Penis Sucking.

[NicoleF32]

My little Fig is about 9 weeks old and about a week or two ago he started sucking on his penis. As far as i know he is still urinating. I smell it and see it in his cage. I just did a little reading about other similar situations so I sucked his lower half in warm water and made sure i could get is pee hole open. What should I do to keep him from sucking on it? Compared to other photos I have seen on here his penis isn't too bad but I also want to prevent it from getting worse. Please help.
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[UDoWhat]

I would put him back on formula and his nippy. Actually, at 9 weeks he should still be on formula a couple times a day. Also, I would buy a product called yuck. It really is the worst tasting stuff. I would put it around his little wee wee and when he tries to nurse on it he will get a terrible taste.

I had a baby I released that did the same thing. He would sit out by a tree and nurse away. I told him that the other squirrels would think he was strange... he didn't care. Eventually he stopped doing that. :grin3

[NicoleF32]

Is it the same stuff that you spray on stuff to get dogs to stop chewing on things?
He still drinks formula 2-3 times a day.
Thanks so much for the response.

[SammysMom]

Yuck is for thumb sucking and nail biting. Whatever you do, don't put it directly on his penis. It will hurt like heck on that sensitive skin. Put it on the fur around his penis.

[niapet]

Yeah, try to discourage it with Yuck, urinary infections can go south fast in little guys.

[Marzzi]

Hi...where can I get Yuck? Is it like Thum? I got some of the latter & saw it must be removed with nail polish remover which completely deterred me from using it.

Thanks,
Marzzi


I would put him back on formula and his nippy. Actually, at 9 weeks he should still be on formula a couple times a day. Also, I would buy a product called yuck. It really is the worst tasting stuff. I would put it around his little wee wee and when he tries to nurse on it he will get a terrible taste.

I had a baby I released that did the same thing. He would sit out by a tree and nurse away. I told him that the other squirrels would think he was strange... he didn't care. Eventually he stopped doing that. :grin3

[CritterMom]

Guys... Last fall Mister P had a teeny, tiny sore on one of his back ankles but he kept fussing and licking it and I couldn't get him to stop. I bought some Yuk - ordered it online - and while I didn't see any irritation on his skin, it (1) Did not work at all. first he rubbed the area on everything he could find to wipe as much off, and then he just went back at it. (2) It burned ALL of the hair off the area I put it. I threw the stuff away.

[Scooterzmom]

Has he started getting blocks yet? And veggies? Do you provide things for him to chew on also - e.g. tiny apple tree branches. Seems that when they have things to keep their little mouths busy they're not nearly as tempted to do the self-sucking

It could also be an indication that he's looking for more nourishment and in between meals he may feel like his little tummy is empty.

At that age I usually have my little ones started not just on blocks already and green veggies, but I usually add some baby cereal (oatmeal and prune) to their formula - to thicken it up and help make their stomach feel fuller after each feeding. They see to look for something more filling than just thte formule and that seems to work: they all love it and the bonus is also that it makes for nice, plump babies :D

You got yourself a gorgeous little fuzzball there :Love_Icon

[Marzzi]

I have encountered this a lot and am dealing with it right now. What has sometimes worked for me in the past is to place some juicy fruit like melon which they love or strawberry next to them where they sleep. If they have an alternative it sometimes helps to prevent it or at least curb it. It hasn't worked every time but it has worked often enough to recommend it. They suck for comfort it's not something that happens in the nest. Orphaned Raccoons and Opossums are known to do it too, but it's like a mania with some squirrels and if you can't control it results can be horrific. There is a fluffy kind of mat you can usually purchase at pet stores for lining carriers and crates. We cut them into strips and tie knots in them, we put them in the cages with the sucking babies and some will have a tendency to suckle it & snuggle into it instead of themselves or a sibling. You can wash them like anything else and they pill up, makes for great suckling. You can also try small stuffed animals with "fur". Like I said its a comfort thing these little guys are terrified when we get them and then as they get older I guess they become addicted to it because I can think of no other motivation to continue based on the outcome. It has to be incredibly painful for them.

Keep an eye on it because it can get very bad very quickly.