1.5 year old Eastern grey male - constant urine wetness on belly

[muggsy'sgm]

Hello, y'all! Muggsy will be 2 in June. He is doing well. He eats 2 HHB each day + sugar snap peas, kale, arugula, occasional English peas (frozen), chia seed oil, CBD flour, avocado, and a small piece of fruit and nut daily (blue berry, apple, coconut, pear, hazelnut, pecan, almond). He gets different veggies, depending on what's readily available: chayote, spring greens, cranberries, butter lettuce, etc...

For the last week, he is constantly wet on his underside. His penis is more "prominent" than usual. No redness. He does seem to like to lie flat on my arm or hand (for warmth?). I have cleaned him up with a fragrance/dye -free baby wipe a couple of times. He doesn't seem to mind my rubbing it with the damp cloth or the dry hanky.

He doesn't act like he feels bad. He is eating and drinking fine. Active, loving.

Thoughts? The pee is in a quarter size circumference all over his belly. Like a circle around his penis. He was a self sucker...but it looked crazy red when he did that (and he was just a couple of weeks old).

If it's urinary tract related, what antibiotic would be decent to give him? I have augmentin, amoxicillin, penicillin, baytril. Can get a weight on the bugger later.

Thanks for any ideas, y'all!

[stepnstone]

Hello, y'all! Muggsy will be 2 in June. He is doing well. He eats 2 HHB each day + sugar snap peas, kale, arugula, occasional English peas (frozen), chia seed oil, CBD flour, avocado, and a small piece of fruit and nut daily (blue berry, apple, coconut, pear, hazelnut, pecan, almond). He gets different veggies, depending on what's readily available: chayote, spring greens, cranberries, butter lettuce, etc...

For the last week, he is constantly wet on his underside. His penis is more "prominent" than usual. No redness. He does seem to like to lie flat on my arm or hand (for warmth?). I have cleaned him up with a fragrance/dye -free baby wipe a couple of times. He doesn't seem to mind my rubbing it with the damp cloth or the dry hanky.

He doesn't act like he feels bad. He is eating and drinking fine. Active, loving.

Thoughts? The pee is in a quarter size circumference all over his belly. Like a circle around his penis. He was a self sucker...but it looked crazy red when he did that (and he was just a couple of weeks old).

If it's urinary tract related, what antibiotic would be decent to give him? I have augmentin, amoxicillin, penicillin, baytril. Can get a weight on the bugger later.

Thanks for any ideas, y'all!

It's mating season out there, hormones are popping, are you sure he's not "self servicing?"
I've had a few males like that myself that sounds just like what your seeing.
If it is a uti, you have the meds to treat but I'd wait a bit and observe before going that route.

[muggsy'sgm]

Please don't tell me the reason he likes to "pancake" against the warmth of my forearm...is...

[Diggie's Friend]

http://ratguide.com/health/urinary_renal/urinary_tract_infections_lower.php

If his testies are enlarge that would be likely from being in the rut,

yet with not feeling well and the other symptoms listed below there may be more to this. .
]An inflammation of the bladder (cystitis), or urethra (urethritis).

The lower urinary tract consists of the urethra and the bladder.
Possible sign of a lower urinary tract infection.

Porphyrin stains the fur around the perineum, not feeling well.


Clinical Signs

May observe any of the following:

•Unusual frequency in urination

•Dampness of fur from urine around perineum

•A firm and/or distended bladder

•Blood or porphyrin in the urine

[Diggie's Friend]

Cancel the "not feeling well", this still has the appearance of a urinary tract issue.

Add couple drops of an organic cranberry concentrate; it contains less sugar which is better choice

than the whole juice that has more sugar and isn't concentrated.
.
This isn't going to hurt him even if it is not a lower UTI.

Lakewood carries this. https://www.lakewoodorganic.com/products/organic/organic-cranberry-concentrate/

Also check his urine pH, taking 3 readings the first day and one the next morning before meals.

Add up the reading values then divide by 4 to get the mean urine pH value.

If high from mid 7 to 8 then either his diet is too alkaline, or he an infection or both.

.

[stepnstone]

Please don't tell me the reason he likes to "pancake" against the warmth of my forearm...is...

http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/laughing/rolling-on-the-floor-laughing-smiley-emoticon.gif

It's been a week since the first... has his other testicle dropped? http://www.sherv.net/cm/emo/laughing/giggle.gif

[TK-SQRL]

I have a similar issue with a 1yo male fox squirrel. He has had this problem since his group went to the big outdoor enclosure, always wetness around the area, but never inflamed or anything.

However, a few months ago he came in for a back injury (he fell backward onto a pointy broken branch) and while recovering this issue has gotten worse. He'd been on baytril for the injury for a while and it didn't clear up, so we aren't thinking infection. He also plays and seems to behave normally, until two days ago when he alternated "normal play" with lying flat on something as if to cool it off.

But in the past week it has inflamed, and is sticking out like a pink blueberry. He seems to urinate normally (meaning, he can do it and doesn't appear to be in pain, not that I'm sure I'd know what the pain looks like). We have tried topical tea tree oil, t-relief/arnica, and oral arnica, as well as meloxicam. (When I had babies with inflamed penises, t-relief was helpful.)

Anyway, hoping we don't need to take him to the vet again so any thoughts would be helplful. :D

308021

[HRT4SQRLS]

A paste of sugar will decrease the swelling.

Also, don’t use tea tree oil on a squirrel. There is a case on this board that had a near tragic outcome from tea tree oil. The squirrel started seizing and to this day has to be treated for seizures caused by tea tree oil toxicity.

[TK-SQRL]

>> don’t use tea tree oil on a squirrel

Oh crap thanks for that. I don't like the smell so it's super minimum.

[muggsy'sgm]

A paste of sugar will decrease the swelling.


What kind of sugar? Mixed with a bit of water? Won't he lick it off?

I'm getting Muggsy's weight tomorrow. I just don't like the looks of this. It smells like urine. Not bad...just squirrelly...but unusual for being on him.

I've also ordered the cranberry concentrate (thanks, DF!).

I'll post Muggsy's weight tomorrow, too...along with the info about the ABs.

Thanks, everyone. I'm really hoping he's just feeling frisky. And yes...both of his testicles are looking mighty "prominent" and shiny. Like, there may as well be a spotlight on them when he is running around.

[HRT4SQRLS]

A paste of table sugar. They use a belly band. It’s mostly used for babies. If you think this is a seasonally, hormonal issue I wouldn’t use the sugar as that would just draw more attention to it. It is springtime and the boys have been busy in the trees. Our inside friends do react to outside influences.

[TK-SQRL]

I spoke with a vet tech at our vet who also rehabs squirrels and she said the sugar helps absorb the moisture from the swelling, kind of like putting your wet phone in rice. It needs to be held in place for a bit so if you can't hold him a belly band may do the trick, but I wouldn't leave it for long because if he pees in it he will then be rubbing against the salty urine and irritating it.

Ours chills out a lot so I put a cotton compress soaked in 1:4 sugar:water on him and he mostly just lay on it. However if the concentration should be different please let me know.

[Diggie's Friend]

Good info HRT4SQRLS, simple and effective.

I was reading a number of studies the other day on how vitamin B12 has been found to counter various causes of toxicity that were studied. There was also one where it prevented damage to the brain from seizures, while reducing their incidence. The amount that was effective was noted to be 5 mg., that was injected under the skin if I recall right. With B12 oral giving this dose, then high with an injection is not so high via oral route as vitamins are diluted when you give them with whole foods.

Another study in rats with vitamin B12 found that it reduced pain. B12 may be something to consider with squirrels that have seizures from being exposed to toxic substances they come into contact with externally, and internally, and for pain also.

[TK-SQRL]

Wow, in less than 48 hours, two applications of sugar water did the trick.

THANKS, EVERYONE!

[HRT4SQRLS]

Wow, in less than 48 hours, two applications of sugar water did the trick.

THANKS, EVERYONE!

Perfect! :thumbsup

[RockyPops]

Good info here,

Rocky is staying wet around his penis area. Sometimes it smells like urine (it gets on my hand) and sometimes it has no smell. I have witness him licking himself. Been going on for the past week to 10 days.

He acts fine, no swelling or redness.

Only change I've noticed, I hardly ever find puddles of pee anymore. I used to have to cleanup behind him two or three times a day.

Just wondering if he's marking his territory or if there is a uti or similar going on.

Any advice appreciated.:klunk

[Diggie's Friend]

Muggsy'sgm, add (1/64 Tsp.) measure of this concentrate into a wet food like organic plain yogurt or baked squash daily.

You may want to consider getting Frozen Coastal Huckleberries from Oregon Mushroom (In the colder months they can do two day shipping.)

This berry is far higher in anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant compounds than most other berries are.

As an acidic berry they help to balance the mean urine pH of the diet.

More on this berry's health properties: https://www.oregonmushrooms.com/p-176-frozen-huckleberries.aspx

With these frozen berries there will be some juice that is fine include in the measure daily.

Recommend (1 Tbsp.) daily, splitting it into three feedings of (1 Tsp.) each.

If you order do so by phone so you can specify if you want or need 2 day shipping.

Also to specify that you want the Coastal Oregon Huckleberries that are a bit less tart than cranberries are.