our youngest is in danger

[thundersquirrel]

hey everyone

remember the problem squirrel i was talking about? our young female fox squirrel has two places for feces to exit from. it was a while ago that i mentioned this, and i figured i'd update you all. plus, now i have a picture! ;)

things are.....undecided on her. at this point it's likely that she'll need surgery or she'll be euthanized unless by some miracle this fistula (a puncture that connects to a hollow organ, in this case her large intestine) heals on it's own. this is unlikely because it seems to have already healed without closing.

we've been giving her anti-biotics, because there's a lot of swelling around the area, and unfortunately we still aren't sure which opening is her anus and which opening is the fistula.

we took her to the vet, who gave us advice but refused to perform surgery on her. the vet also thought she was a boy, cause the swelling could be testicles (but i think it's a girl for sure, when we first got her there was no doubt in my mind, and i can sex a squirrel SO good, i just know it's a girl, besides the swelling is in the wrong place to be a boy). anyway, we're taking her to a different vet tomorrow morning, hopefully this one will be more knowledgeable.

*sigh* basically, it doesn't look good. we clean the area regularly, and she can still poop, but sometimes she'll have a blockage down there that we have to remove, and even though we use warm water and a gentle touch it's obviously painful to her. she is, in all other aspects, a perfect squirrel. that's why we really want to save her.

right, on to the picture! it's pretty blurry, but hopefully you can make it out. this is her back end; we've got the vagina (i STILL say it's a girl darnit!), behind which is the swelling, if you can tell. then beneath the vagina there's an opening, and then a smaller swell, and beneath the swell (very hard to see ) is yet another opening. the main purpose of showing you all this is to get your opinion on which is the anus and which is the fistula. any other comments are welcome, though. :)
thanks!

[thundersquirrel]

this thread has gotten 20 views but no one has said a thing.

should i just give up?

[muffinsquirrel]

I think everyone is just waiting to see what the second squirrel says. OOPS! Make that the second vet!! I haven't had any experience with a problem like that.I do know that I would try to find a vet that knew more about it. If surgery can be done, then that would be my first choice. Did the first vet say why he wouldn't do surgery? I would want to know what caused it in the first place - injury?, birth defect? If it is an internal problem, what are the chances that it would reoccur after surgery? So many questions, so few answers! I have a soft spot in my heart for foxers - they are such laid-back critters. They just seem willing to go along with the program, no matter what happens. I hope you can save her, but if not, at least you did your very best for her.

Keep us posted.

muffinsquirrel

[MissDolittle]

Yes, it IS a girl! lol

That vet sounds like mine, doesn't know diddlysquat. I hope the second vet
can help you both!

[Secret Squirrel]

Thunder,
Sorry about the babys bum...to me it looks like the second opening is the anus. The first looks like the fistul maybe thats' why there is so much swelling around her vagina?? THIS IS JUST A GUESS from what I can see.!!!!
What I call a guess is the ...50...50...90...rule!
You have a 50 50 chance to get it right, but 90% of the time it's wrong!!:dono
All kidding aside, there are so many questions and I know you will get the right answer soon.
I do hope the next Vet will be a keeper. Also I hope that a rehabber or someone special can keep her and take care of her for the rest of her little life.
You are a wonderful caretaker and will be rewarded for your gifts in heaven.:thankyou

[island rehabber]

"this thread has gotten 20 views but no one has said a thing."

Thunder, in my opinion this is very much a veterinary issue and a veterinary decision -- not within a rehabber's area of expertise. This is why I did not volunteer a comment....I know enough to know that I DON'T KNOW, and that this little baby needs a wildlife veterinarian.

[Squerly]

this thread has gotten 20 views but no one has said a thing.

should i just give up?I'm sorry thundersquirrel, I guess we are all as baffled as you. I know I sure don't have any beneficial input. Sure wish I did....

[thundersquirrel]

the second vet pulled through, she was MUCH nicer than the first one! :)

she agreed to perform surgery on our little lady, and she did a really good job! she says that the opening closer to her tail is the fistula, and so that's the one she closed up, with stitches i believe. also, the swelling was a MAJOR INFECTION, not testicles! as soon as she said that i was like, i KNEW it! it was pretty nasty though, the doc had to open up the swelling and drain it, cause it was full of infected nastiness (i won't describe on here). there's still a bit of a swell, but she left the hole in the swell a tiny bit open so that if any more builds up, it will (hopefully) come out.

we upped her meds by a GREAT deal, and are keeping a close eye on her. we don't want to put her back with the older squirrels just yet, so she's alone in a little aquarium. we're gonna hot pack the area regularly (basically pressing a cloth soaked in hot water on there for a while) and hope that she does well.

so that's that. thank god the veterinarian was so nice, and cared enough to give a real examination rather than a mere guess. ;)

[island rehabber]

Yay! That's the outcome we were hoping for! Good luck with her speedy recovery :)

[BuckeyeSqrl]

That's great news! :crazy

I will keep you both in my thoughts. I've seen squirrels recover from much worse.

[Squirrelly]

:thankyou Great news! Glad you found a nice capable vet too.:crazy

[MissDolittle]

Wonderful!! I hope she heals up fast!! :)

Now I have a question though..my rehabber told me never to put a mammal
in a fishtank because the humidity doesn't agree with them and because mold
builds up too fast.

I read a few times on the board here that squirrels were put into a fishtank.
What's ya'll opinion on that?

[thundersquirrel]

i think it's fine for very young babies, considering that it keeps the warmth in. your rehabber does have a point though...in fact, an hour ago i took the young girl out and put her back with the big guys cause she really wanted to escape, and there was condensation on the walls.

the thing is, if you keep an aquarium clean and dry, i don't think it becomes a problem. it's a hassle for us, though, cause when i say clean i mean you change the rags every time the squirrel pees or poops, which is probably about twenty times a day. :)

and besides, it's kinda cruel to a squirrel that's more than six weeks old. i mean, they love to romp and play and climb; aquariums aren't the best place for that.

[MissDolittle]

Thanks! That's an answer I can do with :). I am often hurting for cages, but
I avoided putting anything into the fishtanks other than reptiles..and I will keep
this way.

What about shavings for bedding? I never used them, but I also read about it
here.

Sorry for highjacking the thread...:peace . If I have more questions I start
another thread :).

[Scott McCargar]

the second vet pulled through, she was MUCH nicer than the first one! :)

she agreed to perform surgery on our little lady, and she did a really good job! ... thank god the veterinarian was so nice, and cared enough to give a real examination rather than a mere guess. ;)

Judging from your earlier posts, I guess you've acquired an valuable resource is this new vet.

As my wife's people like to say, mazel tov.

-- Scott

[Secret Squirrel]

the second vet pulled through, she was MUCH nicer than the first one! :)
;)

Thunder,
That is awesome news!!! :goodpost I am so glad the second vet was able to get it right!! I am sure you will keep on using him or her on your future lil' ones.:bowdown

BTW Scott.....how is J-Lo doing these days....would love to see some more pic's!!

[thundersquirrel]

shavings....i prefer not, just cause mold grows easily in shavings, just like in aquariums. towels and old t-shirts are reusable, too, which is important cause no rehabber has a ton of cash to spend on these little guys. ;)

i do know, also, that some wood scents can be harmful to rodents, as well as the wood dust in shavings which they end up inhaling if they put their noises in it. so it would probably be a paper based shaving that you'd want, but again....who has the time and money to keep changing the bedding? :dono