Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Lithuania
    Posts
    5
    Thanked: 2

    Default General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Hey guys!

    I will post a longer version below but please tell me - HOW TO MAKE MY LITTLE GUY EAT SOMETHING ELSE THAN ENGLISH WALNUT and BE MORE ACTIVE (tends to sleep in all day, only leaving for food?

    Brought in a rescue squirrel, he is around 8 months old, doesn't bite, I can pick him up although he tries to escape to his little house all the time. Such a lazy one - could sleep all day. I tend to take his house away in the morning (hates waking up) and return in the evening to encourage to be more active. He had a broken leg which grew back in a bad way but the vet said no need to break it again.

    Thanks in advance!!!
    G.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Lithuania
    Posts
    5
    Thanked: 2

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    /Users/g/Desktop/9A272112-45FC-414F-91C8-89DADB85CFA4_1_105_c.jpeg

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    11,423
    Thanked: 12751

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Hi G
    to the Squirrel Board

    I’m going to get some links for you. I want to post a link to the Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels.

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

    Oops, you have a problem. It is very difficult to get squirrels to eat healthy when they get nuts. Unfortunately nuts are very unhealthy and can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). The foods they love like nuts, seeds and corn are all unhealthy so must be limited. You will have stop giving nuts or your little guy will not eat healthy foods. Try offering avocado first. They usually like it. Slowly you can add other foods.

    If your guy is sleeping a lot that is a warning sign. He might be experiencing early symptoms of low calcium. Have you noticed any issues with movement or walking? Any seizures?

    Wow, Lithuania! I would love to see a pic of your squirrel.

  4. 4 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to HRT4SQRLS:

    Chirps (05-28-2020), Diggie's Friend (05-28-2020), RockyPops (05-29-2020), stepnstone (05-28-2020)

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Planet Earth
    Posts
    17,915
    Thanked: 13299

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Hi G
    to the Squirrel Board

    I’m going to get some links for you. I want to post a link to the Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels.

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

    Oops, you have a problem. It is very difficult to get squirrels to eat healthy when they get nuts. Unfortunately nuts are very unhealthy and can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). The foods they love like nuts, seeds and corn are all unhealthy so must be limited. You will have stop giving nuts or your little guy will not eat healthy foods. Try offering avocado first. They usually like it. Slowly you can add other foods.

    If your guy is sleeping a lot that is a warning sign. He might be experiencing early symptoms of low calcium. Have you noticed any issues with movement or walking? Any seizures?

    Wow, Lithuania! I would love to see a pic of your squirrel.

    A very serious sign of mbd according to your registration on his diet.
    "Eats only watermelon, dandelions and adores english walnuts (seems it made up his diet 70%)"
    Low calcium is likely the reason his leg
    "grew back in a bad way".
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


  6. Serious fuzzy thank you's to stepnstone from:

    RockyPops (05-29-2020)

  7. #5
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Lithuania
    Posts
    5
    Thanked: 2

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Hi G
    to the Squirrel Board

    I’m going to get some links for you. I want to post a link to the Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels.

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...-Pet-Squirrels

    Oops, you have a problem. It is very difficult to get squirrels to eat healthy when they get nuts. Unfortunately nuts are very unhealthy and can lead to Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). The foods they love like nuts, seeds and corn are all unhealthy so must be limited. You will have stop giving nuts or your little guy will not eat healthy foods. Try offering avocado first. They usually like it. Slowly you can add other foods.

    If your guy is sleeping a lot that is a warning sign. He might be experiencing early symptoms of low calcium. Have you noticed any issues with movement or walking? Any seizures?

    Wow, Lithuania! I would love to see a pic of your squirrel.
    Hey! Thanks for such a profound explanation! Would never have guessed well there are no issues with mobility except one leg is not functioning properly no seizures. Just a lazy guy...
    How can I introduce new food to him? Tried few bites of avocado, lettuce, carrot, cucumbers - didnt eat those. I gave him few nuts yesterday as he became quite angry and tried bitting me however is this the right approach not to give him nuts and just starve him into eating the grrens? maybe some calcium could be dissolved in water?

    Pls help!!! Really wanna make this work

    I will definitely post a pic just need to figure out how )

    AČIŪ (thanks in Lithuanian)

  8. Serious fuzzy thank you's to fashionpig from:

    RockyPops (05-29-2020)

  9. #6
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    SC (Madison)
    Posts
    7,177
    Thanked: 6807

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by fashionpig View Post
    How can I introduce new food to him? Tried few bites of avocado, lettuce, carrot, cucumbers - didn't eat those. I gave him few nuts yesterday as he became quite angry and tried bitting me however is this the right approach not to give him nuts and just starve him into eating the greens? maybe some calcium could be dissolved in water?
    You have a problem that will require tough love. The aggression is what we call "nut aggression"... pretty much the same aggression you'd get from a toddler or "tween" that has lived on fast food for too long and her parents finally realize she needs a healthy diet: Give me your happy meal and try this kale and beet salad I made you!

    The squirrel will not starve themselves to death with perfectly good food available. But that does not mean they won't hold out and make you think as much hoping you will go back to nuts.

    Putting calcium in water is not a good idea but some people do sprinkle powder calcium on their veggies. And it is as much about not feeding calcium depleting foods like nuts an seeds as it is about feeding foods that provide good amounts of calcium. It is impossible to supplement with enough calcium that makes a diet of nuts anything but a death warrant for a captive squirrel.

    Avocado is usually a huge favorite, but some just turn their noses up. Don't give them avocado skin or pits though!

    Sugar snap peas is also a big favorite. Butternut squash.

  10. 5 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Spanky:

    Chirps (05-30-2020), Diggie's Friend (05-31-2020), Mel1959 (05-30-2020), Nancy in New York (05-30-2020), RockyPops (05-29-2020)

  11. #7
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Lithuania
    Posts
    5
    Thanked: 2

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    You have a problem that will require tough love. The aggression is what we call "nut aggression"... pretty much the same aggression you'd get from a toddler or "tween" that has lived on fast food for too long and her parents finally realize she needs a healthy diet: Give me your happy meal and try this kale and beet salad I made you!

    The squirrel will not starve themselves to death with perfectly good food available. But that does not mean they won't hold out and make you think as much hoping you will go back to nuts.

    Putting calcium in water is not a good idea but some people do sprinkle powder calcium on their veggies. And it is as much about not feeding calcium depleting foods like nuts an seeds as it is about feeding foods that provide good amounts of calcium. It is impossible to supplement with enough calcium that makes a diet of nuts anything but a death warrant for a captive squirrel.

    Avocado is usually a huge favorite, but some just turn their noses up. Don't give them avocado skin or pits though!

    Sugar snap peas is also a big favorite. Butternut squash.
    Hi All!
    Thanks a lot!!

    Unfortunately all of you were correct and the squirrel has mild MBD symptoms.

    Starting now: no more nuts, except one half in the evening, will try to introduce rodent blocks (never ate any in his life...).
    Calcium treatment as described in henrys pets site https://www.henryspets.com/emergency-treatment-for-mbd/
    (coating foods with calcium and feeding it to my little guy), supplementing water etc.

    I just don't understand - can I just simply buy calcium power from the drug store or I need some specific calcium for rodents?

    Thank youuuu

  12. Serious fuzzy thank you's to fashionpig from:

    Diggie's Friend (05-31-2020)

  13. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Florida
    Posts
    11,423
    Thanked: 12751

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    It doesn’t have to be a rodent calcium source. In the USA we use Tums which is an antacid that contains calcium carbonate. Any calcium carbonate is fine but it shouldn’t contain Vitamin D because we don’t want to megadose Vitamin D. Vitamin D in large doses can be toxic to rodents.

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

    Chirps (06-12-2020)

  15. #9
    Join Date
    May 2020
    Location
    Lithuania
    Posts
    5
    Thanked: 2

    Default Re: General advice needed & how to make squirrel eat something else than walnut!!!

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    It doesn’t have to be a rodent calcium source. In the USA we use Tums which is an antacid that contains calcium carbonate. Any calcium carbonate is fine but it shouldn’t contain Vitamin D because we don’t want to megadose Vitamin D. Vitamin D in large doses can be toxic to rodents.
    You're an angel!

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •