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Thread: 6 week old not peeing

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    Default 6 week old not peeing

    Hello! I’m new here. A friend who owns a tree service brought me a baby squirrel about 2 weeks ago. Everything has been going well. A few days ago my squirrel ate a strawberry, which gave him a couple of loose stools. Then yesterday, his towels were dry and no poop. I have rubbed his belly and one sticky hard poop came. But no irony. He makes a grunt when I run to stimulate pee, but no urine comes. He’s been uninterested in food, but nibbles here and there and takes about 5ml of his formula. Anything I can do for him?

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    Hello! I’m new here. A friend who owns a tree service brought me a baby squirrel about 2 weeks ago. Everything has been going well. A few days ago my squirrel ate a strawberry, which gave him a couple of loose stools. Then yesterday, his towels were dry and no poop. I have rubbed his belly and one sticky hard poop came. But no irony. He makes a grunt when I run to stimulate pee, but no urine comes. He’s been uninterested in food, but nibbles here and there and takes about 5ml of his formula. Anything I can do for him?
    Hi. Do you know how to check him for Dehydration if not let us know and we can tell you how. Being Hydrated is very important. How old is he and can you get a weight on him just in case. Having a loose stool can create dehydration also. If he is dehydrated it is VERY important to get hydrated asap.
    Squirrels Do Matter

    If you Were Lucky Enough To Have Loved and Taken Care Of A Squirrel Then
    You Showed Him Or Her More Love Than They Would Have Ever Known In The Wild
    __________________________________________________ ______________________
    Member Of WRAM ( Wildlife Rehabbers association Massachusetts)

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    Hello! I’m new here. A friend who owns a tree service brought me a baby squirrel about 2 weeks ago. Everything has been going well. A few days ago my squirrel ate a strawberry, which gave him a couple of loose stools. Then yesterday, his towels were dry and no poop. I have rubbed his belly and one sticky hard poop came. But no irony. He makes a grunt when I run to stimulate pee, but no urine comes. He’s been uninterested in food, but nibbles here and there and takes about 5ml of his formula. Anything I can do for him?
    Hi. Do you know how to check him for Dehydration if not let us know and we can tell you how. Being Hydrated is very important. How old is he and can you get a weight on him just in case. Having a loose stool can create dehydration also. If he is dehydrated it is VERY important to get hydrated asap. Also do not feed him any solids !! he should be on formula until this is cleared up. Others will chime in I am sure with more info and information. One last thing is his belly feel hard.
    Squirrels Do Matter

    If you Were Lucky Enough To Have Loved and Taken Care Of A Squirrel Then
    You Showed Him Or Her More Love Than They Would Have Ever Known In The Wild
    __________________________________________________ ______________________
    Member Of WRAM ( Wildlife Rehabbers association Massachusetts)

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by frankc View Post
    Hi. Do you know how to check him for Dehydration if not let us know and we can tell you how. Being Hydrated is very important. How old is he and can you get a weight on him just in case. Having a loose stool can create dehydration also. If he is dehydrated it is VERY important to get hydrated asap.
    He is 6 weeks, almost 7 weeks old. However, I just checked on him and there’s 2 small poops and a wet spot on his towel. Yay! I was getting worried. Thank you for your reply. I do have a small baby scale I use for my elderly cat occasionally. I can dig it out of the attic. I’m sure I will be back with more questions as I try and reintroduce this guy into the wild. Thank you again!

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    He is 6 weeks, almost 7 weeks old. However, I just checked on him and there’s 2 small poops and a wet spot on his towel. Yay! I was getting worried. Thank you for your reply. I do have a small baby scale I use for my elderly cat occasionally. I can dig it out of the attic. I’m sure I will be back with more questions as I try and reintroduce this guy into the wild. Thank you again!
    Thats a good sign. His weight should in (KG)kilograms. Also do you know how to check for Dehydration ?
    Squirrels Do Matter

    If you Were Lucky Enough To Have Loved and Taken Care Of A Squirrel Then
    You Showed Him Or Her More Love Than They Would Have Ever Known In The Wild
    __________________________________________________ ______________________
    Member Of WRAM ( Wildlife Rehabbers association Massachusetts)

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by frankc View Post
    Thats a good sign. His weight should in (KG)kilograms. ?
    I think you mean grams.

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    He’s been uninterested in food, but nibbles here and there and takes about 5ml of his formula. Anything I can do for him?
    What means are you using to feed him?

    If you don't know how much he weighs, how can you determine how to feed him. A general rule is 5-7% of body weight at each feeding.

    The scale also tells you if he is gaining weight at a reasonable rate.

    How often is he fed?

    What sort of formula are you feeding him?

    For a healthy squirrel breathing is a quiet, almost silent, unremarkable affair. Is there anything unusual or notable about the breathing?

    Are there clicks? Is it raspy? Is it fast? Is it slow? Is the squirrel lethargic?

    Please review proper feeding techniques for squirrels. Without the caretaker realizing it the squirrel can get aspiration pneumonia, which can be quickly fatal. So you don't want to go down that road. (Just erring on the side of caution here.)

    Stool problems with squirrels.pdf

    The above article should help you to understand what is going on with the poop.

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Monkey View Post
    What means are you using to feed him?

    If you don't know how much he weighs, how can you determine how to feed him. A general rule is 5-7% of body weight at each feeding.

    The scale also tells you if he is gaining weight at a reasonable rate.

    How often is he fed?

    What sort of formula are you feeding him?

    For a healthy squirrel breathing is a quiet, almost silent, unremarkable affair. Is there anything unusual or notable about the breathing?

    Are there clicks? Is it raspy? Is it fast? Is it slow? Is the squirrel lethargic?

    Please review proper feeding techniques for squirrels. Without the caretaker realizing it the squirrel can get aspiration pneumonia, which can be quickly fatal. So you don't want to go down that road. (Just erring on the side of caution here.)

    Stool problems with squirrels.pdf

    The above article should help you to understand what is going on with the poop.
    Hi, thanks for responding. I am feeding him every 4-5 hours, puppy formula with an oral syringe that drips so slowly he basically laps it off the end. I do not let him latch. His breathing is normal. He is definitely not lethargic. He also nibbles on Mazuri rodent block, broccoli stems, and a Brussels sprout. He is now peeing and pooping normally again. I think he got a bout of diarrhea after eating too much strawberry and then got a little dehydrated. I rehydrated him and do not allow fruit for the moment. Thank you for responding and for your time and expertise. I adjust want to give him a fighting chance to return to the wild.

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    Hi, thanks for responding. I am feeding him every 4-5 hours, puppy formula with an oral syringe that drips so slowly he basically laps it off the end. I do not let him latch. His breathing is normal. He is definitely not lethargic. He also nibbles on Mazuri rodent block, broccoli stems, and a Brussels sprout. He is now peeing and pooping normally again. I think he got a bout of diarrhea after eating too much strawberry and then got a little dehydrated. I rehydrated him and do not allow fruit for the moment. Thank you for responding and for your time and expertise. I adjust want to give him a fighting chance to return to the wild.
    Thank you for taking care of him.

    Does the syringe have a nipple attached to the end? Since there teeth are somewhat mobile their teeth can be pushed out of proper align if they latch onto a syringe without a nipple.

    What size is the syringe? How many CC?

    How old is the squirrel? Are its eyes open? How much does it weigh? (Knowing the weight is really critical in a number of ways.)

    Can you upload a picture showing the full length, relatively close up?

    What brand is the puppy formula? Is it a liquid or a powder? What is the expiration date?

    Puppy formula often needs to be supplemented with whole milk, plain Greek yogurt which adds probiotics and fat. Some will add heavy whipping cream to the formula to increase fat content. (Note, Some squirrels may have trouble with the cream.)

    Thus, many people end up purchasing the Fox Valley which is better suited for squirrels.

    Here is a good link for tips for feeding techniques for squirrels.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLjR...relsandmorellc

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    Default Re: 6 week old not peeing

    Quote Originally Posted by MGM View Post
    Hi, thanks for responding. I am feeding him every 4-5 hours, puppy formula with an oral syringe that drips so slowly he basically laps it off the end. I do not let him latch. His breathing is normal. He is definitely not lethargic. He also nibbles on Mazuri rodent block, broccoli stems, and a Brussels sprout. He is now peeing and pooping normally again. I think he got a bout of diarrhea after eating too much strawberry and then got a little dehydrated. I rehydrated him and do not allow fruit for the moment. Thank you for responding and for your time and expertise. I adjust want to give him a fighting chance to return to the wild.
    You know that you should do a slow release with him, right? This process is where he is placed in an outside cage at around 13-14 weeks, with protection from the elements, for a period of 2-3 weeks so he can get used to the sights, sounds and smells of outdoors. Then when you open the doors it’s advised to provide food and a safe place to sleep until he can establish himself in the wild. Being a singleton he may need more time.

    I see you live in a Jacksonville, FL. It usually doesn’t get too cold there before January, but you want to be sure there’s tree cover for him when released.

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