be very appreciative of any help and suggestions.

She's actually eating some right now which makes me feel better, but I'm still going to look for the vitamins for them. I want them to live a long and healthy life.

[kimbia]

:thumbsup hope your little chippie will feel beter:D
keep updating her behaviour:peace

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Could you make her a rice buddy with a sock and some uncooked rice.
Warm it in the microwave, lay it next to her so she can curl up to it.

[Crazymunk]

I have to dash out but hang in there I will be back :grouphug

[Crazymunk]

How long have you had them?
Has she been "Chipping" at all?
Have you noticed the male being aggresive(most unlikely but have to ask)
Also have to ask.....Are you sure they are male and female?
Would have to be very cold for a Chippie to hybernate....

Cuttlefish is good for calcium..its very cheap and most pet shops sell it in the Birds section. Mealworms are very good for taming Chippies but be warned..If you buy the dried ones. When you open the tub for the first time.....THEY STINK

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I am not sure but do they need the full spectrum light?

[mrtea630]

I actually have their cage set up so that they can get up and view out the window and also get directly in the sun. Pretty much every morning you will see him up on the side of the cage looking out the window. Some mornings she is too, just lately you didn't see much of her at all. I actually seen her eating some corn and peanuts and a few other seeds earlier this afternoon, so I'm guessing and hoping that maybe she was just trying to get in a little siesta (hibernating). :thumbsup

[mrtea630]

How long have you had them?
Has she been "Chipping" at all?
Have you noticed the male being aggresive(most unlikely but have to ask)
Also have to ask.....Are you sure they are male and female?
Would have to be very cold for a Chippie to hybernate....

Cuttlefish is good for calcium..its very cheap and most pet shops sell it in the Birds section. Mealworms are very good for taming Chippies but be warned..If you buy the dried ones. When you open the tub for the first time.....THEY STINK

I have had them for about 5 months. Not heard her doing any chipping, however I'm a tab on the deaf side so she may be making all kinds of racket and I just am not hearing her. Yes they are definitely male and female. He's already starting to develop out rather nicely :rotfl A couple months ago my wife observed him being frisky with her. Also, I do keep the house rather cool especially at nights and during the day hours that we're not at home I turn off the heat.

I'll post again tomorrow on her progress. Keeping my fingers crossed that she keeps doing like she was this afternoon. :thankyou

[TexanSquirrel]

Could you give us a little more info on their diet? Exactly what is in the mix? How much of each food item do they actually eat? This information could help us a lot. Thanks and good luck!

[Luv4scratty]

Hi i don't know a lot about chickmunks. But here is my thery. I am at teh moment housing a squrriel. It is wild and lives in the cage. All it does is sleep. It never goes to the other side. Well we thiunk that this is because eaither it is scared of us or depression. Chickmunks need to be able to run around. If they don't they will never do it as they get older. So they become reliant on you. I would suggest that you let them out in some type of a larger cage. I know it is not fun haviong wild animals running around yo're ho0use. My wild squrriel got out and went up my christmas tree, it was not fun. Well keep me updated.

[fotheloveofsquirrels]

It sounds like depression.

[fotheloveofsquirrels]

Hi i don't know a lot about chickmunks. But here is my thery. I am at teh moment housing a squrriel. It is wild and lives in the cage. All it does is sleep. It never goes to the other side. Well we thiunk that this is because eaither it is scared of us or depression. Chickmunks need to be able to run around. If they don't they will never do it as they get older. So they become reliant on you. I would suggest that you let them out in some type of a larger cage. I know it is not fun haviong wild animals running around yo're ho0use. My wild squrriel got out and went up my christmas tree, it was not fun. Well keep me updated.oh I guess you already said that.

[mrtea630]

Could you give us a little more info on their diet? Exactly what is in the mix? How much of each food item do they actually eat? This information could help us a lot. Thanks and good luck!

I feed them what is called Pumpkin Delight put out by Morning Song and sold at Tractor Supply Co. It is for squirrels. It contains shelled corn, pumpkins seeds and black oil sunflower seeds. I also put in a few peanuts and some extra of the black and white striped sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds seem to be their favorite.

As for her being pregnant (that someone had mentioned) no, she's too young, but should be breeding in the later part of this year I am hoping. She's actually doing much better right now. I've seen her out and about the past few evenings when I got home which is a big relief on me. I think she's going to be OK and that it was just one of those moments when a parent :rotfl just worries about their baby.

[Crazymunk]

Just be warned that a lot of Sunflower seeds will make them fat....Mine will eat all of them first and leave eveything else.....in fact everything else usually goes flying across the Chipmunkery floor as they dig about in the bowl looking for the seeds and nuts. Little :icon_devil :icon_devil

[4skwerlz]

I feed them what is called Pumpkin Delight put out by Morning Song and sold at Tractor Supply Co. It is for squirrels. It contains shelled corn, pumpkins seeds and black oil sunflower seeds. I also put in a few peanuts and some extra of the black and white striped sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds seem to be their favorite.

If this is her diet, then she probably has metabolic bone disease (MBD) which is a calcium deficiency. The first symptom is often sleeping too much or not wanting to leave the nest. This disease is fatal if not treated right away. You'll want to change the diet of both of your chippies today.

Treatment for MBD

-Give a calcium supplement that contains Vit D3. 600 mg per day the first week, then gradually reduce the amount.

-Change the diet to the healthy diet below. It is for squirrels, but the chipmunk diet is very similar. Our chippie experts can give you more hints.



Basic Diet for Pet Squirrels (Revised 01/12/08)

Your squirrels needs all of the nutritional elements listed below. Feed a variety of foods from each group.

1. Rodent Chow. Some type of nutritionally complete kibbled rodent chow should be at least 50% (by weight) of your squirrel’s diet. These are not the “seed mixes” you can buy at the store! Below are some examples:

-KayTee Forti-Diet for Rats and Mice
-Harlan Teklab 2018 Vegetarian Rodent Diet
-Harlan Teklad 8640 Rodent Diet
-Zupreme monkey biscuit
-Mazuri rodent block
The KayTee Forti-Diet is available at Walmart; the rest can be bought at pet stores, some feed stores, or ordered online.

2. Protein. Sources of protein include live or dried crickets and mealworms. Available from pet stores and online at http://www.exoticnutrition.com/Treat-Department.htm. Some squirrels also enjoy killing and eating live moths. Eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled, WITH the shell) provide protein and calcium, plus one of the very few dietary sources of Vit. D. Nuts also provide protein (feed no more than 2 per day).

3.Calcium and Vitamins. High-calcium, low-phosphorus choices include: Collard greens, mustard spinach, papaya, turnip greens, tofu (w/calcium sulfate or Nigiri), purslane, fresh parsley, beet greens, dandelion greens, Chinese cabbage (bok choy), looseleaf lettuce, figs, kale, chicory, green cabbage, watercress, endive, grapes (cut in half), celery, green beans, red cabbage, crabapple, radish, swiss chard, pear, persimmons (native), apple with skin, pineapple, winter squash, watermelon, honeydew melon, broccoli, cauliflower

4. Vitamin C. A slice of citrus or bell pepper (green, red, or yellow) will aid calcium absorption. Most fruits and veggies contain Vit C. One slice daily.

5. Fats. Eggs, cheese, dairy products, insects, avocado, and nuts (2 per day max) provide fat.

6. Vitamin D. Eggs, yogurt* and other dairy products, insects, and mushrooms are dietary sources of Vitamin D. Sunlight or full-spectrum light also provide Vit D.

7. Healthy Treats. Cereals like All-Bran, Cheerios, and Total are great treats--they are fortified with lots of vitamins and minerals. Other healthy treats include: avocado, cucumber, cherries, romaine lettuce, strawberry, broccoli, apricot, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, carrots, cantaloupe, summer squash, seedless raisins, pumpkin, zucchini, alfalfa sprouts, peach, asparagus, banana, sweet potatoes, fresh corn

8. Natural Foods. Acorns, magnolia cones, pine cones, branch tips, mushrooms, purslane, and dandelion greens can be gathered and given as part of the diet.

9. Nuts—Two per day, preferably in the shell.
Ripe brown acorns**, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest nuts. Hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts are next.

10. Something to Chew On. Antlers, tree branches, and cuttlebones provide vitamins, minerals, and keep teeth from overgrowing. All squirrels need to gnaw!


Most important!
Natural sunlight (1 hour per day in an outdoor cage) or a full-spectrum light (FSL) indoors (8 hrs per day) is essential for calcium absorption to prevent MBD, which can be fatal.

Foods to Avoid
Cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seed kernals, and pine nuts (very high in phosphorus and will cause calcium loss). Also corn, seed mixes, and granola. Artificial sweeteners like Nutra-Sweet or aspartame.

*All yogurt should be low-fat, plain or fruit flavored; no artificial sweeteners (Nutra-Sweet or aspartame)
**Can be gathered green; they will ripen inside.

Below is some more information on MBD:



Metabolic Bone Disease (Revised 12/01/07)

The “typical” pet squirrel diet--consisting mostly of seeds and nuts--causes metabolic bone disease (MBD) a fatal disease caused by calcium deficiency. To avoid MBD, squirrels needs a balanced diet including plenty of
-Calcium
-Vitamin D ("the sunshine vitamin")
-Vitamin C
-Protein
-Fat


If any of these elements is missing, MBD eventually results—it can happen soon after weaning, or show up many years later. Without enough calcium in the diet, the body will take calcium from the bones, causing weak, brittle bones. Because calcium is also involved in cell-to-cell communication throughout the body, neurological symptoms are also common. Symptoms are varied and can include: broken bones, fur loss or thinning, lack of appetite, lethargy, tooth problems, inability to crack nuts, weakness, seizures, paralysis, and eventually death. The very first symptom can vary. A formerly healthy squirrel can suddenly get a broken bone, have a sudden seizure, loss of appetite, become wobbly in the hind legs, or just seem tired or reluctant to climb. Probably the most common first symptoms are sudden seizures and paralysis of the lower body. Sometimes the squirrel will show symptoms, and then recover and seem perfectly normal. This can go on for weeks, months, or even years. Here at The Squirrel Board (TSB), we see far too many pet squirrels die of final-stage MBD--squirrels as old as 7 years, and as young as 3 months. Their owners were new members who loved their squirrels very much, but sadly found TSB too late.

The most difficult element to provide for your squirrel is Vitamin D. Vit D can only come from four sources:

1. The food he eats (this is difficult, as Vit D is found mostly in fish and meat products)
2. From natural sunlight (NOT through a window--glass and screens filter out the UVB rays)
3. From a full-spectrum light indoors
4. A Vit D supplement (can be risky, as Vit D is toxic if overdosed; in fact, high-dose Vit D is used as a rat poison)

Unfortunately, even if your squirrel gets all the nutritional elements listed above, he can still get MBD. You must also AVOID giving your squirrel certain foods. For example, cashews, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seed kernals, pine nuts, corn, and seed mixes are very high in phosphorus and will cause calcium loss. This is because of something called the “Calcium:Phosphorus Ratio.” Every pet squirrel owner should understand the basics of the calc/phos ratio.

The Calcium:Phosphorus Ratio

Calcium and phosphorus “compete” for absorption in the body. When phosphorus is ingested in the diet, as the phosphorus is absorbed through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream, the same amount of calcium is pulled from the body as part of the process. In other words, for every 1 mg of phosphorus your squirrel eats, he must eat AT LEAST 1 mg of calcium (a 1:1 ratio), just to break even. If the required calcium is not available from the diet, the body will obtain it from wherever it can---such as from the bones, where calcium is stored. Most nutritionists recommend that the ideal ratio is somewhere between 1.2-2 parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus; that’s a ratio of at least 1.2 to 1 or as high as 2 to 1.

So it does no good to feed “high-calcium” foods unless they are also low phosphorus. For example, almonds contain 251 mg of calcium (per 28 grams). Sounds good, right? But that serving of almonds also contains 460 mg of phosphorus. This means that for every 28-gram serving of almonds, your squirrel would actually LOSE 209 mgs of calcium! He would have to eat 209 mgs of extra calcium somewhere else, just to break even. This is called an "inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio" ("inverted" meaning "upside-down"). So you must feed high-calcium foods, but you must also avoid high-phosphorus foods.

Most Common Diet Mistakes

Below are the most common diet mistakes made by people with pet squirrels:

--Lack of Vitamin D. Vit D is found mainly in fish and meat. This is one reason why we recommend eggs in the diet. One exception is: mushrooms! They are one of the few non-meat foods that are high in Vit D. In the wild, squirrels eat a lot of them. Another (man-made) exception is milk products. In the U.S., nearly all milk is fortified with Vit D, so cheese, yogurt, etc., contain Vit D.
--Too many nuts. Every nut has an inverted calcium/phosphorus ratio. Some are worse than others; acorns are the best, but still have more phos than calc, resulting in calcium loss.
--Feeding sunflower seeds, corn, and pine nuts. Terrible calc/phos ratios; much worse even than nuts.
--Not feeding a nutritionally complete rodent kibble as at least 50% (by weight) of the diet.
--Lack of protein and fat. In the wild, squirrels eat bugs, grubs, carrion, and birds eggs. We encourage pet squirrel owners to include eggs (scrambled or hard-boiled), and also insects in the diet. Freeze-dried insects can be purchased online. Although not part of a squirrel's natural diet, yogurt and cheese contain protein, fat, and vitamin D.

[mrtea630]

Thanks for the information. I will definitely have to change my ways on how to take care of my babies. I have some of the food like that which i got at the pet store when and where i bought them, but i never seen them eating any of the kibbles out of it, just the other stuff would disappear and the kibbles were left. So, do I just need to leave the kibbles in there and make them eat them or what? :dono

[4skwerlz]

Thanks for the information. I will definitely have to change my ways on how to take care of my babies. I have some of the food like that which i got at the pet store when and where i bought them, but i never seen them eating any of the kibbles out of it, just the other stuff would disappear and the kibbles were left. So, do I just need to leave the kibbles in there and make them eat them or what? :dono

Feed the kibbles in the morning with no other food. If they won't touch them, then try dipping them in something they like, such as:


-Natural peanut butter (the kind where the oil rises to the top)
-Fruity yogurt
-Formula
-Molasses
-Avocado
-Vegetable oil

Then give them a regular, healthy lunch and dinner. Trust me, they won't starve to death before lunch.:D

It will take a week or so before they eat them regularly. Then you can start reducing the amount of "dip." What kind of kibbles do you have?

[mrtea630]

Feed the kibbles in the morning with no other food. If they won't touch them, then try dipping them in something they like, such as:


-Natural peanut butter (the kind where the oil rises to the top)
-Fruity yogurt
-Formula
-Molasses
-Avocado
-Vegetable oil

Then give them a regular, healthy lunch and dinner. Trust me, they won't starve to death before lunch.:D

It will take a week or so before they eat them regularly. Then you can start reducing the amount of "dip." What kind of kibbles do you have?

What they gave me at the pet store where I bought the chipmunks was a bulk package that is from what I understood put together for parrots. It has the kibbles in it and actually quite a lot of them. I'll give that a try, but am going to go ahead and get that other stuff that was suggested just to be on the safe side.

[4skwerlz]

What they gave me at the pet store where I bought the chipmunks was a bulk package that is from what I understood put together for parrots. It has the kibbles in it and actually quite a lot of them. I'll give that a try, but am going to go ahead and get that other stuff that was suggested just to be on the safe side.

Good idea. Birds and squirrels are actually quite diff'rent animals you might have noticed......:D and have very different nutritional requirements (silly pet shop people...what are they thinking?) The Harlan Teklad Vegetarian stuff and the KayTee Forti-Diet seem to be the most palatable to older squirrels that weren't introduced to kibbles at a young age, so I would try one of those. Use the parrot stuff for healthy treats.

Let me know how it goes. Be prepared for her to turn up her nose at it. It takes TIME.

[kimbia]

If this is her diet, then she probably has metabolic bone disease (MBD) which is a calcium deficiency. The first symptom is often sleeping too much or not wanting to leave the nest. This disease is fatal if not treated right away. You'll want to change the diet of both of your chippies today.


hmm...
mine stripe sleeps all day, but I dont see any other sympthons when she does come out:thinking :dono