Back feet problems....

[Preacher]

Wasn't too concerned at first. BH has been losing the fur on her back feet....nowhere else but there. Now they are both down to just pink skin...no pain, tenderness. or slowing down. I thought maybe i wasn't keeping her clean enough but that ain't it. It's just odd. The only changes in her diet was I was givin her some hazel nuts but cut them out. If is was just one foot or not completly bald I would think she was rubbing the fur off. She's in great spirits...in my jacket lining building a nest as I type this!!!! Appitite is normal...could it be too much salt from something...Agee slips her I don't know what sometimes. I've told her better...but she gets the pitiful look & caves in. Thats why i wonder about the salt issue. But JUST her back feet...wierd.

[4skwerlz]

Wasn't too concerned at first. BH has been losing the fur on her back feet....nowhere else but there. Now they are both down to just pink skin...no pain, tenderness. or slowing down. I thought maybe i wasn't keeping her clean enough but that ain't it. It's just odd. The only changes in her diet was I was givin her some hazel nuts but cut them out. If is was just one foot or not completly bald I would think she was rubbing the fur off. She's in great spirits...in my jacket lining building a nest as I type this!!!! Appitite is normal...could it be too much salt from something...Agee slips her I don't know what sometimes. I've told her better...but she gets the pitiful look & caves in. Thats why i wonder about the salt issue. But JUST her back feet...wierd.

Pics please!

[squirrelfriend]

Pics would help a lot. Does she scratch or bite at them? Do they seem to itch her? Is there any crustiness?

Is there any where in the cage that might rub her back feet when she is climbing around? Such as going around a certain corner or such? Watch and study her actions in her cage for a while. See if you can find any activities that she does that might rub on her feet.

I don't think hazel nuts could be a problem. I have given them to my squirrels for ages and never had any problems.

My guesses are either shedding, rubbing or mange.

oh, one more possibility. Has she been stepping into any food that would dry on to her back feet? IF so she might end up pulling the hair out while trying to clean herself. KInd of like how the formula gets stuck on a babys face and when it comes off it take the fur with it.

[Preacher]

Can't rite now....not possible

We posted at the same time SF...No to all of your questions...They don't seem to bother her at all..just no hair.
Shedding...she sheds all the time...but never down to the skin..I'm not overly concerned yet...the fur might start growing back..I hope anyways.
Doesn't look like mange, it does look like rubbing but I know her & her cage like the back of my hand.
Jerry's home again..wonder if it could be stress related?? She don't like him...course she gets that from me...

[squirrelfriend]

Does she act normal other wise? If it is just shedding you should see a 5 o'clock shadow within a week. Hopefully all is well.

[Preacher]

Yeah she's, fine other wise....

[justmare]

Rats sometimes chew fur off of themselves or a cagemate. We call it barbering and it's normally a nervous thing. Do squirrels ever do that?

[Preacher]

I've had her 3 1/2 yrs & she's never done that. She won't groom her back area much..thats why i bathe her.

[squirrelfriend]

Rats sometimes chew fur off of themselves or a cagemate. We call it barbering and it's normally a nervous thing. Do squirrels ever do that?

I have seen a lot of that in mice. I had this one batch that would chew the whiskers off of each other so I had a bunch of mice with bald cheeks. Squirrels are usually not caged together so barbering would most likely not be an issue.

Preacher, you said you were bathing her. what are you bathing her with? Maybe it is something that makes her itch so she chews at it? allergic reaction? If you have to bathe her often perhaps just use water.

[Preacher]

If it's an allergic reaction that too is new..and again why just her feet?? I dunk her up to her neck in warm water with a little Dawn. Never bothered her before..I bathe her bout once a week,,,sometimes every other week...sometimes sooner just depends on the situation.
Thanks for all the ideas tho'...just not sure..

[TexanSquirrel]

Awww Hope she's okay!

[justmare]

I have seen a lot of that in mice. I had this one batch that would chew the whiskers off of each other so I had a bunch of mice with bald cheeks. Squirrels are usually not caged together so barbering would most likely not be an issue.

Preacher, you said you were bathing her. what are you bathing her with? Maybe it is something that makes her itch so she chews at it? allergic reaction? If you have to bathe her often perhaps just use water.

With rats and mice if they're housed alone and are a "barber-er" they will do it to themselves if they don't have a cagemate to barber. A place like the feet/legs would be a common area to do it to since they can easily reach those area. I've seen it a lot with rats (I've never had mice) over the years, which is why I suggested it might be the case with a squirrel.

[4skwerlz]

Could be a fashion statement. :D Hey Preacher, why don't you just ask BH? :dono

[Preacher]

I did....she just stuck'em in my face!!! Course she does that all tha time too!!
Like I said..she is fine otherwise....I just can't figure out what caused this & it's drivin ME CRAZY!!!! Sides..she looks pathetic...worse than me with my bald head.

[4skwerlz]

Sides..she looks pathetic...worse than me with my bald head.

I just figured it out! It's a clear case of need-some-nannerpuddin'itis. :D

[Preacher]

BH saz YEAH>>> dat wurks fer mees!!! I's jus jumps in wid all 4 feets!!!!

Still just pink for now...