MBD-need immediate assistance please

[Dukie]

Hello all-we think our 4 month old baby is dealing with MBD right now. Is it safe to administer calcium in almond butter or peanut butter like some blog entries suggest. I thought peanuts were not good for squirrels. Thank you in advance.

[Spanky]

Hello all-we think our 4 month old baby is dealing with MBD right now. Is it safe to administer calcium in almond butter or peanut butter like some blog entries suggest. I thought peanuts were not good for squirrels. Thank you in advance.

I'd say it is not a great suggestion as nuts are a calcium robbing foods that actually are a huge contributor to MBD in captive squirrels. That makes it counter productive (counter indicated?). I'd use this method only as a last result and there are no other options.

Does he / would he take formula from a syringe?

Can you share his MBD symptoms, what his diet has been up until now?

Has he been eating a high-quality rodent block?

[Dukie]

Thank you for your help. He went from extremely active to sleeping most of the day and squeaking/grunting when he walks, babying his back legs. He takes 2 picky blocks per day, with greens and veggies sprinkled with calcium powder. We have a uvb light as well. Not sure if he will take formula at this stage as he had been off it for a while. His activity has dropped, his hind legs apparently hurt so he just hops instead of running, and grunts when he walks and interacts with us. He is still eating and drinking sufficiently thankfully. He has been urinating large amounts and his poop looks like this:

[Spanky]

The additional calcium will not do any harm, but back it off if his poos start appearing whitish (which would be undigested calcium).

Based on the diet... 2 healthy blocks and veggies with sprinkled calcium... this would seem more like an injury, maybe from a fall? Unless.... is he given any nuts, and if yes, how many and how often? Ditto seeds or dried corn.

[Dukie]

He was given a few nuts a day but we have stopped that to alter his diet. We give him greens but he only likes the sweet peas and fruit. Hard to tell if it’s an injury because he was so active banging around his environment. Seeds and dried corn came with a bag of squirrel mix but he only likes the pumpkin seeds. We are also concerned that he may have a UTI-he was displaying high body heat, a high volume of urine output, and achy hind legs. We just started giving 500mg of calcium per day mixed in peanut butter, as per the Henry’s website, and have started giving bits of avocado because he appears skinnier than previous days. He is playful but achy.

[Spanky]

Stop the seeds, nuts and dried corn... I'd stop the store bag of "squirrel food" completely. Seeds and dried corn are much like nuts in causing MBD.

Continue the calcium... I'd recommend no-sugar added peanut butter... the kin where the only ingredient is peanuts (or almonds).

Assuming this is a grey or foxer, fruit should not be more than maybe 15% of their entire diet (what they actually eat).

[TomahawkFlyers]

Squirrels get spoiled on junk food, just as we humans do. Wean your little guy off of it, replacing it gradually with foods that are right for him. He will eat the good stuff when he is hungry. Spanky is right. Nuts, seeds, sugars; they all spell a shortened life for your squirrel and if given in abundance will likely kill it.

There is a recipe for blocks from Squirrel Refuge that have gone over really well with our flyers after they figured out that the occasional treat didn't satisfy their hunger. I've cleaned up the recipe, removing confusion on ingredients and amounts. It is still the Squirrel Refuge formula, and it is roughly one third the cost of good commercial block. If your squirrel will eat one of Henry's varieties of block, go that route. If not, this formula has proven to be a winner with ridiculously picky eaters:

Squirrel Block Recipe
Squirrel Refuge Version

Preheat oven to 205 degrees Fahrenheit
Prep time 25 Minutes, Bake time 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
· 3 cups nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds, filberts, or a mix of these. Mixing Pecans and Walnuts with one of the other nuts ensures balanced Vitamin E.)
· 150 grams or 1/3 bag Henry’s Healthy Protein powder
· 3 Large Eggs
· 2/3 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
· 2 tsp Vanilla
· 2 tsp Aluminum-Free Baking Powder
· 1 to 2 Tbs water
· 33 grams or 1/3 bag Henry’s Vita-mins

Required Recipe Tools
· Grinder or food processor to finely grind nuts
· Electric Mixer (standing mixer works great with the bread hook)
· Gram scale and or measuring cup
· Rolling Pin
· Plastic sheet or pastry cloth (preferred) or oiled surface
· Parchment paper (preferred) or lightly greased cooking sheet
· Pizza cutter (preferred) or sharp knife

Preparation
1. In bowl number 1, measure out whey protein and set aside.
2. In bowl number 2, break open the three eggs and add vanilla.
3. In bowl number 3, add the baking powder and Vita-mins.
4. Grind the nuts as finely as possible (without turning into nut butter).
5. In bowl number 4, add whole wheat flour and ground nuts.

Mixing
5. Place the contents of bowl number 2 into the mixer and mix on medium-high speed until eggs and vanilla are thoroughly combined.
6. Add the contents of bowl number 3 into the mixer.
7. Mix medium-high speed, scraping the sides as needed, until smooth.
Note: the baking powder will begin to bubble when added to the wet ingredients and tend to clot until fully combined.
8. Add the contents of bowl number 1 to the mixer and mix on medium speed until mixed well and fairly smooth. Mixture should be sticky.
9. Slowly add the contents of bowl number 4 to the mixer, mix on low speed, scraping the sides. The mixture will be dry. If too dry, add a small amount of water.

Rolling
10. Roll out dough to 1/3” to 1/2” inch thick and shape into rectangle with your hands. The dough is very thick and somewhat stiff. You did it right if the dough is difficult to roll and shape!
11. Place the dough on parchment paper or lightly greased baking sheet. Tip: Roll it out on a plastic sheet so it easily transfers to the baking sheet.

Baking
12. Bake in oven at 205 degrees Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. The low baking temperature helps keep the vitamin and mineral chemical structure intact making a healthier block.
13. When done, remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes.
14. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife cut lengthwise 1/2 to 3/4 in apart.
15. After making all lengthwise cuts, turn and cut crosswise until small cubes are formed.
16. After cutting, let cool for two hours.
17. Place on a paper towel to help absorb additional nut oils, if desired.

Storage
18. Once completely cool, place block in bag or closed container in the refrigerator (lasts for two to three weeks) or the freezer for longer storage.

As with human children, you are the boss. In the end, your little guy will thank you for standing firm and insisting that he eat proper foods.