Peanut butter sandwiches

[foxypal]

I couldnt believe my eyes one morning,,I saw a squirrel up a tree eating a sandwich,,then I realised it was eating what Id thrown out for the birds,,left over peanut butter sandwiches.

Now and again now I throw out squirrel size ones just for them and they hold them in their hands and open them up like minature books and have a good old munch!!
Sooo cute!!

[vole-woman]

I know someone who feeds peanut butter sandwiches to badgers. I'd have thought the salt wouldn't be good for them, but it seems to do them no harm.

[Jez]

The squirrels in our garden love Bourbons, peanut butter sarnies and also strawberry jam sarnies, which we put out for them from time to time.

[tufftie]

Originally Posted by vole-woman

I know someone who feeds peanut butter sandwiches to badgers. I'd have thought the salt wouldn't be good for them, but it seems to do them no harm.

Peanuts and honey sarnies are guaranteed to get badgers in! Health shops do a salt free peanut butter Squirrels love them too as Jez says

[dave midi]

I love PB sarnies, and so should any self respecting squirrel

Crunchy of course!

[vole-woman]

I don't think my friend uses salt-free peanut butter, just ordinary. I always thought salted nuts were bad news for animals' kidneys (like babies' ) but have I been labouring under a misapprehension? I read the other day on the RSPB site that birds are fine to eat breakfast cereal, and that has salt in it. And obviously they eat bread too, and I think each slice of certain loaves contains a teaspoon of salt these days.

I ask because I always rinse the salt off any left-over peas and sweetcorn I give to the hamster after we've eaten our tea, but I'm wondering actually whether there's any need?

[tufftie]

A teaspoon of salt in a slice of bread - thankfully I make my own...not even that much goes into the whole loaf!

I still don't think too much is a good idea but I'm not sure just how much that would be? In the stables we always used to give the horses a salt lick... I think it's one of those things where the opinions will always be in some kind of flux. Maybe best to err on the side of caution and wash the salt off nuts etc where possible.

[caernerch]

its all amatter of quantity. 7lbs (<3.2kg>) of chocalate will kill most humans
caernerch

[vole-woman]

How much is too much salt, though? Hamster kidneys are pretty small, but then so are squirrels'. I must ask the vet next time I'm there.

[HedgehogRescue]

I read the other day on the RSPB site that birds are fine to eat breakfast cereal, and that has salt in it. And obviously they eat bread too, and I think each slice of certain loaves contains a teaspoon of salt these days.

It's the amount of salt that is the problem. Salted peanuts are very high in it so it's better to use unsalted.

Bread is a whole different issue. Yes they'll eat it, it fills them up but there are no nutrients in it especially if it's processed flour. They eat, it swells in their stomach, they feel full and don't bother to eat anything else so they start to suffer from lack of vitamins and minerals.

I sometimes put bread out but it's always soaked first in sunflower oil and has a teaspoon of powdered vitamins and minerals mixed in.

As to the amount of salt, it's all about moderation the same as with us. As long as they get a varied diet it's not an issue.

Chocolate, whole different ball game. Lethal to cats and dogs in any quantity due to the theobromine which they metabolize much more slowly. What is less well known is Sultanas, Raisins etc, even in a slice of fruit cake can kill a small dog very quickly and poison a large dog over a period of time.