Itching/ thinning of fur

[squiggles123]

Hello! My squirrel has always itched her skin some, however lately, I have noticed that her fur is starting to thin in these places. Picture attached. No scabbing, no redness, no biting, no flaky/dry feeling skin. Just using her hind legs to itch the same place on each side of her tail end. She is strictly indoor so not too concerned about mange and we have checked for fleas, none found. She is around 6 months old or so. Does anyone know what could be causing this and where to go from here? Thanks. She eats HHB 1-2 a day, broccoli,and raw pecans, with the occasional fresh corn shucked off the cob and green grapes. We did bathe her in dawn once just to ensure no fleas.

[Spanky]

Does anyone know what could be causing this and where to go from here? Thanks. She eats HHB 1-2 a day, broccoli,and raw pecans, with the occasional fresh corn shucked off the cob and green grapes.

What is the bulk / majority of her diet... the broccoli?

An adult (and 6 months qualifies for feeding purposes) should get a minimum of 2 HHB's a day (2-3 a day is the recommendation).

I'd suggest her diet is not broad enough and quite possibly includes too much nuts and corn depending on how much she is eating regularly. Nuts should be limited to 1 - 2 a day and that assumes the rest of her diet is balanced.

Here is the healthy food list that may help to broaden her healthy food choices:
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[squiggles123]

Thank you for your recommendation, as well as including the chart! I will increase her HHB’s, as well as include some other fruits and veggies for her. Yes, the bulk of her diet has been the blocks, broccoli, grapes, and raw pecans. I read on another thread that applying coconut oil to the spots, or even including it in her diet, can help with the itchy spots as well. Do you have any success with this method? Or anything else that can give her some relief from these itchy spots.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Awhile back, we were working with a squirrel suffering from a distended anus. The section that was protruding was severely irritated. As we worked over a couple of weeks to get the anus back in place, we used extra virgin olive oil as a lubricant and anti-irritant. It worked well. It is harmless to the squirrel when the inevitable licking occurs. Do you feel up to finding an area to try this on and see what comes of it? We used light wipes with our index fingers of the oil - massaging it in and avoiding the mess of saturation.

Also, can you get a good closeup of the bald area that might allow us to magnify to check skin condition and to see if there is anything else in play here?

Thanks!

Jamie

[CritterMom]

Also, how dry is your home? In the winter, heating sucks every molecule of humidity from the air and even humans end up with dry, itch skin.

[squiggles123]

328921

Tried to get some closer shots of the spots. I will definitely try the olive oil now and see if it gives any relief.

Our heat has been running a lot due to the cold weather where we are located so home is pretty dry right now… I wonder if an oatmeal bath would help if it is just a case of dry skin.328922

[TomahawkFlyers]

Thanks for the closeups. I magnified one of them and see no evidence of infection or parasites. It is looking more like dry skin. Try the olive oil - see how that works out.