billybob the squirrel

[tomhegan]

i havent seen him poop,he tries pushing down but nothing,he does pea alot,hes still very active. what do i give him ? he is 3 yrs old and a great pet.
i know something is wrong cause when we let him out he poops every where.
thanks ,for some help...... tomhegan

[CritterMom]

Can you tell us his diet?

First, you need to increase his fluids. Will he eat watermelon? That would be good. If he will take fluids from a syringe, try water flavored with a little clear juice like apple juice.

How long has it been since he pooped?

[tomhegan]

billy gets a healthy block in the morning,piece of lettuce for a snack and maybe 2 nuts a day,i just gave him a piece melon to see if that would help,but i will try apple juice.thanks

[CritterMom]

How long since he has pooped?

[tomhegan]

not sure,but i noticed him pushing down trying to go....
i got home around 3;00 so not sure how long...... he was fine yesterday...

[CritterMom]

Are you sure he is trying to poop? Is there no signs of poop in his cage?

Male squirrels rub and butt drag, particularly now, in the summer. They actuallly secrete a musk of sort that they then butt drag to distribute on things.

So is his cage poop free or do you think this might be what is happening?

[tomhegan]

no,hes not dragging his butt,it looks like hes straining trying to poop..
i let him out to play tonite & he didnt poop once (not like him ) i will keep an eye on him incase it gets worse.

[tomhegan]

:thankyou
no,hes not dragging his butt,it looks like hes straining trying to poop..
i let him out to play tonite & he didnt poop once (not like him ) i will keep an eye on him incase it gets worse.

[CritterMom]

He can have a bit of mineral oil as a laxative. You will need to get a small
1cc syringe. Give him 0.10cc of mineral oil and observe him. If nothing happens in about 12 hours, another 0.10cc dose. Increase his water intake - adding that little bit of juice may make it taste better to encourage him.

The healthy block is good but start introducing other veggies. Try a little piece of butternut squash (lots of fiber). Give him some sugar snap peas - most squirrels love them. You may need to cut them in half the first time so he gets the hang of them.

A good way to get a variety of things to offer is the grocery store salad bar. You can get just a few of everything, and try different veggies. Lots of fresh veggies and a little fruit will help with the poops too.

[SammysMom]

At three years old can he have a couple of raisins? Sammy has had good luck with them if he is a little constipated.

[CritterMom]

Raisins scare the heck out of me - there is something about the texture - I have seen more things choke on raisins... I would rather see a little bit of prune baby food offered. Same idea, no choking issues.:thumbsup

[SammysMom]

That's why I asked. I know others worry about them. Sammy helps himself to them whenever he can. I initially gave them to him without any experience an didn't even think about the choking aspect. I certainly defer to the experts! Good luck to the little one!