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Thread: MBD Help for Wild Squirrel

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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Feb 2020
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    Ohio
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    Exclamation MBD Help for Wild Squirrel

    I believe a squirrel in my back yard has MBD. Sluggish, too tired to tackle nuts in shell, left partially chewed walnut meat. It is shaking with both small tremors in a way reminiscent of hiccups and the fur on its lower face looks... like it is close to molting (but no signs of mange). For a lack of a better word, its eyes look tired.

    I feed a mix of nuts in shell (walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds), big acorns from a park (not molded and I trust they are not worse than those burried in natire), with a few handfuls of de-shelled peanuts (also for birds). I’ve noticed one leucistic squirrel only eats peants, and it is possible so did this one, but with it being gray like the rest, it is hard to tell. Although right now it is eating walnut meats as it is the only thing that’s deschelled. My neighbor puts out industrial amounts of bread for birds, and squirrels eat it too.

    This squirrel is not captive, so it can choose not to eat something, if it is not palatable. This one is not along the bravest, who would come closer to be thrown a nut, so whatever it is, I’d have to put it out in larger quantities. I can order Henry’s, but it will take time to get here and I understand squirrels are not crazy about it, when they are wild and have choices.

    Do you think I can even help this squirrel with what it would willingly eat, if it is coming when I can see it? Do you have a recommendation on the Henry’s block most palatable to wilds, and what can I do in the meantime for a wild one? I will mix rollersids with peanut butter next, in case she comes back. And yes, I’ll reserve the peanuts to the bird feeders for small birds.

    Thanks.

  2. #2
    Join Date
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    Default Re: MBD Help for Wild Squirrel

    They normally don't get MBD in the wild, however, females can develop basically the same thing from the drain of raising a litter. Do we know if this squirrel is male/female/showing signs of nursing?

  3. #3
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    Default Re: MBD Help for Wild Squirrel

    Not nursing, could not tell gender. I did not photograph/tape it much because my phone is almost at capacity. I just saw it and it has the same dark spot on its back that it had either this morning or yesterday after drinking from the bird bath which I interpreted as water. Its overall tired appearance with the same type of fur on the face is something that I saw in a squirrel two winters ago. It was on my deck chewing a piece of food a little, then resting for a while, then chewing a bit more, resting, not scared of me. I did not see it again, so I assumed it died.
    I did take a picture of this squirrel just now, but it does not look like I can post it.

  4. #4
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    Default Re: MBD Help for Wild Squirrel

    Name:  A49BCD82-970A-457F-9D12-70903038FF48.jpg
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    I figure out how to post a picture �� I could only take a picture of it as it was leaving. The lower face part, where the fur looks weird, is not very visible, though.

    Update: none of them touched the Tums powder with peanut butter.

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