Boo Balls - Interpreted

[Scooterzmom]

I too have given boo-balls to my wilds. In fact, when I had to administer meds to Poxie I would cut the boo-ball in two, dig a little hole in the middle of one half and place the liquid meds in there; the boo-ball would usually absorb the med in fact, and then I'd place the 2nd half back on top and feed that to her. She loved them, never rejected them and that way I was sure she had taken her meds. So sad that in the end poor Poxie didn't pull through though

[Nancy in New York]

My outside ones devour the boo balls, especially if I make them with HHB's. I have got some of the healthiest looking squirrels in the neighborhood.

[JLM27]

M2B, I have a Harvard nutritionist lined up. I need a list of the exact ingredients with their weights or volumes, including the weight and breakdown of whatever is in the rat blocks and the FV.

What do you want to compare it to? What nutrients do you want called out?

She is not a TSBer, and I have no stake in this, as I am totally ignorant of nutrition and do not own a squirrel. As I said before, however, I wish to keep her name off the board. However, I have confidence in her, because she had been a research nutritionist at Dana Farber Children's Hospital, responsible for analyzing exact ingredients and nutrition profiles for human research projects. She has also been, and still is, a nutritional consultant for several regional and national restaurant chains.

Once we have the list of ingredients set up, anyone can take it to any nutritionist. This will not address what the little ones SHOULD eat, but simply what is comparatively in these foods.

Leigh, I understand you already have an analysis of the HHBs, maybe you could send that to me for comparison, since you have already called out what is important in the profile.

Please, no one start lobbing Molotov cocktails at me, as I am in the habit of ignoring such things. If anyone starts such bad behavior (in which I include sly swipes), I will ask IR to pull this, and continue the conversation in private.

[island rehabber]

[mpetys]

yes, most of my wilds liked BooBalls.
Most of them would also eat avocado, peeled apple slices and grapes.

I am saying "most", because some of them won't care for anything but nuts.

Also, if I give them nuts AND one of the above, they will go for nuts, of course.
But if I give them BBalls or some of the above fruit first, then, they eat that stuff better.

Yeah, squirrels are squirrels I guess, indoors or outdoors. Let them know there is a nut around and forget aout everything else.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to feed MonkeyButt, he was unusually excited. I thought he was hungry and excited to see his food bowl in my hand. As I opened the door to his cage, I held the bowl in front of him so he could grab a piece of avocado. Instead, he ran past me, climbed the outside of his cage to the top where he grabbed a nut! He came down, jumped on my shoulder, a bit aggressively because he had a nut. He then ran down my leg and was on the floor running around, so proud of that darn nut. I am hollering at my husand for putting a handful of nuts up there. Big no no. MonkeyButtt finally decides that he would like to enjoy this nut on the porch of his nest box, so he goes back into his cage on his own! And here I thought he was excited by his salad!

[mpetys]

I too have given boo-balls to my wilds. In fact, when I had to administer meds to Poxie I would cut the boo-ball in two, dig a little hole in the middle of one half and place the liquid meds in there; the boo-ball would usually absorb the med in fact, and then I'd place the 2nd half back on top and feed that to her. She loved them, never rejected them and that way I was sure she had taken her meds. So sad that in the end poor Poxie didn't pull through though

What a great idea! Probably better than putting meds on a nut especially with my silly squirrels who will bury an unshelled nut as well. I guess this means they are not hungry!

[astra]

Yeah, squirrels are squirrels I guess, indoors or outdoors. Let them know there is a nut around and forget aout everything else.

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to feed MonkeyButt, he was unusually excited. I thought he was hungry and excited to see his food bowl in my hand. As I opened the door to his cage, I held the bowl in front of him so he could grab a piece of avocado. Instead, he ran past me, climbed the outside of his cage to the top where he grabbed a nut! He came down, jumped on my shoulder, a bit aggressively because he had a nut. He then ran down my leg and was on the floor running around, so proud of that darn nut. I am hollering at my husand for putting a handful of nuts up there. Big no no. MonkeyButtt finally decides that he would like to enjoy this nut on the porch of his nest box, so he goes back into his cage on his own! And here I thought he was excited by his salad!

[island rehabber]

M2B, I have a Harvard nutritionist lined up. I need a list of the exact ingredients with their weights or volumes, including the weight and breakdown of whatever is in the rat blocks and the FV.

What do you want to compare it to? What nutrients do you want called out?

She is not a TSBer, and I have no stake in this, as I am totally ignorant of nutrition and do not own a squirrel. As I said before, however, I wish to keep her name off the board. However, I have confidence in her, because she had been a research nutritionist at Dana Farber Children's Hospital, responsible for analyzing exact ingredients and nutrition profiles for human research projects. She has also been, and still is, a nutritional consultant for several regional and national restaurant chains.

Once we have the list of ingredients set up, anyone can take it to any nutritionist. This will not address what the little ones SHOULD eat, but simply what is comparatively in these foods.

Leigh, I understand you already have an analysis of the HHBs, maybe you could send that to me for comparison, since you have already called out what is important in the profile.

Please, no one start lobbing Molotov cocktails at me, as I am in the habit of ignoring such things. If anyone starts such bad behavior (in which I include sly swipes), I will ask IR to pull this, and continue the conversation in private.

Any response to JLM27's generous offer? tinfoil

[Scooterzmom]

Any response to JLM27's generous offer? tinfoil

As one who always worries about the proper nutrition for my fuzzers I certainly would be interested. I mean, especially since Hami is in permanent residence with me - and since beside their veggies and fruit I also always feed them a variety of what I have learned to be the healthier foods... I'd like to have more info. I do try to offer variety to them by presenting them with boo-balls, HHB's and/or some Teklad blocks, so they won't get picky should I run out of one or the other. I must say I'm lucky, it worked, and they like all 3 kinds. I would, however, like to have more knowledge of what is in the food I give them and for that reason, do count me in.

[JLM27]

No worries. I will pursue this with Julie offline. It was for her anyway.

[island rehabber]

No worries. I will pursue this with Julie offline. It was for her anyway.

[chateauromani]

possibly a dumb question,

...all squirrels can have this? adult squirrels?

with the baby squirrel formula?

if so, i must must must try this!

[astra]

possibly a dumb question,

...all squirrels can have this? adult squirrels?

with the baby squirrel formula?

if so, i must must must try this!

no dumb questions here (the only dumb ones are those that are not asked, as they say)

Yes, all squirrels can have this.
The best squirrel formula, especially, for this recipe, is Fox Valley: www.foxvalleynutrition.com or www.henryspets.com.

Don't use Esbilac because Esbilac's recipe was changed and now it does not dissolve very well unless it is mixed with water and sits for 8+ hours.
Since there is no water in this recipe, it might end up causing problems.

So, get Fox Valley and may your Baby enjoy this

[chateauromani]

no dumb questions here (the only dumb ones are those that are not asked, as they say)

Yes, all squirrels can have this.
The best squirrel formula, especially, for this recipe, is Fox Valley: www.foxvalleynutrition.com or www.henryspets.com.

Don't use Esbilac because Esbilac's recipe was changed and now it does not dissolve very well unless it is mixed with water and sits for 8+ hours.
Since there is no water in this recipe, it might end up causing problems.

So, get Fox Valley and may your Baby enjoy this

thanks you so much for such a quick response!
is there any chance I could use another formula for a little bit while I wait for my formula to be delivered?
I want to get my Baby off of the sugary oatmeal ASAP. thank you!!l

[astra]

thanks you so much for such a quick response!
is there any chance I could use another formula for a little bit while I wait for my formula to be delivered?
I want to get my Baby off of the sugary oatmeal ASAP. thank you!!l

not sure about another formula... hmmm... kind of don't think so...
the major formulas are Hartz, Esbilac and Fox Valley.
Hartz is 100% garbage for all species. Avoid using it ever.

Esbilac is no longer good.

Fox Valley remains...

Maybe, someone will know of another acceptable formula, but as far as I know, there isn't really.

As for sugary oatmeal, you can use old fashioned unsweetened. You know, that which comes just plain, unflavored.
It takes literally a few minutes to cook it, but it's much better nutritionally and no sugar.

[astra]

thanks you so much for such a quick response!
is there any chance I could use another formula for a little bit while I wait for my formula to be delivered?
I want to get my Baby off of the sugary oatmeal ASAP. thank you!!l

another idea:

wait to receive FV to make booballs.

In the meantime, try this temporary goat's milk formula:
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=29904

put it in a shallow dish for her to lap (it might be a good idea to put a few marbles in the dish and to pour just enough formula to just cover those pebbles/marbles - this will prevent her from dipping her entire face in the dish and aspirate).

Although, you can't really make BooBalls with this goat's milk formula, it might still be a better option nutritionally than sugary oatmeal.

Just a thought.

Or you could crush the blocks and pour this goat's milk formula and make this sort of gruel thing. A lot of squirrels eat that.
You could add some peanut butter/almond butter for flavour if you think it might help (just not a lot - enough for Baby to smell it).

Or, you could crush blocks, then, warm up some nut butter till it's rather hot, pout that hot nut butter of the crushed block - let it soak and give block that way - some squirrels eat it, too. Just not a lot of nut butter, you know.
(CritterMom soaks whole blocks in peanut butter like that and gives to her wilds - they love it).

[astra]

UDoWhat has a great recipe for squirrels cookies - I will pm it to you.

[chateauromani]

not sure about another formula... hmmm... kind of don't think so...
the major formulas are Hartz, Esbilac and Fox Valley.
Hartz is 100% garbage for all species. Avoid using it ever.

Esbilac is no longer good.

Fox Valley remains...

Maybe, someone will know of another acceptable formula, but as far as I know, there isn't really.

As for sugary oatmeal, you can use old fashioned unsweetened. You know, that which comes just plain, unflavored.
It takes literally a few minutes to cook it, but it's much better nutritionally and no sugar.

All right! good plan!

random quick question, do a few blueberries everyday hurt?

[astra]

All right! good plan!

random quick question, do a few blueberries everyday hurt?

no, blueberries don't hurt.

Just make sure that you give him blueberries and other treats ONLY AFTER Baby finishes the blocks and good veggies.

It's not that blueberries will hurt, it's that if you give blueberries before blocks, they will fill Baby up and there will be no room or desire for blocks, you know.

I just sent you a pm with a Squirrel block cookie recipe that UDoWhat kindly shared.

[Pierre]

Apologies because I don't remember all the details but I remember reading about a study in rats with blueberries. In the study they gave a couple of blueberries a day to the rats and they lived a few months longer. Given that rats don't have a long lifespan, this finding was somewhat significant.

I would think they would be a good thing to add to a squirrels' overall diet--unless someone knows some reason not to... ? My Grayson loved them.