Please help

[tinabrnmn]

I have 2 baby squirrels I have had them since they were about a week and a half old maybe two weeks old. They are both about 7 weeks know. I have been using Esbilac. The little girl (Tango) has diarrhea off and on. One day I think she is fine, happy and energetic the next second she has diarrhea. I started giving them pecans already sheeled. The little boy (Whiskey) seems to be doing fine. Please help thank you[/QUOTE]

[HRT4SQRLS]

It’s very late here so I can’t stay up. Please don’t give them nuts. They are MUCH too young for nuts. Nuts are super unhealthy. They can have them as a treat when they get older.

Has she always had diarrhea? I’ll check back in tomorrow.

[tinabrnmn]

For the last 2 weeks yes, again off and on. I had there milk out so I started researching I did find out this new formula needs to go in the refrigerator, so I through everything out and started over with new stuff. I thought she was doing great until tonight when I fed her.

[tinabrnmn]

[QUOTE=tinabrnmn;1338403]For the last 2 weeks yes, again off and on. I had there milk out so I started researching I did find out this new formula needs to go in the refrigerator, so I through everything out and started over with new stuff. I thought she was doing great until tonight when I fed her.

Sorry, they are like 8 weeks old. I got them August 30, 2021. They looked to be 1 1/2 weeks to 2 weeks when I got them. I would have to look up the date for when there eyes opened. I have only been giving them pecans for 2 or 3 days.

[HRT4SQRLS]

They are old enough to start solid food… but not nuts or seeds.
They need a rodent block. Henry’s Health Pets makes several good blocks. I always use the picky eater block.
https://www.henryspets.com/picky-blo...hoClF0QAvD_BwE

This is a supplement block so they only can have ONE PER DAY until they get older.


Another rodent block you should buy is Envigo Teklad 2018. It is a general purpose rodent block that can be fed free choice.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/23329091835...8AAMXQL99SccBN

When they are eating the block well you can start introducing veggies. Kale is an excellent first veggie. After that you can try broccoli, sugar snap peas.

I’ll get a link for the healthy diet.

[HRT4SQRLS]

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

This is the food pyramid. At the bottom of the pyramid is the bulk of the diet… rodent block. The next section up is veggies. At the top is nuts and treats. It is the smallest portion of the pyramid because these foods would be limited. I NEVER feed babies nuts. Of course they love them but they are super unhealthy. When they are about 12 weeks old they will get their first nut. At that point they about 1 month away from release.

You should read about Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). It is a fatal condition caused by feeding high phosphorus foods like nuts, seeds and corn. It is one of the most common conditions we see on this board. People just don’t realize how unhealthy nuts are. This is a condition that applies to captive, pet or rehab squirrels. In the wild, nuts are fine because they can balance their own diet with native foods. In captivity they can only eat what we give them.

I know your initial concern was diarrhea. Try adding solids and see if this will help. If not we can pursue other options. This year has been epic for the number of baby squirrels with diarrhea. There are concerns about the Esbilac formula but at this point it is unproven. Are you using the powdered Esbilac puppy formula? For those that the diarrhea can’t be controlled we have been recommending a formula switch to Fox Valley 20:50.

[tinabrnmn]

Thank you. She seems fine again this morning. I was wondering about the blocks. What would you recommend besides the picky eater block? I have heard and have read about MBD. Switching to fox valley 20 50 should it be done slowly? I haven't had a problem with Whiskey and I don't want to create one.

[CritterMom]

Thank you. She seems fine again this morning. I was wondering about the blocks. What would you recommend besides the picky eater block? Thank you again.

My guys LOVE the hazelnut blocks.

[redwuff]

Hi Tina, can you give us the weights on your babies? Also posting a picture would help us tremendously to see how they are doing. We love to see squirrel pictures!

[tinabrnmn]

[tinabrnmn]

I have a question why can't squirrels have acorns? I was always been told No green acorn. The outside squirrels always eat both the brown and green ones. I have never given any acorns to the ones I have raised and released. Was just curious of the answer.

[SquirrelyDan]

I imagine the reason people advise against feeding acorns is that they do not have the right calcium to phosphorus ratio. This is the same reason the recommend against pecans. Pecans have a Ca:Phos ratio of 1:3-4, but squirrels need a ratio of 2:1. Acorns typically have a ratio of 1:2, so they’re not as bad as pecans but still not good enough to prevent metabolic bone disease (the common term for secondary nutritional hyperparathyroidism).

Basically, if you don’t have enough calcium, you have weak bones. If you have more phosphorus than calcium, the body tries to even it out by sucking calcium out of the bones. No good.

So technically, the nuts and mature acorns should be fine if there is also a sufficient source of supplemental calcium. The problem is that (at least I find) if you give a young squirrel nuts, yoghurt, and eggshell, they’re just going to eat the nuts and leave the calcium-rich foods behind.

Rodent blocks get around this (and simplify everything for us!) because, although they ARE mainly composed of nuts (nothing toxic about the mature nuts, just the ratio, remember), they also have other essential nutrients mixed in. So the picky squirrels go for the nuts but get calcium, vitamin K, etc. whether they like it or not! Sort of like how my mom would put melted cheese on my broccoli to get me to eat it.

Of note, broccoli and cauliflower actually have an insufficient Ca:Phos ratio, and feeding them without other sources of calcium leads to MBD in opossums, who are more susceptible to it than squirrels.

Kale is excellent because squirrels usually like the taste, and it has an appropriate Ca:Phos ratio already built in.

I’m not a squirrel expert, so don’t just take my opinion alone, but I don’t see why an acorn would be bad if they also got enough calcium. In the wild, if they craved calcium, they’d instinctively seek it out in green plants. But, in rehab or captivity, they can’t do that.

I don’t know of anything inherently toxic or otherwise hazardous about mature acorns, other than the tannin levels differ between oak species. Green acorns contain more tannins, sometimes enough to be toxic. A squirrel should naturally be repelled by the smell of tannins and store the green acorns until they ripen. But, a baby squirrel might not know better, or, if it doesn’t have enough alternative food options in its captive environment, it might be forced to eat the unripe, high-tannin acorns out of sheer hunger.

It’s interesting if the wild squirrels are truly consuming the green acorns. Maybe they’re really just putting them in their cheeks to go and hoard until they’re ripe. If they truly are consuming them, maybe they are a lower-tannin acorn, like white oak (versus red oak which has more tannins). Such interesting little creatures!

[stepnstone]

I have a question why can't squirrels have acorns? I was always been told No green acorn. The outside squirrels always eat both the brown and green ones. I have never given any acorns to the ones I have raised and released. Was just curious of the answer.

I imagine the reason people advise against feeding acorns is that they do not have the right calcium to phosphorus ratio.

Actually. the reason is they can be deadly to rehabbing/ kept squirrels. Unfortunately, it has happened with some members on this board.
One needs to understand, once in the wild a squirrel's natural inbred instincts take over. A wild squirrel knows what to eat, what not to eat,
and how to eat to counter what they do eat. In "captivity" they will eat what we give them good or bad.

The explanations below are credited to CritterMom and HRT4SQRLS

It doesn't matter where they came from. Acorns are "wet" - they are much like chestnuts inside, much like chestnuts, unlike nuts like walnuts and pecans which are dry. That wetness allows mold and fungus to form very quickly. Outdoors, a squirrel has his choice of millions of acorns - they select and toss those that are bad. Indoors they have only what you give them.

Below Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS

Yes, acorns are risky. Acorns are moist inside and can grow mold. Some of these molds produce aflatoxins. These aflatoxins are deadly. I would NEVER just collect acorns and give them to caged squirrels. It is much too risky. I do selectively collect fresh acorns. I take knife and cut each acorn to visually inspect them. If the meat of the acorn is perfect, they will get that acorn. Needless to say they don’t get many acorns.
Some rehabbers won’t even do that due to the risk. You would be surprised at the number of fresh, perfectly appearing acorns are totally brown/spoiled on the inside. It is easily 25% of those that I cut. Of course, you never want them stashing acorns in their cage. It is a recipe for disaster. .[/QUOTE]