Need help with bladder issue

[dirgedoll]

My squirrel is an older one, and is going to the bathroom on herself.
Is there something I can do to keep her clean and free of infections?
What is the best way to clean her?
She has some matted hair, and I am really starting to get a little worried.

Thanks for your help.
Jupiter

[Rhapsody]

Has she been to see a vet? --it sounds as though she may have an UTI and need medicine.
In the mean time you can use natural unscented baby wipes to clean her up with.

[SugarBugFerret]

Is she compromised in some way that might cause her to potty on herself? You've got the right idea in that you want to keep her clean in order to prevent urine scald. If she will allow it, a nice warm dip bath in a sink with just a tiny bit of the original blue dawn dish soap should clean her right up. Gently using a flea comb while she is wet/soapy might help release the matts. But then there is the issue of why she is doing it in the first place. Can you tell us more about her and her background? Exactly how old is she? Grey squirrel? Fox squirrel? And what does she eat on a daily basis? We ask everyone this because it is so very important. We always LOVE pictures! And :Welcome

[dirgedoll]

Is she compromised in some way that might cause her to potty on herself? You've got the right idea in that you want to keep her clean in order to prevent urine scald. If she will allow it, a nice warm dip bath in a sink with just a tiny bit of the original blue dawn dish soap should clean her right up. Gently using a flea comb while she is wet/soapy might help release the matts. But then there is the issue of why she is doing it in the first place. Can you tell us more about her and her background? Exactly how old is she? Grey squirrel? Fox squirrel? And what does she eat on a daily basis? We ask everyone this because it is so very important. We always LOVE pictures! And :Welcome

She eats a full variety of fruit, veggies, and nuts. ( Peas, corn, squash, oranges, broccoli to name a few..I rotate what I feed them twice a day-I use the list that was posted on here some time ago.) they also get calcium and d3 supplements, along with sunlight. :)
She is a 14 year old Southern Flying Squirrel. My boy is 12. They are spoiled rotten. I don't have children, so they are my children. :)
She has been sick with some abscesses that need to be drained on a regular basis due to a genetic predisposition to them for a bit now.

I think the idea of baby wipes and baths are nice. I have the perfect little sink... She doesnt like water much, so I will just put a little in, then let her wade a bit.
Is there a way to dry her up? A towel or a hairdryer, which is better?

I change both of their bedding frequently.
she usually sleeps in the arms of my hoodie at night, or in the small of my back, sometimes she gets grumpy and crawls into her cage-(i have it on the floor at night so she can climb in it.. My house is squirrel proofed for play time).

Here are some pictures....

This one is my boy Griffin
240448

This one is my female, Skyler.
We were playing hide and seek.
She climbed inside of my shoe.
Even after 14 years, and 12 her and her brother are still very active and playful..

They both get regular vet visits, I take her a couple times a month to stay on top of her health issues..
240449

How frequently should I clean her up, and what is a good way to hold her to dry her,she like to alligator roll me.

Thanks for your help everyone, I just want to be sure I do the right thing. :)

[dirgedoll]

I did manage to give her a warm bath.
She seems pretty mad at me. Hopefully this will change. :)
I am going to get the baby wipes in the morning.
I towel dried her and put her to bed.
I will keep a very close eye on her.
She has a vet appointment tomorrow, and next week as well.
Thank you both again for the help.

[SugarBugFerret]

Ok, so I am not the flyer expert, but I do have 2 sweet sisters that I got from someone here who we do think of as one of our go-to flyer guru squeeps, so I did get a lot of good information from her at the time. Do you feed any type of rodent block? The ideal is one that was created by a TSB member here, and it is formulated specifically towards the needs of squirrels needing a higher protein diet, such as babies and flyers. You can find them here:

http://www.henryspets.com/hi-protein-blocks/

You said you are feeding from a list found here. Is it this one?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?37700-HEALTHY-DIET-for-PET-Flying-Squirrels

Feeding the Henry's blocks (HHBs) takes a lot of the guesswork out because they get a lot of the essentials from them. Add in the fresh veggies off of the list, and protein items (meal worms, wax worms and dehydrated chicken). I do dust the worms in the calcium powder first. Fruits should be given sparingly and nuts should be as treats only. The HHBs are made with nuts, so most squirrels will eat them pretty willingly. Corn doesn't really provide much nutritionally, but just like children that want to eat the not-so-good stuff first, a lot of squirrels love it. It would also go on the use sparingly list. I am wondering about the D3 supplement you mentioned. We don't have to worry near as much about supplementation for those squirrels that are eating the HHBs, because our "squirrel dietician" considered all of that when she formulated the blocks. The only supplement I was told to use was the calcium on the worms, and a little sprinkle in their formula (but they are not interested in that so much anymore). Many of us provide fresh mushrooms to get the D3. Too much D3 can be a bad thing, and it is even used in pest control as a rodenticide. This topic has come up several times here lately and it is starting to give me D3 heebie jeebies! :rolf

Now with all that said, 14 and 12 is impressive, so you must be doing pretty well on the diet. Maybe just a little tweaking?

And then the bathing and drying. With a blow dryer I would be afraid of blowing the poor critter across the room! And the sound might scare them...I don't know. Pieces of flannel would be good to dry them in, as it is more absorbent than fleece. But fleece is great for cuddling into. I would just make sure the little tyke is nice and dry before putting to bed. Ok, I've rambled enough. Your babies (well not really babies, huh) are adorable! :grin3

Let us know what the vet has to say! I'll be thinking of you and your squee.

[dirgedoll]

Ok, so I am not the flyer expert, but I do have 2 sweet sisters that I got from someone here who we do think of as one of our go-to flyer guru squeeps, so I did get a lot of good information from her at the time. Do you feed any type of rodent block? The ideal is one that was created by a TSB member here, and it is formulated specifically towards the needs of squirrels needing a higher protein diet, such as babies and flyers. You can find them here:

http://www.henryspets.com/hi-protein-blocks/

You said you are feeding from a list found here. Is it this one?

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?37700-HEALTHY-DIET-for-PET-Flying-Squirrels

Feeding the Henry's blocks (HHBs) takes a lot of the guesswork out because they get a lot of the essentials from them. Add in the fresh veggies off of the list, and protein items (meal worms, wax worms and dehydrated chicken). I do dust the worms in the calcium powder first. Fruits should be given sparingly and nuts should be as treats only. The HHBs are made with nuts, so most squirrels will eat them pretty willingly. Corn doesn't really provide much nutritionally, but just like children that want to eat the not-so-good stuff first, a lot of squirrels love it. It would also go on the use sparingly list. I am wondering about the D3 supplement you mentioned. We don't have to worry near as much about supplementation for those squirrels that are eating the HHBs, because our "squirrel dietician" considered all of that when she formulated the blocks. The only supplement I was told to use was the calcium on the worms, and a little sprinkle in their formula (but they are not interested in that so much anymore). Many of us provide fresh mushrooms to get the D3. Too much D3 can be a bad thing, and it is even used in pest control as a rodenticide. This topic has come up several times here lately and it is starting to give me D3 heebie jeebies! :rolf

Now with all that said, 14 and 12 is impressive, so you must be doing pretty well on the diet. Maybe just a little tweaking?

And then the bathing and drying. With a blow dryer I would be afraid of blowing the poor critter across the room! And the sound might scare them...I don't know. Pieces of flannel would be good to dry them in, as it is more absorbent than fleece. But fleece is great for cuddling into. I would just make sure the little tyke is nice and dry before putting to bed. Ok, I've rambled enough. Your babies (well not really babies, huh) are adorable! :grin3

Let us know what the vet has to say! I'll be thinking of you and your squee.


You know, I haven't tried squirrel blocks yet. I keep hearing about them..
And yes, that list is indeed the list that I use. It is awesome!

I will get some flannel while I am out tomorrow, and order some of those blocks!

How many times should I bathe her daily?

Thanks

[farrelli]

Yes, flyer blocks. And do you provide another source of protein, as per the diet guide?

Corn is bad.

Does the pee smell bad or is it discolored?

Antibiotics might be necessary. Do you have any? If you do and have a weight, we can dose for you.

[farrelli]

Also, vitamin D is essential but it's also dangerous. It's used as a rodenticide by exterminators. They should ideally get their D from mushrooms and blocks, not a supplement.

[dirgedoll]

Also, vitamin D is essential but it's also dangerous. It's used as a rodenticide by exterminators. They should ideally get their D from mushrooms and blocks, not a supplement.

They are fed corn sparingly, and get mushrooms and sunlight on a regular basis.
I rotate fruits and vegetables from the list regularly. :)

Her pee doesn't smell bad at all.
She has been started on Antibiotics, and the baths and wipes helped a lot.
Thanks guys!

[jbtartell]

Hi, I have a friend who has a boy who is 4yrs and she shaves hair on the part of his belly that gets wet then uses the wipes to keep it clean. and it seems to work for her.. just a thought if she will let you.. not a razor just some kind of electric clippers.. the smaller ones work good..

[farrelli]

Where did you get the dosing for the ABs? Too much can harm organs.