Unusual hair loss and low weight

[SammysMom]

This is my sweet Bruiser who came in to me as a pinkie on August 14th 2016. He was perfect and just took forever to gro fur and to grow larger. Now, here he is and his fur is patchy again and he is a wreck about being out in the rehab building. He and Noel have been in side by side cages on the buffet in the dining room for the winter, but it was time. I put them together into a CN that has the divider, but with the opening open. He has been hiding in his nest box for 5 days. I brought him into the house in a carrier today just to see if he was actually doing alright and he seemed to be worried, but otherwise okay. I did bring him back out to the rehab and I hope he does okay tonight. Has anyone had this experience? Is the hair loss a part of the stress?

[Nancy in New York]

Oh poor little stinker.
Did this hair loss occur AFTER you put him in the rehab building?
It's sad to see him so stressed. He was a happy go lucky squirrel inside, correct?
I know we just spoke today about him, but I swear I forget how he was inside! :shakehead
These pictures are sad. :Cry
Come on little Bruiser, you can do this! :hug:Love_Icon

[California Squirrel Lover]

Oh this instantly made me sad, poor love :(
I hope he's ok. I've got a hug and moral support, wish I had more :grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

Wait, I need to go read it again. Was he ok and happy when he was in the house? You think he wants to stay inside with you permanently? :dono

[island rehabber]

He looks SO stressed, poor kid! I wonder if He's going through a moult, getting in his spring coat, and that's all it is. Julio's tail went from five inches wide to about two inches wide seemingly overnight....definitely seasonal. Not sure why being out in the rehab building stressed him so much....is Twitch out there still terrorizing everyone? :grin2

[SammysMom]

Thanks guys! Twitch is still there, but I am afraid Bruiser has not even been out long enough to see her! His hair issues have been all along. They started long before he was out in the building. He really can't be a permanent resident here. I am past capacity at NR squirrels and he was constantly back flipping in here which is how he went out to the building...:dono
I guess we will keep at it and see how it goes...He is getting a bit of coconut oil on his blocks also.

[SammysMom]

Well, it took Bruiser a few weeks to come out of his nestbox, but he is finally out and being his old knucklehead self. He and Noel are in a CN together and they seem to be maintaining their upstairs/downstairs boxes, but all in all they are doing well. Noel has some issues when there are salads with avocado in them around, but once she has eaten ALL of the avocado, things seem to smooth out.
Bruiser seems to be going with a racing stripe look which suits him perfectly.

[island rehabber]

Glad things are slightly less loony in Bruiserland :serene

[Nancy in New York]

There's that little mystery man.
So glad that he's doing better and that he's out and about.
The stripes suit him well! :Love_Icon

[California Squirrel Lover]

I'm so glad he's doing better, I was worried when I last saw him. :thumbsup :grouphug :grouphug :Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[Mel1959]

Gayle, It sounds like you are already giving the obvious additions to his diet (avocado and coconut). I just wanted to add that in researching hair loss in people, an insufficient amount of protein causes the hair follicles to shed an over abundance of hair which can make hair thin or break off. I KNOW these guys don't typically eat protein, but have been known to ransack a bird nest and consume the eggs, if given the opportunity. My dwarf, Joey lost almost all the hair on his stomach. About 6 months ago I started adding chicken or turkey babyfood to his vegetable babyfood. He now has hair that has grown in on his chest and on his lower belly. I don't know if there is a correlation or not, but Dr. E told me to offer him chicken about a year ago, so I did. The addition of the meat babyfood was just in the last 6 months. He's still super picky but he eats little pieces of chicken and sugar snap peas on his own. I just wanted to share what I've observed in my situation.

I also do believe stress factors in to hair loss, much the same way cats and dogs shed a ton of hair when you take them to the vet. :grin2

[SammysMom]

Thank-you, Mel! I will try to get the little dickens to eat some protein!
Gayle, It sounds like you are already giving the obvious additions to his diet (avocado and coconut). I just wanted to add that in researching hair loss in people, an insufficient amount of protein causes the hair follicles to shed an over abundance of hair which can make hair thin or break off. I KNOW these guys don't typically eat protein, but have been known to ransack a bird nest and consume the eggs, if given the opportunity. My dwarf, Joey lost almost all the hair on his stomach. About 6 months ago I started adding chicken or turkey babyfood to his vegetable babyfood. He now has hair that has grown in on his chest and on his lower belly. I don't know if there is a correlation or not, but Dr. E told me to offer him chicken about a year ago, so I did. The addition of the meat babyfood was just in the last 6 months. He's still super picky but he eats little pieces of chicken and sugar snap peas on his own. I just wanted to share what I've observed in my situation.

I also do believe stress factors in to hair loss, much the same way cats and dogs shed a ton of hair when you take them to the vet. :grin2

[SammysMom]

Bruiser and Noel have been living together for a while now. They seem to do okay, but don't share a box or anything...lol All winter, Nooel had a "rat tail", but look at this girl now! Added coconut oil to their diet and both of them have grown in their missing fur. They are almost ready for the big event of release!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ql9f0RFtONw

[Nancy in New York]

Beautiful.
WOW the BIG event is right around the corner.
Who even knew if Bruiser would ever see the trees?
Great job on BOTH these babies! :w00t:Love_Icon:Love_Icon