A Few Weeksã¢â‚¬â€¹ Passed but the Dog Started Leaping Toward Squirrels Again

Squirrels and other wild fauna make lousy pets for numerous reasons.

Wild Squirrel

Photo courtesy of Coast & Coulee Wildlife Rehabilitation

Cute, isn't he? Yet, according to Coast & Coulee Wild fauna Rehabilitation in Los Angeles, when infant ground squirrels feel threatened, they get into this defensive position. Expect at this infant's nails. When this guy grows up, those nails will exist tantamount to weapons too as tools for the curious and energetic rodent.

Squirrels and other wild fauna make lousy pets for numerous reasons. In many states it'due south illegal to keep them as pets, some states require licenses, and in other states people are required to have wildlife rehabilitator grooming. Some folks want to find a style around all this license nonsense, and while it's difficult to hide a deer, cute fluffy squirrels can fit in a cage.

Not so fast.

Wild fauna rehabilitator and veterinarian Terri Sutherland (not her real name because she gets too many rehabilitation requests) cares for 2 diseased male person squirrels who are unable to intendance for themselves; releasing them would be a death penalty. Terri shares her personal top 10 reasons not to have a squirrel every bit a pet, entertaining as they are.

1. The squirrel owns yous. If you desire to go away, you will demand to find a house sitter with a lot of patience and a high pain tolerance. Even overnight outings require a house sitter.
2. Abrupt squirrel nails. Those nails, which are designed to pierce bark and allow them to climb trees, completely rake peel. The boys tin merely walk across her and leave wounds. Landings go out sores. Terri has a "squirrel garb conform" she wears when the squirrels are roaming the house.
3. Sharp squirrel teeth Part 1. They practice not possess the bite inhibition reflex of domestic pets. If the first matter that crosses their encephalon is to bite, there is no counter bulletin to say that is a bad plan.
4. Sharp squirrel teeth Part two. They also do not possess the chew inhibition reflex of domestic pets. If it looks tasty, it volition be tasted. This includes wall paper, dry wall, furniture, and annihilation else you might have handy. (Dog owners may be used to this, simply dogs tin't jump nearly every bit far equally squirrels.)
5. Precipitous squirrel teeth Part 3. Their teeth keep to grow throughout their lives. If you do not provide acceptable chewing textile to wear these teeth down, the squirrel is in for a serious illness. It is hard to practise this for squirrels in a household setting.
6. Squirrel nutrition. Squirrels require a balanced and natural diet that is time consuming, expensive, and difficult to provide. Hours are spent gathering food from the outdoors, cooking high-calcium diets, purchasing and preparing insects (big yuck factor for some mammal lovers). Much money must be spent on supplements and filling in the gaps.
7. Squirrels are junk nutrient addicts. They will beg, infringe, and plead for junk nutrient, or if those plans fail they will only accept it. Like children, what they like to eat is not what they need. People shouldn't let their children consume Twinkies® for dinner, and squirrels are no different.
8. Squirrel energy. This is the entertaining part of living with a squirrel, just information technology is besides the frustrating part. They demand a lot of space: huge cages, and a lot of outside-the-cage time every day, about ii to three hours per twenty-four hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. It is much like owning five young Labrador retrievers in a i-bedroom apartment.
9. Squirrel messes. Squirrels like to proceed their living areas clean and throw anything "dirty" onto the flooring. This includes partially eaten bits of food, unliked food, wilted fruits and vegetables, nut shells, uneaten or partially eaten insects, and ‒ yous guessed it ‒ OTHER wastes. Terri starts cleaning with a shop vac and says there are always insects crawling forth the debris. If your inquiring listen wants to know, squirrels will hang on the side of their cages and aim the poop and pee onto the floor. They will poop as they run effectually the house (duh). They oft sit downwards and swallow their own poop. Squirrels only desire their own area to be nifty and make clean. They don't intendance about yours.
10. The biggest reason non to own a squirrel is that they are wild animals, and if we truly beloved them, they deserve to exist gratuitous. Rarely, a medical effect will render a squirrel unreleasable, but healthy squirrels are not meant to be firm pets.

Terri lives with two squirrels named Oly and Quinn. Oly was found in the middle of a busy highway, where he was patently dropped by his mother while crossing the route. He has an endocrine disorder. Oly is a territorial male squirrel who thinks Terri is his mate and, with all the testosterone he can muster, Hates Her Husband With A Passion.

Terri found Quinn most the end of a canoe race when she was portaging (carrying the canoe over land) and establish the cold, dehydrated, and abased baby. She knew the infant would exist crushed by the people behind her and in that location was no nest around. Plus, she was winning the race. What else was she going do? Leave a babe there to die? Not bloody probable.

She slipped the lice-covered rodent into her life belong.

That'southward a Proficient Samaritan for you. Who else would throw lice and a cold poopy rodent down their shirt? She took him habitation and canteen fed him. He is diabetic, which is probably why his mother abandoned him. He eats a unlike diet than Oly. That increases the amount of time information technology takes her to prepare their meals.

The two rodents shred her house and peel, mangle her carpeting, stink up the identify, and hoard her schedule.

Terri's opinion of squirrels as business firm pets is much similar that of other wildlife rehabbers who treat squirrels.

Marcia Ryback of Coast & Coulee Wild animals, a certified wildlife rehabilitation arrangement in Los Angeles, has seen what happens when people endeavor to go along squirrels as pets: they are not doing the squirrel any favors. Once a squirrel came in that had been kept in a small-scale cage for two years and had not been well treated. Marcia was trying to "wild him upwardly" so he could be released.

Bite Marks on Arm

Photo courtesy of Coast & Canyon Wildlife Rehabilitation

"Because the squirrel didn't like people and was habituated, the squirrel attacked me by jumping through the trees, running down and attacking me very deliberately," Marcia said. "After I got him off of me, I was wondering how I would e'er catch him over again."

Marcia got a long pole cyberspace and went dorsum outside. The squirrel came at her again and she was able to capture him, only information technology was a memorable experience for some scary reasons. The squirrel chomped on her leg and started working his way up her trunk.

"Luckily my long hair prevented him from getting to my head every bit he couldn't agree on."

If you're still thinking squirrels would make a fun pet, examine this photo of Marcia'southward leg and emphasize to yourself that that'south the leg of someone who knows what she's doing with squirrels. No novice, our Marcia.

What you lot don't know about caring for a wild species could do far more impairment than good to an beast.

If yous find a wild animal in demand of medical help, contact a local wildlife rehabilitator who will be knowledgeable well-nigh the wild animals and regulations in your surface area. Go to The Wildlife Rehabilitation Information Directory to find help and information.

If you lot love and respect wildlife, y'all know they deserve to remain wild.

Update eleven/seven/2016

Although we think it'southward a bad idea to go on squirrels or other wild animals every bit pets, we know that some people need to feed the babies earlier it'south physically possible to get them to a wild fauna rehabilitator, and that others volition keep them as pets anyway. In the interest of keeping these babies as healthy as possible, we've asked the kind folks at the Wildlife Centre of Virginia about the intendance and feeding of wee orphans.

Formula
Equally members of the rodent family, squirrels should exist fed a specific animal milk replacement formula with the appropriate combined percentages of fat, protein, and carbohydrates found in squirrel milk. For eyes airtight squirrels (under 4-v weeks), an appropriate formula is Day One Fox Valley 32/twoscore formula for squirrels, opossums and rabbits. For eyes open squirrels (over 4 weeks of historic period), employ Fox Valley 20/50 formula. Human being babe formula nor cow's milk should never be used since the nutritional make-up is not appropriate for rodents. All prepared formula should be thrown out subsequently 24 hours. Use make clean containers each fourth dimension you mix formula. Warm just enough formula for each feeding; food that is warmed repeatedly will lose nutrients and become contaminated with leaner.

Always test the formula temperature with a thermometer before feeding. The temperature should remain warm throughout the feeding. Stir thoroughly to avert any hot spots. Formula can easily overheat and burn the fauna if you are not careful. Refrigerate unused portions immediately post-obit each feeding considering the formula volition spoil if it is left out.

Paw-Feeding
While feeding the young animals, wrap them in a warm towel and agree them on their stomachs with their heads up (never on their backs or upright). This volition help to prevent them from inhaling formula into the lungs. Using a 1-cc syringe, feed the animal very slowly and evenly so information technology does not inhale any formula. The syringe should exist held firmly in the hand using a "hitchhiker" manus position (thumb on the plunger and all fingers wrapped around the plunger shaft and syringe barrel). The caregiver must be in command of the syringe plunger at all times. For very small mammals, the formula must be administered driblet by drib. The maximum comfortable tum capacity of near mammals is 5% - 7% of body weight, except rabbits, which is 10% - 12.5% of body weight, and should not be exceeded during each feeding.

Young mammals will not readily drinkable milk that has gotten cool, and common cold formula can cause bloat. Examination the temperature of the formula on the inside of your wrist and with a thermometer each fourth dimension y'all refill the syringe and earlier you identify it in the creature'southward mouth. To continue the formula warm during multiple feedings, try floating the container in a mug of warm water. Maintain the formula temperature at almost 100⁰F. If using a meat thermometer, the temperature will read slightly higher.

Avoid changing diets or formulas abruptly as this can crusade problems. Ever feed a rehydrating formula followed by a diluted milk replacer formula for at to the lowest degree ii to iii feedings before offering a milk replacer formula. Follow the recommended feeding schedule for your animal's species, age and weight. When you cut out a feeding, space the other feedings out.

For example:
four 10 DAY = 8 am, noon, four:30 pm, ix pm
3 X Mean solar day = 8 am, 2 pm, viii pm
2 X Day = 8 am and 8 pm
one X Day = eight am

Weaning (5-8 weeks old)
Weigh the animal and follow the feeding schedule for the advisable size and age. Information technology is extremely important non to overfeed. Hand feed using appropriate formula for historic period. In addition, add together a mush bowl past mixing a modest amount of formula with baby cereal and several pieces of soaked puppy chow in a shallow dish. Make information technology fairly thick. Be careful not to let the formula mush crust on their fur. If they become covered with the formula, clean the squirrels with a clammy sponge or fabric, dry immediately with a cloth, being careful not to let them get chilled. Offer this dish of formula throughout the day and remove afterward the terminal hand feeding. Monitor animals carefully for signs of fur loss. Sneezing, clicking or other aberrant respiratory sounds tin indicate formula aspiration. If this happens, discontinue bowl feeding for several days, supplement with hand feedings and consult your veterinarian for a treatment plan.

Betwixt formula feedings begin to offer the squirrel small amounts of soaked puppy grub, dry puppy grub, paw-sized chunks of apple tree, sweet tater, broccoli, green beans, corn on the cob (one" slice), a couple of basics without shells, etc. Add simply one new nutrient to the diet per day. If diarrhea occurs, immediately discontinue the new food. Sentinel for dehydration, and then try the new food again in 2 or three days.

Young mammals require a balanced and varied diet, which includes all essential vitamins and minerals, especially calcium. Base of operations diets should consist of: rodent biscuits and puppy chow for squirrels. Fruits, nuts, seeds, corn and grains are to be given in small amounts as treats only. NEVER Use beef organs, beef bones, chicken organs, hamburger, lunchmeats, hot dogs, iceberg lettuce, moo-cow's milk, onions, bread and honey.

Practiced calcium sources include: broccoli, cabbage, puppy/kitten chow, canned canis familiaris/true cat nutrient, appropriate milk replacer formulas, spinach, Timothy hay, hard boiled eggs, cooked chicken necks, green beans, carrots, mealworms, kale or mustard greens. Young animals that are fed foods that are deficient in calcium or have skewed calcium to phosphorus ratio (more phosphorus than calcium) tin can develop nutritional problems within a few days. If not corrected immediately, severe non-reversible symptoms may ascend including bowed legs, fractures, rubber jaw, spinal deformity, and hind leg paralysis, leading to the animal'south ultimate death. Many of the listed signs could exist clinical signs of metabolic bone disease (MBD). Proper diet is essential to the healthy survival of an creature.

Gradually increase the amount of solid foods as y'all decrease the corporeality of formula given. Make certain the squirrels eat all foods presented and do non swallow only their "favorite" food. For example, a small slice of apple per mean solar day is fine only a squirrel may choose apples to the exclusion of everything else if given the chance. Limit foods listed every bit treats. Try to offer foods that the squirrel may find in the wild such as acorns or maple tree twigs and buds. While it is improbable that they will find "wild broccoli", it is a adept substitute for wild greens.

You may demand to supplement with hand feeding one or more times daily if they are slow to wean. Brand sure each animal is getting all the diet needed, as each animal is unique. Counterbalance each fauna every two-three days to brand sure that they are getting enough to eat. When animals are learning to eat solid foods information technology is hard to tell if their nutritional needs are beingness met and weighing is a good guide. A small weight loss is adequate during weaning as long as a downward tendency is not noticed.

Once the teeth are well formed, add two to three native nuts per day. Also many seeds and basics could pb to hypocalcemia (inadequate corporeality of calcium in nutrition), resulting in serious health problems and even death for the squirrel. You tin assist the squirrel crack its nuts when information technology is 5-vii weeks old. However, they need to learn to cleft nuts themselves before they tin can be released, so don't open nuts for them later on viii weeks of age. Squirrels seem to always cull the "tasty" foods commencement. Be sure to add together early in their nutrition a few rodent blocks (rodent grub), which is nutritionally consummate.

With thanks to the Wildlife Center of Virginia

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