Hair Problems

[suzy72532]

Hey Yall
I am a new mom, just introduced myself yesterday and I have a kinda strange question. I would say my Freddy is about 8 weeks old and he is very active and playful sometime he seems too hyper but has a appetite like a little horse when it comes to his bottle. Here is the question-About a week ago (about the time he really started getting active and playful) right after I would give him his bottle ( I always wipe chin and under afterward plain water dampened cloth no chemicals or scents) he will run around his cage and scrape his chin on the paper or he will climb on his tree limbs and rubb his chin almost acts like it itches but does not try to scratch with feet. He has hair on his chin but up under the chin all the way to the neck he has very little hair ( almost bald)., Also we had runny poop problems all along (got that fixed now). so He has very little if no hair on rumpus area and some of belly. I probably would not ask about this but after all the pictures I have seen of similar aged babies Freddy kinda looks like he needs the hair club for squirrels. He does not scratch and skin is pink and healthy looking. Any suggestions?

[Critter_Queen]

Hmmm...hard to say (for me anyway) without seeing a pic of the thin spots...do you have a camera that will allow you to post pics here?

I had two squirrels that came to me with little patches of missing fur (all pink beautiful skin showing with a little peach fuzzy there) at the sides of their mouths and going back toward the neck for about 3/4 of an inch. I was very worried about this but was told it was probably nothing and due to formula, etc...because it wasn't itchy.

Well, as it turned out, both squirrels came down with sarcoptic mange within a few weeks. And it didn't come from my house. Not saying that's what your guy has, but I would try to get him checked out if you can. He may have some other parasite that's bugging him...

Or maybe he likes to do what my dogs do and rub their face on the floor, chair, rug, etc right after eating...

You can look for parasites yourself if you have access to a microscope. Take a "scraping" of the thinned area of fur, place it on a slide add some saline if handy, water will work if it's sterile, cover the slide and take a peek. If you see any "bugs" you have some parasites that need treating.

Hope this is helpful!!

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

My squirrles rub their chins like that also, I guess as sort of a way of drying it off.
The missing or thin hair on his chin could be from milk burn (formula left to dry in the hair).
I have a little guy about 6-7 weeks and he isnt fully furred on his tummy, you can still see pink?
Are you feeding the Esbilac? Also for the runny bm's maybe you would want to try a little yogurt Others here have suggested Dannon vanilla with the live cultures. That also will give extra calcium!

[suzy72532]

yes I am using Esbilac now and I have the runny rearend fixed for the moment not pellet yet but real close used pureed bannana. I'll have him looked at about the bald(thin spots). Thanks for the advice.

[GhosTS]

The hair bald spots which I came across is also mange.Is there a scab formation.Can you see white flakes like dandruff on his body.Does he have a wiered smell.

[suzy72532]

nope no bad smell or scabs looks like perfectly pink skin no irrations or nothing. They don't seem to bother him at all and when I rubb under his chin he doen't act like it iches him or nothing and it is not real noticeable unless you really look I probably would not have asked if I had not seen other pictures of same age squirrels. His overall coat is not real thick and has never been not real thin either but It could be because it is late summer.

[Critter_Queen]

The two squirrels I had that had mange didn't show the "normal" symptoms. The flesh in the thinning spots was very supple and pink, didn't itch and was not in the usual starting spots for mange (legs, back, tummy)...no scabs, no flakes, nothing until it was all out NASTY within a matter of a couple of days. Within one week of it becoming obvious that it was mange, they lost nearly all their fur and looked PITIFUL. All scabby, grey/brown, lumpy and bald.

Mange is "easy" to fix if you have a vet you can use and a place to quarantine him. Quarantine is SO IMPORTANT for all the other critters in your care. I had to keep Scooter in the basement for about two months. I would take care of him last of all...feed him, medicate him, change his papers, etc and then take all my clothes off in the basement, put them in the spare washer I have down there for this very purpose and streaked through the house for the shower not touching anything or anyone on my way through. It was time consuming and tedious, but SO worth it when I was able to re-release him this spring.

If you have a vet available, I would at least have them rule out parasites for you...that would be a big help.