Emergency help needed

[cute_fluffy]

My squirrel snow ball is only 1 year old..she was perfectly fine all along..but recently she can barely use her right leg..she keeps scratching her foot..and she's in pain..i think there's something wrong with her foot or i don't know may be with the leg.i'm feeding her fruits and she's eating well..it's been two days since this happened..please please help me..i love her sooo much and i can't loose her

[stepnstone]

You say you have been feeding her fruits, what else does she eat? Please list her total diet so we have a starting place...

[cute_fluffy]

fruits : water melon, oranges, apples , grapes and seeds

[Nancy in New York]

I am moving your thread to the emergency section for more attention.

[astra]

what kind of squirrel is this?
Can you post pics?

Her diet is not good and will need to be changed.
Based on her diet, there is a chance this is MBD.

The treatment below is for an average Eastern grey-type squirrel.
if yours is a tiny palm squirrel, then the amount of calcium might need adjustment.

So, please post pics.
Can you weigh it in grams preferably?

But in the meantime, please start this Emergency treatment below.
If the cal amount needs to be adjusted, it can be done later, but for the initial doses this will be fine:
Emergency Treatment for Metabolic Bone Disease (updated 3-31-09)

Get calcium into the squirrel IMMEDIATELY, not later, not tomorrow, NOW. Delaying treatment can cause death or permanent paralysis.

You will need:

--Tums or calcium pills (any kind)
--a syringe, eyedropper, or spoon

Crush one Tums or calcium pill and add a little water or fruit juice. Use the syringe, eyedropper, or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. Feed a total of 600-800 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If the squirrel is having seizures, weakness, or paralysis, the symptoms will usually improve within a few hours, but this does not mean the squirrel is cured. It will take many months to rebuild the calcium in the bones.

Long-Term Treatment for MBD

The next step to curing MBD is to fix the diet.

1. Remove ALL seeds, nuts, corn, and treats.

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found at the top of the “Squirrel Nutrition” forum. (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=16093) Your squirrel MUST eat rodent block or squirrel blocks every day. If your squirrel doesn't like rodent blocks, you can try crushing them up with peanut butter or avocado temporarily. You can also make a tastier version of squirrel blocks using the recipe at the top of the Squirrel Nutrition forum.

3. In addition to the Healthy Diet, you will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for several weeks. Either use the syringe/eyedropper or you can try putting the calcium on a small piece of fruit.

Week 1: calcium = 500 mg per day
Week 2: calcium = 250 mg per day
Weeks 3-8: calcium = 100 mg per day

The cause of the acute symptoms—weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis—is a drop in blood calcium levels. If these symptoms return at any time, you will need to give another emergency dose of calcium.

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone. Also, if he is in a tall cage, either place him in a smaller cage, or pad the bottom very well.

Heat is very soothing for a squirrel with MBD. A heating pad turned to low and placed so they cannot chew the pad or cord, or a rice buddy (a sock filled with dry rice/beans and microwaved for about 20 seconds) will work.

__________________

[astra]

Please read this Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=32218
Read everything in this Squirrel Nutrition forum: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/f...play.php?f=191

Proper nutrition is crucial for a captive wild animal, squirrels especially.

I understand that you are not in North America and may not have access to the same product.

But you will need to find substitutes.
Could you check your pet stores and see what you have in terms of blocks for rats and mice?
Do you have Royal Canine puppy formula there?

[Nancy in New York]

I'm sorry I know nothing about the nutritional needs of the squirrels in Sri Lanka...

[astra]

I'm sorry I know nothing about the nutritional needs of the squirrels in Sri Lanka...

Neither do I, Nancy,
Just assuming that overall it will not be that different.
Since Costa Rican squirrels , persian squirrels and indian palm squirrels seem to be responding well to the general dietary guidelines, I just assume that they won't hurt a sri lanka's squirrel either.
Gosh, wish there were more research!

[Nancy in New York]

Neither do I, Nancy,
Just assuming that overall it will not be that different.
Since Costa Rican squirrels , persian squirrels and indian palm squirrels seem to be responding well to the general dietary guidelines, I just assume that they won't hurt a sri lanka's squirrel either.
Gosh, wish there were more research!

I hear ya astra....I don't even know if that much fruit is good for them in Sri Lanka.... What is their main diet? Would it be like our greys?

[astra]

I hear ya astra....I don't even know if that much fruit is good for them in Sri Lanka.... What is their main diet? Would it be like our greys?

not sure
but as far as I know much fruit is not good for anyone, animal or people
Fruit is not supposed to be the staple of anyone's diet, as far as i know. It could be a part of it (or temporarily), but not the bulk of it...

[cute_fluffy]

she's a palm squirrel...i'm new to this..how do i upload pics???/

[astra]

she's a palm squirrel...i'm new to this..how do i upload pics???/

oh, you just joined, so you may not have all the options available to you.
Email me your pics and I will upload them for you.
just try emailing within the next 10 min as I will be going to bed.
My email address is ad_astra81@hotmail.com

[astra]

I also sent PMs to two members with palm squirrels: chickoo and aida.
Hopefully, they will get the messages and respond.

[astra]

I have not received your pics and i am going to bed.

Tomorrow Administration will, probably, activate all of your options, including posting of pics, so you should be able to post them yourself.

In the meantime, please start the Emergency MBD treatment.
I vaguely recall that some of the dosage was a bit adjusted for a palm squirrel, but don't remember details.
However, the initial dose can be a bit higher, so you can start the Emergency Treatment.

When more people see your thread tomorrow, they will help you adjust the dosages if that is necessary.

Please do not delay the treatment - MBD is a deadly disease and if not treated immediately and if the treatment protocol is not followed to the letter, the consequences might be very sad.
BUT it is treatable.

Just make sure you use PLAIN calcium without added anything (D or any other stuff)

[cute_fluffy]

thanks ...i took her to a vet and he told that she may have sprained her leg a bit..he gave me Diclofenac gel to apply on her leg and dexamethasone tablets (1/5 tablet given after the meal twice a day)

[astra]

thanks ...i took her to a vet and he told that she may have sprained her leg a bit..he gave me Diclofenac gel to apply on her leg and dexamethasone tablets (1/5 tablet given after the meal twice a day)

her diet still needs to be changed as soon as possible!

MBD is serious and if she keeps eating what she is eating, she will end up with MBD.

Also, the symptoms you described sound like MBD and even if she did sprain her leg, that could be a combination of MBD and a sprained leg.
Moreover, weak legs - result of MBD - could cause her to sprain her leg to begin with.

The diet needs to be changed no matter what.
You may not be able to find a suitable block and/or formula right away, but
you can start by giving her calcium rich vegetables.
If she does not eat veggies, remove all fruit and treats and give her veggies only!

[CritterMom]

her diet still needs to be changed as soon as possible!

MBD is serious and if she keeps eating what she is eating, she will end up with MBD.

Also, the symptoms you described sound like MBD and even if she did sprain her leg, that could be a combination of MBD and a sprained leg.
Moreover, weak legs - result of MBD - could cause her to sprain her leg to begin with.

The diet needs to be changed no matter what.
You may not be able to find a suitable block and/or formula right away, but
you can start by giving her calcium rich vegetables.
If she does not eat veggies, remove all fruit and treats and give her veggies only!

Yes, I second what Astra is saying - the diet is very deficient in calcium and that MUST be dealt with, even if it meens you need to begin to give supplements for it.

[cute_fluffy]

ok sure i'll change her diet...

[cute_fluffy]

i forgot to tell you...i feed her rice too..i hope that's ok

[fire-eyez]

No rice....please stop and read the nutrition section and it will tell you all that you should feed your squirrel