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Thread: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

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    Default 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    I have a female grey squirrel about 10 weeks old. We are in the process of weaning her off formula but she refuses to eat the Henry’s blocks or any sort of sold food. We are feeding her a mix of fox valley formula and esbilac. She has extremely bad diarrhea and has lost a ton of energy. She’s been losing weight through the past couple days and I’m getting really worried. I’ve been giving her lots of water between feedings but I’m not sure if I should skip a feeding and give her water instead to try to clean her system and keep her hydrated because she already seems so thin and lethargic. Please help I’ll take any advice.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    I wouldn’t wean her. We let them wean themselves.

    What exactly are you feeding? Specific type of FoxValley and Esbilac?
    How long has the diarrhea been going on? It’s very unusal for one nearing weaning to get diarrhea.
    How long has she been in your care?

    These questions will get us started.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Also.. does the diarrhea have a strong smell, or include what looks like white jelly?
    Grey or green diarrhea with a strong smell could be an intestinal virus or parasite.

    I would also not wean her. Let her have as much formula as she wants (up to 8% body weight) three times per day.
    If all is she is eating is formula, let's at least try to keep her well fed and growing on it.
    She will ultimately start refusing or cut back on her own and move to solids.

    Also give her extra water between feedings. A lot of the weight loss may be losing fluids from the diarrhea. If she loses too much she could start refusing to eat at all.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    With diarrhea she needs electrolytes. I would either buy Pedialyte or I would make homemade hydration fluid. I would not use plain water. The hydration fluid will flush her out if needed but I suspect she needs calories also as well as electrolytes.

    Homemade Rehydration Fluid

    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1 1/2 tablespoons sugar or apple juice
    2 cups warm water
    Store in refrigerator. Discard after 24 hours.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    In addition to the above questions, how have you been storing the powdered formula? Counter, Fridge, Freezer?

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Milo's Mom View Post
    In addition to the above questions, how have you been storing the powdered formula? Counter, Fridge, Freezer?
    I’ve had her since she was 2 weeks old. The diarrhea smells enough to notice but it’s not horribly strong. It does look a bit like jelly. I haven’t been forcing her to eat the block. She initially liked the block and was eating it but started to refuse. I’m feeding her a half and half mix of powdered esbilac goat formula stored in the fridge and the 20/50 fox valley formula. I’ll start giving her esbilac for a bit to get her electrolytes up.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Milo's Mom View Post
    In addition to the above questions, how have you been storing the powdered formula? Counter, Fridge, Freezer?
    It’s also yellow. I haven’t seen any grey or green

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Are you storing the powdered (unmixed) formula in the freezer?
    How long are you keeping the mixed formula?
    I have never used the Esbilac Goat Milk formula so I can’t comment on it. At 10 weeks she is definitely approaching the time when they start weaning themselves BUT they have to be eating solids. Did you introduce other solids in addition to the block? How are you storing the block?

    Didn’t you have other squirrels? Are the others OK?

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Are you storing the powdered (unmixed) formula in the freezer?
    How long are you keeping the mixed formula?
    I have never used the Esbilac Goat Milk formula so I can’t comment on it. At 10 weeks she is definitely approaching the time when they start weaning themselves BUT they have to be eating solids. Did you introduce other solids in addition to the block? How are you storing the block?

    Didn’t you have other squirrels? Are the others OK?
    I have two other and they are both weaning well and are healthy. I am storing the block in the freezer as instructed and I am storing the unmixed formula in the fridge. I have also given them greens such as spinach, arugula, and Romain lettuce. Do you have any suggestions on other solids I could introduce at this point?

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Are you storing the powdered (unmixed) formula in the freezer?
    How long are you keeping the mixed formula?
    I have never used the Esbilac Goat Milk formula so I can’t comment on it. At 10 weeks she is definitely approaching the time when they start weaning themselves BUT they have to be eating solids. Did you introduce other solids in addition to the block? How are you storing the block?

    Didn’t you have other squirrels? Are the others OK?
    I keep the mixed formula for a maximum of 20 hours. They’ve been on this mixture of formula for weeks and she only just recently started having problems.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Isaiah_span View Post
    I have two other and they are both weaning well and are healthy. I am storing the block in the freezer as instructed and I am storing the unmixed formula in the fridge. I have also given them greens such as spinach, arugula, and Romain lettuce. Do you have any suggestions on other solids I could introduce at this point?
    That’s strange that this ONE is having issues. The healthy two rule out a systemic problem as far as methods.
    Instead of spinach, give them kale. You could try sugar snap peas, broccoli, avocado, butternut squash, acorn squash and mushrooms.

    Just curious, did you buy the High Protein Henry’s blocks for baby squirrels? If so, mine won’t eat those either. He ate them a few days and now flat out won’t eat them. I’m never buying them again. He will eat the Picky Eater blocks that my flyers get.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Glad to hear it is at least yellow diarrhea.

    I have also had good luck with bok choy, sweet potato, and carrots. (The second two in moderation).
    Arugula is pretty much a standard.

    Another thought.. try warming a block up for a few seconds in the microwave. A warm block with a smell might entice her to eat it.

    Fox Valley has Day One Diastat that works both as an electrolyte and helps normalize stool consistency. I have had good luck using that for diarrhea, giving it as a feeding, or between feedings.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Javarat View Post
    Glad to hear it is at least yellow diarrhea.

    I have also had good luck with bok choy, sweet potato, and carrots. (The second two in moderation).
    Arugula is pretty much a standard.

    Another thought.. try warming a block up for a few seconds in the microwave. A warm block with a smell might entice her to eat it.

    Fox Valley has Day One Diastat that works both as an electrolyte and helps normalize stool consistency. I have had good luck using that for diarrhea, giving it as a feeding, or between feedings.
    It seems like her diarrhea is starting to turn more grey. I’m not sure what this means.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    A color shift in poop most often means they are digesting less of the formula.. it is moving through too quickly to be totally digested.
    Poop that turns whitish can be that they are getting too much calcium, if you are giving them calcium supplements?

    Ideas to try include adding yogurt to her formula (for biotics), administer PetAg Bene-Bac, or use Fox Valley Diastat.

    Keep an eye (or nose) out for string odor.. which would require treating for parasites or bacteria.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Also, solid foods will cause a shift away from yellow poop.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Do you have any Pepto Bismol? Can you get some, and post her weight? I have seen it work so many times when other things don't.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    I also would recommend dosing with pepto bismol.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Javarat View Post
    I also would recommend dosing with pepto bismol.
    I ordered the fox valley dis stat and I am waiting on the but there is now blood in her poop and I’m starting to freak out.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Until the dia stat comes in get some pepto Bismol and someone can recommend the dosage for you. Is she passing a lot of blood or is her stool tinged with blood? Bloody stool can from the irritation in her intestines. Full fat yogurt may help build her gut flora up.

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    Default Re: 10 week old grey diarrhea and lethargic

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel1959 View Post
    Until the dia stat comes in get some pepto Bismol and someone can recommend the dosage for you. Is she passing a lot of blood or is her stool tinged with blood? Bloody stool can from the irritation in her intestines. Full fat yogurt may help build her gut flora up.
    It looks like it has streaks of blood in it.

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