SquirrelNutrition.com
Add text
  • Home
  • Squirrel Formula
  • Nut Square Kits
  • Squirrel Veggie Squares
  • Mange Treatment In Squirrels
  • Squirrel Mall
  • Blog
  • Squirrel Pockets
  • Basic Care of a Baby Squirrel
  • Squirrels With Severe Health Issues
  • Palm Squirrel Skin Disease
  • Squirrel Nesting Box
  • Bulk Nut Mix Order
  • Carbon=60
  • Significance of New Wine in the Bible
  • Product Page
  • Squirrel Pox

What To Feed Squirrels To Keep Them Healthy

8/10/2019

14 Comments

 
Picture
What to feed squirrels is a question I receive almost every day at SquirrelNutrition.com! I've learned a few things over the past 11 years of feeding squirrels, especially since I still have the same squirrel I found frozen in the snow 11 ½ years ago and she is still bright-eyed and bushy-tailed! So, I think I know a little bit about how to feed and care for them to keep them healthy!


The first thing to know is that squirrels are predominantly herbivores, so vegetation makes up a large part of their natural diet. But, that doesn't mean that they never eat animal protein. They need quality protein in their diet to maintain their muscles and hair growth. In the wild, they will eat bugs and worms and even raid bird's nests to eat either the eggs or young hatchlings


Squirrels have unique dietary needs in that they also need a regular source of quality calcium to stay healthy. The reason is that their incisors teeth grow continuously throughout their life at a rate of ¼ to 3/8th inch per month. This tooth growth requires 20 to 40 mg. Of quality calcium per day just to maintain this growth. Pregnant or lactating females require twice that amount. There are high calcium vegetation such as Kale that can help provide calcium, but eating bird's eggs and baby birds can also supplement their calcium needs.


Unfortunately, vegetation and nestling birds and eggs are only available for a short time every year, so squirrels are vulnerable to low blood calcium most of the year. If humans don't help them out with this need, a squirrel's body will pull calcium from their bones and they end up dying of a painful condition called Metabolic Bone Disease. When their bones become depleted of calcium they become lame and usually fall out of the trees and shatter their brittle, calcium depleted bones.


Sunlight is also needed to help squirrels synthesize Vitamin D. Vitamin D also plays a key role in the absorption of Calcium, so 20 minutes of direct sunlight per day is imperative for squirrels that are kept in the house, or, a suitable full spectrum light will help with this need. There was an excellent article that appeared on SquirrelRefuge.org that explains Metabolic Bone Disease and the importance of feeding foods that have the correct Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio. It also has a list of common foods fed to squirrels along with their Calcium to Phosphorus Ratio


At SquirrelNutrition.com we have spent the last 11 years learning and testing foods and Natural substances that can be used to keep squirrels healthy and to treat various conditions that are common to squirrels. We also provide recipes and food lists that are available on request by using one of our handy request forms! We answer all squirrel questions and help to teach people how to care for orphaned babies all the way up to elderly squirrels like our girl Lucky.


We offer a full range of Squirrel Nutrition Products designed to keep your squirrel(s) healthy and happy! Come check us out at http://SquirrelNutrition.com!
​
14 Comments
Jean Schoonover
9/28/2019 04:05:16 am

Love your guide for caring for the tiny precious creatures. I love my Rocky, going on 2 yrs of caring for him/her as have not been able to identify gender. Thought I had but maybe not!

Reply
Donna
11/5/2019 10:34:23 pm

If your squirrel is a couple of years old and you can't tell the gender, then it's a girl. From my observations, by that age you would definitely notice his little squirrel "package" if it was boy!

Reply
Judy m Thackston
10/3/2019 06:17:08 pm

Thank you so much for all of your help. I dont think my little pearl would have survived without your help. She is growing Doing amazing thanks to your formula all of the advice you have given me on what to do for her...

Reply
Agha
6/9/2020 09:19:08 am

Is it safe to feed cow milk to my baby Squirrel?

Reply
Irene Haley
8/23/2020 11:00:31 am

I am currently caring for a 3 week old red squirrel. I'm planning ahead and would appreciate a list of appropriate squirrel food. Thank you.

Reply
Mike Frahm
9/30/2020 06:54:42 am

I have a squirrel that we rescued and he is losing hair above his eyes and now a spot on his cheek. It doesn't look red or irritated and he doesn't itch it. What can it be and how can I help it?

Reply
Marsha Beardsley
10/2/2020 09:57:02 am

Hi. I have 2 squirrels. One is a year and half and one is about 6 months. I think I am feeding them right. But if you could send me a food list to compare with what I already have from research would be greatly appreciated. Thank you

Reply
Angie
12/31/2020 09:52:43 pm

We have a bearded dragon and he has some calcium powder we sprinkle on his food, would it be beneficial to do it to the squirrel's food as well?

Reply
Erika
1/12/2021 05:01:57 pm

Hello William, are you still answering questions about caring for squirrels? I hope you do :) I am wondering about how to ensure that our rescue squirrel gets enough vitamin D and other essential nutrients. She has a few lava blocks and a large seashell but I'm not sure if it's enough to supply her calcium needs and not certain how much she actually uses them. You have a bulb and vitamin D lamp from Amazon on your site. Are these what would help her to have enough vitamin D or should I be buying the vitamin drops (also a link on your site to Amazon, although it doesn't say squirrel on it)? I don't know the dosage since the info is for other small animals. We do serve her fresh spinach leafs and kale as often as possible broccoli. But she doesn't always eat the kale and the broccoli. Sometimes she just tears them up and on other days she loves them. I'm thinking she maybe eating them when her body needs the specific nutrients in the food. Could you please help? Thank you!

Reply
Tina
5/30/2021 07:10:36 am

Hi Bill,

I live in an area that has a lot of ticks. It seems we can't go out in the garden without coming back with one hidden on us somewhere. It makes us not even want to enjoy our yard. I have two dogs. I have a groundhog that recently moved in to my yard and eats the grass and weeds. I have a squirrel that I released who lives in a house next to my window and is always pregnant or nursing. All of the neighborhood squirrels hang out in my yard to eat, play, and bury their snacks. I also have a yard full of birds. This leads me to the question of whether or not you know of a spray or spread for the yard that kills ticks but is 100% safe for pets and wildlife.

Reply
Bob
5/20/2022 10:48:33 am

The best way to feed a squirrel is to a snake.

Reply
JOANN R BATEMAN
8/30/2022 04:30:26 pm

We have a baby squirrel which I would like a list of foods and how much a day should she have?
Your site has been very helpful and we followed your milk formula when it was needed but now she has grown and is eatting solid foods but I would like to know what kind of foods to give her and how much daily.
Thank you!

Reply
Caroline Thompson
10/4/2022 09:22:40 am

My baby squirrel ,corania died last august, now my husband Stuart and me take care of hundreds they seem healthy but I don't mind help

Reply
Tammy Oswalt
10/21/2022 07:40:35 am

I have a female that is just over a year old. She has had bloody diarreah for the past three days. What can I give her?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    William Sells is a Registered Nurse turned Squirrel Rehabber and Nutritionist. His passion is raising healthy, disease free squirrels through feeding them the right way and the treatment of common squirrel diseases. He's always open to questions and comments regarding Squirrels and their care and feeding.

    Archives

    September 2022
    December 2019
    August 2019
    August 2018
    June 2018
    November 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    January 2015
    November 2014
    May 2014
    August 2013
    May 2013
    February 2013

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.