New to forum need help with my baby! Fluid discharge and it smells really bad!

[Phall1967]

Hello, I am new to this forum, I acquired a baby squirrel about two or three months ago… She fell out of a tree shortly after getting all of her fur, when I found her she was already eating solid food but was extremely small maybe the runt of the litter? Either way I've had her for a couple of months now, I found her around the beginning of January which is odd time of year to find a baby squirrel at least that's what I thought… also I'm ASSUMING it's a girl I watched a few videos that show how to tell gender and from my best guess I think it's a girl, there are no testicles and her "pee bump" is attached to her butt hole... Normally at least from what I have seen, the penis is separated from the butt when it's a boy and is higher up on their belly... Anyways When I found her, her balance was extremely poor and she was unable to run or jump she could only walk fast but she walked like she was drunk, her balance has improved greatly since I have taken her in but she still doesn't seem to have the ability to run around… There are a couple of things I wanted to ask about her that I don't know the answers for. Number one, in the last day or two she has been discharging a weird fluid from the hole she poops out of… It is almost 100% clear but has little chunks of stuff floating inside… I have searched all over and cannot find anything about squirrels doing this… Another thing I've noticed about her is she is very sensitive about her tail, if I touch it she makes grumpy chirps, and she does not seem to use it the way a normal squirrel would… most fox squirrels have their tails pointed up and will twitch them at random and use them for balance and communication but my little girl seems to not use her tail at all… It lays flat and straight behind her all the time and sometimes it's not even bushy, there are times when it is healthy and bushy and normal looking and times where it is very thin and small, I am wondering if there is something wrong with her tail? And why she does not use it? She has feeling in the tail obviously because she does not like it being touched. So my two main questions here or does anybody know what this soup like mostly clear discharge could be? And why doesn't my squirrel use her tail? Thank you

[HRT4SQRLS]

Good morning Phall1967
to TheSquirrelBoard

From your VERY entertaining description of her 'parts' , I think it's safe for you to assume that your baby is indeed a girl.

It sounds like your baby sustained some injuries as a little one. The balance problems, the lack of running and the limp tail all point to a neurological issue from a possible spinal and/or head injury. Baby squirrels start flipping and twitching their tail when nursing at a few weeks old. They will curl that tail over the back at about 6 weeks.

Don't count her out though. I had one that had a spinal injury so bad that her spine on X-ray looked like a boomerang. She couldn't walk at all. I released her this weekend with no signs of disability so they can surprise you with their ability to heal. Of course, your girl might be a non-release. She would need to be near 100% to survive in the trees. Any balance issues wouldn't be compatible with life in the trees.

When you refer to this liquid, I assume it is something other than poop. Are her poops normal? Are they formed? If her poops are normal I would think of this as more like a drainage. Of course, parasites are a possibility and would be easy to treat for. You might want to do that anyway just to rule it out. I worry about the possibility of some sort of drainage/abscess/fistula of some sort from her initial injuries. The tenderness of the tail also is concerning especially with the other issues. Do you think there is a possibility of some sort of abscess in the area of the tail?

I'm just thinking out loud here but other than treating for parasites, treating with antibiotics for a possible draining infection, you might need to seek the help of a vet. I know that's not possible in most states but people do have a lot of connections and often a vet can be found. We might be able to help you find a vet.

Edit... I forgot the most important question. What are you feeding her? That was probably THE most important question.

[stepnstone]

Good morning Phall1967
to TheSquirrelBoard

From your VERY entertaining description of her 'parts' , I think it's safe for you to assume that your baby is indeed a girl.

It sounds like your baby sustained some injuries as a little one. The balance problems, the lack of running and the limp tail all point to a neurological issue from a possible spinal and/or head injury. Baby squirrels start flipping and twitching their tail when nursing at a few weeks old. They will curl that tail over the back at about 6 weeks.

Don't count her out though. I had one that had a spinal injury so bad that her spine on X-ray looked like a boomerang. She couldn't walk at all. I released her this weekend with no signs of disability so they can surprise you with their ability to heal. Of course, your girl might be a non-release. She would need to be near 100% to survive in the trees. Any balance issues wouldn't be compatible with life in the trees.

When you refer to this liquid, I assume it is something other than poop. Are her poops normal? Are they formed? If her poops are normal I would think of this as more like a drainage. Of course, parasites are a possibility and would be easy to treat for. You might want to do that anyway just to rule it out. I worry about the possibility of some sort of drainage/abscess/fistula of some sort from her initial injuries. The tenderness of the tail also is concerning especially with the other issues. Do you think there is a possibility of some sort of abscess in the area of the tail?

I'm just thinking out loud here but other than treating for parasites, treating with antibiotics for a possible draining infection, you might need to seek the help of a vet. I know that's not possible in most states but people do have a lot of connections and often a vet can be found. We might be able to help you find a vet.

Edit... I forgot the most important question. What are you feeding her? That was probably THE most important question.

Yes that and...
If you would post a picture(s), experienced eyes on the subject squee can often be beneficial.