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Thread: Acceptable Diet?

  1. #1
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    Default Acceptable Diet?

    Hi everyone! I’m the caretaker of Jooniebear the Squirrel. I would like to ask you guys if this is an acceptable diet for my Eastern Grey. If there is any changes that need to be made or anything he should not be having or any advice in general it would be very much appreciated!
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    He is Fed Henry’s Healthy Blocks( 2 blocks) and a diet consisting of Spring mix 50/50(pick out spinach), cabbage(red+green),iceberg lettuce, sugar snap peas, Brussel Sprouts, raddichio, sweet potato (2-3 pinky nail pieces).
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    The portions listed is what I give daily as a treat:
    he gets either a thin slice of cucumber, avocado, small piece of tomato, half a grape, tiny cube of apple or peach, a half slice of a mandarin or a small piece of Henry’s hazelnut stix treats.
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    He does not get any nuts and once a week he gets a bit of Henry’s calcium or vitamin powder dusted on his food. He is free roam and only goes into his cage at night when we aren’t able to watch him.
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    For chews he is offered a deer antler (he is not a fan of it and has refused to chew on it. Any advice for this?), apple tree sticks, white mulberry tree sticks, cuttlebone(he rarely chews on it and pees on it instead resulting in me having to buy multiple.), pine cones, and rocks. I would like to ask for any other things I could offer him as chews?
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    I would like to include before anyone bashes me that Joon is a failed release. Over a span of 2 years we have attempted to release Joon multiple times. He has his outdoor cage that he hates. We put him outside and try to soft release him following the instructions of tsb but when we open his door he leaves and hides on our porch and cries until we find him and let him in. Once inside he becomes very clingy and follows us everywhere. So now he is living the life inside and runs deeper inside the house whenever he hears the front door opening.

    Thank you all so much. Any advice is appreciated! Much love to you all!

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    The diet all sounds on track as long as he is not getting too many fruits... While there are a lot of different fruits listed I don't know how much of his daily diet that represents. As a guideline, fruits should be a "treat" kind of thing for grey squirrels, maybe 2 or 3 pieces a day.

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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    Hi!

    I have nothing useful to say, just wanted to say hi and lucky you! that Joon chose the indoor life. If you haven't tried it, an option for chewing might be one of those hollow short lengths of beef bone people buy for their dog. I have a couple wired to trees here, and my wild crew works on them from time to time. I have them for the calcium, but maybe Joon will like them for chewing.
    "I hope everyone got or gets their Baby Love today"~Shewhosweptforest

    https://www.henryspets.com/1-baby-squirrel-care-guide/

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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    The diet all sounds on track as long as he is not getting too many fruits... While there are a lot of different fruits listed I don't know how much of his daily diet that represents. As a guideline, fruits should be a "treat" kind of thing for grey squirrels, maybe 2 or 3 pieces a day.
    Hi! Joon only gets one piece of fruit a day. Depending on what we have he gets either a fruit or the Henry’s treats. His treats are usually given as a snack during the afternoon.
    For example if we have grapes available it will be included in his afternoon snack. He will get half of a grape depending on their size along with 3-4 sugar snap peas. We have a bunny and in my bunnyboard fruits are compared to cupcakes. We follow that rule for Joonie and make sure not to give him too many fruits.

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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    Quote Originally Posted by Chirps View Post
    Hi!

    I have nothing useful to say, just wanted to say hi and lucky you! that Joon chose the indoor life. If you haven't tried it, an option for chewing might be one of those hollow short lengths of beef bone people buy for their dog. I have a couple wired to trees here, and my wild crew works on them from time to time. I have them for the calcium, but maybe Joon will like them for chewing.
    Hi! I might have to try that. I’ve got 5 antlers in her home all from different places in an attempt to get her to chew them and she just won’t. Thank you for the idea!

  6. #6
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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    Quote Originally Posted by JoonsMama View Post
    We have a bunny and in my bunnyboard fruits are compared to cupcakes. We follow that rule for Joonie and make sure not to give him too many fruits.
    I like the cupcake comparison. And nuts (for a captive squirrel) should be compared to what cotton candy is to a toddler!

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    Default Re: Acceptable Diet?

    Quote Originally Posted by JoonsMama View Post
    Hi! I might have to try that. I’ve got 5 antlers in her home all from different places in an attempt to get her to chew them and she just won’t.
    I agree about tying them to a tree etc. I have an old cow skull on my deck that is secured with a large stone to keep it from moving. The wilds sit there and gnaw on it for a good while; moms with babies are the biggest customers.

    Congrats on Joonie choosing you. Sometime I feel like hand raised guys are a bit slower in growing up so who knows if one day he changes his mind but it sounds like he's pretty happy now, I so wish I had a Joonie!

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