Ike now has hairloss...

[lookmomchickens]

Ike has been on the healthy squirrel diet since he's been in my care (sine hurricane Ike). He was eating Kaytee Forti-Diet daily before 4S's squirrel blocks... he's been eating rodent block since he was weaned whether it be Kaytee or 4S's.. he gets one nut and one grape daily, with an occasional extra nut/grape once a week... I've noticed that his hair has started to fall out on his hips and his elbows...

Where the hair is falling out there is little black fluffy hair... is this molting? Will his hair completely fall out over his entire body?

He's about 6 1/2 months old...

Thanks!!

[Peaches]

That sounds like a molt to me. As long as he has black fuzzies underneath and not just bald skin it sounds normal. Some molts are worse than others so I cant say how much he will lose, most likely both hips will molt and possibly his shoulders too. It grows back fast, dont worry. :flash3

[luvs squirrels]

Sound like molting to me too. Can you get a picture?

[lookmomchickens]

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k277/lookmomchickens/IkeToenail008.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k277/lookmomchickens/IkeToenail009.jpg

[PBluejay2]

It's molt. Usually starts at the back of the head, though. Any thinning there? The rest of his coat looks too thick and shiney and lustrous to be dietary (I would think).

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

Oh...I know the panic attacks..of the missing fur...
I know it's ONLY a matter of time..
Before....Bean starts....losing his fur again...
It looks so...icky..
BUT...there aint nothing we can do about it..except...kiss the molting spots...:D

Dont have a stroke...as long as he's happy..playing...and eating...normally...
ALL is well....:thumbsup
Have a nice night..
If you want me to post some of Bean's moments..just let me know...so..you can rest assured...its normal..:thumbsup
Rachel n Bean:grouphug :wave123

[FallensMommie]

Looks like molt to me also, Fallen has had this twice....once around the summer but it had just begun and he was released so it grew back QUICK within a couple of weeks. Now that he is in the house when it was time for the fall molt...OMG...he was :eek: As soon as I introduced him to the sun on a daily basis it grew back in. He too is on the healthy squirrel diet and 4s blocks which I contribute to the soft, lustrous sheen but I think the sun has a lot to do with the amount of hair loss during the molt process. This spring when it is time for molting again it will be interesting to see if Fallen losses his fur again like he did last year now that he is getting his daily sunshine in his outside cage. His big indoor cage has a 4 foot FSL but he just isn't getting enough of that beings his cage is so big and he spends a lot of time outside the cage.

[lookmomchickens]

OK! Thanks everyone for the relief... I was beginning to wonder if I was "lovin" the hair off of him!!! Lol, talk about tough love... :rotfl

Oh, there isn't any thinning behind the head... yet..

[4skwerlz]

Unless Ike was eating enough Kaytee to be 70% of his diet, he could have a slight protein deficiency....nothing serious, but it does make their fur somewhat sparse.

Ike has only been on the squirrel blocks a short time, but the blocks will take care of any protein shortage. You should see improvement within a month or so if that's what's causing it.

Keep us posted....

[chao0129]

I have the same concern with DoDo. Can anyone look at the pictures and let me know if this is molting also? He also eats healthy food..

Thanks!

[4skwerlz]

DoDo's fur looks more like normal molting to me. However, I wouldn't be surprised if you see improvement in the thickness and shine of his fur once he's eating the squirrel blocks for a few weeks.

[lookmomchickens]

Alright... well, his hair is still falling out. Now he's starting to go bald on his neck and his entire back. I can get a picture later but right now he's at work with me.

He eats 3 healthy blocks in the morning and for lunch his normal (it's varied daily to avoid boredom) veggies: romaine, endive, bok choy, bell pepper, asparagus, escarole (sp?), broccoli, mixed greens, a carrot every couple of days and a grape for desert. He gets another block (or 2) at night before he goes to bed.

I'm sure it's just a molting process but he's been on the blocks for a while and I've seen no improvement. He gets natural sunlight a couple of times a week when we take a walk through the local park and he always under FSL.

Should I worry? I've read that too much vitA can cause hairloss or patchy fur... so I've cut back on his sweet potato (once a month) and a carrot every couple of days (maybe one a week)...

Is there anything else I can be doing? His coat used to be so full and beautiful... not it's pretty dull and getting sparse...

[lookmomchickens]

Oh! He also gets a hibiscus, bottle brush, rose hips/roses and fresh branches weekly along with meal worms & crickets. He gets a pecan or almond once a day and even just every other day...

[4skwerlz]

Alright... well, his hair is still falling out. Now he's starting to go bald on his neck and his entire back. I can get a picture later but right now he's at work with me.

He eats 3 healthy blocks in the morning and for lunch his normal (it's varied daily to avoid boredom) veggies: romaine, endive, bok choy, bell pepper, asparagus, escarole (sp?), broccoli, mixed greens, a carrot every couple of days and a grape for desert. He gets another block (or 2) at night before he goes to bed.

I'm sure it's just a molting process but he's been on the blocks for a while and I've seen no improvement. He gets natural sunlight a couple of times a week when we take a walk through the local park and he always under FSL.

Should I worry? I've read that too much vitA can cause hairloss or patchy fur... so I've cut back on his sweet potato (once a month) and a carrot every couple of days (maybe one a week)...

Is there anything else I can be doing? His coat used to be so full and beautiful... not it's pretty dull and getting sparse...

I hope you don't mean one whole carrot per week. That's too much. Carrots are also very high in Vit A. In fact, all orange veggies are; yellow ones too, to a lesser degree.

Dodo looks like Bean did after his missing fur grew in after changing his diet; the fur that grows in doesn't match the old fur. Then during the next molting, the fur falls out unevenly. Then finally they grow in a healthy coat that looks uniform. This is how it SHOULD happen.

In any case of fur loss, especially in the absence of itching or irritation that could indicate parasites, we need to double-check the diet to see if there is some kind of deficiency, or even an excess of some nutrient. This would also include which wild foods are being fed, and any supplements that are used, including mineral blocks and such. Also the type of caging, bedding, etc.

[lookmomchickens]

He gets 1/2 of a carrot CHIP once a week... even then he usually only takes one bite and leaves the rest.

As far as his bedding: fleece and some pieces of a wool blanket. Its changed weekly. I use Critter Care bedding for the bottom of the cage which he can't get to, it's covered by a separate metal/wire bar so the poop just falls into the catch pan.

Maybe I'm just being impatient.

[Ardilla]

It sounds like Ike might be having a molt gone wild like Penny did. She's just now starting to grow fur back. Pics in the My Lucky Penny thread (link in sig).

[4skwerlz]

He gets 1/2 of a carrot CHIP once a week... even then he usually only takes one bite and leaves the rest.

As far as his bedding: fleece and some pieces of a wool blanket. Its changed weekly. I use Critter Care bedding for the bottom of the cage which he can't get to, it's covered by a separate metal/wire bar so the poop just falls into the catch pan.

Maybe I'm just being impatient.

Are you still using any supplements? mineral blocks? Also, the Carefresh bedding. I know it's recommended, and I know it's supposed to be natural.....but let's face it, pet products are NOT regulated!! And if by any chance it's made in China... Frankly, I wouldn't use it. I put down dried leaves and sticks in the bottom of Henry's cage. IMO plain undyed, untreated pine bark nuggets might be better. This is just my opinion and my prejudice: I'm just leery of all pet products.:dono

As I mentioned, sometimes the first molt after changing the diet will be very uneven. The rest of his fur looks nice and shiny. I'll be curious to see how his fur looks once he finishes the spring molt.

Most of our squirrels only started the squirrel blocks during the fall or winter of last year, so this is the first molt for most of them. We've seen so many good results in fur from the blocks, it's hard to think the blocks are actually causing the problem...but of course I'm concerned and want to monitor this very closely.

Henry has been on the blocks longer, almost a year now, and his fur is just about perfect I think.
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