6-7 week old male with swollen penis

[KAT8994]

Hello! We saved three baby squirrels, all males after they were abandoned by their mother. They were all together except the runt of the litter kept suckling his brothers. They both ended up red with scabs but the scabs were soaked off and they seemed to heal fine except one of the two gets a very swollen penis and urine is collecting in the tip. He can dribble out urine but doesn't seem to get a stream. I can manually release his bladder by massaging the tip and then pushing urine out and it sprays out then. It takes about five minutes of doing this until all the urine is drained. Any ideas what's causing this? Could it just be inflammation and being too swollen causes him to have issues releasing his bladder fully?

[Spanky]

Hello! We saved three baby squirrels, all males after they were abandoned by their mother. They were all together except the runt of the litter kept suckling his brothers. They both ended up red with scabs but the scabs were soaked off and they seemed to heal fine except one of the two gets a very swollen penis and urine is collecting in the tip. He can dribble out urine but doesn't seem to get a stream. I can manually release his bladder by massaging the tip and then pushing urine out and it sprays out then. It takes about five minutes of doing this until all the urine is drained. Any ideas what's causing this? Could it just be inflammation and being too swollen causes him to have issues releasing his bladder fully?

This is a dangerous and potentially life threatening situation. I would separate the babies to allow the wounds to heal. Then, since they are suckling one another then adjust the feeding schedule... feed formula a little more frequently. Not allowing them to get over hungry can go a long ways.

Also, at 6 - 7 weeks they should be getting a high quality rodent block and after they are eating that well you can introduce healthy veggies (the amounts vary depending on the rodent block you choose to feed (supplement block like Henry's versus a staple block like Mazuri). A water bottle should be introduced if they do not have one yet. At this age, having solids foods in their cage will provide other options to suckling when they begin to get hungry

[Mel1959]

Yes and yes. Continue soaking and apply some coconut oil to his penis massaging it into the tip well.

[Mel1959]

I forgot to add, continue to help him urinate by gently squeezing his penis to release the urine. I had the same thing happen with one of my rehabs many years ago. Over time it did get better and he was able to urinate freely. Many times suckling is due to them being underfed. They should be fed a minimum of 5-7% of their weight at each feeding.

[KAT8994]

Thank you all! Ordered the rodent block! I've been continuing to massage and help him release his bladder. Thankfully he doesn't suckle himself but he's been separated from the culprit brother haha. The swelling is starting to go down and he's starting to urinate on his own. Any idea on how to get this to go down further? He is wet after cleaning him up after releasing his bladder! He's acting fine too. I'm starting to wonder if maybe he has a UTI as he has been separated for over a week now so he hasn't had his brother suckle him in quite some time. Anything that can be done for a UTI? He is acting totally fine minus the swelling. He does "drip" urine just doesn't seem to flow fast enough to fully empty him.

[Mel1959]

I don’t think the penis ever goes back to its original size once it’s been suckled so severely. I don’t think it did with the boy I had. Continue with the coconut oil and watch to be sure a scab doesn’t form again. And to make sure it doesn’t blow up like a balloon as he’s trying to go.

[KAT8994]

It was ballooning up when he would go but we catch it fast and help it release. It's not scabbing up anymore just swells and gets little droplets vs a stream

[Mel1959]

You’ll need to continue to express his penis until it gets better and he’s able to go on his own.

[Diggie's Friend]

Along with expelling the urine; coating the effected area with plain sugar and a bit of water to help it to stick has been used by vets in the field to reduce the swelling of tissues and organs that have been pushed out of their normal placement as this penis has.

normally reside within the body. Of course it would need to be repeated as needed to reduce the swelling.

Wrapping him up burrito style in a fleece throw and cradling him so he doesn't lick it off is needful. Hope you have a back up to help with that part.

[KAT8994]

Thank you guys for the continued help! So we tried a toddler sock and he just escaped. It was looking so much better this afternoon and then this evening somehow within two hours he had gotten to himself this time. Urine started to smell more tonight too and the fact he was "digging" at it I think this may be partly from a UTI. How would I go about treating that? He's not been one to suckle himself and the culprit doing that was removed. Blocks will arrive tomorrow as well as water bottles so thank you for that suggestion too!

[CritterMom]

Thank you guys for the continued help! So we tried a toddler sock and he just escaped. It was looking so much better this afternoon and then this evening somehow within two hours he had gotten to himself this time. Urine started to smell more tonight too and the fact he was "digging" at it I think this may be partly from a UTI. How would I go about treating that? He's not been one to suckle himself and the culprit doing that was removed. Blocks will arrive tomorrow as well as water bottles so thank you for that suggestion too!

I literally just posted this to another thread for another person:

If this IS a UTI, you need antibiotics. Check your medicine cabinet, call friends and family and see if anyone has any leftover meds from illnesses in the family. These do not have to be vet meds - we can help you properly dilute and dose them. Get a list with the drug name and the size of the pill in milligrams and come back here with them. Excellent choices would be Cipro, Amoxicillin Clavulanate (brand name is Augmentin), SMZ-TMP, but other things may work as well.

You will need a 1ml syringe without a needle but with clear markings on it (they rub off the barrel of the syringe with repeated use). We will also need his weight.

[KAT8994]

I literally just posted this to another thread for another person:

If this IS a UTI, you need antibiotics. Check your medicine cabinet, call friends and family and see if anyone has any leftover meds from illnesses in the family. These do not have to be vet meds - we can help you properly dilute and dose them. Get a list with the drug name and the size of the pill in milligrams and come back here with them. Excellent choices would be Cipro, Amoxicillin Clavulanate (brand name is Augmentin), SMZ-TMP, but other things may work as well.

You will need a 1ml syringe without a needle but with clear markings on it (they rub off the barrel of the syringe with repeated use). We will also need his weight.




So what would be the exact signs of a UTI? He's got smelly urine. The redness is gone but he keeps struggling to go but once I break the little "seal" that keeps forming at the tip he goes A LOT, he's scratching at it and doesn't want to play like his brothers. When he's out to eat and all he acts fine. We have left over amoxicillin I know that.

[KAT8994]

I've also noticed the runt will not stop sucking on himself. He's eating just as much as his brothers. He has rodent blocks and water now. He's doing it right after he eats even. Is there a way to stop this?

[Spanky]

I've also noticed the runt will not stop sucking on himself. He's eating just as much as his brothers. He has rodent blocks and water now. He's doing it right after he eats even. Is there a way to stop this?

General answer I would feed him more and more frequently.

For more specific suggestion... how old is he, how much does he weigh, how much does he take per feeding and how frequently is he being fed?

[KAT8994]

General answer I would feed him more and more frequently.

For more specific suggestion... how old is he, how much does he weigh, how much does he take per feeding and how frequently is he being fed?

Hes 7.5ish weeks maybe 8 now. He takes 16ml per 8 hours. He weighs 106 grams. Sometimes he eats smaller portions which is 10ml every 4-6. He fluctuates what he wants to eat and when haha


The one who runt was sucking on weighs 120 grams. I think he does have a UTI. As I was looking at him closer it looks like he only has a tiny pin hole size opening on his penis which is causing the urine to back up

[Spanky]

Hes 7.5ish weeks maybe 8 now. He takes 16ml per 8 hours. He weighs 106 grams. Sometimes he eats smaller portions which is 10ml every 4-6. He fluctuates what he wants to eat and when haha


The one who runt was sucking on weighs 120 grams.

I may be a bit confused... the runt is 106grams and before he was suckling himself, he was suckling a litter-mate that is 120grams.. do I have that correct?

Have you introduced rodent block to these babies? If they are eating rodent block well (they should be by now) are they also getting veggies?

Stinky urine... what type of formula are you feeding them?

Left-over Amoxicillin... is this liquid? If yes, when was it reconstituted... it is only good for about 14 days if stored in the fridge after the water has been added. Amoxicillin is not the best for an UTI.. do you have anything else?

[KAT8994]

I may be a bit confused... the runt is 106grams and before he was suckling himself, he was suckling a litter-mate that is 120grams.. do I have that correct?

Have you introduced rodent block to these babies? If they are eating rodent block well (they should be by now) are they also getting veggies?

Stinky urine... what type of formula are you feeding them?

Left-over Amoxicillin... is this liquid? If yes, when was it reconstituted... it is only good for about 14 days if stored in the fridge after the water has been added. Amoxicillin is not the best for an UTI.. do you have anything else?



Yes you are correct. There's three squirrels total. Runt suckled the other two and himself. Removed them all to separate areas. The first brother healed fine! Second brother that I think has a UTI it looks like may scar tissue built up over the tip reducing the size of the hole for urine to come out. The runt won't stop suckling himself though regardless of just eating. Per this page I did get rodent blocks and water bottles for them. The runt doesn't seem super interested. They've been on those about 4 days now.


I do have liquid but it's a month old. The rest is capsules. We don't have anything else but I can see what someone else might have

[Spanky]

I do have liquid but it's a month old. The rest is capsules. We don't have anything else but I can see what someone else might have

I'd toss the liquid Amoxicillin, it is not good any longer.

Capsules can work, we will provide instructions on suspending and administering if needed. What medication and strengths are the capsules you have?


Stinky urine... what type of formula are you feeding them?

The formula could be the causing stinky pee... which formula are they receiving?

[KAT8994]

Well the good news is I was able to remove the scar tissue on the one who had the swollen penis and he's as golden now. Swelling went down its almost back to normal size. Stinky pee is going away too!


My issue now is still the runt. He has no interest in the rodent blocks like his brothers. He won't take more than 10ml at a feeding. He's still trying to suckle himself. Any way to keep him off himself?! I appreciate everyone's feedback. You all have been so helpful!

[KAT8994]

We FINALLY caught him suckling himself. Right after a feed while trying to go to sleep. He's sucking like it's a pacifier! It's the oddest thing. How can we overcome that?

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

We FINALLY caught him suckling himself. Right after a feed while trying to go to sleep. He's sucking like it's a pacifier! It's the oddest thing. How can we overcome that?

Hi KAT8994:
Sorry I couldn't get back with you sooner! I assume "Runty" (does he have a real name?) is still getting formula on a regular basis as this is the staple of nutritional support at this age although as Spanky mentioned, it is essential that you introduce all of the babies to a quality block such as Envigo 2018 (Harlan/Teklad) or Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet. These blocks can be free-fed (the Squirrels can eat as much as they want). Henry's Healthy Blocks are another option but while they constitute a full and complete diet, they are highly concentrated and must NOT be free-fed. The limit for an adult Squirrel is 2-3 (at the most) blocks per day. For your babies, you can cut a Henry's block in half or thirds and let the Little Ones eat those divided portions and this will help prevent waste of what are relatively expensive blocks! I can think of two very likely causes for the self-suckling (and the sucking of his litter-mates) that you have observed; hunger and comfort! If "Runty" was only self-suckling, I would recommend returning him to his litter-mates but that may not be good in light of him suckling them as well as himself.

When "Runty" is busy eating, he will not be self-suckling! I have a suggestion although I have never needed to consider this in the past for any Squirrels in my care but other may have tried this and have some reservations or possibly some suggestions to make this more likely to be successful. It may be worth trying using one of your nipples as a pacifier and having it positioned so that it is available at all times, close by, and positioned to easily allow "Runty" to suckle that. You could initially put a small thin "splat" of honey on the tip portion of the nipple to entice him to use it. If it appears that "Runty" is chewing up the pacifyer rather than "suckling" it; further use should be discontinued. We do not want to have any change that a piece of the nipple would lodge in the throat or be aspirated into the breathing tubes which could block or decrease breathing and must be strictly avoided! Please keep us updated how the three of your little Squirrels are doing and especially what your are doing about "Runty"! Again, I apologize for not being able to respond to your most recent post! I feel that this self-suckling can be effectively dealt with but it will probably require more direct involvement with him that the other babies who are not indulging in this behavior. It is definitely not unusual however!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel