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Thread: Help with calcium and mbd

  1. #1
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    Default Help with calcium and mbd

    and advise on what anyone found has worked to get their squirrels to eat the crushed up tums? Also, I know I can’t keep giving him tums what do folks recommend I use for him? He is about 4 months old. Red squirrel.
    I’m trying to correct his awful diet I had him on.
    Thanks!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    They usually won’t eat the Tums other than a nibble. You should crush the Tums, add water and syringe feed it. The volume given for a dose is small because you dose it throughout the day, not all at once. Be careful to NOT aspirate.
    Another option is to mix the powdered Tums into peanut butter and make small PB/Tums balls and feed it.

    The megadosing calcium is a temporary thing while treating for MBD. When the diet is corrected Tums are not necessary.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    They usually won’t eat the Tums other than a nibble. You should crush the Tums, add water and syringe feed it. The volume given for a dose is small because you dose it throughout the day, not all at once. Be careful to NOT aspirate.
    Another option is to mix the powdered Tums into peanut butter and make small PB/Tums balls and feed it.

    The megadosing calcium is a temporary thing while treating for MBD. When the diet is corrected Tums are not necessary.
    Thanks! I did try the peanut butter balls. He liked it for 5 seconds and has refused it.
    I crushed up one tums (400 mg ) and separated it up into 5 PB balls.

    Today I even added crushed walnuts and has the same outcome.

    Can I try putting it on fruit like watermelon or apple?

    Also during the process do I still keep sticking with his higher calcium diet? Rodent block and mostly high calcium veggies like mustard greens?

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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    Quote Originally Posted by SquirrelGirl31 View Post
    Thanks! I did try the peanut butter balls. He liked it for 5 seconds and has refused it.
    I crushed up one tums (400 mg ) and separated it up into 5 PB balls.

    Today I even added crushed walnuts and has the same outcome.

    Can I try putting it on fruit like watermelon or apple?

    Also during the process do I still keep sticking with his higher calcium diet? Rodent block and mostly high calcium veggies like mustard greens?
    Yes, you can put the calcium on anything. Avocado is a good one because the calcium will stick to it nicely.
    Have you seen this chart. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...7&d=1232419601
    It is the calcium to phosphorus ratio of the different foods. Kale is another good high calcium food.

    Actually they will always need a diet with balanced calcium to phosphorus. That’s why we limit the nuts. They are very high phosphorus foods. Look at pine nut on the chart if you want to see a horrible food in terms of phosphorus.

    Even now while treating for MBD the diet can be varied but keep the calcium in mind.

  5. Serious fuzzy thank you's to HRT4SQRLS from:

    Snicker Bar (08-01-2019)

  6. #5
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Yes, you can put the calcium on anything. Avocado is a good one because the calcium will stick to it nicely.
    Have you seen this chart. https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...7&d=1232419601
    It is the calcium to phosphorus ratio of the different foods. Kale is another good high calcium food.

    Actually they will always need a diet with balanced calcium to phosphorus. That’s why we limit the nuts. They are very high phosphorus foods. Look at pine nut on the chart if you want to see a horrible food in terms of phosphorus.

    Even now while treating for MBD the diet can be varied but keep the calcium in mind.
    He loves avocado!
    That chart has been so fantastic. We are still trying different items on there right now. He seems to love mustard greens.
    I just wanted to make sure that I can still offer him these foods while doing the procedure.

    He is stubborn. I’ve been trying to stick to the picky eater diet for him. He ate the rodent block at first and now refuses it.

    He was getting better, at least I thought, but today he has just been out of it.

  7. #6
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    You may want to adding Calcium citrate, adding it to low fat plain organic yogurt.
    Recommend either Green Valley Low fat (lactose free), or, "Stonyfield low fat yogurt" (low lactose), with this whole wild blueberry powder.
    Use a maximum of (1/64 Tsp.) of the whole blueberry powder to 1/2 Tsp. of yogurt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Calc.../dp/B000UYA1T6

    https://www.amazon.com/Blueberry-Pow...gateway&sr=8-5

    Adding in one drop of this organic vanilla extract may help to improve the taste and aroma of the plain yogurt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organi.../dp/B00I6CV8FK

    You can change up the fruit source by adding (1/4 Tsp.) of organic naturally sweetened applesauce (no sugars real or artificial added), instead.

    https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Calc.../dp/B000UYA1T6

    This brand of applesauce also comes combined with apricot.

    https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Cruz-Or.../dp/B001M0ALHO

    A drop of this food grade organic sourced Chia oil on a rodent block has worked to entice some squirrels to eat the rodent block.

    https://foodsalive.com/products/orga...il-foods-alive

  8. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Diggie's Friend:

    Snicker Bar (08-01-2019), SquirrelGirl31 (07-25-2019)

  9. #7
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    Quote Originally Posted by Diggie's Friend View Post
    You may want to adding Calcium citrate, adding it to low fat plain organic yogurt.
    Recommend either Green Valley Low fat (lactose free), or, "Stonyfield low fat yogurt" (low lactose), with this whole wild blueberry powder.
    Use a maximum of (1/64 Tsp.) of the whole blueberry powder to 1/2 Tsp. of yogurt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Calc.../dp/B000UYA1T6

    https://www.amazon.com/Blueberry-Pow...gateway&sr=8-5

    Adding in one drop of this organic vanilla extract may help to improve the taste and aroma of the plain yogurt.

    https://www.amazon.com/Simply-Organi.../dp/B00I6CV8FK

    You can change up the fruit source by adding (1/4 Tsp.) of organic naturally sweetened applesauce (no sugars real or artificial added), instead.

    https://www.amazon.com/Frontier-Calc.../dp/B000UYA1T6

    This brand of applesauce also comes combined with apricot.

    https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Cruz-Or.../dp/B001M0ALHO

    A drop of this food grade organic sourced Chia oil on a rodent block has worked to entice some squirrels to eat the rodent block.

    https://foodsalive.com/products/orga...il-foods-alive
    Some fantastic ideas and options! Thanks!

  10. Serious fuzzy thank you's to SquirrelGirl31 from:

    Diggie's Friend (07-25-2019)

  11. #8
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    Default Re: Help with calcium and mbd

    This source of Calcium citrate is fine grit, not like some other powdered sources I have seen; it also has no additives.

    I also recommend this organic Pumpkin seed oil. Pumpkin seed oil was found in a rat study to support liver health, by protecting the liver from toxins. Available in smaller size, see options on this page.

    https://www.amazon.com/Pumpkin-Seed-...07CRPJBYF?th=1

    Once your squirrel is eating the block again, add baked organic butternut squash, organic green peas boiled 5 to 10 min. and cooled to feed.

  12. 2 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Diggie's Friend:

    Snicker Bar (08-01-2019), SquirrelGirl31 (07-25-2019)

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