Advanced MBD?

[SammysMom]

This made my day! I hope Sister feels better soon. Maybe a tummy ache from eating real food. Is she pooping enough?

[Spanky]

Is she pooping enough?

I cleaned her cage last night (well, every night because they are so small) and she had been pooping great. Just now, just a few (4) turds... I will keep watching. Her anus is no longer swollen and back to normal.

When I got home I did encourage her to drink from the water bottle and she took quite a bit. I think I need to continue encouraging her to drink.
Is a little banana okay (Ca 0.3 : 1 P)?

She is much smaller than her paralyzed sister (nearly 100 grams smaller).

[SammysMom]

Give her a bit of molasses in water via syringe.

[Spanky]

Give her a bit of molasses in water via syringe.

I did this a while ago and when I came down to give the next Ca dose she had been rummaging through her buffet.

I suspect my initial optimism that they were welcoming the new healthy diet and not looking back may have been a bit off... at least for this little one. She'll eat the Picky HHB but not the Wild Bites. This may come down to a battle of wills on diet... she is so sweet I can see how she well may have had her hoomin trained.

[Spanky]

I had not seen any appreciable improvement on the MBD protocol so after getting some other input I started her on prednisone a week ago and am stretching out the dosing. I *think* we are making progress, slow but sure?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy1DrnOQeX8

[Mel1959]

That’s definitely some good coordinated movement!

[Nancy in New York]

Oh yeah, those little legs sure are kicking!

[Spanky]

Look at her go! She's not walking with them yet, but if I had a squirrel bike she'd be blazing trails!

[Nancy in New York]

Amazing.
Look at her go.
Too darn cute for words.
How long are you going to keep her on Prednisone?
I like what I'm seeing already.

[redwuff]

Wowser Spanky, that is some kind of great change. Is this the little one you put on prednisone? How is the sister doing?

[Spanky]

How long are you going to keep her on Prednisone?

She is on the 3rd stage of the protocol, half doses every other day. I will keep her on that this week assuming she does not decline, then stop it and see. Open to feedback as always though!

[Spanky]

Is this the little one you put on prednisone?

Yes!!!

How is the sister doing?

She is doing super terrific... thanks for bumping me to update on her.

We did have a touch and go weekend after my post about her not feeling well. I blame myself that maybe I missed something, paying too much attention to big sis and not enough to list sis. I was in fear of losing her for over a day.

So I posted on Thursday (3/7) she was not feeling well when I returned home from the vet with Big Sis that afternoon. She seemed to be better that evening and okay Friday but Friday evening I became concerned again, even checked on her at 3AM Saturday (after feeding babies) and all seemed okay. But by 6AM she was in trouble, maybe I missed something at 3AM, was not thorough enough in checking her or I was still asleep? She was badly dehydrated. A trip to the vet, sub-q's and touch and go pushing oral fluids (Diastat) until about 4AM Sunday she woke me up (she was next to my bed in a small cage) drinking from her water bottle!!!! By 6:30AM she was rattling her cage, climbing about trying to wake me up... of course this was Spring Forward day!!! I rarely have been so thrilled.

My take-away was that while I was offering water, and she was taking it, it was from her water bottle that I would hold for her. She would readily drink anytime I held it to her... even saw her at the bottle at other times too. The bottles were not clogged up and the same type of bottle on most of the cages (I even rotate them when filling). In retrospect, while it seemed she drank a long time and was getting a lot of water she must not have been getting near what I thought... because she became dehydrated. Next time (if there is one) I will give the fluids orally with a syringe (even if more challenging) since I'll *know* how much they are actually getting.

Her de-gloved tail has dried up and only a few days ago the last of it fell off (or was removed?)... it went in two stages / pieces.

Today she is a very happy little girl, graduated to bigger cage. I regret not having better chronicled the diet change-over. Today they love their block, pig out on their healthy buffet with Avocado being a run-away fav... which I am okay with these munchkins eating as much (within reason) avocado as they want! My first rodeo of terrible corn and seed diet to the healthy diet. To be honest, I expected them to put up a bigger fight based on the experiences shared by members on TSB. Maybe since they were not given options, there was not an "argument" to be had?

My remaining concern is whether she will "grow" any more... she is a wee 302 grams today. A little healthier than when she arrived, but that be more a healthy weight gain versus weight gain from growing. Big Sis is a little over 400grams, so she would be a smallish female for around here, but Lil Sister could really benefit from some growing up!

I wonder if any TSBers have any experience with similar situations, dietary induced stunted growth up until 7 months (+/-) and a switch-over to a healthy diet... did they ever "grow-up"?

Pics from today:

[SammysMom]

I knew you were their very best chance!!! Thank you so much for giving them such a wonderful.new chance at normal squirrel life.
Those littleegs bicycling along made me cry with happiness for her.

[Milo's Mom]

Spanky, not sure if this is what you're looking for or not.

I have a little guy, Crazy Boy; he was fed diluted goats milk and peanuts for the first 10 weeks of his life. When we got him he screamed if anything touched him and he ran in circles constantly. Tight, nose to tail circles. We couldn't do the classic MBD treatment with the shake...we couldn't touch him and he was too busy screaming in terror to even try the syringe.

We went with measured calcium on his solid foods and I put him on HHB's the moment I got him to my house. (the Center kept him for 2 months before they suddenly needed room for the raccoons)

He is small for his age, but he has grown. Certainly not to full size, but he did grow. His fur is great, his tail is amazing and he's my pint sized little spinner boy. The Henry's diet did wonders for him...so much so when the Director was at my house a few months later she asked who it was. She didn't believe that it was the same squirrel. He still circles, but he's now able to sit and focus and look at things. He can walk a straight line and he is a good climber.

He is the size of a released Spring baby during their first Fall. Almost big, but not quite. Maybe double the size he was when we got him and he's 4 years old.

[Spanky]

He is the size of a released Spring baby during their first Fall. Almost big, but not quite. Maybe double the size he was when we got him and he's 4 years old.

Thank you for providing this hope! This girl is a bit older, but I would love for her to increase her size by growing 1/3... I'll take 1/4 if that is all that is possible!

[Spanky]

I knew you were their very best chance!!! Thank you so much for giving them such a wonderful.new chance at normal squirrel life.
Those littleegs bicycling along made me cry with happiness for her.

... she is bringing two more here tomorrow.

[redwuff]

... she is bringing two more here tomorrow.

Uggg I hope they are not in the horrible shape these girls are in.

[Spanky]

Uggg I hope they are not in the horrible shape these girls are in.

These are two older ones, a boy and a girl, that found a person via warm tree syndrome. Thankfully the "warm tree" did not freak out... but unfortunately the same warm tree ran over a nursing mother 5 days earlier. They are older (bushy tails, climbed a warm tree)... I understand they are in good shape, despite the presumed 5 days away from mom. Hopefully smooth sailing with these two (I hope not to be asking too much!).

[SammysMom]

Oh Lord...what have I done? As if you dont get enough on your own!

[Spanky]

Oh Lord...what have I done? As if you don't get enough on your own!

You did exactly what we all do... tried to find the best option for squirrels in need. On her first trip here she had asked very nicely if I was okay with her keeping my contact information etc. I have also offered to assist her with releases as she in not bale to release at her place. She also has a singleton 7 week old that I believe she wants to incorporate with the 6 week olds I have.