Urgent Advice needed

[George_uk]

Hello, During a storm a baby squirrel was blown from his nest and wasn't rescued by his mother. I have hand reared and raised him and he is now approximately 5 months old.

Last night he suddenly became unwell and he has lost controll and some use of his back legs. I have done the pinch test and he does react. However he is holding his shoulders very hunched up and keeps having spasms in his neck and shoulder area. He is unable to move around and has been lying down. I have given him child ibuprofen 100mg/5 ml, he is 1.3 pounds in weight so I have given him 0.30cc twice so far (4 hours apart.) I have also given him calcuim (tums in a paste) and a little honey on his gums. Urgently need advice. He hasn't passed feaces or urine since he became unwell. Please advise on what to do (the laws in the UK are very strict so vet is not an option.)

[TomahawkFlyers]

Please, share with us his day-to-day diet?

Jamie

[TomahawkFlyers]

on the chance that your squirrel's diet is lacking in calcium or rich in phosphorus, here is the Metabolic Bone Disorder (MBD) emergency protocol. After you have shared his diet with us, we can provide more specific information. This protocol is a safe and excellent first step - even if it turns out that MBD is not the culprit. Pictures help a lot.

Emergency Treatment for MBD

Get calcium into the squirrel IMMEDIATELY, not later, not tomorrow, NOW. Delaying treatment can cause death or permanent paralysis.

You will need:

--Tums or calcium pills (any kind)
--a syringe, eyedropper, or spoon

Crush one Tums or calcium pill and add a little water or fruit juice. Use the syringe, eyedropper, or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. Feed a total of 600-800 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If the squirrel is having seizures, weakness, or paralysis, the symptoms will usually improve within a few hours, but this does not mean the squirrel is cured. It will take many months to rebuild the calcium in the bones.

Long-Term Treatment for MBD

The next step to curing MBD is to fix the diet.

1. Remove ALL seeds, nuts, corn, and treats.

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found at the top of the “Squirrel Nutrition” forum. (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=16093) Your squirrel MUST eat rodent block or squirrel blocks every day. If your squirrel doesn't like rodent blocks, you can try crushing them up with peanut butter or avocado temporarily. You can also make a tastier version of squirrel blocks using the recipe at the top of the Squirrel Nutrition forum.

3. In addition to the Healthy Diet, you will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for several weeks. Either use the syringe/eyedropper or you can try putting the calcium on a small piece of fruit.

Week 1: calcium = 500 mg per day
Week 2: calcium = 250 mg per day
Weeks 3-8: calcium = 100 mg per day

The cause of the acute symptoms—weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis—is a drop in blood calcium levels. If these symptoms return at any time, you will need to give another emergency dose of calcium.

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone. Also, if he is in a tall cage, either place him in a smaller cage, or pad the bottom very well.

Heat is very soothing for a squirrel with MBD. A heating pad turned to low and placed so they cannot chew the pad or cord, or a rice buddy (a sock filled with dry rice/beans and microwaved for about 20 seconds) will work.

[George_uk]

Please, share with us his day-to-day diet?

Jamie

Hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, sycamore seeds, sweetcorn, apple, tomato, broccoli, avocado, occasional Orange slices, pine cones.
He also has a mineral chew in his cage and vitamins in his water bottle.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Hi George,

Your list strongly suggests to me that your squirrel is susceptible to and likely suffering from MBD, or Metabolic Bone Disorder. Please, immediately, start the MBD protocol in the previous post. Time is of the essence. I'll write more in a subsequent post.

Jamie

[George_uk]

Hi George,

Your list strongly suggests to me that your squirrel is susceptible to and likely suffering from MBD, or Metabolic Bone Disorder. Please, immediately, start the MBD protocol in the previous post. Time is of the essence. I'll write more in a subsequent post.

Jamie

Hi, thank you for your quick reply, the link in the protocol for the squirrel block recipe isn't working? Do you have an up to date link so I can get him eating blocks ASAP thank you so much

[TomahawkFlyers]

Hi again, George,

A squirrel's health depends on a diet that provides a balance of calcium and phosphorous, and calcium must be heavily favored. Nuts and seeds are hyper-rich in phosphorus, and when a squirrel's diet consists of a lot of nuts and seeds, the phosphorus starves the squirrel's system of calcium. MBD is the result. In some cases, when addressed at the onset and not after, the effects can be reversed. In cases where the issue is not immediately addressed, there are only two outcomes: permanent paralysis or death. In all cases, the disorder is agonizingly painful and frightening to the squirrel. Again, time is of the essence. Your squirrel's condition is cumulative - it did not occur suddenly. It will take several weeks of dedicated help to get him back to where he needs to be.

It is a common misconception that squirrels in the wild subsist primarily on nuts and seeds. In truth, these items are a small part of a diet that includes many other things. Taken together, the wild diet provides the squirrel with the balanced nutrition it needs to thrive. To be sure, if presented with an unlimited supply of nuts and seeds, wild squirrels would eat them until they became sick and died. They do love nuts and seeds. Our squirrels get an occasional nut, in the shell for keeping teeth the right length, as treats. That's it - no more.

What your squirrel does need in place of his current diet is rodent block. Teklad 2014 or 2018; or, Henry's Healthy Pets Squirrel Blocks, or homemade block; the recipe for which is shown below. For the homemade block, the whey protein and vitamin packs are essential. Supplement the block with vegetables, and to a lesser extent, fruit. Keep an eye on sugars - squirrels can become diabetic just as humans can.

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.

Note that while there is an abundance of nuts in homemade block, the other ingredients - most importantly the protein and the vitamin packs - creat an appropriate balance where phosphorus does not overtake calcium. When you have things under control, here is a chart showing an optimal squirrel diet. Make block a foundation of this and your squirrel will thrive. Write if you need anything, and please do keep us abreast of progress?

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

Jamie

[TomahawkFlyers]

The MBD protocol is in message #3, above. For the block, a homemade recipe is is just above this post. I'll get you URLs for the commercial block and write back in a few minutes.

[George_uk]

The MBD protocol is in message #3, above. For the block, a homemade recipe is is just above this post. I'll get you URLs for the commercial block and write back in a few minutes.

Thank you so much, we are following the protocol and getting ingredients for blocks. Do you have any advice on caring for him physically whilst he is in this immobile state?

[TomahawkFlyers]

For urgent MBD treatment, get this, whatever brand is available in UK:
https://henryspets.com/calcium-carbo...eficiency-mbd/

Henry's Blocks: https://henryspets.com/squirrel-blocks/
Start with Picky Blocks to get your squirrel going, then keep with those or go to walnut, healthy, and others.

For homemade, here are the Henry's items you'll need:
https://henryspets.com/vita-mins-sup...and-mice-100g/
https://henryspets.com/pure-protein-isolate-1-lb/


https://www.desertcart.co.uk/product...llets-2018-2lb
That is a very high price - but it seems hard to get in UK. Here is an eBay link in US: https://www.ebay.com/itm/23438305511...0aAvLPEALw_wcB
I can see about shipping from here to UK if this is of interest to you. Another option is Oxbow adult rat food. Nothing is better than Henry's or homemade. We go through so much block that we depend on homemade. It is quite a bit less expensive. Not sure if Henry's ships to UK - but I'm happy to make a purchase and ship it to you from my home.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Thank you so much, we are following the protocol and getting ingredients for blocks. Do you have any advice on caring for him physically whilst he is in this immobile state?

Yes. Keep him warm. The children's Ibuprofen will help, and a blanket placed over a heating pad, set on low, situated such that he can lay between the blanket and the pad and then have room to move off of the pad if he gets too warm. Give him as much calcium as you can - anything his body perceives as excess will be pooped out. Don't be alarmed if his feces is a bit white. It's just any excess calcium and is harmless.

Please, do check back if you need anything else. I'll be monitoring this thread.

Jamie

[Mel1959]

The most important thing right now is to get the calcium in him on a regular schedule. You can take the full days dose of calcium and mix it with something he likes to eat like smashed avocado, almond butter, and then divide that full days amount into 5 equal doses and then give throughout a 24 hour period. You want the calcium levels to stay raised consistently.

Please read the label of the calcium you’re giving. Tums is ok for short term, but you’ll want plain calcium carbonate with NO vitamin D in it. This can usually be found at health food stores. You want the 500mg dose per day to be 500mg of ELEMENTAL calcium. Please read the label so you’re using the correct amount to equal this.

Rodent block in the UK might be able to be purchased on Amazon. Envigo Harlan Teklad 2018, Oxbow Regal Rat, Mazuri Rat block and Zupreem monkey biscuits are acceptable.

The twitching you’ve witnessed may be small seizures. MBD causes seizures and will cause death if not treated immediately.

[George_uk]

Hello, Thank you so much for your help and advice. We followed the procedures and did what we could but sadly he passed away. We are absolutely heart broken but we really appreciate your kindness and support. All the best to everyone.

[TomahawkFlyers]

George,

We are so sorry for your loss. Please keep in mind that while animals' physical forms leave this life, their souls remain. Your little guy is with you, not just in your mind and your heart, he is right there. If you are interested, I can recommend "The Pet I Can't Forget" by Karen Anderson. Godspeed to your baby. Think of him often - he is certainly thinking of you.

Best Regards,

Jamie