VITAMIN D QUESTION

[Seymour's mom]

Ok so after the last time Seymour got MBD I got him a uv light for his cage. He recovered completely 😁 well I thought the lightbulb would just burn out then I would get another. He woke up with a paralyzed back leg again . Omg how'd he get MBD again, then I found out I had to replace the bulb,they don't just burn out.I feel really dumb, poor sqwee . I immediately replaced the bulb and since i knew what it was this time I immediately got him on calcium carbonate and called vet. Got him in, he gave him a vitamin d shot and trimmed his teeth. So my question is lol do i keep his light on when he's in his cage? Will that be too much vitamin D?

[cava]

Hi there. Tell us about the last time he got MBD--what was his diet, how did you know and how did you treat, besides the light?

What was his diet this time? Why do you keep a light on him? Is he in a windowless room or did you just get it to help treat the original MBD?

[Seymour's mom]

His diet wasn't so great the first time, lots of nuts and granola. We had his cage right in front of patio door so I thought he was getting enough light. So he got treated, I totally changed his diet,just 2 squirrel blocks a day and greens , veggies,fruit,and a black walnut once a week. All the while when he was in his cage at night I had his light on,but it's 10 months old and I didn't know I had to replace it.

[cava]

I think you must let him have darkness at night. It's unnatural for him to be in light 24/7. Use it during the day, if you want, but let him sleep in darkness, for sure. How old is he?

[Seymour's mom]

He's 2 years old as of the beginning of August. The reason I did it at night was because he's free range all day , till my husband gets home from work, he hates my husband lol I

[cava]

Most squirrels don't require a light if their diet is appropriate and they live in a structure with windows. I don't suggest you ever place him directly in sunlight, it's dangerous.

What kind of block and what kind of veggies and fruit are you feeding. How much, what's the schedule, etc?

[Seymour's mom]

My vet said the windows block the vitamin D. Henry's healthy pets blocks and dandelion greens, soy beans,arugula, spinach, sliced apples,bananas,....

[cava]

Take a look at this and make note of the things he should have sparingly or not at all. I think you may be giving some from those groups like spinach and fruit should only be a treat. I would suggest you print it out and follow it to a T especially if he's had problems in the past and now with MBD symptoms.

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

[Seymour's mom]

Ok thanks for the info 😁

[Coralreefer]

Lots of non release squirrels live indoors without UV lights and don't come down with MBD let alone twice.
Something else is wrong here. Just my opinion. Diet is always key.

You're giving squirrel blocks.
Check to make sure he is actually eating them and not hoarding them around the house.
Our non release have done this and I've read about plenty of others doing so.
I would suggest giving the blocks before you give them any other food. Once they eat those they can get other things.
If I give blocks with a plate full of other things they won't touch the block. If they aren't eating them it does not matter if you give them.

There are other foods which can be used as their staple nutrition for variety as well. Rodent blocks, Henry's squirrel blocks, Boo Balls, Zupreme Parrot, etc.

[Seymour's mom]

Lots of non release squirrels live indoors without UV lights and don't come down with MBD let alone twice.
Something else is wrong here. Just my opinion. Diet is always key.

You're giving squirrel blocks.
Check to make sure he is actually eating them and not hoarding them around the house.
Our non release have done this and I've read about plenty of others doing so.
I would suggest giving the blocks before you give them any other food. Once they eat those they can get other things.
If I give blocks with a plate full of other things they won't touch the block. If they aren't eating them it does not matter if you give them.

There are other foods which can be used as their staple nutrition for variety as well. Rodent blocks, Henry's squirrel blocks, Boo Balls, Zupreme Parrot, etc.

I have noticed that he just kinda shreds it and only eats parts. I guess I'm afraid hell starve if I don't offer other things.

[Coralreefer]

I have noticed that he just kinda shreds it and only eats parts. I guess I'm afraid hell starve if I don't offer other things.

I cant tell you how many times I've found shredded block on our floor.
Our PeeWee does that. Block dust all over the floor but you won't find one nut piece left behind just all the nutrition pieces.

That can be the problem with the blocks.
Some won't eat them or will just shred like you said picking out the nut pieces... lol (little devils!)

It may be that he does not like the blocks and because of that is not getting his nutrition.
Maybe look up some of the other recommended rodent blocks that he may like and eat.
Henry's has a "picky eater" block they sell as well. Ours LOVE the Zupreme parrot food as a staple.

We keep things fresh with our non release so they don't get tired or bored of eating their staple diet product.

Boo Balls with esbilac and rat block mixed in, henry's blocks and Zupreme parrot are the 3 staples we use.
We give one of those options first and then give them a plate of Veggies after for them to munch on during the day then one of the staple options again at night.

There are lots of good healthy options around people use. Just find the ones that he likes and go with them.

[Trooper]

I maybe out of synch with the topic discussion, but what I do to guarantee that my Trooper (6 years old now) never has a chance to get MBD, is I give him every day a syringe full ((about 3 to 6 ml) of what I called "Popeye Juice", named after the cartoon "Popeye the Sailor" whom always eat a can of spinach when he got in trouble to gain super strength.

I take a blender and place in it between 1/2 to 1 ounce of each vegetable, fruit or nut in the green and yellow highlighted in the picture below. These foodstuff are the ones that have higher ratio of calcium to phosphorous and which are better to their body's absorption than giving them any form of calcium supplement. Even so, I add about 1/2 ounce of calcium citrate malate just to pad it up a bit. Some of the veggies in the green fields already have vitamin D naturally (mushrooms for example) and I add a few drops of cod liver oil to supplement it.

After all is blended with a bit of water, I strain it through a coffee filter, place in an ice cube tray, freeze and save the cubes in polyethylene bags for later meltdown and use.

I spike the green juice with Trooper's favorite sweetener (Carnation Malted Milk malt) just to make it more palatable, and give to him twice a day. He looks forward to it with anticipation (no pun intended) and the silver lining is; if I ever have to give him medications via syringe, he will always be ready thinking is time of his "Popeye Juice".

Trooper's dad