Constipated I think need help before i feed again and its time.

[yungin]

Hi i recently had a friend that was reroofing his house and had rotted wood and had to remove a nest to fix it. He didnt just move it over he got rid of it. Well i now have one of the two babys i tried to get both as i know animals do better in pairs but could only get one and i dont trust that he could even keep one alive. From what ive found on this forum i believe he is four weeks old. I got him 3 hours after he was taken from the nest but seems that his mother may have been gone for a lot longer as they were working right above the nest in the attic and he seemed dehydrated. Gave him 3ccs of pedialyte every few hours (more often in the begining) and the next morning started him on esbilac which i am seeng i need to get something else. After the first few hydratings he had diarhea once. Since then he would drop two little pellets at each feeding. Usually after eating as he would only urinate before because he was too restless. Yesterday he was dropping two little pellets at each feeding. And throughout the night. This morning the same but they are very hard and he seems bloated. Also every few feeding inbetween i give him 3 ccs of pedialyte. He looks much better than when i got him and has a lot more energy. He is in a box with teo large water bottles wrapped in a blanket to keep him warm. I have also raised a squirrel 8 years ago with no problems and released him. Is this something i should be worried about or is his tummy just full now?

[pappy1264]

Hard to tell from the pic. Is he still eating? If he went w/o for a while, it could take a bit to see more poop. The new esbilac with probiotics. Are you diluting the formula enough? Generally when you first start on formula, you want to do a 3/1 (or 4/1 even) as opposed to the 2/1 mix to let their digestion adjust and for extra fluids. How are you mixing it? How does he seem, is he eating ok or is he cranky and not wanting to eat? Also, you need to get a heating pad (one w/o the auto shut off), as hot water bottles do not stay warm and the constant change of temp is not good. And you want to make sure the formula is good and warm, almost hot.

[farrelli]

Yes, the new Esbilac with probiotics is good. Are you stimulating him to go potty? You need to. Some prefer stimulation of both the genitals and anus, but some pucker up if you stimulate the anus. Also, bloating is a real, life threatening issue. His tummy should feel soft liek a partially filled water balloon. If it's hard and round, you have a serious problem. You should partially submerge him in a batch of warm water and massage his tummy and sides. You should also make sure he's full hydrated. Gently pinch the skin between the shoulders and see if it goes right down like on the back of your hand, It should not tent. Also, stop the Pedialyte. After 24 hours the salt becomes counterproductive. Just offer some water, slightly sweetened if necessary. Also, you may need to get some INFANT simeticone (Gas-X) to help him.

[farrelli]

And how much do you feed? And on what schedule? He should be getting 5-7% of body weight at each feeding. How much does he weigh?

[yungin]

I started out diluting 3-1 and gradually changed it. Ive had a thermometer in the box with a blowing heater blowing on it. But will be getting a heating pad today. He is eager to eat and will take 4cc's if i let him but i havent gotten scales to weigh him yet so dnt let him eat that much if his tummy feels like he may still have something it it. I have the asbelic with probiotics. I have been stimulating both. The penis first then when he stops urinating the anus and back and forth and the first few times had to message his bladder to get him to go. I have some infant mommy bliss all natural relieves stomach discomfort and gas associated with colic, hicups and teething. Of course this is for an infant serving of 2.5 ml i know he will not need anywhere close to this much i was thinking a drop or two.
Calories 10
Sodium. 15 mg 1%
Carbs. 3 grams 1%
Sugars. 3 grams
Organic ginger extract 5mg
Aorganic fennel extract 5mg
He seems fine on hydration but question. His skin i dont know if you could tell in the pic but it has small wrinkles and he had much more when i first got him so when i pinch his back it wrinkles a bit and most of the time goes right back but depending on how he is sitting sometimes stays does that mean he is dehydrated? His urine is clear and his bladder is always full at feeding times.


Also how much solids should he be releasing at a time?

[farrelli]

How does his tummy feel? Hard or soft?

You really need to get a scale for proper feeding. It's also the best way to check proper progress and general health.

We tend to avoid using things that we're not sure about and I know nothing of this concoction or how some of its ingredients would effect him.

[farrelli]

I also hope that you're using proper feeding technique:

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

Nipple pointed upward toward the roof of the mouth, head pointed down, like if he's leaning up on mommy's belly. If he aspirates, it's bad. If you ever hear clicking when breathing, we need to know immediately and you will need antibiotics.

[yungin]

His tummy still feels a bit hard but softer and smaller than it was at 9:00 this morning. And i am feeding him correctly. Not only have i raised several animals and bottle fed several over my short lifetime but since friday night i have read for hours on this sight which has been a great help. Should i go ahead and feed him or should i give him what has been recommended for gas first? His belly does seem to be getting better. Just not sure how much feces he should have.

[farrelli]

I would hold off on the food until the bloat is gone. Just hydrate. How long has it been since he's eaten?

You could give him a drop or two of INFANT Gas-X but if it's going down on it's own, I would just use the massages for now, in warm water if possible.

Please do get the scale to make sure you're giving him the right amount. Too much or too often can cause this. How often are you feeding him?

Also, you mentioned bottle feeding, you're using a 1cc syringe, ideally with nipple, for this right? Just making sure. We get tons of people who have raised other animals before but end up making mistakes anyway. Always best to check.

Lastly, the "miracle nipple" is what most people swear by.

[pappy1264]

Watch for his milk line to go down, it is on the left side of his belly. After you feed him, you will see a white line. It should be pretty much gone by the time the next feeding is. It can take a day or more for more poops. Yes, you def. need a gram scale to weigh him, as you should be feeding him 5-7% of his body weight (check once a day, in the morning after you potty, but before you feed, so you can adjust amount if needed each day to say in the 5-7%).

[yungin]

It was 5:00 this morning last feeding was wanting to feed at 9:00 am. Ive been feeding every four hours and will get some scales today. Its abigger syringe but i dnt have problems giving it very slowly. And i dnt know what myricle nipple is but i jus bought some nipples for a kitten bottle and rigged it on the end of the syringe. He liked that much better than syringe alone. The first night i got him everything was closed.

[yungin]

Will do thank you for all the help. I thought it may take a while due to the change in milk and environment but wanted to be sure before i fed him and possibly made things worse. And i will be getting the scales and heating pad today. Again thank you all very much.

[farrelli]

This is what most people find to be absolutely incredible:

http://www.henryspets.com/miracle-nipple/

You can get it at a few places.

We STRONGLY, STRONGLY recommend that at this age you not use anything bigger than a 1cc syringe. You can usually get them free at a pharmacy if you tell them what you want them for. The o-rings of the syringes wear out and can suddenly slip, causing aspiration and then pneumonia.

[yungin]

I got a heating pad and some scales today. Just got home and havent weighed him yet but will soon. I will check tomorrow with a vet I know. We have built several pet supply stores for him and see if they carry the nipple you have suggested. If anyone in town carrys it southern ag should. Thanks again for the help.

[yungin]

Just an update this morning he was no longer bloated and has been going regularly and a whole lot more at a time. Thank you for all the help.

[SammysMom]

What terrific news! Slow and steady...:Love_Icon