Please Help! Juvenile squirrel not acting right.

[Mjj725]

Hello I am new to this forum and just want to say thanks to those of you who have started this. I have a question that I hope some one can help me with. I took in a gray squirrel about 4 weeks ago. He is somewhere in the range of 8-12 weeks old. He has done fine up until yesterday. He has always eaten fine, drank good and has been very active. Yesterday morning he was fine and then in the afternoon he went downhill. We had a really bad storm yesterday and I thought at first he was just sensing it (because he is inside) and I thought he was scared. He was shaking real bad and was very tense. He is not walking normal. He has his front paws drawn in and sometimes his back ones as well. He basically just crawls instead of jumping around being his normal spunky self. He is eating but you basically have to put it in front of him (although this morning he did get in his bowl) but he is not able to hold the food like normal. He has not been on his branch in his cage at all because he can't hold on very well. With his water, I have been having to resort back to the syringe because he can't get in to his water bowl. Does anyone know what this could have been from? If you could help I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks in advance!

[Mjj725]

I fed him the Hartz kitten replacement and he has been off of it for a while. He started on regular food right away and didn't want the formula anymore. He is peeing and pooping normal. He eats peanuts, cereal, potato chips, banana chips, etc. If this is a calcium deficiency, what can I give him to help him. I don't want to see anything happen to him, I love him!:thankyou

[thundersquirrel]

hi there! don't panic, we'll help you out. :)

gammas is right- it sounds like a calcium problem. if i were you, i would get him a heat source (a heating pad set on low beneath his cage would be nice).

hartz kitten formula is not suitable for squirrels. no more of that- switch to esbilac puppy formula. it has the correct nutrients for him. it must be fed very warm, mixed one part powdered formula to three parts water (as he improves we can increase the ratio).

calcium is best achieved through a balanced diet. he needs to be eating fresh leafy greens every day, such as kale, broccoli, spinach, etc..

you can buy a calcium supplement at any vitamin or grocery store.
more help is on the way- welcome to the board!

[Mjj725]

I did not know all of this. I appreciate it so much. I will go to the pet store today and get all of this and in the mean time I am getting ready to get him a tums right now. Thank you so much for your time. It means a lot to me, my family and Peanut (my little guy). We are really attached to him and I would feel really guilty if something happened to him. Thanks again for your time. This is REALLY helpful and appreciated.:thankyou mjs

[Apple Corps]

Another CRITICAL consideration is low blood sugar - it can be fatal.

Treatment is simple - get some sugar into him - even a small bit of the table sugar we all use placed in his mouth will do the trick. No harm done if hia issue is not low blood sugar related.

Then - get him on the diet Gamma and others have listed mjs

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

Gamma....you've got every thing under control..here..I see...
Your in good hands..here...Mjj725....
Gamma has given you EVERYTHING you need..to get...
Best wishes to you and Peanut.....
Welcome to the Squirrel Board....Looking forward to seeing pictures of your little guy!! :Welcome "peanut".....:grouphug :Welcome


:Welcome :wave123 Rachel..FLUFFYATILNUT....:wave123 :Welcome

[Critter_Queen]

And most squirrels will chew on a cuttlebone if you give them one. It's about $1 and available in the bird section of the pet store. Just toss one in and let him drag it around and chew it. Mine love them...even take 'em into the nestboxes. :thumbsup

I agree with everyone else, it's a dietary issue and if we can fix it fast enough it's totally curable. :grouphug

[Mjj725]

Thanks to everyone who left suggestions. I am so glad that I found this forum right away. I just gave Peanut a chewable calcium pill. He only ate a little bit of it and seemed like he wanted to start perking back up right away. You guys are AWESOME!

[island rehabber]

Great work, Gammas Baby -- Mjj725 you're in good hands and we're here to help you and your little Peanut.

Apple Corps is right -- some quick sugar will help avoid hypoglycemic shock and if he doesn't need it, can't hurt him....

Mjj725, Peanut's diet was so limited that you may have a hard time getting him to accept new, healthy, GREEN foods.....but stick with it -- it truly is a matter of life or death and he WILL eat them if you are patient and persistent. The only thing "peanut" that is anywhere near or on your squirrel, from now on, should be his name. :)

[Abacat]

:Welcome sounds like you've gotten great advice already. Good luck with Peanut! Please keep us posted, we're here to help. :grouphug

[Mountain Mama]

Welcome MJJ...you will find so much love and information here for your baby.

I have a 6 1/2 month old grey who was injured and not doing well, even on the TSB diet. I got him the proper light, and within a week he made a remarkable turnaround! Trust the experts on this board...they all love squirrels and have years of experience.

Best of luck. You have our love and prayers.

[thundersquirrel]

hey mjj, i want to suggest something to you...

look around online for rehabbers in your area. you don't have to call them, but i think it would be a good idea to have their numbers on hand.

if your squirrel's condition worsens, it may be best to let a rehabber take care of him. because you live in florida (where squirrels are legal to own) it's possible a rehabber would give him back to you. i understand it would be easiest on you all to raise him yourself, but it's not an easy job, and sometimes it's best to seek help.

just keep that in mind. best of wishes to you and your squirrel. :grouphug

[4skwerlz]

You've gotten some good advice here. Below is a treatment we are using to help other squirrels with MBD. This is for the first week only.


MBD Treatment-Week One

1. Provide emergency calcium. You can buy calcium carbonate supplement pills (600 mg) at any drugstore.

Dosage: Day 1--1,000 mg of calcium. Day 2--1,000 mg. Then 600 mg per day for a total of 5,000 mg of calcium for the first week.

How to give the calcium: The first day, crush up the pill in water and give by mouth with an eyedropper, one drop at a time, until he has taken the full day’s dosage. After that, if the squirrel is still eating well, crush up the pills and put in his food: yogurt, avocado, banana, even peanut butter will work. If squirrel won’t take the calcium in food, continue with the eyedropper.

2. Provide natural sources of Vitamin D. He will need full-spectrum light indoors all day long until he is well. Plus all the Vit D rich foods you can give: mushrooms, eggs, dairy products (especially yogurt--make sure the label says the yogurt contains Vit D).

3. Provide a liquid vitamin supplement. Buy the kind for rats and mice—available at any pet store. Dose per directions on the label.

4. Provide sources of Vitamin C. Oranges are good, but red or green bell peppers are the highest.

5. Eliminate all nuts, seeds and other unhealthy foods. Feed only foods from the TSB Diet.

6. Introduce a balanced rodent chow. try KayTee Forti-Diet for Rats and Mice. I recommend this because it is widely available at Walmart and pet stores, and it is tasty. You can also try the KayTee Healthy Bits for Rabbits and Guinea Pigs. It is similar to a kibbled food, but even tastier, and is fortified with a lot vitamins and minerals.

7. Follow the Recommended Diet for Pet Squirrels. Make sure your squirrel is getting foods from every category.

Note: The emergency MBD treatment is calcium and Vit D (FSL). Changing your squirrel's diet will take time; he will have to learn to like the new foods.