Results 1 to 13 of 13

Thread: MBD diet question

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default MBD diet question

    If a 5 yr old female squirrel has MBD besides extra calcium and vitamin D from sun or full spectrum bulb do they need any other extras like extra vitamin C or anything?
    Right now I'm feeding mine fox valley 20 50 four times a day about 5cc each syringe feeding with her daily dose of calcium broken down between the 4 feedings because she still will not eat on her own ANYTHING and just sleeps.
    Is there anything else I should be giving her?
    Ps. This is her 9th day not wanting to eat only sleep
    She has been on the extra calcium and 1hr sun or light
    For 5 days now.
    She is getting 500g of extra calcium a day and she weighs 714.0 G

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2015
    Location
    East coast of Florida
    Posts
    9,781
    Thanked: 12707

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    I think there is something other than a MBD going on. She should be improved by now if it was just a MBD. I thought you had a safe vet you could use? If so, I think a blood panel is warranted to see what’s really going on with her.

    I didn’t check the other thread. Did you check her teeth and mouth for abnormalities? It’s very important to do so. Odontomas can develop which affects their ability to eat. The tooth grows inward instead of outward and will actually penetrate their sinuses.

  3. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Mel1959 from:

    bednarkim77 (09-28-2020)

  4. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    The vet fell through never called back. All her teeth are fine I even looked way back all good. Like I said she perks right up outside in the sun and will even munch a tiny bit on her HHB then throws it all over the place. One minute she is looking great the next not good again and wants to sleep.
    I was told to lay off the fox valley for a day and do just the calcium and water it just scares me her not getting any nutrients at all.

  5. #4
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    And this is how she acts when we go outside.
    This was the video this morning
    It's like she is 2 different squirrels
    Once in she just wants to sleep and not eat when out side she is alert and healthy acting outside of only taking a bite of food here and there.


    https://youtu.be/WkMF9E7Zigg

  6. #5
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    SC (Madison)
    Posts
    7,177
    Thanked: 6807

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    How often and how much out of cage time (indoors of course) does she get?

  7. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Spanky from:

    bednarkim77 (09-28-2020)

  8. #6
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Before this happened from 7 am until 7Pm
    She has her own room . The cage she sleeps in is a midwest critter nation double


    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    How often and how much out of cage time (indoors of course) does she get?

  9. #7
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    I held out yesterday syringe feeding only her calcium
    And this morning gave her a Henry's block and veggies and she ate some of the block ,she would not eat the butter calcium ball so I mixed her daily dose with the smallest amount of water and gave e her that and will 3 more times today. She is now sitting under her light . Progress is progress right. With MBD in older squirrels can it sometimes be 1 step forward 2 steps back ?

  10. #8
    Join Date
    Feb 2014
    Location
    SC (Madison)
    Posts
    7,177
    Thanked: 6807

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Quote Originally Posted by bednarkim77 View Post
    I held out yesterday syringe feeding only her calcium
    And this morning gave her a Henry's block and veggies and she ate some of the block ,she would not eat the butter calcium ball so I mixed her daily dose with the smallest amount of water and gave e her that and will 3 more times today. She is now sitting under her light . Progress is progress right. With MBD in older squirrels can it sometimes be 1 step forward 2 steps back ?

    It can take several weeks (extremely bad diet), months (bad diet) or even years (marginal diet) for MBD to develop. We all know squirrels are masters at hiding illness and injury... once they are exhibiting symptoms the disease is well progressed (or the injury is very severe). The older the squirrel, the longer it will require to recover.

    It takes weeks and months to recover from MBD... building bone from calcium is a slllllooooowwwwww process. It requires the caretaker to be diligent and steadfast in treating the squirrel and nursing them back to health. This is especially important because relapses in this case take a heavy toll.

    Progress is progress, yes!!! Stay the course...

  11. 3 TSBers pass along the fuzzy thanks to Spanky:

    bednarkim77 (09-29-2020), Mel1959 (09-29-2020), Rock Monkey (09-29-2020)

  12. #9
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    This morning Miss Winnie Lee was waiting for her block ! SHe ate about 1/3 but again progress is progress !
    I am not syringe feeding her only her calcium that I mix her wholes days dose with 4 syringes of water the smallest syringe and break it up into 4 doses , I even gave her a bowl of veggies and she ate 1 slice of mushroom <3 my little angel will be okay I think. I guess whats kicking me in the heart is these little improvements and then boom nothin and back to just wanting to sleep and not eat . But She is no longer curled in a ball , SHe is off the antibiotics and I gave her some yogurt in a syringe the other day to replace some good bacteria in her . she is no longer on motrin although I may give her some tonight because its raining here and if this is anything like osteoporosis in a human I know how bad rain hurts it.

  13. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Northeast
    Posts
    20,011
    Thanked: 9438

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Mushrooms are quite high in phosphorus which means they are not real good for an MBD squirrel to have much of. I feed small amounts as treats, occasionally; not as a staple food. That she is eating her HHBs is wonderful!

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

    bednarkim77 (10-01-2020)

  15. #11
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Good to know I thought mushrooms were good for vitamin D what's good foods for MBD? She hates anything green and wont touch it.
    She likes squash ,sweet potatoes, and a bite or 2 of red and orange peppers, sugar snap peas, green beans.



    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Mushrooms are quite high in phosphorus which means they are not real good for an MBD squirrel to have much of. I feed small amounts as treats, occasionally; not as a staple food. That she is eating her HHBs is wonderful!

  16. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Miss Winnie Lee is back to eating, I ordered HHB hazelnut and she ate it. Still having trouble getting her to eat the extra calcium no matter what I mix it with so I am still mixing the daily dose with a little bit of water and using the smallest syringe I have and giving that 2 her 4 times a day. And you know what I think my little weirdo princess likes it ,She actually chews the chalky stuff. LOL!

  17. #13
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Earth
    Posts
    122
    Thanked: 34

    Default Re: MBD diet question

    Just a update . Miss Winnie Lee is back to her sweet pudgy self. She is down to getting her extra calcium once a day now. She is doing so good. She has gained all her weight back. I'm still having trouble getting her to eat good but she has always always been that way.
    I have her on a strict diet and I have a separate feeding cage for her now,
    7 am she gets her calcium (syringe mixed with water) she actually gives me no trouble about it.
    Then she gets her breakfast in the feeding cage. A small (huge bird cage ) she has her 2 hhb and homemade booballs made with teklad and her vitamin D light above the feeding cage . She is in there for 20 minutes and then its play time for a few hours,
    She goes back in her cage and takes a nap .
    Noon has her snack and more play time and then 530 she usually wants dinner and then bed.
    She is doing amazing now .
    Thank you everyone for the help.

  18. Serious fuzzy thank you's to bednarkim77 from:

    CritterMom (11-12-2020)

Posting Permissions

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