Bloated baby with horrible diarrhea too weak to eat

[zoeetal]

This little baby has horrible, creamy white, stinky diarrhea and is becoming weaker - too weak to eat at this point. He was too bloated to feed both last night and this morning. His little tummy is hard and round and diarrhea keeps coming out of him. He's been getting fluid therapy via sub q but seems to be getting weaker. He's on tribrissen for aspiration (and clicking). A fecal analysis turned up nothing. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[Starfish]

Have you had it a while or is it a new arrival?

Hopefully someone more experienced will come along. Keep it warm and just hydrate with water/sugar for now until then.

[zoeetal]

New admit. Just yesterday. Tried warm water massages and flushing. Gonna try tubing to relieve gas.

[Starfish]

ok so, in the meantime of more experienced folks coming by. Keep hydrating every thirty minutes. Even if it's just a couple of drops that it takes/it's something. Do not attempt to feed for now.

You said it's bloated and something is going on with its belly. Keep massaging and work on hydrating it while its belly balances itself out.

Is it peeing?

t is passing fecal waste though right? Just white goo form?

[Starfish]

Silly questions but I have to ask, do you have his container on a heating pad (on low)?

[zoeetal]

Yes, exactly, white goo poo. Lots of it. Too weak to even get a few drops in there. Laboured breathing and hard stomach. Poor baby.

[Starfish]

Here's a a thread I found from a couple of years ago related to bloat.

Not something I would recommend without others with more experience supporting it. Also, if yours is passing waster, probably wouldn't be needed in this case anyway. However food for thought: There's an old thread where someone was dealing withbloat and it had been suggested that they mix 1/2 Goat's milk formula and 1/2 Goat's milk formula to force the squirrels (much smaller ones as well) to pass out what was caught inside. I'm still reading the thread so I don't know if it was actually tried and, more importantly, if it worked.
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?27679-scared-of-bloat

Just keep hydrating for now.

[zoeetal]

He's on a heating pad on low on his belly getting massaged along his sides to help get the gas out. He definitely can't eat, he's almost completely limp and lifeless. Will hydrate with sub q though.

[Starfish]

What were you feeding him until this point?




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http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?29904-TEMPORARY-Goat-s-Milk-Formula***
Temporary Formula for Infant Squirrels – The Goat’s Milk Formula

Because of recent manufacturing issues, Esbilac and other puppy formulas are no longer being recommended for squirrels or other wildlife. The formula that TSB recommends, Fox Valley Day One, is currently available online at www.foxvalleynutrition.com and www.henryspets.com. But those require shipping and this baby squirrel needs food NOW.

One of our senior members who posts as Jackie in Tampa uses an excellent temporary substitute, and it can be assembled from locally purchased ingredients:

3 parts goat’s milk
1 part heavy whipping cream*
1 part vanilla yogurt (full-fat w/ probiotics)

Formula will last 48 hours in refrigerator.

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http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/newreply.php?p=917216&noquote=1

here is a recipe for homemade Pedialyte:

1 tsp salt (teaspoon)
3 Tbsp sugar (tablespoon)
1 quart warm water
Mix all ingredients in warm water. Store in refrigerator.

(shouldn't give it with salt for more than 24 hours. After 24 hours, just put 1 tbsp of sugar in your water to sweeten up the taste... or apple juice in the water)


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http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?17863-ON-LINE-EMERGENCY-HELP
http://www.televets.com/

This free service may be extremely helpful when no one is available on TSB....ask for an "exotic pets" expert.

[Starfish]

I'm not sure what sub q is other than what a quick Google search is telling me. Stick to the homemade stuff for now (see my previous post) until someone else chimes in or you speak to someone at that televet link.

[Starfish]

I need to step way from my computer right now. But I will check in.

[Starfish]

When my guys got goo, it was because I was overfeeding at the time. Don't know what it is in this case.

[Starfish]

every thirty minutes try to get even a few drops of pedialyte in him

[Starfish]

He's on a heating pad on low on his belly getting massaged along his sides to help get the gas out. He definitely can't eat, he's almost completely limp and lifeless. Will hydrate with sub q though.

errrm, gain I'm sure you're going to say "of course not", but not directly on the heating pad, right? Juist make sure he's in a container on top of the heating pat (and he's on top of a fleece sheet or t-shirt).

I'm sure that's what you're already doing but, in the 0.01% chance you're not, I had to raise it....

[Starfish]

You mentionned a clicking. do you mean pneumonia (I assumed it and encouraged you to keep it warm but....)

Here's info:

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http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32290-Pneumonia-video

A video example of a squirrel with pneumonia.... a good point of comparison


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Another post on rehydration (just info but might be of use for you)
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?40584-Rehydrating-a-squirrel

This is from Chickenlegs: OK so here it is. The babies do have diarrhea so might need some electrolytes but here's the info that was a TSB original from years back sent to me by Sissy a couple of years ago

"Ive been doing this a long time and have found out some things by necropsy, and some by a brilliant DVM with a double masters in nutrition. She has always picked my methods apart, and then told me "why". Today recovering dehydrated and emaciated animals is one of my specialties along with wounds and bone breaks. Ive got this down and I hope my experiences will help you to master these methods.
In small mammals as small as squirrels, you are always better off to re hydrate with glucose or sugar water than pedialyte when the animal is dehydrated from lack of fluids or milk. Theres a few reasons, but mainly the preservatives that are used in the commercial electrolytes for human consumption. In a human sized kidney, or even a large breed puppy, not a big deal, but in the kidneys of a tiny squirrel, you have these little filters the size of half to a whole pea, and they are battling to keep the impurities out of the blood which is now thickened and concentrated, in a body that cannot afford to flush them out because it cant afford the fluid loss to make urine. The kidneys are already in trouble. Those chemicals are immediately caught in the kidneys because the body cannot use them for anything. Pedialyte often contains dye and flavoring which should never be used, but the preservatives alone can cause problems you wont even see. In cross section
necropsies of kidneys for other rehabbers, I have found crystals, inflammation and blockage from Pedialyte and Gatorade. The Gatorade is just insane. I wont even drink it after seeing how the kidneys are affected. I have necropsied HUGE BLUE Gatorade kidneys! When the body is dehydrated and the kidneys are that small, we must only give the system things it can break down and use. There is no room for added chemicals. We have to stay as pure as possible.

I think most folks make their own rehydration fluid so skip that part unless pedialyte is part of the arsenal


In dehydration from starvation, just go with 1 tsp per cup warm water, infant glucose water or dextrose and water. The body can use that sugar. It makes a world of difference in stabilizing your baby and getting them back up. You can feed only the sugar water or glucose for a day, day and a half, and start adding your protein (formula) to the glucose or sugar water in reduced amounts, keeping them on the sugar until they rehydrate and their weight is back up. The BONUS to this is that they burn the sugar as energy which causes the body to store the protein, which brings weight up more effectively. The ADDED BONUS is that you can mix your protein and your rehydration fluid. You CANNOT MIX ELECTROLYTES AND PROTEIN. You cancel them both out by doing this. You will starve your baby of all help by doing this. Never never mix.
In an animal dehydrated from starvation or lack of fluids, they havent lost electrolytes as they would have from a case of diarrhea, to which an electrolyte can be used. Since sugar can actually cause diarrhea (which it will NOT do in a dehydrated animal), in an animal dehydrated from diarrhea, I recommend unflavored Pedialyte given BETWEEN protein feedings, or alternate with a starch like rice cereal water. I still use the infant glucose for this, and if I have to give an electrolyte, I use reconstituted mammal electrolyte powder.
Often protein can cause diarrhea if its an alien source, so pulling the protein and adding a starch will often do the trick. Remember, starch converts to sugar. Starch actually IS a long chain sugar, so no need to ad sugar when using a starch. Its amazing how the two are so similarly used by the body, but produce the opposite result in therapy!
Anyway, I hope something here helps!
Annette
Wild Heart Ranch

This may not help at all but those babies really are skinny--starving. Get better babies


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You likely are especially at this point I'm sure you are already aware but: make sure you are pointing the syringe upwards when you do feed. To avoid aspiration...

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?36777-PROPER-FEEDING-TECHNIQUE!!

[farrelli]

Do you know what he's been eating? Often white poop is the sign of undigested formula which can be caused by too rapid feeding. This can also cause bloat.

Sub-q is great if you know how to do it. Hydration is key to keeping him going and getting things past trough the system.

Have you tried molasses on the gums to get him to come around? The sugar and the minerals in it (especially calcium) can really help. If you don;t have it, and can't get it, another syrup will do in a pinch.

By bloat, what do you mean? Is the belly hard and round? If he's gassy, a couple drops of infant simethicone (Gas-x) will help. If he is bloated, it's generally recommended that no more food be given until the bloat passes.

[zoeetal]

errrm, gain I'm sure you're going to say "of course not", but not directly on the heating pad, right? Juist make sure he's in a container on top of the heating pat (and he's on top of a fleece sheet or t-shirt).

I'm sure that's what you're already doing but, in the 0.01% chance you're not, I had to raise it....

Absolutely have him in his cage bottom, lined with newspaper, and on a fleece blanket :)

[Starfish]

Absolutely have him in his cage bottom, lined with newspaper, and on a fleece blanket :)

Get rid of the newspaper. Apparently, they have extremely sensitive sinuses and the meeting of urine and newsprint is very hard on them. I can relate, burning newspaper in the firplace has the same effect on me. Stick to fleece and t-shirts.

Apparently there's other issues related to the ink... http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39283-Newspapers-for-bedding

Either way: newspaper and cedar are not to be used.:mad: Fleece, flannel and cotton t-shirts are good:thumbsup :grin3

[SammysMom]

I would suggest following Farrelli's suggestion of simethicone. Nothing to eat while bloated. White goopy poop sounds like overfeeding or maybe feeding too close together. What have you fed since you got him in and when did you get him?

[skunkangel]

Yes, exactly, white goo poo. Lots of it. Too weak to even get a few drops in there. Laboured breathing and hard stomach. Poor baby.

If you can't sub-q fluids for this baby (with a bag of IV fluids/"lactated ringers") then you must try to get fluids in him some other way. If he's too weak to eat, you might have to bite the bullet and tube him. Normally I would NEVER recommend that, but when you're faced with certain death otherwise, you've got nothing to lose. To clear out his bowels and GI system you can try using a small cereal-size bowl of really warm water and hold him in in the bowl submerged under the water from the belly button down. While submerged, stimulate him with your finger or a Q-tip and some of that bloat will pass fairly quickly. I'd like to say give him Simethicone (Gas Drops) but if he won't take fluids, he's not going to take that either.

Have you tried glucose to get his energy level to spike back up? Glucose gel is sold at any drugstore and it's just straight glucose for diabetics but sometimes it will give you that extra wind that you need to get them over the hump and on the road to recovery.

Others here are right though, this usually happens when they're fed too much, or when the formula wasn't hot enough. Normally it's something that's easily corrected, but it sounds like he's also aspirated and needs antibiotics ASAP. Good luck!

[skunkangel]

Have you tried molasses on the gums to get him to come around? The sugar and the minerals in it (especially calcium) can really help. If you don;t have it, and can't get it, another syrup will do in a pinch.

By bloat, what do you mean? Is the belly hard and round? If he's gassy, a couple drops of infant simethicone (Gas-x) will help. If he is bloated, it's generally recommended that no more food be given until the bloat passes.

Sorry Farellli... I didn't read your post before replying. I guess great minds think alike. :grin3

[Anne]

Sub-Q is great, keep that going. Baby gas(simethicone) drops are great. Remove newspaper, use fleece and/or tee shirts. Containment for baby 1/2 on 1/2 off heating pad set to lowest setting (be sure to temper the heat inside the container, if necessary) don't want baby too hot; normal drey temperature and mommy body is no more than 102 degrees F. White poop is often a sign of over feeding, Some babies can't handle formula and if you are using anything except Fox Valley that could be the problem too. Goat's milk formula will be easiest for baby to digest. Diarrhea will weaken the baby fast. If he still has formula in his tummy and digestive tract, see if you can get just 1/10 of a cc of mineral oil in him to flush his system. When he is cleaned out feed the goat's milk formula plain until you see he is doing well-then add yogurt, stay away from heavy cream for several days.
I will see if I can get my phone number to you, or you can PM Inland Rehabber, Nancy in NY or me anytime!