This diet is composed of 90% high quality, completely balanced cat or dog chow and 10% supplementary foods such as fruits, vegetables, yogurt, sardines (with bones) packed in water, chicken wings, egg, low or nonfat yogurt, etc. The opossum can recover much of its mobility and life span, but ONLY with the correct treatment. Unfortunately, this opossum responded to initial treatment and proper diet but later succumbed due to a complication of his advanced disease.Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) is a serious disease resulting in severe crippling or death. Recovery may or may not be complete depending on a number of factors including duration of the disease, diet, overall health, age, parasite load, and any other complicating factors. Often, a finder will not know what to feed the opossum and will offer an incorrect, grossly imbalanced diet. Others treated at more advanced states may recover sufficient motion but not sufficient enough to be released. In moderate to advanced cases make sure the opossum is not able to fall and hurt itself. If the diet does not provide enough calcium, or if other nutrients interfere with its uptake, or if too much is lost through t… It will help you to understand why it is critical you turn the opossum over to a trained rehabilitator and not try to raise it yourself. When there is a calcium deficiency, high concentrations of circulating PTH (hyperparathyroidism) result. See photo of opossum fed a diet consisting of only hot dogs and the resulting facial deformities. A commercially prepared diet can more accurately guarantee that the opossum will receive a certain level of nutrients and on a consistent basis. Caution must be taken to avoid over supplementation. The rehabilitator should always obtain a detailed diet history and suspect MBD if the opossum was fed a calcium deficient diet, an all-meat diet, or a commercial diet supplemented with meat off the bone, or if the diet history is unknown.MBD is a complex disease with many etiologies. The most important thing to know is that the body strives to maintain a narrow range of calcium in the bloodstream. The rehabilitator can easily miss early signs.In the early stages (days to weeks) watch for a loss of grip in the hands or feet, tremors, twitching, decreased activity, sleeping more, uncoordinated gait, and a decreased appetite. Many opossums caught and treated early enough can be releasable. In general, homemade diets are not recommended if a reputable commercially available product is available to serve as a dietary staple. Many times the opossum will be completely "down", that is, crawling instead of walking, before the care-giver realizes there is an urgent problem.The ONLY way to correct MBD in the opossum is to correct the diet. This is an article intended for use by licensed wildlife rehabilitators and others working on behalf of the opossum. The diet must be corrected and supportive care offered. If the calcium deficiency is due to low dietary calcium intake then the increase PTH release is called Nutritional Secondary Hyperparathyroidism (NSHP), also known as Nutritional Metabolic Bone Disease. This results in a release of calcium into the blood to maintain the blood calcium level but also weakens the bone as minerals are lost thus subjecting the bones to increase risk of fractures. These animals can be placed in wildlife centers for educational purposes, if of the proper temperament. Basically, a low calcium diet can result in a decrease in the calcium in the blood. It is caused primarily by feeding an incorrect diet, especially when they are very young, although this can develop at any stage of their lives. Since the rehabilitator will most likely encounter the dietary form of MBD, only the nutritional-induced MBD will be discussed. Do not feed the opossum meat without bones. All opossums brought in from the wild are heavily parasitized and need to be repeatedly treated Pain will be present.As the disease progresses further, the opossum may be unable to eat and drink. Other skeletal deformities may be obvious. However, it is primarily due to poor husbandry, feeding an improper diet. Vitamin D is important for calcium metabolism. The tongue may appear longer and protrude from the side of its mouth. It is sometimes seen by wildlife rehabilitators receiving an opossum from a well-meaning but misinformed finder. Once the finder notices that something is wrong with the opossum it can be too late unless the rehabilitator takes immediate action. Various mistakes in the diet provided to opossums are the cause of MBD. MBD is a life-threatening complex of diseases that cause outward signs of crippling of the bones, similar to rickets.
Severe cases may require euthanasia, in the best interest of the opossum.This is meant for opossums that are to be re-released into the environment, non-releasables diet must be adjusted after symptoms are reversed.
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