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View Full Version : 4-5 week old not pooping. Please help



Issyb17
08-18-2017, 05:47 PM
Hi, this is my first time posting. I never knew this site exsisted with my first five rehabs. How awesome and helpful!!

I was called three weeks ago today from someone who is a vet asking if I was up for taking a little baby. Of course! A couple had brought her in to be euthanized because she had a 'gash' and was suffering. They said there was no chance of reuniting with mom. That's all the back story she was given. The gash was a scrape. Checked out by the vet and she saw no reason she should be put down. She brought her by later that day, and boy was she little! My scale had been packed away and I hadn't gotten to unpacking it so I didn't get a weight right away. Rehydrated her for 24 hours and then started the correct esbliac powder formula and water ratio. Took a bit to get her peeing and pooping each time but after that, we were golden. I'm the last two weeks, she has been gaining about 5 grams a day and eating and pottying awesome. She was eating 4-5 ccs every 4-5 hours. Three days ago, her eyes started to open. Cue the consitipation. Nothing changed. She is still peeing awesome but no poop. I have done warm soaks, apple juice/water mix, pedialite, sugar water, massage wth coconut oil and finally just put a pinch of miralax in the new batch of formula I mixed. She has only gotten the formula once because I've been more concerned about her staying hydrated and getting poop out. She is taking fluids and peeing. I'm worried she is clogged and is starting to look a little dehydrated. Like I said, she is drinking the fluids great and no problem peeing. I can not get poop. Her bum looks a little swollen but it feels more like it may just be bones under it. But having gone the past 24 hours with only two formula feedings and the rest being water mixes, I don't know that there is anything to come out. She hasn't pooped since yesterday. So it's about 25 hours right now. I think she is about 4.5 weeks old and weighed 125g last night. In the three weeks I have had her, she has gained around 100 grams but now I feel like she is looking extra thin and wrinkly. I'm giving her about 2 cc of a water mixture every 1.5 hours to keep her hydrated and try moving her poops out. I think I'm worrying more than I need to. She definitely isn't lethargic, hence the horrible pics. But how can I get her to poop? I need to get her little body plumped up. Hopefully these pics will load. Her eyes are half closed in some pics, both because I've been waking her so often to drink and also because she won't stop moving for a good pic. It's hard to find a milk line now that her belly is getting fur. I seem to worry myself with each squirrel I rehab but I have never had a problem and they have all been healthy and successful releases. I want to do the same with her.

Issyb17
08-18-2017, 05:53 PM
Sorry the pics are sideways and out of order. I couldn't see them before they posted. You can obviously tell which one is from the day I got her. The others are from just now. Hard to get good pics of an adorable blackie. Her fur looks extra shiny from my using coconut oil to massage her so I didn't rub her raw.

Oh and her stomach isn't hard at all, it hasn't felt hard ever. It just feels fuller than it should. She is still peeing great. But where's the poop, Lola?!? Should I be panicking and keeping her from formula feedings? I did make a new batch of formula with 1-3 rations instead of the full 1-2 I had been doing. I also add 1-4 of heavy whipping cream. She has been doing excellent on it until this pay day or so. Nothing has changed so I'm just stumped. Am I making myself sick with worry for no real reason? I mean, obviously I want her to poop but I feel like it's physically doing more harm than good to be withholding it.

Edit: the pic of her on the red shirt is awful. She isn't that slim and scrawny. I didn't notice until after I posted it.

HRT4SQRLS
08-18-2017, 06:20 PM
Hi Issy
:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

First, let me say that you have a beautiful baby. I have never seen a black squirrel in
person. I've only seen pics of them. I believe this is THE blackest squirrel I have ever seen. :grin2 Gorgeous!! :clap

Are you 100% certain she isn't pooping in her bedding? Her belly doesn't look bloated to me. It looks full of water to me. :tilt If she was bloated her belly would be hard and she would appear to be in pain. From your description, she sounds perfectly normal other than the lack of poop. At this point, she has nothing in her GI tract to pass.

If it was me, with her lack of distress, I would feed her. You could try diluted formula or even try goat milk. Goat milk is very digestible. If anything, that would give her the runs due to the formula switch. That might make you feel better and then you could reel that back in pretty fast.

Maybe others have ideas. I'll be watching your thread to see how she does.

Issyb17
08-18-2017, 06:57 PM
Thank you!! I was so excited to see she was a black squirrel!!! They are so beautiful! I've rehabbed two fox squirrels, two gray squirrels and a red squirrel. I'm definitely getting a mix. Lol.

I did end up feeding her again after I posted. She is so eager to eat but I don't want to cause bloat or other issues. But then she sucks on her hands or shirt to get more formula afterwards. I know I should be happy she doesn't have diarrhea or bloat. I guess since I don't know any back story in her, I'm worried about what may have happened to her. Her head is a little uneven, not too noticeable but I can see it when I look at her. It makes me wonder if she fell onto a hard surface. That makes me more paranoid about her having other issues if I can see her head shape is off a bit. She's such a doll though. I can't stop gushing over her! The pictures I have been able to get even make grown men melt! She will suck her 'thumb', cover her eyes like peek a boo while sleeping and sleep with a death grip on my finger. Oh I love her so!

Do you know when no pooping could be an issue? I've been checking her bedding and haven't seen anything but I have a mix of colors of fleece and shirts in there with her now so maybe there is some hiding. I'm washing the light and white stuff up now. She feels skinnier than I would like so I want to plump her up. But I'm also satisfied that she is consistently gaining almost exactly 5 grams a day. (I have anxiety and it definitely makes me overthink and worry more than I should)

I'll see if I can get a few more pics to load. Doing this from my phone is a pain, lol

HRT4SQRLS
08-18-2017, 07:06 PM
I think it's a great idea to get the light color fleece in the bin.
I bet this little girlie is starving. :grin2

What goes in must come out. :) Just watch her closely for bloat. From your description this doesn't sound like a baby in distress. Get some food in her and I think you'll see poop.

Issyb17
08-18-2017, 07:07 PM
I can't figure out how to post text for each pic or even see which pic is what but the ones I uploaded are:

The first day she was here. I thought she was only about a week old but now I suspect she was closer to two or maybe even three.

Squirrel yoga (she sleeps in such silly positions)

'Rawr!'

'Peek a boo'

And a handful of perfection

HRT4SQRLS
08-18-2017, 07:13 PM
You are killing me with cuteness. :klunk That needs a warning. :grin2 The peek a boo pic is beyond cute!! :clap

To see your post hit the preview button. You should see your pics.

My pics show up as attachments. I click between the attachments... make a space and add text.

Mel1959
08-18-2017, 10:21 PM
She is precious! I would love to raise a black squirrel!

SandyC
08-19-2017, 09:42 AM
Hi, this is my first time posting. I never knew this site exsisted with my first five rehabs. How awesome and helpful!!

I was called three weeks ago today from someone who is a vet asking if I was up for taking a little baby. Of course! A couple had brought her in to be euthanized because she had a 'gash' and was suffering. They said there was no chance of reuniting with mom. That's all the back story she was given. The gash was a scrape. Checked out by the vet and she saw no reason she should be put down. She brought her by later that day, and boy was she little! My scale had been packed away and I hadn't gotten to unpacking it so I didn't get a weight right away. Rehydrated her for 24 hours and then started the correct esbliac powder formula and water ratio. Took a bit to get her peeing and pooping each time but after that, we were golden. I'm the last two weeks, she has been gaining about 5 grams a day and eating and pottying awesome. She was eating 4-5 ccs every 4-5 hours. Three days ago, her eyes started to open. Cue the consitipation. Nothing changed. She is still peeing awesome but no poop. I have done warm soaks, apple juice/water mix, pedialite, sugar water, massage wth coconut oil and finally just put a pinch of miralax in the new batch of formula I mixed. She has only gotten the formula once because I've been more concerned about her staying hydrated and getting poop out. She is taking fluids and peeing. I'm worried she is clogged and is starting to look a little dehydrated. Like I said, she is drinking the fluids great and no problem peeing. I can not get poop. Her bum looks a little swollen but it feels more like it may just be bones under it. But having gone the past 24 hours with only two formula feedings and the rest being water mixes, I don't know that there is anything to come out. She hasn't pooped since yesterday. So it's about 25 hours right now. I think she is about 4.5 weeks old and weighed 125g last night. In the three weeks I have had her, she has gained around 100 grams but now I feel like she is looking extra thin and wrinkly. I'm giving her about 2 cc of a water mixture every 1.5 hours to keep her hydrated and try moving her poops out. I think I'm worrying more than I need to. She definitely isn't lethargic, hence the horrible pics. But how can I get her to poop? I need to get her little body plumped up. Hopefully these pics will load. Her eyes are half closed in some pics, both because I've been waking her so often to drink and also because she won't stop moving for a good pic. It's hard to find a milk line now that her belly is getting fur. I seem to worry myself with each squirrel I rehab but I have never had a problem and they have all been healthy and successful releases. I want to do the same with her.
She is a beauty!! I've never seen a black squirrel before. Have u tried stimulating her to help her go? When my Nyka wasn't going I took a wet cotton ball n rubbed her lil peach n tooshie n wa la she went n didn't haven't any more pottie problems after that. Usually their mama licks that area to help them go so u may havta help her now. Good luck n again she's beautiful