Have you tried a hard boiled egg still in the shell? You can try small pieces of cheese. Some like it, some don't. Yogurt is well excepted. Look for an organic live cultured yorgurt in vanilla or blueberry.
Have you tried a hard boiled egg still in the shell? You can try small pieces of cheese. Some like it, some don't. Yogurt is well excepted. Look for an organic live cultured yorgurt in vanilla or blueberry.
Hi, I'm a rehabber in So.Car and specialize in opossums. MBD is one of the problems we face too--diet is the cause in most cases. Does anyone use Rescue Remedy for the pain for squirrels? It is a Bach Flower Essence and completely safe to use for humans and animals too-if anyone knows any animals--my Sofie is quite sure she is the Queen Princess Of All.
IP-6 is another homeopathic remedy used for a great many things-mainly an immune booster for, again humans and --shhh animals--. If you want some more information on IP-6 check out any Edgar Casey site, he advocated it for many ailments.
MGN-3 is another we use, it is a major natural immune booster and helps the little one absorb the Vit D,calcium and phosphorus. I have used and still do use Tums(for the tummy)the chewable kind, as a calcium source, it taste good, sooths the tummy and has calcium. I just crush and sprinkle it on something they like.
I have a little opossum right now that came in with MBD-he was fed a mostly protein diet -like a puppy and of course way too much for him. Poor baby he is so sweet-can't stand to see them in pain. He is getting better.
Here is a list of calcium rich veggies with the right ratio of calcium to phosphorus: These are the highest percentage of calcium
Turnip Greens (the top one for calcium ), Chinese Cabbage, Mustard Greens , Watercress, Chard, Collards(cooked only),Kale, Dandelion Greens, Endive (lettuce) Beet Greens, Dark green leaf lettuce, Parsley, Spinach, (be aware of iron ) Yellow Wax Beans, Blackberries and Papaya.
Here are some moderate calcium sources:with an almost even ratio of cal to phos:
Cabbage-inside white leaves, Strawberries, Turnips, Okra, Raspberries, Green Beans, Guavas, Apples, Pears, Mango, Radish, and Eggplant.
These are poor calcium sources-with a higher ratio of phosphorus than Calcium:
Parsnips, Rutabaga, Blueberries,Squash, Carrots, Cantaloupe, Yams, Apricots (rich in iron), Plums, Beets, Cherries, Cauliflower, Grapes, Peaches, Cucumber, Pumpkin, Sweet Pot, Asparagus, Tomato, Pineapple, Bananas, Peas, Brussles Sprouts, Mushrooms and an all time fav of squirrels Corn-10 mg cal-120 mg phos.(this information came from the veterinarypartner.com site).
Woops a long one --going now
Brenda I
sqrlmom (10-15-2015)
I haven't had too much of a problem with my squirrels liking yogurt, and they like nearly all flavors, (including lime, which I thought was kinda weird). I think the reason they all like it is because they are started on it very early - mixed in with their formula. When they are weaning, I give them yogurt with Esbilac powder mixed into it - that way I am sure they are getting the necessary nutrients during the change to solid diets. After they are on their adult diet, they still get yogurt at least 3 or 4 times a week, and nursing momma squirrels get all they want.
If you have one that won't touch yogurt, try sprinkling pecans on it - use the really tiny bits from the bottom of the bag - almost like a cornmeal size, That way they can't just pick out the pecans. Another trick is to eat the yogurt yourself - very few squirrels don't want whatever their human is eating! And last, but not least, try swirling peanut butter and honey or molassas in it. after they eat that, start cutting down on the honey and peanut butter. You might even put their mealworms in it! And remember - just because they won't eat it today doesn't mean that they won't eat it tomorrow, or next week or next month.
Oh yes, since my squirrels are mostly flyers, which NEVER get any daylight, I use L&M Liquid Vitamins for Mammals in their water, one drop per ounce of water for flyers.
muffinsquirrel
The Southeast Texas Acorn Academy
Already we have hickory nuts, black walnuts, pecan nuts, peanuts, hazel nuts, oak nuts, beech nuts, chestnuts.......and now you're here!
http://www.nfsa.us/phpBB2/index.php
Bach Flower Remedies ROCK!! Rescue Remedy is primarily for shock, clinical (physical) or mental. The remedy specifically for pain is Impatiens. (Yes, Impatiens is one of the five remedies in Rescue, but Rescue is an entirely different remedy, not simply the sum of it's five parts.)
I think Flower Remedies work even better in animals than they do in humans. Animals aren't working against them, even subconsciously, i.e. ''Oh, how can this possibly work?"
I wish more animal caretakers were familiar with flower remedies. The world would be a kinder, safer, healthier place for all.
My favorite author on the subject of the use of flower remedies in animals is Jessica Bear.
hazel aka The Beastmistress
Veterinary Technician
Vegetarian since 1974
I am new to this squirrel business. I am writing this in hopes it may help someone. when my 4 month old fox squirrel contracted MBD, I had never heard of the disease. I researched it online (I wish I would of found this site then) and I treated it. My vets would not see a squirrel, claiming a seperate wildlife license was needed. I had no choice but to treat it myself. This treatment worked for me. I am not saying it will work for every squirrel, only that it worked for me!
I woke up one morning to find my squirrel on the bottom of its cage, paralyzed. I removed it, set it on the chair, and went to wake up my husband. When I came back out its feet were sticking straight up in the air. I thought it was dead. It wasnt, it was having a seizure. I had to work that morning, and could find no one to replace me. I went to work and told hubby to call friend who used to be vet assistant. She came over, and fed it dropper of Esbilac. When I got home, I fed it another. Here is my treatment.
Formula
1 teaspoon esbilac
1 teaspoon plain yogurt (not fat free)
1oz water
Then I read the causes of the disease and some treatments. Some treated with calcium, some with D3. I treated with both.
I went to local pet store and in their reptile section they sold a product called Exo Terra. One was called Calcimize (liquid calcium supplement) and one was called Electod3ize (electrolytes and vitamin D3).
To one ounce of formula I added 2 drops of each.
when my squirrel was not eating at all, I adminstered 3 ccs 4 times a day. When he started eating grapes he got 3 ccs 3 times a day. when he ate everything, he got 6 ccs twice a day.
By day 4 he was doing really good, moving about, eating, but still dragging hind legs. By day 5, altho still dragging legs, he could climb. By day 7 he was pretty much back to normal. Days 9 and 10 he really fought getting medicated LOL. He is now 99% healed.
Hope this helps someone!
Angela
I would like to point out that MBD takes MONTHS to reverse. (a fact based on much scientific research, and not just my own) The remedy listed above likely saved this squirrel's life, however, it still has MBD if it's only been discovered 12 days prior to this post.
Bone density takes a long time to rebuild. However long it took to create the disease, you can expect it to take at LEAST that long to recover, if not longer.
So how do you know when the squirrel is completely better? Going by the list on the other thread I have posted, nuts are totally off limits right? I've been giving her one pecan a day, should i not? How do I know when she can have her favorites like nuts and seeds (in limited supply of course) again?
If they are eating all the good stuff - they can have a treat. But I would stay away from sunflower seeds and peanuts as they work against the cure.
The only way to know for absolutely sure is to have x-rays done now and again a couple of months AFTER she is eating all her calcium-rich foods almost exclusively.
Otherwise, I would say, if it took four months for her to get this way, plan on four months of rebuilding bone density. (this is what my vet told me)
Also, I would pick almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts over giving pecans as a treat (and I agree with Mars on when you can give them). Pecans are basically squirrel candy. The other nuts I've listed have some good nutrients and fats in them as well as being viewed as a treat by the squirrel.
Thanks that brings me to a question about Walnuts. Can you give a squirrel a wlanut thats still in its green husk, or just in a shell, or already de-shelled?
All three.
Also, if you have acorns around, pick up the good looking fallen ones and try some of those. Not more than one a day (cuz they count as nuts) but they love 'em!
In-shell nuts are good because it keeps their teeth worn down, too.
Oh! And Cuttlebone is readily available at most stores in the pet bird section...super high in calcium and fun for them to chew. Just toss the whole thing in the cage.
I have this little ice cream cone thing that says its a calcium cone. Hard like a cuttle bone but sold in the small animal section. He gnaws on it now and again. wonder if cuttle bone is different?
I don't know. I'll be the cuttlebone is cheaper, though...mine cost me $1 each at Wal-Mart. I'm all about the cost since I raise a few dozen of the fuzzballs a year.
VERY IMPORTANT:
Squirrels require a minimum of one hour of full spectrum light every day to avoid MBD! There are only two ways to accomplish this! Either the squirrel must go outdoors daily or be exposed to full spectrum lighting. Window glass filters out the rays that squirrels need, so placing a squirrel in sunlight filtered through a window will NOT work!
(I just read through this thread and this had not been mentioned.)
hazel aka The Beastmistress
Veterinary Technician
Vegetarian since 1974
I am so glad to have found this website. For the last 2 days I have been trying to find someone to help me with my "Rocky". I found him lying on the top of his house-practically paralyzed in his hind legs, with a loss in appetite and everything else-which isn't like him at all. We live in a state where it's illegal to have squirrels as pets without a "license" so I was limited to who I could get help from. Thankfully, I not only found this website, but also a remedy to his possible case of MBD. Thank you so much!
Hello Squirrelangel,Originally Posted by squirrelangel
Below is some information on treatment for MBD:
MBD Treatment
(from Rehabilitation of Eastern Gray Squirrels: 2005 Revision, Written by Carol Hardee, Director, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida)
We have had very good success in treating MBD by immediately placing the patient on a regime which provides a high calcium intake. If the squirrel is old enough to eat solids, we sprinkle calcium carbonate powder liberally on all solid foods offered, avoiding offering foods high in phosphorous. We also provide a minimum of 30 minutes of sunlight [or full-spectrum light] daily. These patients should be kept in an indoor-sized cage rather than an outdoor cage to minimize exercise and possible stress fractures. Be sure to check the teeth for possible overgrowth also as this often occurs as well. Over the years, we have saved dozens of squirrels that were admitted with seizures, dragging their hind legs and unable to walk. This disease is totally preventable, curable in all but the final stages, and the treatments are easily administered.
High-Calcium Diet for Squirrels with MBD
(compiled by members of The Squirrel Board)
Emergency Calcium Sources
molasses
calcium carbonate or calcium glubonate
slice of lemon or orange for Vitamin C (essential for calcium absorption)
Best Calcium Sources (high-calcium/low-phosphorus)
collard greens
mustard spinach
papaya
turnip greens
tofu, w/calcium sulfate
parsley, fresh
beet greens
dandelion greens
Chinese cabbage
looseleaf lettuce
figs (fresh)
kale
Moderate Calcium Sources
yogurt, low-fat, plain or fruit flavored
valencia oranges
chickory
dried figs
green cabbage
watercress
endive
grapes
celery
green beans
red cabbage
crabapple
garlic
radish
swiss chard
tofu
pear
apple, with skin
pineapple
winter squash
watermelon
honeydew melon
cucumber
cherry
romaine lettuce
strawberry
broccoli
apricot
Low Calcium Foods (Treats only)
brussels sprouts
cauliflower
carrots
cantaloupe
summer squash
apple, without skin
seedless raisins
almonds
pumpkin
zucchini
alfalfa sprouts
peach
asparagus
banana
sweet potatoes
walnuts
nuts of any kind
Note: The calcium in some foods, such as beans, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and spinach, contain substances (oxalates and phytates) that decrease calcium absorption. This makes these foods poor sources of calcium. The oxalate found in spinach allows only 5 percent of the calcium in spinach to be absorbed. Although dairy contains high calcium, because of their moderate phosphorus levels they are only moderately good calcium sources. Avoid sunflower seeds! They are very high in phosphorus and will cause calcium loss.
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The animal shall not be measured by man. In a world older than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear. They are not brethren; they are not underlings; they are other nations… ~Henry Beston, The Outermost House, 1928
I joined the Squirrel Board yesterday for the first time hoping to find a cause and possible cure for my 6-month old "Rocky". According to his symptons(paralysis in hind legs, loss of interest in food and everything else, and whining when he moves) I believe he has MBD. I'm sure he's in pain(I've taken the advice of putting a heating blanket under his cage) so I'm a little uneasy with handling him. He has always liked running around and laying with me on the couch so I feel as if getting him out of his cage would maybe make him feel better..If he happens to bite me because I may move him in a way that causes discomfort will that cause me any injury other than a broken heart?
If you are concerned about rabies Don't be. Squirrels are very low profile for rabies and they need to have been exposed to the disease to have it. There is no other disease I can think of that a squirrel bite might cause. If it breaks the skin it will bleed and it will hurt. And if left untended can become infected. I would suggest moving him slowly and carefully perhaps on or wrapped in a blanket.
Sorry to here your baby is sick, my junior has been sick and it was because I had the wrong light, Please Please go get the FULL SPECTRUM LIGHT and make sure it says that, if I hadnt gotten mine Junior would have died. He has been sick all week, originally we thought it was his teeth, which they are a problem, but he needed that light and today he is so much better, he had the same symptoms, except he didnt get down in his hind legs, but was really sore and couldnt hardly get around, today he is better. We have to put his food in a processor and chop it up real fine so he can eat because of his teeth, if you dont have the light please go right now and get one, the sooner the better, if you dont your baby will die.
Thank you all so much for welcoming me so nicley. I can't say how very glad I am to have found this site. When I explained what I needed to the associate at the pet store she sold me a "basking spot lamp". I'm thinking this isn't the right thing to have gotten. I live in a small town with a VERY small pet store so she may not have been familiar with what i was referring to. If it isn't- would a store like Petsmart or maybe even a Wal-Mart carry the Full Spectrum Light?