7 week old grey - orphaned from 4 weeks - calcium powder

[Samantha1969]

Hello - persevering as no sanctuaries open - can I mix the calcium powder with the formula to make sure it is being eaten?

Not really fussed with actual food at the moment as tried powdering that but can not guarantee it is being touched.

Thank you so so so much

[CritterMom]

What formula are you feeding? A 7 week old baby on formula doesn't need calcium supplementation - it is getting all it needs from the formula. And as long as you feed a proper diet including a quality rodent block, healthy veggies and limited fruit, and VERY limited nut snacks after weaning, it won't need extra calcium either.

[Samantha1969]

It is puppy formula now with cream.
I keep getting so scared I will do something wrong.
Worried now about MBD so reassured by your answer thank you.

[CritterMom]

Let us know what sort of rodent block you have found/can find for him - a pic of the bag would be great, but if you haven't bought any yet, just get us the name - so we can take a look at the nutritional info for you. The most common time we see MBD is after they have weaned from formula and the finder has started feeding them nuts, nuts and more nuts.

What BRAND of puppy formula is it? Hoping it is Royal Canin.

[Samantha1969]

It is lactol as that was all I could get with this lockdown. I can try and get royal canin if that is best? I had to get what was available fast and that was all the shop had. I had then ordered esbilac online but then saw all the new warnings so cancelled that before it arrived. I would appreciate any advice and help and support as I could not leave it where it was but now am afraid of causing harm by not doing right. Can you suggest a rodent block that I can obtain within lockdown? I did buy a mineral block but again not much interest in it.

[Samantha1969]

ROYAL CANIN Puppy Pro Tech Infant Milk - is this one suitable? I can get this online by the weekend.

[Samantha1969]

Vitapol

Vitapol Mineral Block for Rodents 1*PC 40*gr

I can get this delivered this week too if you think it is suitable?

[CritterMom]

It is lactol as that was all I could get with this lockdown. I can try and get royal canin if that is best? I had to get what was available fast and that was all the shop had. I had then ordered esbilac online but then saw all the new warnings so cancelled that before it arrived. I would appreciate any advice and help and support as I could not leave it where it was but now am afraid of causing harm by not doing right. Can you suggest a rodent block that I can obtain within lockdown? I did buy a mineral block but again not much interest in it.

I don't know much about the lactol - haven't run into it over here. I do know that the Royal Canin Babydog formula is very good, though.

So, mineral blocks are totally different that what I am describing. They are hung on the cage to be occasionally chewed by the animal as a mineral supplement, and often have salt in them - not really good for them.

What you are looking for is a rat food that is NOT a bunch of corn and sunflower seeds dumped in a bag. Exotic Nutrition makes some, a company called Mazuri makes some, Teklad are likely the best you can find over there. This shows a pic of what I am talking about: https://www.afrma.org/sales/labblocks.htm

Go online and see what you can find. Check Ebay. These diets were actually designed for laboratory rats and are often called "lab diets" and sold in huge 25 or 50 pound bags. Here in the US, lots of enterprising people buy the big bags and repackage them into smaller bags and sell them. That all look sort of like the pic in the link though they may be different shapes. What you are looking for has NO distinguishable bits of corn or seeds or nuts in it.

[Samantha1969]

not sure if the photo worked? I got these?

[Samantha1969]

Ok so pellets - could I send you some links and you let me know yes or no to any of them? Is that ok? I'm sorry to be a pest!

[CritterMom]

Yes, pellets - not the mineral block.

Can you find the "babydog" by Royal Canin? The other seems to be for older puppies...