Juvenile squirrel with newly developed diarrhea

[horseluvr0210]

I have 2 squirrels that were rescued when my landlord cut down a tree in the yard. They had their eyes open but weren't moving around much. My landlord had them for 2 weeks before she gave them to me. I have now had them for about a month. I believe they are around 10-12 weeks now from the research I have done. My landlord is a vet tech and she was feeding goats milk mixed with multigrain baby cereal. I continued to feed that and the little guys have been doing fine. One is bigger and more assertive, and the other is smaller and more docile. They have been eating a mix of solids and formula. I have been giving them kaytee healthy support diet- mouse, rat and hamster, as well as alfalfa pellets (from my horse) to make sure they are getting enough calcium, and they have been getting occasional nuts, grapes, and pieces of strawberry. I have cut down formula feedings to morning and evening. About 4-5 days ago, the smaller squirrel developed slightly softer stool. Still formed, just softer. Stool was normal dark and formed up until this point. I cut out the grapes and strawberries and reduced nuts to one a day as a treat. Now for the last 2 days he has been having very light colored stool on and off. It is very wet- about the consistency of baby food or applesauce. He is still acting normal- not lethargic, and no boating. Still running around and playing with his brother. My friend is supposed to bring me a scale later so I can weigh him to make sure he is not overeating. I don't think that is the problem since it is always his brother that gets super enthusiastic about the formula, not him. He eats less than his brother and decides when he is done, whereas I have to cut the other one off.

Any suggestions?

thanks!
-stefanie

[Spanky]

I'd stop giving the alfalfa. Have you reviewed the healthy squirrel diet? If not here is the link:

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

[horseluvr0210]

The wild squirrels here are always getting into the alfalfa pellets, and they are high in calcium. I will try cutting them out though to see if it helps. Everything else on the list I have pretty much been doing. Are the Kaytee blocks ok?

[stepnstone]

I have 2 squirrels that were rescued when my landlord cut down a tree in the yard. They had their eyes open but weren't moving around much. My landlord had them for 2 weeks before she gave them to me. I have now had them for about a month. I believe they are around 10-12 weeks now from the research I have done. My landlord is a vet tech and she was feeding goats milk mixed with multigrain baby cereal. I continued to feed that and the little guys have been doing fine. One is bigger and more assertive, and the other is smaller and more docile. They have been eating a mix of solids and formula. I have been giving them kaytee healthy support diet- mouse, rat and hamster, as well as alfalfa pellets (from my horse) to make sure they are getting enough calcium, and they have been getting occasional nuts, grapes, and pieces of strawberry. I have cut down formula feedings to morning and evening. About 4-5 days ago, the smaller squirrel developed slightly softer stool. Still formed, just softer. Stool was normal dark and formed up until this point. I cut out the grapes and strawberries and reduced nuts to one a day as a treat. Now for the last 2 days he has been having very light colored stool on and off. It is very wet- about the consistency of baby food or applesauce. He is still acting normal- not lethargic, and no boating. Still running around and playing with his brother. My friend is supposed to bring me a scale later so I can weigh him to make sure he is not overeating. I don't think that is the problem since it is always his brother that gets super enthusiastic about the formula, not him. He eats less than his brother and decides when he is done, whereas I have to cut the other one off.
Any suggestions?
thanks!
-stefanie
The diet they have been on is very questionable as to meeting the daily nutritional requirements a squirrel needs. They eat what we feed them and the results of what they have been eating will generally expose itself as they age if those requirements have not been met.
A wild squirrel in the wild knows how to eat and what to eat to balance their nutritional needs, they eat a large variety of different things to accomplish that. Dirt, roots, bark, insects and assorted greens is just the tip of the iceberg of the variety that is eaten in the wild. In captivity we have to balance that nutritional requirement and we do this through continued research and experience.
These babies should have been weighed regularly to have been fed within the 5-7% of their body weight to maintain their daily requirements each feeding. A good quality rodent block should have been their first solid food they were introduced to, eating it and eating it well before other solids were introduced. A quality formula that meets their nutritional requirements and a good quality rodent block is essential to the health and survival of these babies and one's best assurance against Metabolic bone disease. Giving captive squirrels nuts as part of their diet is counter productive as nuts can deplete the body of needed calcium. Squirrels require a balanced nutrition and have a high level of calcium requirement.
I'm attaching a link below of the pyramid for the healthy diet, also the partial Brat diet that may help to firm his bowels back up.
And also a link to Henry's healthy block that was designed and developed for squirrels and their daily nutritional requirements.
I would suggest you tweak their diet to get them on the nutritional balance they need.

Healthy diet: -https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels
Brat diet:- 3 tablespoons (already) mixed formula 2-1
1/2 tsp baby rice powered cereal
1/2 tsp banana baby food.
Henry's Healthy Blocks: -http://www.henryspets.com/squirrel-diet/