Rectal Hernia

[madtowntom]

Has anyone ever had a squirrel with a rectal hernia?

I have a 5 week male gray about 90 grams that I have had four four weeks. He has always had trouble with feces drying on his butt requiring soaking to evacuate. I thought it was something he would just grow out of - particularly when he transitioned to regular food. However about a week ago his rectal area started to swell and it was difficult to get him to defecate. I took him to my vet - who anesthetized him and basically gave him an extensive enema. She thought it probably was a hernia but suggested I just keep him well hydrated and assist with eliminating as best I could. She said a surgical repair was possible (she hos repaired several on dogs), but was reluctant to do it on a squirrel this young - and she has never done the procedure other than on dogs.

He is swelling up badly again and I can't get him to poop much. I am going to try an enema shortly, but that is only a short term solution. I hate to give up on this guy, but not sure what the alternatives are at this point, so thought I would see if anyone else has had experience with this???

Thanks,
Tom

[Sweet Simon's Mommy]

Hi, I am so sorry you r little baby is having such a problem.

I have a little guy who has no bowel control, so pooping is an issue for him also. I give him 2cc's of apple juice every other day and I also soak him in a warm bath twice day, this cleans him, since he has no bladder control either, and it relaxes his muscles and helps him eliminate.
I also put A&D ointment, not the cream the ointment, on his rear end to keep it lubricated. You can try any of these, this is what works for me.
Also a little yogurt is also good for good healthy poops.

[Jackie in Tampa]

any exposed internal tissue needs to be coated in sugar paste until swelling goes down...reg sugar and water, paste.. applied with paint brush every thirty minutes until a shell is formed, like rock candy, for real.
will need to continue/maintain shell.
do not allow that tissue to go necrotic...he'll die of sepsis or worse...
add heavy cream to his formula and yogurt as a grease/lube..get him on low grade ABs, SMZ-TMP would be ideal...cut his formula a wee bit with water.
what meds are you using with him currently?
what meds do you have? for inflammation/pain?
metacam?
prednisone?
ibuprofen?

:grouphug

[madtowntom]

Hi Jackie,

No exposed tissue, but you can feel the loop of intestine inside the protrusion by his rectum - obviously bowel strangulation is a serious potential problem, but currently the only way I can get him to poop is to push on the protruded area - it is sort of like popping a zit. However, right now I am not getting enough out, so it is swelling.

No regular meds - today was probably the first day where it is painful and mostly only when I am poking at it - I gave him a dose of infant ibuprofen this morning.

So do you think apple juice would be good to soften the stools. I have been diluting his FV a bit, plus giving an extra feeding of electrolytes to keep him hydrated and only soften the stool.

[Jackie in Tampa]

natural apple juice, not sugar added.:thumbsup
bless his heart, this sound dangerous...:grouphug and scarey.:grouphug