Squirrel dragging his rear end across shelf ( bathroom problem?)

[Chompers]

Chompers turned 4 in October- eats fruits, veggies, and nuts. I noticed he just started acting odd:
2 days ago was not as active ( gave him tums and his sun lamp. After that he was fine).
Today he was out playing- tearing up the Kleenex box, playing with me and his stuffed animals.
Right now- he just acted weird and drug his butt around on his shelf ( like dogs do on carpet sometimes?) he's making little sounds like he's frustrated... Very low though.
I was thinking he might be constipated....but he actually went a lot while out today. He has been drinking lots if water-as usual.
Any ideas if what's bothering him, and what I can give him ( that I might have on hand at 1 am?)

[farrelli]

Dragging his butt like a dog or like paralysis? The diet you list would lead to the latter, and pain, eventually death, which could account for this. He might have metabolic bone disease. Here's the treatment. Time is of the essence:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?34495-Emergency-Treatment-of-Metabolic-Bone-Disease-(MBD)

It's one of hte most common things we see. People rarely get the diet right on their own. And here it is:

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

You will need to correct the diet, immediately, even if this isn't MDB.

[CritterMom]

They will butt drag if they get poop stuck in the fur around their butt - and also if they cannot go but are trying hard. So I have seen butt dragging both during constipation AND when the stool is mushy and too soft because it gets the fur around their little butt messy. You need to observe and if the poops are okay, see if he leaves a poop after he drags. If that is the case, he is basically wiping his butt to get it off.

[Chompers]

Thanks! He is on a special diet for MBD already- we went through that horrible experience back in February. Luckily, Chompers has made a full recovery! He gets his Tums mixture occasionally, has deer antler, and picky blocks in his diet too. One question I also have: is there a liquid calcium maybe? Something tasteless that can be added to water?

[CritterMom]

Thanks! He is on a special diet for MBD already- we went through that horrible experience back in February. Luckily, Chompers has made a full recovery! He gets his Tums mixture occasionally, has deer antler, and picky blocks in his diet too. One question I also have: is there a liquid calcium maybe? Something tasteless that can be added to water?

If Chompers is eating 2 picky blocks a day, you are occasionally giving him a bit of Tums, and he is also getting healthy vegetables/limited fruit and treats, he doesn't really need any more calcium. Liquid calcium is problematic - it doesn't actually dissolve so it precipitates out and sits on the bottom of the container - in a water bottle it settles and clogs the tube. I am fanatical about water, too - I NEVER put stuff in their water, ever. Drinking enough of it is so important for them I don't want to change taste, etc.

Too much calcium can also cause constipation, which you don't want. How many milligrams a day do you estimate he gets?

[Chompers]

I give him the tums mixture occasionally - maybe once a month.... He goes through phases where he gets bored with his picky blocks. When this happens- I find them buried under his towels.

[Trooper]

I would assume Chompers is a boy and I can attest that my Trooper (also a boy) does and did drag his but on the various places he frequents when he is either out or in his cage, similar to dogs when they have worms or an itch right there, but also because squirrels -like dogs- have anal scent glands and that is a way to mark a possesion other than peeing on it, as they ususally mark a property. In many cases they might even mark you, and although a disgusting event, we've been told by the TSB members that it is a badge of honour. Well tell that to my wife when she has to do the laundry!

Also, boys easter gray squirrels have two marble-sized glands on either side of their anus, where they store a serum, waxy secretion they will usually excrete through their penis after copulation with a female, to plug their vagina and prevent any other male that may encounter her from being successfull as well. This is mother nature's way to assure preservation of one genes. Non releasable males sometimes get these glands obstructed, infected or just plain full of this serum, and they will need to excrete the waxy substance through urination.

It is not unlikely to see sometimes a dried up pool of a male's urine someplace in your grounds where you will observe a crystalization or what I call "candle wick" dripping on the center of the dried urine. This candle wick is the dried up wax we are talking about. Whenever these glands get overfull, they seem to bother them and their dragging could also be one of the reasons why they are attempting at obtaining some relief.

I can also attest to the dried up poop as well, especially after a bout with loose stool. They do not like the fur-tugging that the dried up feces do and dragging is the only way to clen themselves.

Regards,

Trooper's dad