Hi, i mentioned about MBD in the chipmunk food topic but thought i'd include an explaination in a new topic
So what is MBD?
MBD is a lack of calcium called a calcium deficiency.
It caused by an unsuitable diet, this could be too many nuts/sunflower seeds which are high in phosphorus, low in calcium. A lack of fruit, vegetables in the diet, or caused by all of the above.) If an animal has a lack of calcium the body takes the calcium from the bones which causes them to become weak. MBD can take months to reverse and months to develop in the first place. Remember Chipmunks need Vit D to adsorb calcium, provide yoghurt for Vit D, sunlight also provides Vit D or if sunlight is not available a Full Spectrum Light can be used to minic light outdoors.
What are the Symptons?
Symptons of the disease generally are lethargic (sleeping all day), wobbily walking, tiredness when out of the nest, damage to the bones/fractures, seizures, paralysis and eventually death. I believe Pearl was saved from dying from this disease just in time (her symptons were falling asleep all the time even though she had slept a long time already, seizures which we never saw thankfully, unconsciousness, cold to the touch, slow breathing (barely there, looking dead), once warmed up she was very shaky in her legs, warming up took anything from 5 minutes to 30 minutes) It took two months before she stopped having seizures but they gradually reduced until they were down to once a week, at worst she had three in a week. They finally stopped a month after starting and she began to climb and run about.
MBD takes calcium from the blood, bones, organs and once that is used up the brain, this is what causes the seizures and by this stage it is life-threatening and death will quickly follow if calcuim is not given straight away.
How can i treat?
If you suspect that your Chipmunk has MBD then it will need treatment straight away. If the Chipmunk is seizuring it will need a calcium pill crushed up with water into a liquid and given by mouth every few minutes until it stops having a seizure. The diet will need changing you will need to give more fruits and veg in the diet and cut out sunflower seeds and peanuts until the chipmunk fully recovers. Once the Chipmunk has stopped having seizures it will need to be kept warm by using a heat pad or a sock filled with rice which has been warmed for 30 seconds in a microwave. The Chipmunk will need to be confined to a small cage so it can't break fragile bones.
We took Pearl to the vet five days after we discovered she wasn't well, the vet gave us a calcium supplement - Nutrobal to sprinkle on her food which she had for several months until it was used up. Now i grate cuttlefish once a week on her Chipmunk food to make sure she gets enough. From the chipmunk forum and another forum The Squirrel Board we discovered about what diet to feed her. The combination of the fruit diet, yoghurt and calcium supplement aided to her recovery as well as having restricted movement in a Hamster cage to avoid bad falls.
By the way i am no expert this is just what i have found out about the disease.
