Chronic diarrhea

[Lisasquirrel]

Hello, I am a wildlife rehaber. I have 2 eastern grey squirrels. Both were singletons. One female and one male. They are about 6-7weeks. The boy has had chronic diarrhea since I got him. They had given him peanuts before he came to me. He came to me having diarrhea. Also underweight. So I have a diarrhea protocol which is hydration fluids benebac paste then start formula. I then switched him from fox valley to esbilac because he started having more diarrhea. That helped for maybe a day now more diarrhea. I feel horrible. He is very underweight I need him to be eating it’s also time to start adding in new foods but I cannot without making things worse. I checked a fecal sample which was normal. I tried him on metronidazole/ loperamide and kaopectate. I have never had a squirrel I cannot cure with fluids and benebac paste. It’s almost like he is lactose and tolerant. Please any suggestions is greatly appreciated. He is happy but I am not seeing him like this. He is mainly eating rodent block as well. Should I stop fromula at this point with him? I just wanted him on it to gain weight

[JLM27]

Bump

[Javarat]

Too early to stop formula. Maybe try Fox Valley Diastat?

[Nancy in New York]

Hello, I am a wildlife rehaber. I have 2 eastern grey squirrels. Both were singletons. One female and one male. They are about 6-7weeks. The boy has had chronic diarrhea since I got him. They had given him peanuts before he came to me. He came to me having diarrhea. Also underweight. So I have a diarrhea protocol which is hydration fluids benebac paste then start formula. I then switched him from fox valley to esbilac because he started having more diarrhea. That helped for maybe a day now more diarrhea. I feel horrible. He is very underweight I need him to be eating it’s also time to start adding in new foods but I cannot without making things worse. I checked a fecal sample which was normal. I tried him on metronidazole/ loperamide and kaopectate. I have never had a squirrel I cannot cure with fluids and benebac paste. It’s almost like he is lactose and tolerant. Please any suggestions is greatly appreciated. He is happy but I am not seeing him like this. He is mainly eating rodent block as well. Should I stop fromula at this point with him? I just wanted him on it to gain weight

Is the Esbilac the liquid or the puppy powdered like the one pictured below?
The liquid one will cause diarrhea.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-fbcDH6c/0/5fb600fb/S/i-fbcDH6c-S.jpg

OR

You can try the GMF, but remember this is only a temporary formula.


TEMPORARY GOAT'S MILK FORMULA:


3 parts goat’s milk
1 part heavy whipping cream*
1 part vanilla yogurt

Formula will last 48 hours in refrigerator.

Goat’s Milk
This can be purchased at natural food stores such as Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, and at most health food stores that sell groceries. It is a product for humans. Do not substitute commercial formula made for baby goats or other livestock sold at feed stores.

Goat’s milk is available fresh in a carton; evaporated in a can; and as a powdered milk. If you purchase either the evaporated or powdered versions, please blend them with water according to the package directions before using to make the formula.

Heavy Whipping Cream
This is found in small cartons in the grocery store near the coffee creamers and half and half. Regular heavy cream may be substituted if it is unavailable, but the heavy whipping cream has the highest fat content, and is preferred.

Yogurt
Yogurt has beneficial bacteria in it that soothes and settles digestion. Full fat yogurt is best, and a good choice that is very widely available is Stoneyfield Yobaby yogurt. However if it is unavailable, a low fat vanilla yogurt may be substituted. Avoid those that have artificial sweeteners in them. Vanilla and banana are both popular flavors, and the sweet taste of the yogurt helps to convince the baby to accept it.

It has been recently discovered that very small pinky squirrels do better with the ESBILAC PUPPY FORMULA, with probiotics, instead of Fox Valley. If the Goat's Milk formula is used, omit the heavy whipping cream for the first two weeks of life.

[Lisasquirrel]

I use the esbilac formula u have pictured.. And I was using esbilac before but switched to Fox Valley because I felt like they gained weight better for me. Hes 150 Grams. Its just weird for him to have chronic persistent diarrhea even after I have done my tricks. And I thought for sure the metronidazole would work! And like I said it’s horrible to see every time I check in him I am praying its gone but it doesn’t go away. Its like mud. Normally they have light colored stool for me but his stays muddy brown. Also he has gained weight I got him at 100 grams.

[island rehabber]

Are you mixing the FV same as you mixed Esbilac -- one part FV Powder to two parts very warm water? It is possible that he simply is intolerant to the FV for some reason. What else is he eating -- rodent blocks, veggies?

[Lisasquirrel]

Currently he is getting a watered down formula I haven’t been able to get him going on the more full strength. I always mix it 4 hours ahead with warm water so it has time to dissolve. He is on a very dilute formula currently. Plus I am hesitant adding anything new because I feel like it would make his diarrhea worse. He has only had rodent blocks. Today I gave him sweet potato. I am hoping he will do okay with that. He had a formed stool just now I almost died with excitement BUT there was a lot of mucus afterwards which means he has inflammation in his GI tract. Thats why I am hoping the metronidazole will help. I feel like taking him to the vet would be very stressful so I am hoping there are other thoughts. Do you think I should try more solid foods? Also I was feeding him 6mls 4X daily and just cut him back to 3X daily. I was thinking it would help get some calories in him but maybe it was too much? But the girl has muscle poops though and is doing great shes my easy child I say. Thank you all for helping me It sucks when you feel this way.

[Lisasquirrel]

He is better! I believe that he cannot digest Fox Valley formula he is strictly on esbilac now and rodent blocks. I also started him on henrys blocks and sweet potatoes as a start and he hasn’t had diarrhea yet. So I just wanted to say how I treated him. I took him off formula for 1 more day and did hydration fluids and started him on metronidazole because my veterinarian thought he had a bacterial infection because of the chronic never ending diarrhea with mucus. I did metronidazole BID X 3 day and I gave him half a tube of benebac paste SID during the day. He then went back onto diluted formula and now within 2 days hes a new squirrel I cannot get him to stop and rest haha it makes me happy! Anyway his BMs were different than other squirrels I have had with the runs usually mine will improve on benebac paste but in his case we needed medication. Thanks to all!

[Javarat]

Which Fox Valley were you using? The 32/40 or the 20/50?