Re: hello
Originally Posted by
Mel1959
Does she eat any type of rodent block? It sounds like you could make some changes to her diet. The sunflower seeds, peanuts and peanut butter aren’t good for a captive squirrel. Too many nuts and seeds can lead to metabolic bone disease because they contain high phosphorous. Foods that have a 2:1 calcium to phosphorus ratio are much better for her.
Here's the thing about a squirrel's nutrition that many do not comprehend...
In the wild a squirrel eats a large variety of things not limited to vegetation nuts and seed. This can include fungi, insects, bird eggs, fruits, twigs, buds, bark, leaves, pine cones, roots, mushrooms, etc. Their natural instincts provide them the ability to know what to eat and how to eat to balance their own daily nutritional requirements. In captivity we have to balance those requirements with what we know and have learned to feed to balance those requirements. A good quality rodent block is essential to the health and survival of captive squirrels and provides all the necessary nutrients their systems require on a daily basics.
Metabolic bone disease (MBD) is caused by a depletion of calcium generally through an inadequate diet lacking the quality required. Once the body's calcium is depleted the body leaches the calcium from their bones resulting in MBD. Their bones become brittle and can easily break. This may present itself through a sudden paralysis in the hind legs, loss of appetite, lethargy, seizures, etc. This condition may not present itself with any of these symptoms and instead as many have said and experienced " They were fine one minute playing and running around and just dropped unable to move the next." The other important thing to understand is a squirrel's natural hard wired instincts not to exhibit weakness or pain that would subject them to being preyed upon in the wild. Far too often by the time a squirrel exhibits pain/weakness detectable to us they are in serious trouble! MBD is painful, MBD kills, MBD is avoidable!
I strongly suggest you look at the healthy diet for captive squirrels and educate yourself on the nutritional requirements essential to their well being and survival as well as MBD and the importance of diet to avoid such a unnecessary life threatening disease.
Step-N-Stone
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Wildlife Master Rehabilitator
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. I also have a female squirrel that was born in April of 2017. That would make her about 11 months old. I released her and her sisters in August. She was only out for a few days and took a fall and had some head trauma so I brought her back inside. She became very friendly, however, I never let her be around my cats or dog. Within the last few weeks her personality changed. She became slightly aggressive and it became very clear that I could no longer trust handling her the way I used to. Long story short...I have moved her to a release cage where she can wild up some more before release. 