frick's diarrhea

[Frickster]

hey everyone...me again! so i just had frick out playing and he was pooping this mushy mess. it's not all the way runny and it's not like frack's was where it was peanut buttery. he's been eating the things everyone suggested and doing pretty good. he's still frisky and running and playing in the house - just leaving these little bombs on the floor as he goes. one of them was pretty big and i'm not even sure how he came out of him. it was a little greenish but it wasn't light in color. what am i supposed to do for him right now. we have some pedialyte - should i try it? he does still take formula and it's still fresh. should i give him a while before giving him some? thanks all! for the record, i'm not in a panic at this point. :)

[LynninIN]

I would back down to one food item then slowly add one every few days to see if there is one that doesn't agree with him. Are you giving some type of rodent block everyday? If so leave that and the formula feedings as is. If not, you should get the suggested blocks in the nutrition thread. Are you putting yogurt in the formula? It doesn't sound like the diarrhea is bad at this time so pedialyte shouldn't be needed. You could put a very shallow dish in for him with rocks in the bottom (no little ones that can be swallowed) add water to just above the rocks.

There are some intestinal bacteria squirrels can get that cause diarrhea so watch him close. If it gets worse antibiotics from a vet may be needed.

[Frickster]

I give him the Kaytee forti diet that's on the list - usually a couple a day. What are the rocks and water for? His cage is not that big because he's in the house with a hurt foot/leg. There is no vet involved as Applecorps called all over the state with no luck in finding one that would see him. So hopefully it won't get that far. If it does, does anyone know of one near the NC/VA border?

[tatcat]

the bowl of water is for him to drink...the rocks are so he doesnt tip over the bowl...the rocks must be too large for him to swallow...

[LynninIN]

the bowl of water is for him to drink...the rocks are so he doesnt tip over the bowl...the rocks must be too large for him to swallow...
:thumbsup :) The rocks are also so he doesn't stick his head in too far as he learns to drink from it.

[Frickster]

do i take away his water bottle then?

[tatcat]

:thumbsup :) The rocks are also so he doesn't stick his head in too far as he learns to drink from it.

:thankyou lynn i meant to say that too...guess i need to slow down sometimes when i read....ty for catching that...:thumbsup

[Apple Corps]

Frickster:

Some pics of the wound please - want to see how it healed.

I would limit the variety of things you are feeding Frick - if you give him too much variety he will certainly encounter a few things that don't agree with him.

Too much variety at this stage is not a good thing .............

[Frickster]

So I just went to check on him again - I had taken his food bowl out until I was advised on what to do next, and wanted to make sure he wasn't going ballistic. Right now he seems content to sit in his bed and chew on his chew sticks. He got out for a couple minutes though and when he got on my shoulder he left a couple little peanut butter looking drops (they looked a little gooey though). I know this is gross, but I also know you guys always ask for details so you can help. :) When he got down to go pee (so thoughtful he was hehe) he pooped a pile of dark brownish/green that looked like melted chocolate with a little goo. I still haven't given him any formula this evening but I know he's going to be expecting it. He doesn't seem lethargic and he's played a lot throughout the day but he hasn't eaten anything abnormal. One of you said give him just one food and then add more. Am I supposed to start that right now though? What else can I do for him? I haven't played with him a lot because if his tummy is upset I am assuming he needs to rest. I have added a pic I just took of his face - I think it looks REALLY good - how about you guys?

[Apple Corps]

First - the wound looks like it is full healed - nice job and Frick will be none te worse for that wear :thumbsup :thumbsup

Some FRESH formula for night night would be okay - perhaps dilute it two parts formula to one part water - and not too much.

Go with a small serving of Esbilac diluted as I mentioned above.

He is looking so gooooooood :jump :jump

[Frickster]

i guess if that scar stays we'll also be able to identify him easily AND it makes him look tough hehe ;)

so you wouldn't be worried about the diarrhea? he drinks the premade esbilac so should i still dilute it? no pedialyte yet? i will be out most of tomorrow and he'll be in my mom's care...so what should i tell her to do/look for/etc.? also, did you ever get over to frick's nursery page with some of his first pictures? i need to add more, but since you like his pictures so much - there are a couple cute ones there. in my opinion, any pic he's in is cute though. :)

on a side note, my dad has been working on the release cage - it's more work than he was thinking lol, but he spent all day fri and sat on it.

[LynninIN]

do i take away his water bottle then?
Has he learned to drink from the water bottle yet? If yes, then leave it and forget about the bowl for now. He will need to learn how to drink from a dish before release but don't worry about that now. I'd leave the rodent blocks in the cage. Once his diarrhea clears up, start with one food then you can add another every few days.

No, don't water down the premade Esbilac. The premade has an expiration of 72 hours after the can is open. Are you adding yogurt? How much and how often are you feeding him?

The sticks he is chewing on, are they from outdoors? What type of wood?

[Apple Corps]

No real science here - I'd just dilute the Esbilac a bit to go easier on his tummy. Pedialyte is really not needed now - it has a fair amount of salt in it - fine for a couple of days if he has become dehydrated - not the case.

I'd just reduce the variety of things you are offering him now - let his tummy settle down.

The scar will probably not be visible in a few more weeks.

[Frickster]

I have tried to get him to try plain yogurt (as is on the list) but he turns his cute little nose up and marches his little bottom right away from me. :(

So right now, I don't give him ANY solid food? Just the formula and the rodent block?

The sticks are those ones in the hamster section that are completely edible and have like parsley in the ends. He's used them since he was a couple months old to gnaw on and play with so I don't think they'd be causing him any trouble.

I had asked earlier, but don't remember if anyone answered - those little baby corn things that are on salad bars...are they ok?

Once his diarrhea stops - what should I try him with first? He really likes watermelon and that seems pretty plain and also juicy so he would get some liquid from it. As for his veggies - his faves are sweet potatoes, green beans, snap peas and sometimes squash or bell peppers. I put it on the lettuces listed in hopes he'll eventually eat them as well. I don't give him all those things at once though...just a couple choices usually. At night he usually get's his fruit mixes and at some point in the day an almond or nut he really likes for a treat. He doesn't get them a lot though and he seems to have come to accept this fact. :)

I hadn't been worrying very much about this tummy issue...but maybe it's worse than I thought. I feel so bad when something is wrong with him. :(

[Frickster]

Forgot to add...YES he knows the bottle is there and how to drink from it.
He also knocked my glass over the other day and while I was cleaning it up slurped some of it off the floor...so he also knows how to lick water up/out.

[Frickster]

I forgot to ask one of my other questions....when he was really little his teeth were white, then they started turning an orange (which someone on here had said was normal). They seem to be lightening up a little again...is that normal?

[FallensMommie]

Yogurt is to be added to the formula.

Many squirrels won't eat yogurt... all though some do, just like most won't eat cheese but some do.

If you add the yogurt to the formula and mix it he won't know the difference but will get the benefits from it :thumbsup


Also, are you keeping a food dish in there at all times? Only leave a food dish with his foods in his cage during normal feeding hours like in the wild...morning, then remove....offer a mid afternoon snack...evening , then remove. Don't want any food items to spoil and then Frick consume them as that can cause tummy/intestinal problems as well. Also look in his cage for hidden food items that can spoil and remove :thumbsup

Normal squirrel :poop is dark in color and hard

[Frickster]

but his bottom teeth are starting to look like they're going back to white again...are they supposed to STAY orange?

[Frickster]

so white then orange then white is ok for now? PHEW!

on to his other issue...when i got him up this morning, i gave him a little bit of formula. will get yogurt this afternoon for him and try to mix it. i think he'll catch on though - little rascal! his poop was little drops that were soft but at least in one piece. when i went to pick one up to throw away, it felt slimy. after he'd been out playing a little over an hour - i got a little peanut buttery action so i put him back to bed to let him rest. i gave him a little melon and his rodent blocks and that's it. should i be worried yet? he's REALLY frisky and playful this morning - so whatever is going on doesn't seem to be affecting his mood. that's good right?

[Apple Corps]

Lynn - why would you not dilute the Esbilac a bit? There would be no harm that I am aware of.

We all - me included - need to be cautious of contradictory advice when trying to help someone. I see some things that might be done differently but let it go if I see no harm - otherwise people coming here for guidance get caught in the middle of a debate and leave confused.

:dono

[Apple Corps]

Frickster - here is a pic of normal teeth (for a fuzzer that is) :D :D

[4skwerlz]

You've been given excellent advice. Lynn is correct that liquid Esbilac usually isn't diluted--it is made to be given full strength. However, in the case of diarrhea, sometimes people feed a more diluted formula for a few feedings as it is easier on the stomach. Adding yogurt to the formula seems to help a lot.

Diarrhea is pretty common at Frick's age, when new foods are being introduced. I remember corn always seemed to cause tummy trouble with my two. Even now, if mine eat a lot of greens they sometimes get slimy poops.

You need to get him eating rodent blocks--especially if you're keeping or overwintering Frick. It's the only way to get complete nutrition once he's weaned from formula.

[Frickster]

Oh he LOVES the rodent blocks...but he can only have 2-4 a day correct? I give him the Kay Tee ones on the list. He won't touch the yogurt or have anything to do with it. The veggies are not going over so well right now either. I'm giving them to him in the morning/afternoon and saving his fruit for night but the veggies are becoming less and less of a hit. Any suggestions. He still loves his formula too!

[Frickster]

My dad is going to try to finish his big outdoor cage this weekend. Playing in there will count for a couple hours a day correct? He seems to be pooping normal again. He has ENDLESS amounts of energy even with just the formula! He acts hungry because he grabs the rodent blocks and scarfs them down but he'll grab the veggies and toss them back. Even the ones he used to like a lot. How many rodent blocks should I give him if that and the formula are his main intake. He's 5 mos.

[Frickster]

His cage will have a nesting box in it for when he starts his release and also to give him a little place. It'll have a roof too so he won't be in the sun the whole time. He'll be able to pick.

With his leg not being 100 percent is it still ok for him to go out there as long as I bring him in at night? He jumps and climbs and hops and runs and plays....his energy and spirits are great! He is still very adventurous and always getting himself into trouble...but he just has a little limp still. He's cautious when he's climbing down from something slowly to make sure he gets his front legs down and then bring his left leg before putting his right one down. But he sits and stands on them both.

[tatcat]

:thumbsup hey darlin, sounds like you are doing a great job with frick:thumbsup

[JLM27]

What veggies were you giving him before the diarrhea started?

[Frickster]

I believe he'd had green beans and one of those baby corn things and some grapes.

[Apple Corps]

Be thankful Frick goes for Rodent Block it repels most all of our fuzzers. Have you thought about making up some of the critter scones that GB and others have posted about?

The leg issue could be a strain, sprain, tear or minor break - just keep an aya on it.

Tooth color - can you do another one of your great close up pics?

[Frickster]

That pic might be tricky....his little lip covers them when looking at him straight on. He'll have to be pretty sleepy but I'll see what I can do. He did eat a little of the veggies this afternoon but he definitely likes the rodent block. I can't seem to find that squirrel cooking recipe again. Also...someone else had mention pb balls. What does that entail? Anyone else have an opinion on how many rodent blocks he can eat a day?

[JLM27]

Did Frick take internal antibiotics for his wound that is now healed up?

The reason why I asked about what he ate before, was that I know if I get hold of the slightest brown or spoiled leaf on one of my veggies, I get diarrhea.

Antibiotics also upset my intestinal track.

[Frickster]

No - just a lot of TLC and polysporin :(

[FallensMommie]

Peanut Butter Ball....it's what I came up with beings I couldn't get him to eat rodent blocks and tried a few things on here and he would eat but then gave up. I have made these for months now and it's the only thing I can get him to eat time after time...if I cook it he won't eat it though....he's picky.

Peanut Butter Ball, I only make enough for a week given 2'x a day and you must refrigerate.

6 Rodent Blocks
Esbilac Formula to just cover the rodent blocks
1200 mg Calcium (crush it to powder)
Cod Liver Oil just a tiny drop (if you use softgel capsule just squeeze the liquid from capsule into mixture)
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (all natural no hydrogenated oils)
tbsp whole wheat flour to thicken it

Recently I added a half scoop of Whey Protein No sugars or artifical ingredients)

Add rodent blocks and formula in a bowl, and then refrigerate. Check on in a hour or so, mix it, if there are still pieces of Rodent Block add more formula...if he eats rodent block he probably won't care but Fallen will pick out any chucks and of rodent block and flick it to the side. Once the rodent block mixes into the formula smoothly then add rest of ingredients and mix well. It will be on the moist side, just refrigerate it...you can Frick some now...but after it gets cold you will notice in the morning it will have thickened. I just scoop some out on a teaspoon and put in the food dish...it's normally the first thing Fallen will eat.

If the 2 tbsp spoons of Peanut Butter doesn't cut it, then add another tbsp...I wouldn't add anymore than that though.

You only need to add enough Formula to get the rodent block mixed. I cover it first and then add a little bit at a time to get the rodent blocks broken up...you don't want it watery after the rodent blocks break down. If so try and pour off some of the liquid.

Because I give him these I only give him half a walnut in the morning and half a pecan or walnut at night. Sometimes I mix it up and give him filbert. Yesterday he got a peanut but that is once in a blue moon.

[JLM27]

Maybe licking off the polysporin upset his GI and so he'll be alright now. He's a lucky little guy to have you. Yogurt.

Just making a suggestion. You've done a terrific job with him and I'm sure that the TLC counted the most!:)

[Frickster]

I just posted a new thread regarding his tummy. It's EXPLODED! That polysporin was a couple weeks ago - I think. He's definitely been off it for a while because it did the job! :)