Squirrel refuses blocks

[fosteringjasper]

I need help please. I've been struggling for several weeks now trying to get a 9-week-old grey to eat his blocks. They are the HHB, but he just won't eat them. Tried just leaving them there and waiting but nothing. He sometimes takes a few nibbles then just crumbles it up and leaves it alone. Tried coating in natural peanut butter, yogurt, no luck. Tried coating in coconut oil, takes a few bites and then leaves again, tried putting it in a bit of apple juice, he'll eat a few bites then again leaves it. Coating in avocado, he takes it right away, eat the avocado off it then again leaves it alone. Can I make it crunchier somehow without destroying the vitamins in it? Haven't tried other brands, but he other ones all seem to have corn and soy as the first ingredients. I thought corn was not good for them. I am confused if this is the case, why are these other rodent blocks based from corn with added vitamins? Please, any input would be helpful. Thank you.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

I need help please. I've been struggling for several weeks now trying to get a 9-week-old grey to eat his blocks. They are the HHB, but he just won't eat them. Tried just leaving them there and waiting but nothing. He sometimes takes a few nibbles then just crumbles it up and leaves it alone. Tried coating in natural peanut butter, yogurt, no luck. Tried coating in coconut oil, takes a few bites and then leaves again, tried putting it in a bit of apple juice, he'll eat a few bites then again leaves it. Coating in avocado, he takes it right away, eat the avocado off it then again leaves it alone. Can I make it crunchier somehow without destroying the vitamins in it? Haven't tried other brands, but he other ones all seem to have corn and soy as the first ingredients. I thought corn was not good for them. I am confused if this is the case, why are these other rodent blocks based from corn with added vitamins? Please, any input would be helpful. Thank you.

Hi Fosteringjasper:
Thank you for finding The Squirrel Board! Here is the bottom line but I will try to answer your question as well!. A nine week Squirrel should still be getting formula and it is not necessary for him to have the blocks!! But, once a Squirrel's eyes open, most of us begin "feeding" blocks but the Squirrels almost never really eat any significant portion of a block right off and usually, all that is done with the blocks is to destroy them! This may go on for a week or often longer before the Squirrel eats any of a block. What we want to have happen is for the baby to develop a taste for Blocks before being offered any other food besides formula. If a Squirrel gets fed nuts or other treats or even fruits, vegetables, and "natural foods" before developing the taste for the blocks, it is difficult later to get them to eat the blocks leading up to weaning and then beyond.

Please tell us the history of this baby including how long you have had him and what the circumstances were that resulted in you and this Little One coming together, what did you give formula and what has been his diet up to now?

Please know that your 9 week old is NOT ready for weaning and should have access to his regular formula restored immediately if he is not currently getting formula! An adequate intake of Formula provides for ALL of the hydration and nutritional requirements for your Squirrel. Of course we want him to eventually wean and byt that time have developed an appetite for block and other healthy dietary constituents BUT weaning usually doesn't reach completion until somewhere around the 16th week. Also, weaning should be controlled by the Squirrel and he should be permitted to have formula until he know longer want it! Even when it appears that weaning has taken place, a Squirrel, for what ever reason, may decide to keep on with his formula and for this reason (and for the fact that I never have a large number of babies at any one time and have more time with each), I continue to offer formula for at least a week beyond the time when it really appears that the Squirrel is done with formula.

As far as the HHBs go, I would suggest using the Picky Blocks rather than the plain Healthy Blocks as they seem to taste better to the Squirrels (and to me!). As long as you do not give anything beside formula and Blocks, it will be very natural for your Squirrel to eventually get to eating the Blocks, even if they are not the Picky Blocks. A quality Block such as Envigo 2018 (formerly Harlan/Teklad) or Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet are fully balanced diets and can be free-fed (the Squirrel can eat as much as he wants) BUT all varieties of Henry's Blocks are meant to be limited to 2 or at the most 3 blocks daily for the "average" size Squirrel and for babies, certainly no more than 2 each day.

As far as your the covering the Blocks to "disguise" what lies below usually doesn't work as you have found out as the Squirrels (if they like the coating) will often eat only that! You can cut the blocks in smaller sizes or mix in a little water to make then softer (you won't be able to simply add a little water the extruded blocks such as Envigo or Mazuri because they are just to hard and would need to be ground up); and consider adding a small amount of some type of "tasty" baby food such as apple or pear but you will most likely need to continue this practice. Most of us have found that a Squirrel in the weaning stage will eventually eat whatever Blocks you decide to provide as long as they do not have any other options, especially treats (and in particular, NUT ARE TREATS!).

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[fosteringjasper]

HI, Thanks for your reply. Yes, he is still on formula. First was homemade goat milk formula henry's recipe, then fox valley. Ordered the blocks when he was 6 weeks and was told to start him on the blocks as soon as I received them because I should be incorporating solids into his diet. He just doesn't want them, I got the HHB since they are supposedly the best. Yes, I have started giving him greens from the henry's food pyramid but that was after some time of only trying to give him the blocks and him not going for it. I do not giving anything else at the same time as the block, but he seems to rather go hungry, I am at a loss. My husband found him 20hrs after a storm, no nest, no mom. no other siblings around. The first 3 days were really bad, warmed him and hydrated him slowly around the clock. I wasn't sure he would make it, but then he started recovering and thriving, that was 5 weeks ago. He has grown well, very active too. Just trying to give him a solid chance at life.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

HI, Thanks for your reply. Yes, he is still on formula. First was homemade goat milk formula henry's recipe, then fox valley. Ordered the blocks when he was 6 weeks and was told to start him on the blocks as soon as I received them because I should be incorporating solids into his diet. He just doesn't want them, I got the HHB since they are supposedly the best. Yes, I have started giving him greens from the henry's food pyramid but that was after some time of only trying to give him the blocks and him not going for it. I do not giving anything else at the same time as the block, but he seems to rather go hungry, I am at a loss. My husband found him 20hrs after a storm, no nest, no mom. no other siblings around. The first 3 days were really bad, warmed him and hydrated him slowly around the clock. I wasn't sure he would make it, but then he started recovering and thriving, that was 5 weeks ago. He has grown well, very active too. Just trying to give him a solid chance at life.

Thanks for the love and caring you are bestowing on this little Squirrel! What is his name? What is the Fox Valley formula you are using? It certainly appears that you have done and continue to do everything well and very conscientiously! He probably will get to eating the Blocks if no "better tasting" options are permitted. Weaning is really a process that occurs over weeks. It may be worth trying to cut the Henry's blocks in smaller portions or change the consistency by mixing with some water or maybe even a little baby food such as apple or whatever.

I make Blocks but not from scratch although I used to do that. I use Envigo 2018 as a base and grind up the blocks, add some other ingredients that IMHO make it taste better and adds nutritional value, add some Calcium to maintain the original Calcium concentration of the Envigo 2018 and then mix this coarse powder with some Gerber, Sitter Consistency Baby Food (usually Banana, Apple and Pear but I have used plain apple and others) and then make a flat dough and heat it. While I'm definitely not trying to suggest all this as a possible alternative for you, I'm just illustrating the basis for a consideration of a relatively simple experiment with the HHBs that might make the a little more palatable and that would be to grind up only a couple of the HHBs to start and then mix these two (or so) ground up blocks with the minimal amount of the Baby Food to make a thick dough, reform the dough into the two (or whatever number of blocks your used), warm them on a faintly greased tray in a preheated oven for about 20 (+/-) minutes per side at 200 degrees F, let the blocks cool and then let you Squirrel try one. Who knows; if you Squirrel turns up his nose, maybe try again later or the next day! After that, they're yours!

My Required Disclaimer: I am not a chef!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Tashahaven]

StS covered everything very well! The information provided is very thorough and descriptive, explaining possible options, and ideas.

I would like to break it down in a very simple way, to hopefully illustrate the typical steps and stages from birth through weaning. They are as follows:

1.) (eyes closed, hairless babies aka “pinkies”) Fed ONLY formula, around the clock in intervals of 2-4 hours, depending on size. Formula is calculated based on the daily weight of the squirrel. Between 5%-7% of body weight.

2.) (Baby opens eyes) Formula feedings are spaced out in intervals of 4-5 hours apart, and the overnight/middle of the night feeding can typically be discontinued if the baby is healthy & stable.

Once eyes open they become much more active, exploratory and can sometimes become distracted during feedings. Typically 1/3 of an HHB is offered 2x a day for the squirrel to investigate and get used to (smell, taste texture etc). The squirrel will eventually “shred” the blocks, leaving a BIG mess. NO other foods are offered at this stage.

3.) (STILL giving formula based on weight, trending towards the higher recommended %, if healthy) The squirrel begins to fully consume the block, NOT leaving a big mess of crumbs behind.

4.) Once the squirrel is fully consuming a whole 1-2 blocks each day, for 4-7 days, excitedly and enthusiastically. Additional HEALTHY foods (greens, veggies, wild foods, minimal fruit) from Henry’s healthy food pyramid can be offered to him. In addition to the formula and blocks.

5.) the squirrel will begin to take less and less formula, and become less interested in formula (between 15-16 weeks). It’s important continue offering formula regardless.

Oftentimes it helps to warm the formula and put it in a shallow dish/lid, with small rocks/pebbles in it (to prevent the squirrel from sticking its nose into the formula dish and aspirating the formula). The key is to attempt to find a way so that he will still consume formula for as long as possible. It is VERY good for them. Loaded with healthy vitamins and packed with nutrients, calories & fats.

You will need to play around with a VARIETY of different greens and veggies to find ones he enjoys, to best support his growth, for a balanced diet with adequate nutrients.

some will still enjoy some formula routinely up until they go outside in a release cage.


I Hope this helps some. Just remember to remain patient, and stick to it. If he is currently eating various other foods, it may take longer to go somewhat backward a step or two…by removing those foods, and giving him ONLY formula and blocks… until he is consistently eating them! Hang in there, he WILL figure it out. Once he does, keep it up and don’t offer other foods again right away. Give him 4-5+ days, to ingrain in him, these behaviors. & know that a squirrel WILL NOT starve himself to death! Especially if there is food available (HHBs)!!

I don’t recall if you told us his name. Also…PICTURES PLEASE! We LOVE pictures!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰

GOOD LUCK! YOU GOT THIS!! Keep us posted! 🥰

[fosteringjasper]

Thank you, it's the fox valley 20/50. So I should stop giving him the solid foods groups one and two? Like I said I did only give him just the blocks and yes I did cut them and then not cut them etc, just to see if it would make a difference. But no, he didn't take it even when I waited over a week of just doing that. It was then then I went ahead and gave him solids per food pyramid guidelines since he is getting older and I am worried about his diet being well balanced. Another thing he started doing with the milk is yanking off the nipple and just wants to lap it off the syringe. And for a week now, he will not let my husband handle him, he actually bit him twice. I realize squirrels may prefer just one person to care for them so that's OK. I think I will crush up the block and mix it with other food and then re bake it gently and see how that goes, just don't want to mess up the vitamin/mineral ratios so I am not sure if by doing so I need to add in a bit of extra supplement, like what and how much? or if it really wouldn't make that much difference? He was in such poor condition when we found him and thanks to his will to hold on and survive as well as getting the TLC he deserves, he is good now. I would hate to have a setback. Thanks again

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Thank you, it's the fox valley 20/50. So I should stop giving him the solid foods groups one and two? Like I said I did only give him just the blocks and yes I did cut them and then not cut them etc, just to see if it would make a difference. But no, he didn't take it even when I waited over a week of just doing that. It was then then I went ahead and gave him solids per food pyramid guidelines since he is getting older and I am worried about his diet being well balanced. Another thing he started doing with the milk is yanking off the nipple and just wants to lap it off the syringe. And for a week now, he will not let my husband handle him, he actually bit him twice. I realize squirrels may prefer just one person to care for them so that's OK. I think I will crush up the block and mix it with other food and then re bake it gently and see how that goes, just don't want to mess up the vitamin/mineral ratios so I am not sure if by doing so I need to add in a bit of extra supplement, like what and how much? or if it really wouldn't make that much difference? He was in such poor condition when we found him and thanks to his will to hold on and survive as well as getting the TLC he deserves, he is good now. I would hate to have a setback. Thanks again

Thanks for your response, Fosteringjasper! My suggestion would be to to offer the Blocks (in whatever form you are going to create in your kitchen) in the morning while he is likely to be most hungry and just leave one or half of one in the cage. As far as the "groups one and two; my personal opinion is that I would not give those until he is eating the blocks BUT he if you wanted to do so, they are are "healthy" and with the fact that they may be keeping him from finally adopting the Blocks into his diet in mind, you could give those later in the day after your Little Guy has had a pretty good chance of eating the Block.

Also, please check for stashes daily and very thoroughly because your Squirrel may have kept some blocks or pieces of blocks and is using his stash rather than eat his fresh Block.

Your Squirrel does not need the nipple. You can use a 1cc syringe, preferably one with an o-ring and at his age, he will could be expected to supply most or all the suction necessary to deliver his formula. It should still be done slowly and if he is "sucking the end off the syringe" you should probably periodically remove the syringe from his mouth for 5 or 10 seconds and let him swallow "everything reset" and then restart his feeding. The last thing we would ever want would be for him to aspirate!

You won't upset the balance or the functionality of the nutritional constituents of the HHBs simply by crushing them and adding a some water and/or some Baby Food to make it into a firm dough.

It's not unusual that your Squirrel may have chosen one or the other of you! Sorry Hubby! You did nothing wrong, it's just very common for a captive Squirrel to tolerate handling by only one person!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[fosteringjasper]

HI, what about his weight? what is appropriate at his age. When found August 1st he was 67 grams, today 40 days later he is 266 grams. It's getting hard to weigh him, he keeps moving. In a couple of days he will be 10 weeks. Is that a good weight at his age for a gray squirrel southern states? Regarding the blocks, I did mash up the HHB using a mortar and pestle and add a couple of fresh organic blueberries, he ate some but only a little bit. Then this morning I smeared it with avocado oil, he ate some, a bit more than with the blueberry but still not much. Thank you

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

HI, what about his weight? what is appropriate at his age. When found August 1st he was 67 grams, today 40 days later he is 266 grams. It's getting hard to weigh him, he keeps moving. In a couple of days he will be 10 weeks. Is that a good weight at his age for a gray squirrel southern states? Regarding the blocks, I did mash up the HHB using a mortar and pestle and add a couple of fresh organic blueberries, he ate some but only a little bit. Then this morning I smeared it with avocado oil, he ate some, a bit more than with the blueberry but still not much. Thank you

Thanks for the update! I believe he will keep progressing to eating most if not all of his block(s). Please be patient but persistent! Did you ever post his name? I apologize if I inadvertently overlooked it but, nevertheless, what is your little Gray Squirrel's name? You have apparently done a great job with his nutrition! I can't tell you specifically what his weight should be at this age but I really don't believe this is possible and you obviously understand this since you simply asked for confirmation that his 266 grams is a "good weight" for his age. I do believe it is! I work mostly with Fox Squirrels and Grays are characteristically smaller than the Foxers but I believe that you could say the average weight range for a Gray would be between 400-600 grams. Your Little One is still young and growing and IMHO, his weight is well within what could be expected with a healthy Squirrel his age! Good job!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Chirps]

I'm presuming his name is Jasper.

I'm far from an expert, having only raised one, but she was destroying the syringe by Week 7. Week 8? I had to switch to a bowl. It was actually easier because I could draw the portion into the syringe and just release enough to coat the bottom of the bowl (one of those tiny ceramic critter bowls) and she'd lick it up. Rinse, repeat until syringe was empty.
In time as she learned to drink safely I could allow it to be a bit deeper and deeper.

[fosteringjasper]

Yes, his name is Jasper. Squirrel raising sure is work, but so rewarding to see them thrive. My sister was pretty appalled when she saw my arms, their pretty scratched up right now from being his tree. LOL She said my arms would be permanently scared and I said that's alright. She just gave this you're crazy look. I do hope Jasper will always visit me once he's ready to go. I couldn't believe when I heard that this state actually has squirrel hunting clubs for 11 year old kids. I can understand hunting for food but teaching young kids to hunt squirrels for fun, that's unbelievably sad. Thank you all.

[Hilbillygirl]

You are right in that raising a squirrel is not easy but it is rewarding especially when you get to give him a second chance at living his best life.
The experts here will guide you through anything you need for your boy to thrive. Don't hesitate to ask.

[Chirps]

Yes, his name is Jasper. Squirrel raising sure is work, but so rewarding to see them thrive. My sister was pretty appalled when she saw my arms, their pretty scratched up right now from being his tree. LOL She said my arms would be permanently scared and I said that's alright. She just gave this you're crazy look. I do hope Jasper will always visit me once he's ready to go. I couldn't believe when I heard that this state actually has squirrel hunting clubs for 11 year old kids. I can understand hunting for food but teaching young kids to hunt squirrels for fun, that's unbelievably sad. Thank you all.

She's wrong. They won't be permanently scarred, and even if they were, well, I have some scars acquired over the years from various pets that I consider cherished keepsakes, reminders of our time together.

I don't hunt, but I follow a hunter not for his hunting channel, but for another channel he has. He also guides for big game like moose, elk, mountain goats, etc. Anyway, once he was talking about guiding someone who was after a moose(?) for his bucket list of animals to hunt. It was a really big deal for this guy to plan for years and finally get to go on this hunt. Yet, as the guy with the channel related in amazement, this hunter was, in the midst of fulfilling this dream, excited to get back home and go squirrel hunting. I heard that with a mix of horror (imagining one of my wild friends being shot) and admiration for squirrels to be considered as worthy and challenging a quarry as the big animal he was hunting. This guy with the channel doesn't hunt squirrels, just never got into it, and was a bit perplexed by this hunter's passion for squirrel hunting. I would HOPE that he at least hunts them for food.

I agree about hunting for sport versus to eat. I'm guessing where you are, squirrels are considered "varmints" and "treerats" by a large percentage of the population. They probably think they're teaching the kids about "pest control" or something. I don't know how to begin to change that sort of culture/mindset.

[Fur Friend]

Am I understanding correctly, you should remove any left over block pieces daily from the cage and replace with fresh blocks?

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Am I understanding correctly, you should remove any left over block pieces daily from the cage and replace with fresh blocks?

Hi Fur Friend:
This is much more of a dietary concern if the Squirrel is getting treats such as nuts while inside the cage. Squirrels instinctively hide the "stuff" that they are not going to immediately consume. A captive Squirrel should be getting at least 80% of its daily nutrition through quality Blocks such as Envigo (Harlan/Teklad) or Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet as two examples. Actually, 100% of the diet can be Blocks although Squirrels, like most of us, appreciate some variation! That is where the Health Diet Pyramid from Henry's plays an important part! ( https://henryspets.com/healthy-diet-for-pet-squirrels/ )
As you move from the base of the pyramid to the tip, you are going from the dietary constituents most beneficial such as Blocks to the treats at the very tip. While giving "stuff" from top of the pyramid or even above the base level, you must ensure that these are fully consumed or removed from the cage to ensure that the next days meal will consist of adequate Blocks! This will not be predictable if the Squirrel is permitted to keep stashes as they will gladly forego Blocks for nuts (as an example)!

The other issue when feeding even base level nutrition (Blocks) is the potential for stashing these as well. This may seem quite different than stashing nuts for instance (and it really is) but there are other issues of concern, especially if feeding Blocks without any preservatives such as all of the varieties of Henry's Blocks. They do spoil and it does not take long! So yes, with Henry's Blocks especially, I would recommend removing the uneaten blocks or remnants of Henry's blocks daily. You can also help prevent the stashing by giving one at a time or even half or less. Remember that with Henry's Blocks, there is a limit of two to three Blocks daily for the average sized Squirrels and the rest of the diet must be from the Pyramid. Each Henry's Block weighs approximately 5 grams so no adult or adolescent Squirrel will be satisfied with only 10 to 15 grams of food daily and they must have other foods to ensure satiety!

The other quality Blocks (again as examples are Envigo and Mazuri); are hard extruded Blocks and these are quite different from Henry's. They too can spoil but not nearly as rapidly as Henry's Blocks can spoil. I would recommend that these too be removed daily or close. With many Squirrels to care for, it may be difficult to do this daily but it should be done frequently and regularly (I have never been in this category of Squirrel caretaker but I thank those who do this!). Again, I would not keep Henry's Blocks in the cage beyond the day they were placed there.

Also, the Henry's blocks should be stored in the freezer and only the blocks intended for immediate consumption should be taken from the freezer and placed in the cage the same day or placed in the refrigerator with the intent of feeding them the next day or possibly the 2nd day. They can also be given to the Squirrels while still frozen. Some Squirrels seem to prefer this. They will thaw out shortly anyway!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[fosteringjasper]

OK, so now Jasper is giving me a hard time with the formula, 10 weeks old now. He'll eat like 5 cc then he's like I'm done. I still try to encourage him to take more and after some playtime he might take another 5 cc.But it takes a long time. So still trying to get some formula in him 3xday. Each time same behavior, so trying not to make it a stress event for him, I'll play with him and give a little here and there so after 45 minutes to an hour , he'll take take a total of another 5 cc or so. Still not going for the blocks much either, some days he seems to eat more of it, like yesterday he almost finished one, so I was excited but today he barely touched it. Yet he seems to be looking around like saying were's the good stuff? And yes, I'm trying to be tough mom about it. I do clean out the eaten parts each night. How much calcium and vitamin D per ML is in the reconstituted fox valley 20/50 formula? I don't see that on the package. I ask because I'm trying to gauge if with whatever amount of formula he is still taking combined with the bit of HHB he's eating, is he getting enough calcium?? How much calcium is in other rodent block? I think I need to try another brand now or make my own? Thank you I really hope to hear back from someone. And yes, in my state squirrels are considered a nuisance.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

OK, so now Jasper is giving me a hard time with the formula, 10 weeks old now. He'll eat like 5 cc then he's like I'm done. I still try to encourage him to take more and after some playtime he might take another 5 cc.But it takes a long time. So still trying to get some formula in him 3xday. Each time same behavior, so trying not to make it a stress event for him, I'll play with him and give a little here and there so after 45 minutes to an hour , he'll take take a total of another 5 cc or so. Still not going for the blocks much either, some days he seems to eat more of it, like yesterday he almost finished one, so I was excited but today he barely touched it. Yet he seems to be looking around like saying were's the good stuff? And yes, I'm trying to be tough mom about it. I do clean out the eaten parts each night. How much calcium and vitamin D per ML is in the reconstituted fox valley 20/50 formula? I don't see that on the package. I ask because I'm trying to gauge if with whatever amount of formula he is still taking combined with the bit of HHB he's eating, is he getting enough calcium?? How much calcium is in other rodent block? I think I need to try another brand now or make my own? Thank you I really hope to hear back from someone. And yes, in my state squirrels are considered a nuisance.

Hello again FosteringJasper:
Thanks for the update! FV 20/50 has proven itself over many years to be a nutritionally sound formula. I have never heard of a Squirrel who has been given FV 20/50 and was properly fed this developing Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). This is a very serious condition that can lead to fractures, neurologic problems, poor appetite and death and is directly related to insufficient Calcium intake and/or excessive Phosphorus in relation to the Calcium. Here is what I consider the sad part of the Fox Valley is that they do not post the actual amounts or percentages of most of the constituents such as the minerals and vitamins! I have even talked with the owner of FV and asked him about this and he did not know the specific answers. I responded by informing him of the obvious and that is that someone there must know but he was just evasive. I do not know why.

That all being said, one of the primary sources (or probably one of the only sources) of nutritional information for rodents (not specifically Squirrels) is contained in article entitled Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals 4th Edition 1995. Incidentally, this is what Henry's uses as a guide for their own formulations and this is what most producers of quality Blocks utilize as well. This article states that for the average adult Rat (we don't have any true nutritional studies on Squirrels and I'm quite happy with that!), the concentration of ELEMENTAL Calcium (Not all Calcium sources contain the same percentage of Elemental Calcium!) is recommended to be 5 Grams per Kilogram of food! Well how in the world can that be correlated with both the extruded Blocks such as Envigo and Mazuri which can be free-fed (no limit to the number of blocks made available) and Henry's which is specifically recommended to be 2 Blocks (this is approximately 10 grams) or at the most, 3 Blocks (15 grams).

Obviously, there is some math but there is also an essential element of of Squirrel eating that still needs to be defined and that is quite simply; stated in "grams of Blocks," will the "average" adult Squirrel consume if given as much as they might want. My observation is that this "magic number" for Fox Squirrels seems to be somewhere around 40 to 50 Grams but sometimes may be even less! If we then figure out how many grams of ELEMENTAL Calcium would need to be present in 50 grams of blocks, we can utilize a simple equation; 5 grams of Calcium in 1000 Grams (1Kg) of food = x Grams of Calcium in 50 Grams of food. This of course comes out to 250 milligrams of Elemental Calcium per daily intake. For Henry's Blocks with a daily serving size of 2 Blocks or 10 Grams, both the Picky and Healthy Blocks contain 275 mg of Elemental Calcium in the two Blocks recommended daily serving size! If a Squirrel ate the maximum recommended number of Henry's blocks which is three, they would be getting about 412 milligrams of Elemental Calcium.

Envigo 2018 Blocks (these are designed to support growth and lactation) have the nutritiona constituent listed in great detail on their datasheet and they contain 1% Elemental Calcium. 40 Grams would contain 400 mg of Elemental Calcium and of course 50 Grams would contain 500 mg of Elemental Calcium. This should be fine for Jasper!

After all of this, IMHO; although FV 20/50 doesn't state the concentration of Elemental Calcium, I am certain, based upon a tremendous experiential database among Squirrelers that it optimal for Squirrels! This formula has been used to nurture countless baby Squirrels through weaning over the years without leading to MBD and this makes me feel confident in its use even though I do not know the actual concentrations of Elemental Calcium and Phosphorus! Also, MBD is virtually unheard of in animal fed a diet of Envigo Blocks and I am quite certain the same can be for Mazuri and other quality Blocks.

If you were going to try an extruded block, I would like to suggest the Envigo 2018 Blocks for Jasper. They don't taste as good as Henry's (the Squirrels have told me this!) but these can be modified as mentioned in a prior post using Baby Food for added taste and consistency if necessary. To order from Envigo, you would need to purchase a huge volume of Blocks. A number of us on TSB who use Envigo Blocks order from Ecosandy on eBay as she will sell as little as 2 pounds. I have been purchasing from her for quite a long time without complaint! Here is a link to her eBay site: ( https://www.ebay.com/itm/234383055110?hash=item3692519906:g:Ne8AAMXQL99SccB N&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA4KFF3cuSB1rjYgsOA3icgtdTyD0 JDHIICmtRfj1wLTaC844MwYyV0x4xQky3XhhI75KnkPTJM3E79 l9wQX%2FPHnR4Xha4GerjjjJIuMKGQ8c6Guxp1f03y8aAmu%2B mpSDCc0p9WxqNCvG8gnTSzh9AN1QY2mPTjbjgsuq%2Br92mUAZ LOICppiDQtiAoQ98WIikMDJa1b5LFtMZY1TwSPL%2BsObT0RGI Ot3wBnq9dZRKWDwcScnd3ejWvf9XpRUz574HLOFYdR9kU6t6oR 8%2FHYdhYVd%2BwkLgUpx6tP7VEgN0drBa4%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4 Td2JbSYg[/url] )

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[fosteringjasper]

Thank you Samthesquirrel, the info on the elemental calcium content of block is greatly appreciated! And you explained it so well! I went ahead and ordered some Teklad block from ecoasandy on ebay. Can't hurt to try. Heck, I am willing to try all the brands if that's what it takes for him to eat some. Any other recommendations, tips, advice you might have, send them my way. Thanks again!

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

How is Jasper doing!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[fosteringjasper]

HI, Jasper is doing well. How is your little Sam? What are his favorite veggies? To be honest I am still confused about many things. I am really trying to do things by the book, I need to get things right. I rescued another squirrel 18 years ago after a hurricane. Called every vet listed and no one would help me. The only rehabber that responded to me was C.S. who I now realize is not well regarded by this board. I'll try to keep it short, but yes I did follow her advice and gave him the scalded milk formula, followed her diet recommendations and made her nutball recipe. Well, he made it. He was released and one day I saw him with an eye injury. After pleading with him the zoo vet agreed to treat him. Once he got well, he was released again. After some time passed, I find him staggering toward me obviously injured and in pain. He had 2 fractures and internal injuries from a hawk attack. He did recover but I never tried to release him again. He became a permanent part of our family and I will always carry him in my heart. He never got MBD. He died at the age of 12 from a chest tumor. The vet consulted with some expert and was told they had seen lymphoma in older squirrels. They didn't think chemo would do anything for him other than make him feel worse. He was humanely euthanized, if you want to call it that. To this day that memory haunts me. I am confused and conflicted. How could everything she said be so wrong? We had 12 years with him.