Henry's Calcium Carbonate for squirrels

[Elise]

I just received some Henry's calcium carbonate power to supplement my 3 week old red baby squirrel's esbilac powder. Is she too young to start on this supplement? If she can start on it, what dose should I give her? Thank you in advance for your help she weights 31 grams.

[Nancy in New York]

I just received some Henry's calcium carbonate power to supplement my 3 week old red baby squirrel's esbilac powder. Is she too young to start on this supplement? If she can start on it, what dose should I give her? Thank you in advance for your help she weights 31 grams.

She does NOT need extra calcium if she is on formula.
In fact formula is the best insurance against MBD so keep
her on it as long as possible. Once she weans herself off, offer
her HHB's from Henry's. If she eats them, there will never be a
need for additional calcium.

[Elise]

She does NOT need extra calcium if she is on formula.
In fact formula is the best insurance against MBD so keep
her on it as long as possible. Once she weans herself off, offer
her HHB's from Henry's. If she eats them, there will never be a
need for additional calcium.

Thank you for your advice, I will hold off then.

[Kristi S]

While I agree that sometimes it's taken to extremes, there are other times when supplements are appropriate, not necessarily in a powder, but perhaps in the form of a bone or antler or bark to chew. This is clearly a ways down the road for this little one, but offering a range of veggies is part of the Henry's suggested diet, and when that time comes, it's prudent to be aware of the calcium balance. Squirrels intended for release will not always have HHBs, and eventually they should be "weaned" onto more native foods in preparation for release, don't you think? In that event, vitamin D might become an issue.

There's evidence that vitamin C helps in wound healing, and vitamin A can assist in problems with wound healing that are a side effect of prednisone - just a couple examples of justifiable supplementation. It should be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and I can see why it seems some people overdo it.

(This may be a little off-topic, but I just felt a defense of supplementation might be in order.)

[Kristi S]

Just wanted to add that I'm not contradicting what Nancy said. Just so that's clear.