Simon needs help!

[Kpax]

Hello Everyone, I joined this forum to try and find someone that could help. I have a Grey Squirrel that was thrown from a nest when he was just a few weeks old. His eyes were not open yet and had a cut leg so I took him in. That was over two years ago and since then Simon has become my best friend. He and I watch TV together on the couch and he likes it when I play my guitar for him. He is very smart and understands how I communicate with him. He always comes out of his house to meet me when I come home from work except for this week. I knew immediately that something was wrong. When I took him from his house he was just not himself even when I tried to cuddle him he would was not interested. Then when I offered him something to eat I noticed he could not chew what I had given him. The very next day I found a Pet Hospital that specialized in exotic animals and took him for a full examination including x-rays. I was devastated when the Doctor told me he had a broken lower jaw. Simon's lower jaw was broken right between his two teeth dead center, I couldn't believe it. In addition to this his upper and lower teeth were meeting tooth to tooth and did not allow the shearing effect where the upper teeth over lapped his lower teeth. The doctor told me at this point all I could do short of surgery was to feed him soft food for a few weeks and then bring him back to see how he's doing. The Doctor said that it's possible without stress on the lower jaw it could mend itself, and that the teeth could be filed to allow the correct over-bite. So-- That's what I've been doing. Feeding him peanut butter, pulverizing nuts, bananas, melons, anything that it took to keep his weight up. He doesn't appear to be in any pain except if you touch him where the break is located. (I'm the one that seems to be suffering the most at this point) The Doctor told me this type of injury is not good. Continued feeding of soft food will allow his teeth to grow excessively and that could lead to other problems.
So that's my story. I don't want to loose Simon. I Love Him. I'm not opposed to the cost of surgery, but the Doctor told me that the bones are so fragile that even that was not a sure thing. I was hoping someone else out there might have had, or known of a similar problem that could help us.
Thank You! Larry & Simon

[Gabe]

Wow, Poor Simon and you too Larry. Glad you have a vet that is willing to work with you. I can't be of much help on that sort of experience side of this, but I can give you some ideas of what to feed him.
Any idea how the jaw was broken? Is it due to the death?

Anyway you can feed Esbilac puppy formula with some baby rice cereal and baby banana or applesauce. This should sustain the weight and the added calcium in the Esbilac will help in the bone healing. I have used this with squirrels that have had broken lower jaws after being hit by a car and they did well on it.

[Kpax]

Thank you for the response. I have no idea how Simon broke his jaw. I have hanging toys he likes to play on, and I've taken all of those away from him thinking he may have caught his teeth on them. It's possible that his upper and lower teeth hitting dead on with no overbite could have been an issue, but I was not aware of that until I took him to the doctor which we will address on his next visit. It's also possible it could have been a defect from birth. I'll have to admit that I have failed with not allowing him the proper lighting. He has never had any sun exposer, or spectrum lighting in two years for his vitamin D requirement that would have strengthened his bones. However, While at the Pet Doctor she told me after drawing blood and running a complete chemistry assessment that Simon was in excellent health, and that there was no vitamin deficiency. When Simon was a baby my wife and I did a lot of reading on the proper techniques for raising a baby squirrel, and somehow we both overlook the sunlight / Spectrum Lighting requirement. I deeply regret that now, but that will be corrected for sure.
As for this evening Simon is doing OK under the circumstances and is eating the food we prepare for him. It's obvious at times he's uncomfortable, because he doesn't rest well. I just hope he's not in great pain.

[Pam]

Kpax and

Sorry to hear about Simon. I have a 5 year old grey squirrel...I'm afraid she never had sunlight or full spectrum lighting until I came to TSB in January. She was in the early stages of MBD. Now she has FSL everyday.

We have been fighting an abscess on Roxy since March or April. It's between her eye and ear. It is almost healed up. Before we found the abscess and had it drained, Roxy was in a lot of pain. The vet gave her Metacam. Did the vet give Simon any pain meds?

[Mars]

Hi. Just a note. Squirrels do not have fragile bones. Nature has made them of very study stuff. I fear you are looking at the beginning of MBD. The good news it can be reversed. You did not find refernce to full spectrum lighting a couple of years ago because it's importance was not as clearly understood. We are still learning. So step one is to provide proper lighting it is good for you too. Perhaps if Simon likes to watch TV with you you could place the lamp near where he sits.

Second getting calcuim into his diet by offering Esbilac will be very helpful. He may enjoy it if you mix the powder into some organic live cultured yogurt ( and sneak in some probiotics at the same time ) vanilla, banana or blueberry maybe liked. You can expland his diet by hitting the baby food section and picking out fruits and veggie combinations he might enjoy. Perhaps some whole grain bread soaked in juice or formula to make it mushy would be liked.

I would suggest a product called Bioplasma found at health food stores ( also called cell salts or biosalts ). I would dissolve one tablet into his food twice a day. This is supportive care. I can also offer help Homeopathically to assist in the mending of the broken bone. Please PM me if you are interested in exploring this.

Hope this helps

[island rehabber]

I just moved this thread to Non-Life Threatening Help Needed so that everyone can see it more quickly and offer advice.

[Kpax]

I am so glad to have found this site. All of you have been so very helpful and especially encouraging. I am taking very careful notes so that I can explore everyones suggestions. Your helps is very much appreciated. Thank You

[4skwerlz]

I'm so sorry about Simon. Below is information on treatment for MBD. You'll want to put Simon into a fairly small cage for a while; otherwise he could end up with breaks in his legs or spine as well.

MBD Treatment
(from Rehabilitation of Eastern Gray Squirrels: 2005 Revision, Written by Carol Hardee, Director, Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Central Florida)
We have had very good success in treating MBD by immediately placing the patient on a regime which provides a high calcium intake. If the squirrel is old enough to eat solids, we sprinkle calcium carbonate powder liberally on all solid foods offered, avoiding offering foods high in phosphorous. We also provide a minimum of 30 minutes of sunlight [or full-spectrum light] daily. These patients should be kept in the indoor-sized cages rather than outdoor cages to minimize exercise and possible stress fractures. Be sure to check the teeth for possible overgrowth also as this often occurs as well. Over the years, we have saved dozens of squirrels that were admitted with seizures, dragging their hind legs and unable to walk. This disease is totally preventable, curable in all but the final stages, and the treatments are easily administered.

High-Calcium Diet for Squirrels with MBD
(compiled by members of The Squirrel Board)

Emergency Calcium Sources
molasses
calcium carbonate or calcium glubonate
slice of lemon or orange for Vitamin C (essential for calcium absorption)
molasses
calcium carbonate or calcium glubonate
slice of lemon or orange for Vitamin C (essential for calcium absorption)

Best Calcium Sources (high-calcium/low-phosphorus)
collard greens
mustard spinach
papaya
turnip greens
tofu, w/calcium sulfate
parsley, fresh
beet greens
dandelion greens
Chinese cabbage
looseleaf lettuce
figs (fresh)
kale

Moderate Calcium Sources
yogurt, low-fat, plain or fruit flavored
valencia oranges
chickory
dried figs
green cabbage
watercress
endive
grapes
celery
green beans
red cabbage
crabapple
garlic
radish
swiss chard
tofu
pear
apple, with skin
pineapple
winter squash
watermelon
honeydew melon
cucumber
cherry
romaine lettuce
strawberry
broccoli
apricot

Low Calcium Foods (Treats only)
brussels sprouts
cauliflower
carrots
cantaloupe
summer squash
apple, without skin
seedless raisins
almonds
pumpkin
zucchini
alfalfa sprouts
peach
asparagus
banana
sweet potatoes
walnuts
nuts of any kind

Note: The calcium in some foods, such as beans, chard, beet greens, rhubarb and spinach, contain substances (oxalates and phytates) that decrease calcium absorption. This makes these foods poor sources of calcium. The oxalate found in spinach allows only 5 percent of the calcium in spinach to be absorbed. Although dairy contains high calcium, because of their moderate phosphorus levels they are only moderately good calcium sources. Avoid sunflower seeds! They are very high in phosphorus and will cause calcium loss.

[squirrelfriend]

Hello, I have a squirrel (Squirrelie) that wore his lower teeth down on the bars of his cage so much that they do not grow any more. Anyhow, I have had him for two years now. He hasn't had use of his lower teeth since he was about 4 months old. I don't have any info on the surgery part but I can give you some ideas for soft food.

Peanut butter is not healthy for them. Go to a store that sells organic or health foods. For squirrelie I give him almond butter, filbert butter and any others that they might have.

Oatmeal prepared or not is good. Squirrelie loves his oats.

In the baking section at the grocery store they have bags of chopped nuts. They ahve peacans, almonds, walnuts and filberts. Squirrelie pushes tham back to his molars to eat them.

If Simons jaws don't line up right in the end you will need to trim his teeth every 4 to 6 weeks. If this is not done they can over grow and he could starve or die from the upper ones curving back and growing right into his brain.

BABY FOOD! you can get a wide variety of fruits and veggies in there and it would be easy for him to eat while his jaw is sore. Squirrelie especially likes the apricot, peaches, blueberry, and sweet potato.

Follow up on all the MBD advice given above because that is very important. A full spectrum lamp is a must. You can buy liquid calcium at your local drug store or health food store. Buy one that has calcium only in it. Prime brand calcium suplement powder for birds is good too.

Keep us updated on how he does.

[squirrelfriend]

I work at a grocery store and was looking at their nut butter selection and they have lots. there is also hazelnut butter, cashew, almond, sunflower (though sunflower is not the healthiest selection) and a few others. They also come in a variety of mixed ones for example, almond/hazelnut, almond/cashew etc.

Another thing I do for squirrelie is I make him a squirrelie slaw. IF you have a food processor you can put a few different types of vegies especially greens and make it chopped really small. you can also make a nice one of fruit as well.

I had one more idea on the nuts too. I almost forgot about this one. I mentioned earlier about the chopped nuts in the backing section. With this guys condition I would one up it and go for the ground nuts. I know our store has bags of ground almonds and ground peacans. Squirrelie loves these.

How is your little guy doing? Do you have any pics of his jaw and or teeth that we can see? It would help us to help you.

[Kpax]

OK, Here is an update on Simon, and I'm glad to say he's doing very well. I got him the spectrum light last Friday along with all the special foods to prepare for him. He does not like creamy food and he doesn't like to eat from a bowl so the baby food I no longer try to give him. He seems to only want to try and eat things he can hold. To deal with this I would cut for example a 3/4" cube of apple, or pear. Then I would pulverize it by chopping all over with a knife blade except for the core so it would stay together while he would eat the soft area. I also mixed almond butter with isbilac then added crushed walnuts and oatmeal with honey to keep it moist. After I mixed all of that together real good I rolled it into a soft ball. Finally I rolled the little balls in a bowl of crushed or finely chopped pecans. This was definitely a home run with Simon -- he loved them. He also can eat soft water melon, and soft bananas which he holds as well. In addition to the above I would cut out the soft tops of broccoli and also pick out very soft leafy greens which he liked.
I'm surprised that he uses he lower jaw as much as he does. He does well with the soft foods and it doesn't seem to hurt him. I do everything possible to not give him anything that will put pressure on his little jaw. He's keeping his weight up and seems to be much more alert. I will try and take some pictures and post them to give you abetter idea of whats going on.
The doctor visit was important because I found out what was wrong, but the real help came from this board. I am very grateful for everyones help, and appreciate all the people that make this site possible. Simon is doing better because of all of you --- THANK YOU!!!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Glad to hear he is getting better!! Another idea..you can try Ensure (vanilla) its loaded with callcium warm it slightly just get one bottle in case he refuses..but he may like it!

[4skwerlz]

So glad Simon is doing better. Sounds like you're really using the ol' noggin to figure out how to get Simon to eat. That's what it takes with squirrels--such picky eaters sometimes! With all the loving care you are giving him, Simon'll be better real soon I'm sure!

[Kpax]

I'm happy to report today that Simon continues to get better, and possibly even gaining some weight. He's slowly starting to show some interest in playing around like he did before his injury. I've also noticed that his fur looks much better. I don't know if it's been the change in his diet, or if it's the Spectrum lighting. One thing is for sure--his coat is definitely much shinier and healthier looking. I believe he's on the road to recovery. I just hope his little chin/jaw bones connect, and grow back together properly.

[squirrelfriend]

So happy to hear that he is doing better. As you can see there is no ONE method that is fool proof for these guys. Sometimes you have to tailor it to your squirrel as you did with the food. You took all the info and figured out what worked best for your little guy. A lot of it is trial and error on finding out what they like.

[muffinsquirrel]

Hi Larry, and welcome to the board. I don't know how I missed your posts - (well, yes I do - I've been feeding rescues from our 'surprise' hurricane, 24/7!) Anyhow, just wanted to say that I'm glad the problem seems to be under control now. It's amazing what the full spectrum lights can do, even in a short time! I'm just down the road from you - at least, in Texas miles! - about 25 miles above Beaumont. Drop me a PM if I can be of any help to you. I do rehab work and also have squirrels as pets - this is where all the non-releasables come to live. We have put the full spectrum bulbs in our ceiling fixtures, and just leave them on all day in the squirrel room - seems to work fine.

Good luck, and I hope to see you around on the board.

muffinsquirrel

[Kpax]

I've posted a picture of Simon that was taken before his injury. This is him relaxing on the arm of the couch watching TV. I hope it's loaded properly.

[squirrelfriend]

He is such a cutie!