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stosh2010
04-29-2023, 12:13 PM
Hello TSB I need your help again
On Easter Sunday we were gifted with two baby eyes closed Costa Rican tree squirrels
The Golden Boy is called Dulce ..mand the little gray boy is called Buho.
The first two weeks of feeding them, and getting them on Fox Valley formula went fairly well , and their poop and their pee seem to be normal.. although fluctuating. Last Saturday we began slowly introducing Lactol ,which is a puppy milk formula, available in Costa Rica ...to the Fox Valley formula (that we have almost ran out of)... in fact we have only enough Fox Valley for one or two more feedings . The newly ordered bag of F.V. is still in the mail... in transit to Costa Rica. The Lactol was introduced very slowly at 25% , then 30% and now it's up to 50/50. The problem has reached troublesome levels in the last 48 hours.. In the last 48 hours booho the gray boy has only had 13 poops while.... during the same time... DULCE ..The Golden Boy ...has had 72 poops DULCE has large well formed poops. But the little grey boy's poops were very small and hard. Buho has had days where he would only poop once or maybe twice the whole day ...so we have been alternating formula feedings with fresh fruit , not his favorite, but will eat it . Now being that he has refused to poop for 48 hours ..10 feeding sessions ...he's getting apple juice instead of formula in the hopes that will move his bowels. This is a listing of how often he pooped in the last 8 days----- last Friday 36 poops-- last Sunday Saturday 32 poops (quite normal)... last Sunday 5.....last Monday 19 ....and then Tuesday he had 37 poops ...(a great day for him)... then the trouble began.... On Wednesday 7 poops.... so we instituted apple juice .....Thursday only three poops.... he got apple juice again...between formula feedings ..then Friday ...early in the morning we actually got 12 poops at 1:00 in the morning.......... but then for the last 48 hours NOTHING AT ALL.....since Friday he said juice ....he's had a 15 minute soak in a hot tub ....he said two doses of FRESH coconut water ...we're hoping that the juice the coconut water and the fresh fruit would move him ..... but it has been 48 hours and we're very concerned. His belly isn't extended and hard... but I'm sure he's uncomfortable, and we're not sure if we should give him more formula or maintain a juice diet until we get the results.
Also, is soaking multiple times a day beneficial ??? or should we just do it once a day like we have been ??
So many questions... so many worries
...
please help
Any and all advice will be by considered

Thanks soooooo much

stosh2010
04-29-2023, 12:36 PM
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Charley Chuckles
04-29-2023, 01:31 PM
I don't have an answer but they are so amazing and I know they are in great care😘

island rehabber
04-29-2023, 06:33 PM
They are gorgeous, stosh. I would stick with the coconut water as a very good way to move bowels on every living thing. And I would do the warm water soak three times a day -- I know it's a pain but it really works. will they let you massage their lower bellies ?this can also work well -- good luck!

stosh2010
04-29-2023, 08:57 PM
will they let you massage their lower bellies ?this can also work well -- good luck!


Actually of the two brothers... only my little gray friend-- BUJO..-- is having a constipation problem . Just one of the two BOYS.. And yes during the soak I was massaging his belly and his lower abdomen.
I will continue the coconut water and the soaks as you recommended.
These photos are of BUJO.. when he was [getting another serving of Coco water ... That was freshly removed from a local coconut

. 324804324805

stosh2010
04-29-2023, 11:16 PM
GOOD NEWS
The Best NEWS Ever..
_______________________
We Have POOP
Lot's of POOP
28 POOP Pellets...
____________________
Warm Soaks
Coconut water
& Belly massage
___________________
RamaMama: stimulation
Stosh: head rubs & soft talking
______________________
BUJO.... Responded..... & Pooped.
324816

stosh2010
04-29-2023, 11:21 PM
GOOD NEWS
The Best NEWS Ever..
_______________________
We Have POOP
Lot's of POOP
28 POOP Pellets...
____________________
Warm Soaks
Coconut water
& Belly massage
___________________
RamaMama: stimulation
Stosh: head rubs & soft talking
______________________
BUJO.... Responded..... & Pooped.
324816

Charley Chuckles
04-30-2023, 07:49 AM
Yey 💩:poop:poop:poop

island rehabber
04-30-2023, 09:08 AM
Yay for poooop!! :poop:poop:poop:poop:banana

stosh2010
04-30-2023, 05:21 PM
With two young squirrels ...and their need to be fed every 4 hours... I keep pretty strict records. That's 10 individual meals a day . At some feedings they poop --and some they don't. So I just make a log ....and every time I mark down what they drink what they eat and whether they poop and pee so I can look back over the days and figure out if they're doing well or not..
I'm hoping that BUJO has turned the page and that he will be pooping regular. But today ,two meals, no poop.
324818
but I'm not worried...

stosh2010
11-06-2023, 10:01 AM
Sad update.... it's now November 2023. I apologize for not keeping this thread current but these are the facts.
Both brothers BUJO and Dulce were released at the end of July. Less than a month later we found DULCE at the bottom of the tree , injured by some type of animal bite. We brought him in , cleaned the wounds, medicated him , and put him to sleep gently . He never woke up.
Meanwhile his brother BUJO, had been missing for a few days ...at that same time. Weeks became months , and we never saw BUJO again. Some of the natural predators that we have in our area of Costa Rica are feral cats and boa constrictors. I actually had a boa fall out of a tree almost at my feet while coiled around a baby gray wild Squirrel.. not one of my releases. Rosie and I have broken hearts ...knowing that our two beautiful squirrels are now no longer available to see and to feed.
Also ...and another terrible update ...my beautiful squirrel Largo , who I released 2 years ago, who has been a regular visitor almost daily ---has not been here since September the 1st. Three Squirrels in under a month . My heart is devastated.

kathy291
11-06-2023, 11:17 AM
so sad

TubeDriver
11-06-2023, 01:11 PM
I'm sorry Stosh. Maybe, just maybe, Largo is out there somewhere. At the very least, he had 2 years of freedom in the trees. Sometimes caring about squirrels (all animals really) can be heartbreaking.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

stosh2010
11-06-2023, 02:31 PM
I'm sorry Stosh. Maybe, just maybe, Largo is out there somewhere. At the very least, he had 2 years of freedom in the trees. Sometimes caring about squirrels (all animals really) can be heartbreaking.

:grouphug:grouphug:grouphug

T. D. I agree


The old saying " Better a day in the trees than a life in the cage..."
Sounds great ..until it's you who has that loss ....three times over.
I know it's accurate but it doesn't make it any easier

island rehabber
11-06-2023, 02:37 PM
As the one always reminding us of that phrase in my signature, I'm really deeply deeply sorry for your losses, stosh and Rosie. Nature doesn't spare our feelings in any way, does she? But then we are called to be assistants to these beautiful creatures around us and no one ever said the job was going to be fun and games.

Again I'm so sorry. :sad

SamtheSquirrel2018
11-06-2023, 04:06 PM
I'm so sorry Stosh! These Little Ones certainly don't need their claws to get into out hearts! I too understand the "tree thing" but Nature is without a conscience and is no Mother either! I wish I didn't feel this way but most of the time, I feel like nature is an adversary rather than a friend. I used to be ambivalent about releases and felt worried in behalf of the Squirrel but excited and uplifted about their future life in the trees! Now, I mostly worry and I feel like adopting and protecting every Squirrel I care for even see in the wild! I know this is the wrong attitude and I suppose it is probably inconsistent with being a Rehabber, but I do Rehabbing only a small scale so my heart only aches but is not yet broken!

I can only imagine the heartache that you and Rosie are feeling and I fervently hope the Bujo and Largo are only out of sight and still dancing in the trees somewhere! We all know how much you both love your Squirrels!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel