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Hi all! My daughter ordered some items for the squirrel store- and two items I am questioning are they Lava Bites and Mineral block. I see on there they say for birds, so before we give them to our girl I want to make sure they are okay. She doesn’t get any natural sunlight but it on fresh veggies, limited appropriate fruits, and teklad along with Henry’s Healthy blocks.
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The Keytee lava blocks are safe, I have used them with no issues. The Manu mineral block is probably safe BUT it does not list the amount or proportion of the minerals. For example, too much phosphorus would be a bad thing. I personally would not use the Manu mineral block.
Quote:
Originally Posted by DanniCristina
Manu was originally recommended to me by a squirrel rehabbers decades ago. We included it as an extra source of calcium in our girl's habitat enclosure. After her meal she would go over to the Manu block and shave off some of the clay each and every day.
The issue I see with this source or any source of calcium is that the rodent block diets haven't been updated since preclinical studies in rats found that a closer (Ca:Mg) than rodent block diets supply of (10:1 to 5:1) down to an adjusted (Ca:Mg) ratio of (3:1) (whole diet ratio was found to lend greater support towards both achieving and maintaining optimum bone density. It was these preclinical rat studies done from 1997 to early Circa 2000, that led to the FDA lowering the Ca:Mg for humans to support a range of (1:1 to 3:1), the average of which they note (2:1 ratio). In rats the ratio that promotes health and normal stool, is a (3:1) (Ca:Mg) whole diet ratio
.Other than measuring all the calcium in the diet averaging over a week or two, adding Magnesium (Magnesium threonate) by "Double Woods" to the diet can simply be supported. With one capsule contents equaling 36 mg. it is about the amount needed to bring up the diet to a (3:1) (Ca:Mg) ratio. Because the bowel takes time to adjust to the optimum dose; it is needful to start with the smallest increase (1/64 Tsp.) and raise it every few days to where the stool doesn't firm up after a 2 to 3 days. Once Bowel tolerance occurs lower the total amount supplemented at that point by the same amount that is used to raise it steadily (1/64 Tsp.) Save for the amounts used for humans being greater; this is the same means which is recommended by a (M.D. N.A.) to adjust the (Ca:Mg) ratio in the diet daily in support of greater calcium bone retention and bone density in rats.
I like this and other sources that include the fractions for each spoon on the handle.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Star-Food...s%2C135&sr=8-3