Abdomen normal/abnormal

[Heartbroken]

Hello All
Little red squirrel abandoned in my driveway 4pm est today. Seems to be ok in terms of hydration. Concerned that it may have issue with its lower abdomen - is the 3/4" x 3/8" protrusion normal ?205325

[SammysMom]

I can't tell from the pic what the issue is. What exactly is protruding?

[SammysMom]

If you are bathing him, you need to warm him immediately. You don't want him to chill. What sort of a container do you have him in? Be sure you have a heating pad under 1/2 of it and lots of fleece or tee shirt material in it for him to burrow in.

[Heartbroken]

Thanks for the quick response.
Yes I an keeping him warm. He is cupped in my husbands hand up against his chest.
I will use a better camera to get a better picture. The protrusion is just under his penis.
Stay tuned while I get another picture.

[SammysMom]

Your hands aren't warm enough. Their normal body temp is 102 degrees so he really needs heat from a heating pad. If you don't have one you can heat uncooked rice or dried beans in a sock. Tie off the sock and microwave it for 30 secs at a time until warm. Squish it around to be sure there are no hot spots to burn him.

[Nancy in New York]

SammysMom is this any better?

205326

[Nancy in New York]

OK I know I need new glasses, but this is a boy right? And you said this is a RED squirrel? Does he have a scab on his penis? Definitely something going on there, but I'm not sure what.

[SammysMom]

Is it possible that it is just his "nuts" that haven't dropped yet?:shakehead Sorry for the 7th grade term...

[SammysMom]

Has he peed?

[Nancy in New York]

It almost looks stuck to his abdomen!

[SammysMom]

?

[Nancy in New York]

?


Actually to me, it looked like the whole shaft is stuck?:dono

[SammysMom]

I am confused, but it is more pic related. Not your fault HB!!! It is my eyes I am sure! Has he peed and if so where did it come out of?

[CritterMom]

I think it is just his scrotal sac - his little balls haven't dropped yet. I believe you are talking about the tube shaped lump that runs from the penis down to just above the anus, right? Looks like it's about as big around as a soda straw?

[SammysMom]

That is exactly what I thought Crit!

[Nancy in New York]

I think it is just his scrotal sac - his little balls haven't dropped yet. I believe you are talking about the tube shaped lump that runs from the penis down to just above the anus, right? Looks like it's about as big around as a soda straw?

Yes, that's what I was talking about.

[Heartbroken]

the lower thing, well described in last post

[SammysMom]

Has he peed?

[Heartbroken]

Yes he has peed. Often.

[SammysMom]

Where does it come out of? Where I have the arrow that says "this"?

[Heartbroken]

He is active.
Had to get a good picture

[SammysMom]

Looks like his scrotum to me

[Heartbroken]

I really hope everything is normal.
After I found him a hung out in the area for about two hours hoping mom would come back. A thunder storm rolled through so I put some sunflower seeds out hoping to attract mom but no luck.
I will keep him hydrated tonight and then put him back where we found him tomorrow in a card board box

If I didn't mention, he is a wild red.
I know the best place for him is with his mom.

[SammysMom]

Yes it is the best place. However, if he can possibly get out of the box without mom getting him out, please don't put him out in it. We just had an experience here on TSB where mom did not come back, but babies got out and were too young for that. Where are you? We can try to have back-up help if needed tomorrow.

[Heartbroken]

I'm in ottawa, Canada.
You are absolutely correct that he is too young to be alone. I will be sure he cannot get out on his own

[Heartbroken]

To answer other questions,
I haven't got too see where the pee comes out of, but he has peed often but the pee has a very strong odour. I saw a small poop earlier.

It would have made you smile to see him in his bath. His little eyes just closed and was completely relaxed. Toward the end of his bath he was padding the water with his front paw, like, hey guys this is so cool!

He is rolled up in a ball and sound asleep. I tried to give him the warm rice bag but he seems to prefer the closed confines of my hand.

I will put the rice bag and a warm water bottle in his box.

I have to look back on the forum for feeding times. I have human baby formula but have not given him any. Just sugar and salt water mix.

[SammysMom]

No human formula. You need goats milk, full fat yogurt and heavy cream for temporary formula.

[Heartbroken]

Ok, no human food.
I will pick up the gm ingredient tomorrow but if there is nothing wrong with him mom will want him back.

Did I mention how cute a baby red is?

[Nancy in New York]

Ok, no human food.
I will pick up the gm ingredient tomorrow but if there is nothing wrong with him mom will want him back.

Did I mention how cute a baby red is?

My avatar is a "baby" red.:Love_Icon Please watch him like a hawk if you put him back....and make sure that it is not in the sun.
If his poop was dark and hard, and if his pee was strong smelling he is dehydrated. Hydrate with just plain sugar water.


3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water

Keep refrigerated.

[Heartbroken]

Good morning.
Our little guy is doing well. I got up twice in the night to warm up his water bottle and rice bag.
I offered sugar water both times and he took two cc both times.
This morning a gave him two cc yogurt/water mix that could be feed with syringe and he downed it.
I offered it again after one hour and he finished it and the a third the next hour.

When we found him yesterday, he was very easy to catch and appear in excellent condition. Like it was moving day and he got lost in the shuffle. He was alert and active but not afraid of me at all.

The strong pee odour indicated dehydration so he may have been alone for much longer that I thought.

[SammysMom]

Please be very careful trying to reunite with mama. Something may have happened to her and he was out looking for help. When you go back, listen for the baby cries. They sound like birds. There may be other siblings who are also in trouble in the area if something happened to Mama.:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Heartbroken]

My husband is up in the loft looking for evidence of other babies now.

It is the right time for squirrel moving day around here. We have seen moms moving babies in past years. I guess the nest gets a bit ripe and they move rather than clean. Not a bad idea

The word is no sounds in the loft. I recognize the bird like noises you mentions. Hums clicks and chips. Kind of like the baby phoebe in the nest at my front door, before the birds turn into teenagers and just give me the hairy eyeball if I use that door.

[SammysMom]

Well, good luck and be careful. He is really cute and lucky to have found you.:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Heartbroken]

So, I gave him two cc gm formula and he eat it up and then went very sleepy.
I carried him around to jiggle him a little and he seemed happy but that was three hours ago. He is still very sleepy.
I felt his tummy and there was a hard lump below his penis. I bathed him and massaged the areas but no relief.
After bath he was dried with paper towel and rice bag.
He is still quite. He let me massage the area with one finger and rub his sides with other hand for quite a while.
No poop
He has taken some sugar water when offered but not a lot.
I don't think I should give him gm formula or yogurt until he poops.

I will not try to reunite until poop.

[Heartbroken]

Oh yah
I put some squished apple juice in his sugar salt water.

[Heartbroken]

Do you agree with no more gm formula or yogurt?

So far
2 cc gmail
6 cc yogurt
8 cc Sugar, salt, water solution

Lists of pee no poop

Since yesterday at four pm.

[SammysMom]

Plain canned pumpkin is goof for constipation. A warm soak sort of up to his waist while massaging his tummy in a downward fashion may help. Do remember though, if he has been away from mama and hasn't eaten, there may not be anything there to come out. Poor little guy...:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[cnmnnaturalist]

Baby squirrels poop while or after they are being fed. It's pretty much automatic. Stimulating with a warm, wet cloth as well can help them poop. But it's pretty much food in and poop out.

[SammysMom]

Are you making the GM formula recipe with yogurt and cream? (Maybe not cream to start) I think he probably needs calories as well as the hydration, but I am not as experienced as some others who are helping.

[Heartbroken]

He has full fur coat including tail.
His eyes have just a very slight new born look to them.
He graps the syringe and likes up dribbles.
He makes grooming attempt - but it really is just attempt

He has no mange and there was only one flea on him

Yesterday he walk/ hopped well. This morning he was hunching and not using full back leg extension but after morning yogurt looked fine.

Not much action this afternoon to judge this point

[SammysMom]

Could you get a picture? Even with your phone. You could email it or text it to me if that helps.

[Heartbroken]

So more gm formula?
Yes I made it with full whipping cream and goat milk yogurt plus goat milk

[SammysMom]

I would give formula. Be sure it is VERY warm and go slowly so no aspirating. You want the syringe pointing up toward the roof of his mouth and his tail pointing down and back.

[Nancy in New York]

Sometimes the heavy cream will give them diarrhea, so we normally don't recommend that for the first 24-48 hours. Not sure about the GM yogurt....personally, I would use vanilla full fat yogurt any brand you can find, and nix the GM yogurt.

[Heartbroken]

Will do.
Should I get set for another bath right after?

[SammysMom]

Oh shoot...definitely full fat yogurt not goats milk yogurt. Something like YoBaby is best. When it is for babies it is full-fat and minimal additives.

[Heartbroken]

The yogurt is 3-ish in the fat but the cream is whipping cream. I have clotted cream that I could add?

What about bath again?

He didn't mow everything this time. Took 1.5 cc

He as gone back to sleep now. I don't want to torcher him by forcing a bath.

Maybe I should just let him snooze.

I am reluctant to feel down his "junk" because he is resting so piecefuly.

If there is a blockage bath massage and light walking is the only mechanical action I can offer.

Should the next offer be water or water plus electrolyte?

[Heartbroken]

Well, last night I thought he was not going to make it but he is made it thru the night and seems 'normal'.

Army evening two females came around so I quickly got his box took him out of my bra and into the box and waited.

Both females saw him but did not take him. He was very quite in the box like he gets after a feeding. I was very disappointed.

Although I would love to raise him I know if he had been lost rather than abandon he would be ok. Like with my sweet 'Madeye' (my avatar squirrel), mom doesn't have a health plan and knows what is best.

But he was not claimed and he is still fighting so we will see.

Today I plan to try to see a vet I have taken a sick squirrel to in the past.

My main concern is no poop.

His pee smell is not nearly so strong anymore and he has a healthy appetite.

Without the strong pee I will be less inclined to bath him. I am almost end as stressed as he is after the bath because I know drying him and keeping him warming him is difficult.

Also, he cries at night because the hot water bottle and rice bag cool. I warm the up again but he wants to stay with me so I end up 'sleeping' on my back terrified I will squish him. I think tonight I will have an old blown out cotton bra handy and when he wakes I will put him there. I don't have much in there to squish him and and dont sleep on my front so he will stay out of harms way.

All for now.

Cute factor....

After bath and breakfast this morning I put him in my bra and he rolled into a ball. When I peeked in he had grabbed his feet with his hands and played pad a cake.:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

You are doing great! Remember that he hasn't eaten much and so poop may take a bit... He sounds adorable!:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[CritterMom]

I am glad you are taking him to a vet - I am a little concerned that what were speculating is his undecended equipment may actually be comacted poop that is preventing him from going. A vet should be able to clear that...

[ohwiseone]

No news yet??

[Unikorngrrl]

Any news?!? Heating pad under the cage on low, no auto shut off! He needs to stay warm!!! :wave123