Don't know what's going on need help!!

[Kisbell17]

I have a female red squirrel. I'd say she's about 7ish months old. She is acting kind of funny today and when I went to feed her I noticed her back/spine area is like standing up and beside is is sunk down and her sides are like puffed out. I have no other way to explain it is have no idea what's going on with her and I'm kind of worried this has never happened with her before. She also got really defense of her fooder and like lunged at me through her cage that has also never happened before. Can someone please tell me whatsomething going on and if I should be worried or not?

[SammysMom]

Welcome Kisbell! We will need more info and a picture would really help. Can you tell us how long you have had her, what she eats every day, what formula she was on and how long ago she was weaned? Include any and all snacks and treats that she eats regularly as well.

[Kisbell17]

Here is a picture of what I'm talking about. This just happened today as she didn't look like this last night

[pappy1264]

Can you get a pic? She could have fallen and injured herself. If she has a stash, the lunging could be her protecting that, as well, although with the weird body stuff, she could just be in pain, as well. She also may be wilding up, as well.

[Kisbell17]

Ive had her since she was 3/4 weeks old. So like 7 months. She eats a little bit of rat food and rodent block and I'm trying to switch her over to the rodent block. Umm she stopped eating formula quite awhile ago I can't really remember when but I made sure she was ready she stopped wanting it herself. Ummmm she gets a few random snacks she had a pretzel a few days ago and she usually gets some nuts as treats. She was on a pretty expensive puppy formula I can't remember the name. Sorry I'm kinda all overy the place I'm just really nervous.

[Kisbell17]

Thelse are the best pictures I could get as she won't hold still. And she could've easily feel she is very clumsy as she has no tail.

[SammysMom]

So there is a reflection or something that makes the pic difficult to see. Is it just the fur along her spine that is standing up straight? Her body is otherwise normal? THe behavior may be hormonal.

[Milo's Mom]

Is her belly area hard or soft?

[Nancy in New York]

I just turned the photo for better viewing.
When/if she comes back on the board, we need to correct the diet.

[pappy1264]

Ok, first thing, she is a fox squirrel, not a red. Reds are much smaller. When you say rat food, do you mean the kind with sunflower seeds? Her diet sounds very void of calcium, and if she has been on this for a while, she could have soft bones and injured herself. I would first off, start the MBD treatment (it won't hurt her if it is not a calcium issue, but based on her diet, it is a real possibility.) You will need to clean out any stashes she has, as she will guard them. She should be getting greens, good veggies, a piece or two of good fruits, rodent block, and an in shell nut as a treat. But if this is MBD you will want to remove all nuts for now and NO CORN (many rat foods have sunflower seeds and corn as a huge part of the blend and they love to eat them, but are very bad for them.)

Emergency Treatment for MBD

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.

[Kisbell17]

Ohkay thank you guys so much! I will clean her cage and go out and get a bunch of veggies and more food for her in the morning! Thanks for the help

[Kisbell17]

And I lied she has been eating guinea pig food. I got it because it didn't have all the seeds in it. And I totally meant a fox squirrel I was in a hurry.

[SammysMom]

Kisbell, she really needs to start that MBD treatment. We understand that it is not easy to know the right thing to do. Now that you are here we will help you through all of it. I found TSB because the baby I was raising got MBD. He lived and is a happy healthy squirrel. What kind of rat blocks do you have?

[Kisbell17]

It's usually either the kaytee brand or the essential brand depends on what the store has. Is there a better one she should be on? And I know we don't have any tums or calcium pill I'm going to go get some later tonight I don't have a way right now. Do you know if they have any vitamins that you can like put in their water or that I could give her daily to help her out? And I hear antlers for her to chew on help with calcium to?

[SammysMom]

Antlers help with calcium. Is there any way to get a clearer picture? It looks like you are taking it through glass or plastic. Her tummy wasn't large before, but it is now bloated? Is it hard or soft?

[Kisbell17]

Yes I will get a better picture after dinner and it was through her cage door she had to big of an attitude so I gave her her space but I will get a better picture in like 20 minutes and feel her tummy

[SammysMom]

I can's stress enough how important it is to get the Tums. Get fruit flavored, not mint of any kind. Be sure you have a syringe with no needle to give her Tums and water mixture. You can also offer her a Tums to eat herself as some of them do eat them because they like the taste. However, she has got to actually get them into her and not chew them up so be aware of how much she is actually eating and supplement with the water/Tums mixture anyway.

[pappy1264]

Guinea pig food as in pellets? Def. start the MBD protocol. Also, has she been pooping normally?

[Nancy in New York]

Just something I wanted to pass along that a member posted once.
When giving calcium, the calcium that counts is the elemental calcium

Please read below so you will understand what to look for when buying the tums.

[Kisbell17]

She was pooping normally last night everything changed and or got worse over night I guess. Her tummy is Hader than normal and her back is not as bad as it was earlier this is the best pictures I could get she was super excited and curious of my phone so she wouldn't hold still. And I will start the tums thing later tonight I can't get anything till my boyfriend get home from work but I will start it as soon as possible. And yes she's been eating the bags of guinea pig food you get at Walmart it was the same as the rat food she had just a lot less seeds. I'm going out to get all new food and clean her cage later tonight as well. Is there a certain foods you recommend that they sell at petsmart as that's the only close pet store? And which tums do you recommend like strength wise? I feel really bad 😔