I need some consistency about safe vegs for grey squirrels

[KimE]

My pinkie rescue is now 8.5 -9 weeks old and has started on solids. We started with just rodent block like recommended, she gobbles it up no problem. Then I have been slowly introducing veg to her but I am really struggling to find consistent info on what veg is safe to eat. Some say carrots are fine others say no carrots, spinach yes.... spinach no... ect.
Can anyone help me

[lovesquirrels1]

Henrys has a list that I use. https://henryspets.com/pages/healthy...thy-vegetables

I'm sure it doesn't include every possibility but it is what I use as a my base for information.

For blocks I use mazuri with some zupreme monkey biscuits mixed in. The zupreme fruit flavored bird food as a treat (the one with the parrot on it, bigger peices). If they won't eat enough rodent blocks you can give them henrys which are great but expensive. I use both.

[CritterMom]

Veggies are a little frustrating because you do have to learn your stuff. Many of them have good and bad traits. Carrots are filled with healthy nutrients but they are high in sugar. Spinach is loaded with nutrients including excellent calcium values, but they are high in oxylates, which can cause kidney issues. Very little is black and white.

The Henry's list is excellent, BTW.

[TubeDriver]

Also don't forget to clean the veggies well before use. There was a recent article in the NYT that showed alarming levels of pesticides on common veggies. It's bad for people but probably even worse for a little squirrel.

[Charley Chuckles]

Also don't forget to clean the veggies well before use. There was a recent article in the NYT that showed alarming levels of pesticides on common veggies. It's bad for people but probably even worse for a little squirrel.

I use a veggie wash on all the produce, not sure if it actually does anything 🤔
Personally I just don't eat any 🤣

[Diggie's Friend]

This is the key reason to choose organic grown baby greens, and floret of green veggies as they are lower in oxalates, va. commerciality produced mature greens that use pesticides.

Squirrels in the wild choose the baby greens. Every year in the Spring, the squirrels gorge the new leaves our the fruit trees; yet by Summer they nip off a stem, and put their incisors into a leaf to test them, then drop them as I saw Ms. Diggie do.

With organic greens, first follow protocol of rinsing the greens; then plunge the leaves into boiling water (Blanching) for 90 sec. to kill any potential bacteria and endoparasites. AI notes that some bacteria take up to 3 min. The downside on this is that the leafy greens tend to disintegrate. Even so it is a safer way to eliminate some bad forms of bacteria.

Do not use chemicals, chlorine etc.

https://www.google.com/search?q=blan...hrome&ie=UTF-8

Using this handy square spring closure tea strainer which can rest on a flat surface vs. a round tea strainer makes the process of blanching easy.

https://www.amazon.com/Set-Infusers-...47&sr=8-1&th=1

[lovesquirrels1]

Even with a small backyard I am able to grow (organically) a fair amount of vegetables and greens in a garden. I don't know if I am really saving that much but it's handy to be able to just go out back and grab things for both the squirrels and myself.

[Charley Chuckles]

Even with a small backyard I am able to grow (organically) a fair amount of vegetables and greens in a garden. I don't know if I am really saving that much but it's handy to be able to just go out back and grab things for both the squirrels and myself.

You know you just gave me the idea, here I am in Florida where I could grow almost year round, minus dang bugs eating up my plants, but seriously I may have to try again. I use to grow in big planters..... well if not the racoons, opossums, armadillos, bears, coyotes yada yada will be happy 🤨😆

[Diggie's Friend]

You can protect vegetable garden by building a cage wire enclosure using small gage rodent wire. Also recommend a chain-link surround, top sides and down to a depth that inhibits raccoons from gaining access to the garden.

In raccoon rehabilitation, this is the same wire gage fabric used to keep raccoons in their enclosure, along with a chain-link surround.

Never use chicken wire for this purpose, for the head and legs of a squirrel can become stuck and injured.

(See article for instructions.)

https://www.google.com/search?q=racc...t=gws-wiz-serp