swollen privates, sucking

[Jenni99_2000]

Hi, I've had three 5 week old fox squirrel babies for a week and 1/2. They have all opened their eyes now and eat great but two of them have really swollen privates. I figured out what was going on last night and separated them all but I'm worried about the extent of the swelling, especially one of them. I have been wetting a cotton ball with warm water and holding it on them and putting neosporin on the tips. I read on here where some eased the top end (not the sharp end) of a needle in just a bit to make sure it's opened. They said pee came rushing out. The really bad looking one the tip went in fine but nothing came out, it looks as though there is a lil puss coming out. A vet assistant said to give him a couple drops of amoxicillan (which I have done) No vet will fool with them. The other one isn't as swollen, or purple but the scabs more persistent. Please tell me if there is anything else I can do. They both are still eating and moving around and pooping for sure. Although the one that looks worse seems tired...Any help would be greatly appreciated.

#3 is fine and dandy, strong and no signs of being sucked on. I think he may be the culprit. He was the first to open his eyes, gets around the best and is the strongest.

Also, to the admin's I set up two accounts today (Uaught2nvme and this one) the first one I waited and waited and never got the email and I wanted to post soon to get advice before everyone went to bed. The second time the email came straight through. Feel free to delete the other account and sorry for the trouble...

Jen

[Nancy in New York]

Is there any way that you can post pictures? The one that has the scab, you have to get that off. Try soaking in warm water, up to right under his arm pits. Keep it moist with neosporin. Have you tried stimulating them to make them to see if they will pee?
I don't like the sounds of pus coming out....we need to get this corrected. If you really aren't sure of who is doing the sucking, perhaps seprate all of them. They can also suck on themselves, so watch for that too.

[gs1]

do you have access to a vet that will not take them from you?

do you have a rehabber that you are working under ?

which city are you near? (hope to find you a tsber nearby)

where is ms?

[Jenni99_2000]

Not sure about posting pics....I'll see what I can do.

The pus, it's not like oozing or anything but it looks white at the tip and like it could be puss to me. He was dripping some urine after my last attempt at cleaning him.

I am in Greenwood, Mississippi no vet will help or has offered up any info on any rehab people...

They are all separated as of last night and their parts don't seem as swollen but still having to make sure they don't scab over...

They have been like this for at least 24 hours and they don't seem to be slacking on wanting to eat, lethargic or anything...

Jen

[Nancy in New York]

How are the tummies, are they hard, or do they seem soft?
Do you actually know if they have peed? What happens if you try stimulating them?

[Jenni99_2000]

When compared to the one that's fine, they all seem about the same to the touch...I did notice this morning before I started really fooling with trying to make sure they were open that there was a pouch of what looked like fluid under the skin on one of them but it's not there now.

When I clean them with a warm cotton ball I haven't noticed any pee.

Jen

[Nancy in New York]

When compared to the one that's fine, they all seem about the same to the touch...I did notice this morning before I started really fooling with trying to make sure they were open that there was a pouch of what looked like fluid under the skin on one of them but it's not there now.

When I clean them with a warm cotton ball I haven't noticed any pee.

Jen

Have you tried stimulating them like when they were little. You take a cotton ball and gently rub their penis up and down, or back and forth to make them urinate. By gently I mean like a mama squirrel would do, they lick them, so not really much pressure.

[Jenni99_2000]

Have you tried stimulating them like when they were little. You take a cotton ball and gently rub their penis up and down, or back and forth to make them urinate. By gently I mean like a mama squirrel would do, they lick them, so not really much pressure.

They were going on their own when I got them. I was using a wet cotton ball like a wet tongue and never noticed anything. I'll try it with a dry one.

[Jenni99_2000]

This morning his belly felt a little harder. I stimulated him and got some dark urine, it dripped pretty consistently for a lil while and he started moving around more than he was when he first got out.

Jen

[gs1]

dark urine can be a sign of dehydration


i'm sure it can also be a symptom of urine infection or urine infection to be....

you'll need more help than i can give....

[Mrs Skul]

Jenni99
I know you have your hands full. But You have not mentioned what you are feeding and how often? Sucking is usually a sine of being hungary!
"Not Enough Food or The Wrong Formula." We always recommend FoxVally Formula. Id is made for Baby Squirrels.
You can order it from these 2 cites.
http://henryspets.com
http://foxvalleynutrition.com/main/prod.asp
I really hope you find a Vet and or a Rehabbor in your area to help.
Good Luck

[Jenni99_2000]

They have been eating every around 9-10 CC's every 4-6 hours. Puppy formula mixed with heavy cream and water. Until I found this place yesterday every vet office said cat/dog formula (that I called) and everything online I read said dog formula. They are gaining weight and are starting to much on other things just a lil as of today....

The strongest squirrel is climbing everywhere, eating great and munched on a tiny bit of blueberry, watermelon and carrot today. He really liked the watermelon, I guess because it's the softest and juiciest. He has nothing wrong with him AT ALL...In fact he is in a routine of eat 1/2 his food, walk away, do his business and come back for more like clockwork lol. He also likes to take the dropper and keep it.

The 2nd one that was slightly scabbed up on the end. All swelling has went down. He is urinating with no problem. Had a little watermelon today...

The 3rd one, poor baby, had swelling, sores, purple on one side, and the tip looked horrible. Swelling has went down greatly, not as purple, the tip end looks nasty still, but his hole isn't blocked and he is peeing also and the color looks better than it did earlier. Every couple hours I soak the end, watch for pee, make sure nothings blocked and apply neosporin. He has never slacked on eating. His belly was a lil hard early and he didn't seem to want to move alot when he let the orangish/brown pee out but it's not hard now and he's moving around. He actually chewed a lil bit on carrot today

Jen

[Jenni99_2000]

Sorry to repost again so soon but I just went and checked on him and saw him squat and pee continuously (not just dripping) The stream seemed a lil thin, I checked him afterward and part of the scab was barely hanging on, took it off and cleaned him up. The purple looks way better than it did just a couple hours ago. Maybe b/c there seems to be no swelling in his lil boy parts!

Jen

[Nancy in New York]

Well this sounds so much better than it did yesterday. Keep up the good work, and keep them seperated for a while longer, unless you are right there to watch.

[Jenni99_2000]

Well this sounds so much better than it did yesterday. Keep up the good work, and keep them seperated for a while longer, unless you are right there to watch.

I had two out today offering them food for the first time and the stronger one went straight underneath the other one...He apparently has sucking issues

and yes they have came along way, I seriously thought the one that was the worst might not make it and now if he keeps on this path he should be just fine!

[Nancy in New York]

I had two out today offering them food for the first time and the stronger one went straight underneath the other one...He apparently has sucking issues

and yes they have came along way, I seriously thought the one that was the worst might not make it and now if he keeps on this path he should be just fine!

Fantastic....glad to hear this. You are doing great. Keep up the good work!!! Ask anything you want, sometimes it may take a while if people aren't on....but we will always answer any question you have, or try to find someone that can...

[Jenni99_2000]

Well looks like he scabbed over again b/t one of my checks. He did have pee stains on the white shirts I put in the box earlier today and this afternoon but this evening he didn't and the hole was scabbed over again...He needs me to wet it, to soften it so he can go...

Question #1
Will continuing to make sure the hole is open with the top of a needle (not the sharp end) irritate anything worse? I'm not really inserting it past the point of making sure the hole is there and not scabbed over.

Question #2
How often should I get up at night and check that he can pee?

Question #3
Should I be feeding him as much formula as the others at once or less and more often to keep his bladder from getting too much too fast...

Thanks

[gs1]

Well looks like he scabbed over again b/t one of my checks. He did have pee stains on the white shirts I put in the box earlier today and this afternoon but this evening he didn't and the hole was scabbed over again...He needs me to wet it, to soften it so he can go...

warm, wet cloth ...soften it and take the scab off... maybe neosporin to keep it moist so that it doesn't scab over again





Question #1
Will continuing to make sure the hole is open with the top of a needle (not the sharp end) irritate anything worse? I'm not really inserting it past the point of making sure the hole is there and not scabbed over.

i don't know except what choice do you have? i've heard of one rehabber that uses a sanded down...not sharp toothpick .... and just replaces it every time ...not for penis closure though .... so i don't know



Question #2
How often should I get up at night and check that he can pee?

again i don't know ...but at least every 1-2 hours... if it scabs, urine builds up and starts producing bacteria ...then you have a urine infection and in the state that you are in ...no vets... it's pretty grim....




Question #3
Should I be feeding him as much formula as the others at once or less and more often to keep his bladder from getting too much too fast...


i don't know .. i'm thinking more watered down to have as much hydration go through him as possible.... he needs to keep peeing to make sure no bladder infection ...and i realise you need sleep too

Thanks

ps: is this the third baby?

[Nancy in New York]

Well looks like he scabbed over again b/t one of my checks. He did have pee stains on the white shirts I put in the box earlier today and this afternoon but this evening he didn't and the hole was scabbed over again...He needs me to wet it, to soften it so he can go...

Question #1
Will continuing to make sure the hole is open with the top of a needle (not the sharp end) irritate anything worse? I'm not really inserting it past the point of making sure the hole is there and not scabbed over.

Question #2
How often should I get up at night and check that he can pee?

Question #3
Should I be feeding him as much formula as the others at once or less and more often to keep his bladder from getting too much too fast...

Thanks

You still have them seperated, right? Just make sure to that he isn't self-nursing. Personally, I have never heard of using a needle to open the hole, you said you read that here? What I would do is soak him in warm water....he may act up at first, but make him feel secure in your hands. Gently rub the scab, but soaking him should be the key here. When you take him out, make sure he is completely dry. Put neosporin on the penis, do this throughout the day with the neosporin, I think if you keep it moist, it shouldn't scab over. Can you post a picture?

Stimulate him too throughout the day with a warm damp cotton ball for a few minutes, even if he doesn't have to go. This should help a scab not to form, and then put some neosporin on. Just keep that area soft.

Not sure if it's necessary to get up through the night, you have to see how it looks at his last feeding.

You could feed him the required amount of formula, just do it at a lesser amount, but more often....and watch for the hard belly. If you don't see any pee and the belly is getting hard, we need that taken care of, but he also needs feedings.....AND if he is underfed, this may be a reason for "self nursing" if he's doing that...

Our whole goal here is to keep him scab free, and for his penis to be left alone....

[Jenni99_2000]

ps: is this the third baby?

yes the other two are fine...