Devastated.

[TheSquirrelGirl]

I am heartbroken this morning. One of my little reds died in my hands. She was fine last night, running around acting crazy. Went to feed them this morning and she didn't come out of her nest to eat. I picked her up and she was squeaking and gasping. I ran and put her in the heating pad and started making formula and grabbed the antibiotics to give her a shot of both. By the time I got that ready I picked her up and she passed. In my hands. I just dont understand it. Shes only about 5 months old. I was planning to release her in the spring with the other 2. She was a perfectly healthy squirrel. Eats Oxbox and Zupreem as well as Mazuri. She got no 'treats' until those were gone. And by 'treats' I mean food from the squirrel triangle. My release gray and the other release red are perfectly fine. They aren't housed together. I am devastated. I dont know what happened. She was 100% healthy at 11 last night. I have no explanation. RIP Brownie. I love you. I'm almost at the point of not rehabbing anymore. It's heartbreaking. This is the second one this year and my heart is tired.

[Vox]

Heya. While I know that nobody can ever really feel exactly what you're feeling, know that you're not alone. Sometimes our little guys are called to heaven and we don't know why right away. Don't give up on rehabbing-- you gave your little fluffy tykes a better life than they might have had otherwise if you hadn't been there to take care of them and act as a surrogate squirrel mom. Even a few days of your sharing the love and warmth in your home and in your heart is more than many orphaned babies receive, and I know that there's another little fluffy red girl waiting over the rainbow bridge for you.

[HRT4SQRLS]

I'm so sorry for your loss. It appears you were doing everything right so I can't offer an explanation. For all the times that we know exactly what caused a bad outcome, there are those like this that we can never explain. All I know for sure is that the heartbreak is the same. So very sorry.

Rest In Peace Brownie ~ you were loved~ by the mom that gave birth to you and the adopted mom who cherished you.

[island rehabber]

I am so sorry for your loss of beautiful Brownie. These are the hardest ones: when we just don't know why.

[TheSquirrelGirl]

I just feel like I missed something. Like maybe I wasnt paying enough attention. I just cleared her hoise and found a bunch of rodent block shoved in the bottom of her nest underneath her little burrow. Not enough that she never ate it but enough that now I'm worried didn't eat enough. Would that cause MBD? I never gave her anything NOT on the triangle in group 1. Would her eating a lot of that cause MBD? She ate the Zupreem and Mazuri pretty constant but looks like she did not like the Oxbow. And lord knows putting my hand in her nest caused a massacre to my fingers so it was rare I did it. Maybe once a month. Now I feel like I did something wrong. Her 'stash'was much smaller than the other reds stash (just took a bite to the hand to discover that) and a lot smaller than the gray (i can see her stash thank God). But now Im wondering if she didnt eat ENOUGH block. And now Im second guessing myself and sprinkled calcium carbonate on a piece of avocado for each of the others just in case. Im going to drive myself nuts. Thank you for your kind words. Im completely baffled and more than a little upset.
Does this happen often? The one I lost earlier this year (actually 3 but the 3rd had almost no chance of survival when it was brought to me) was pretty obvious how/why she died. She was riddled with abscesses and a hernia. It was no mystery. It was still a heartbreak but I wasnt surprised - had a lot of hope though. This one is just a mystery. She was perfectly fine then less than 8 hours later she was gone. Now I'm worried she wasnt eating enough block and I just didn't notice. But she was still eating the Zupreem (at least 1 square a day or more -there was only a couple of those in her stash). I just wish I knew why. Is this a common thing? Ive had her since she was 10 days old. She was seemingly very healthy. She was cold and wet when she was found and I wasnt sure she would make it. She was so tiny and cold. I just cant believe after all that, shes gone. For no apparent reason.

[TubeDriver]

I would not think she would pass that quick from MBD without other symptoms first. It sounds like her diet was perfectly reasonable overall too. Could she have swallowed anything that might have caused obstruction or constriction (like synthetic fiber from a hutch)? Perhaps a fall overnight that caused some type of internal injury?

Sorry this happened, some are just call home much too early for reasons that remain a mystery.

Godspeed little Brownie.

[TheSquirrelGirl]

I would not think she would pass that quick from MBD without other symptoms first. It sounds like her diet was perfectly reasonable overall too. Could she have swallowed anything that might have caused obstruction or constriction (like synthetic fiber from a hutch)? Perhaps a fall overnight that caused some type of internal injury?

Sorry this happened, some are just call home much too early for reasons that remain a mystery.

Godspeed little Brownie.

After talking to my SO we have come to the conclusion she must have fallen and possibly broken her back. She was just limp. Like she no longer had control of her body. He thinks thats why she passed so quickly after picking her up and the squeaks before she died were pain. There is no other explanation. Her house is about 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. He thinks she probably fell from the top.

[Crystal]

Bless you for all you do for these precious babies! You have too good of a heart to quit! I understand the pain but in the end YOU are the one who made the difference in Brownies little life! You are a genuine and pure soul! Keep up the love, God knows we need more of it in this world! Love and kisses to you and your babies!