Pregnant doe licks walls etc. - what is she craving for?

[Preitler]

Hi,

something I haven't seen before, my red shrew is due in 4 days, and on any occassion licks walls, plaster, concrete. For me that'a a sign that something is missing in her diet (a wide variety of greens, hay, some pellets, and a little dry bread now and then)

I know I have read something here, somewhere, but can't find it

 

[MaggieJ]

I'd try giving her a trace mineral salt block. You can get them from feed stores and just knock a chunk off the block for her (here a 2 kg. block costs about $3) or you can get them from a pet store in the form of little spools that attach to the side of the cage. These are convenient but cost about $1 each and are small. You want the mineral salt block, not the plain white salt. Usually they are a reddish-brown colour.

I'm not certain this is what she needs, but it's worth a try.

 

[Preitler]

Hm, yes. Last time I tried to offer them someting like that it was utterly ignored, but it would last long in a spot they can't too easily reach or pee on...

After more searching I found that it could be a calcium deficiency, need to find the local equivalent of fruit flavoured Tums tomorrow, found it recommended here frequently for kindling does.

 

[Zass]

Dandelion and chickweed greens are also good sources of calcium. I'm sure there are many others, unfortunately, I do not have time to look them all up and make a list right now.

 

[Preitler]

There is no shortage on dandalion, actually I worry sometimes if I feed too much of it, but they get lots if other stuff too, all kind of grass, clover, chickweed, butterbur, goutweed, deadnettle, yarrow, ribwort, alfalfa, goldenrod, blackberry, strawberry, and min a dozen other things I cant remember or even know the names right now.

It's just that she's licking plaster off the walls...
When she's not doing a lot of lounging around...

 

[MamaSheepdog]

Considering what she is licking, I agree that it is likely calcium she needs. Instead of Tums, I offer my does crushed oyster shell/coral calcium that is marketed for chickens and their calcium needs. It is not flavored, so they will eat it only when they really have the need for it.

 

[Preitler]

So, I went to the pharmacy, and - believe it or not - got nothing that would be close to fruit flavoured Tums. :shock:

So, calcium. I have a big pot of water on my woodstove, and we have rather hard water, so there was some limescale on the bottom. Also, I had some eggshells. Cooked the shells in lots of water for some time to get rid of the smell, ground it together with the limescale to fine powder, soaked some pellets, oats, breadcrumbs, flour and a little sugar and made dough of that all, formed small cookies and dried them on the oven.

The first cookie was gone in seconds, but she didn't touch the second. Anyway, that sure was a nice dose.

It's 22:30 here, and she just kindled. I'm just waiting for her to finish cleaning up, and building the nest, will check again in 15 minutes. And offer a cookie. And everything she could like...
Tomorrow I'll be a zombie at work... :?

 

[AnnClaire]

If you have friends with goats, the mineral block for them will do fine for your rabbits ... they can knock a chunk off for you from time to time ... and, even tho it is only one doe that is licking, all the rest of your rabbits will need some of the mineral block also. I find that my rabbits need it more in the spring/early summer than other times of the year. Once the plants you are supplementing with mature, they start providing the necessary calcium.

Also, if you have any friends with access to an American military base, they would likely be able to get the fruit flavored Tums at the base PX ... just tell them you need the tablets, not the gummy tums.

 

[alforddm]

So, I went to the pharmacy, and - believe it or not - got nothing that would be close to fruit flavoured Tums. :shock:

So, calcium. I have a big pot of water on my woodstove, and we have rather hard water, so there was some limescale on the bottom. Also, I had some eggshells. Cooked the shells in lots of water for some time to get rid of the smell, ground it together with the limescale to fine powder, soaked some pellets, oats, breadcrumbs, flour and a little sugar and made dough of that all, formed small cookies and dried them on the oven.

The first cookie was gone in seconds, but she didn't touch the second. Anyway, that sure was a nice dose.

It's 22:30 here, and she just kindled. I'm just waiting for her to finish cleaning up, and building the nest, will check again in 15 minutes. And offer a cookie. And everything she could like...
Tomorrow I'll be a zombie at work... :?

That is very ingenious. I don't think I would have thought of that.

Just out of curiosity, what does the pharmacy carry for indigestion?

 

[Preitler]

Well, it's just a offshoot of a pharmacy in an office container, but they had some menthol stuff, and a broad variety of soluble, fizzy tablets.

Just made a second batch of special cookies. Since I have no BOSS or something like that I soak the cookies with vegetabel and pumkin seed oil, she sure can use calories.

I read about the eggshells for dogs, I just wonder if rabbits, with no acid to speak of in their stomach, can really make use of that. On the other hand, if she thinks gnawing my house to bare bricks helps her, eggshells and limescale will be fine.