Virginia Opossums
What is MBD? Provided is a link to understanding what Metabolic bone disease is, how to fix and reverse it, and even better, how to AVOID it.
https://opossumsocietyus.org/metabolic-bone-disease-mbd/
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Diet Keys:
Feed a variety in the diet! Always best to have a mixture of foods, so that all food group needs are met. The main take away is that focusing on one food group can be harmful, so by incorporating a variety (follow the link of recommended food below), you ensure the chances of mimicking the natural diet of these amazing animals. It is almost impossible to mimic the diet opossums have in the wild, but we can do our best! Almost any owner and the NOS (National Opossum Society) will tell you, the Opossum diet is ever evolving and changes are being made yearly.
It very important to have a good ratio of Calcium:Phosphorus in the diet. Ideally you want a ratio of 1.5:1. You will want to avoid providing a low calcium and high phosphorus diet. Avoiding diets in excess protein is crucial as well. With the proteins I have listed, feeding any of them, only about 1-2 times a week, is about all that is recommended. If not able to feed bones when you are feeding meat, then adding a calcium supplement would be beneficial to the well being and bone development of your opossum. Vegetables are important for a healthy opossum, so even if you have to trick them and hide the veggies within one of their favorite foods like their yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, do it!!! You can also mix a little bit of natural honey in with their veggies if they won't eat them and that seems to do the trick.
You'll want to keep the fruits in moderation, but I have listed some that are okay to feed (occasionally)! Staying away from excess sugar is best for the overall diet.
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At the point of receiving your baby, they will be eating Esbilac puppy (goats milk version) milk with canned dog food (We use Purina Smart-blend chicken and turkey), some Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, applesauce unsweetened, and sweet potato baby food/green bean baby food. We use purina one beyond for the the canned dog food—-they seem to really like the turkey and chicken versions (can buy the variety pack). The hope is that by doing this, it will slowly transition the babies to more solid food and gradually wean them away from milk. Obviously, the canned dog food is not a staple diet, so weaning to more solid foods from the lists below, is ideal! Milk still needs to be given until they are solidly eating other foods in order to stay hydrated and meet nutritional requirements. We give this mixture 2x a day in a shallow dish. Once mid day, and again at night before bed. The babies are up most of the night and sleep all day, so giving too much food during the day, typically goes to waste. They tend to eat the most at night when they are most active.
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PLEASE READ! WONDERFUL SOURCES AND OTHER CARE INFO SITES
********I encourage any new owner or potential owners to follow this link and read the diet information listed so that you are aware of nutrition needs from a scientific understanding and can be aware of experiments done to come to these conclusions. Also, at the bottom of the PDF, there are charts that go over amount of food components needed based off poundage.
https://www.opossum.org/NOS%20Diet%20Recommendations6b02022021.pdf
Another really good link about Virginia Opossum common care is listed below. It's a wonderful write up by Lafeber Vet that covers a great amount of behaviors, housing, and physiology! Please check it out.
https://lafeber.com/vet/basic-information-sheet-virginia-opossum/
Below is a Facebook page that is super helpful with care and questions!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/opossumcareandrescue
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Below are food categories to incorporate into opossum diets in captivity
Categories of OK foods:
Veggies:
cucumber, sweet potato, okra, carrots, broccoli, spinach and kale, collared greens, squash, Brussel sprouts, unthawed mixed veggies, corn (but not extremely nutritious, would be a good occasional treat)
Fruits:
Apples, pears, papaya, watermelon, oranges, apricots, figs, strawberries, blueberries, avocado, bananas, kiwi, cherry tomatoes, grapes, other berries, unsweetened applesauce
Proteins:
hardboiled eggs, scrambled eggs, canned or fresh salmon (with bones), white fish, sardines with their bones, chicken, chicken necks, chicken liver, gut loaded phoenix worms, gut loaded super worms
***You'll want to avoid processed meats just like you would for any other animal. They aren't healthy or nutritious to the overall diet.
Hard kibble brands:
Low calorie/Low fat dog food
Foods with higher calcium:
yogurt, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, sardines with bone, Bok Choy, almonds, kale (cooked), okra, watercress, egg shells
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Medications & Anthelmintics:
De-wormers:
Best to use Safeguard or Panacur (they have the active ingredient Fenbendazole), and Ivermectin.
Most efficient way to eradicate all parasites is to use both wormers at the same time since they both target different kinds of worms. Repeat in two weeks.
Flea and Tick Medication:
Revolution Feline or Canine work. Just have to be mindful of dosages.
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Housing:
BABY OPOSSUMS —-
Baby Opossums love pouches to mimic what they are used to, and need a completely enclosed cage they cannot escape. I like to have various pouches available in their cage so they have a few choices. You will also need a heat pad to place under their cage to keep warm, since they are used to their siblings and mothers warmth. Be sure to never place the babies directly on a heat pad, to avoid burning on accident. Always place the heat pad in a way, the babies can move and escape the heat pad if needed.
ADULT OPOSSUMS—-
For adults, a nice fully enclosed enclosure (top and bottom) is ideal. One with areas to climb and exercise in order to maintain a good weight. Obesity can be a huge problem with opossums, thus leading to arthritis & bone growth issues. Staying on top of weight management is a huge key factor for a healthy opossum.
Good Calcium Supplement