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Thread: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Baby was 133 g this morning which is great but she seems a little bloated to me and she was less active yesterday than the day before. She still is producing formed stool and urine. She only at 6 mls this morning at Her first feeding. Name:  1E3DC7D0-BD42-422E-A1B9-0E6D74160CF8.jpg
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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    Baby was 133 g this morning which is great but she seems a little bloated to me and she was less active yesterday than the day before. She still is producing formed stool and urine. She only at 6 mls this morning at Her first feeding.
    That is a gain of 10 grams from yesterday morning! If this is accurate, most likely the weight is formula that is still in her stomach and the stomach has somewhat slowed down its emptying rate. Is it possible that there was some inconsistency in how she was weighed that might account for this. I know she had a feeding this morning of 6ml but why not check her weight again now just to have another reading. 6ml should be close to 6g additional weight. Also, with the possibility of today's weight being accurate, it may be that the prior weight had an unrecognized variable (or even both weights). The good things of course are that your Squirrel is still having normal stool and making urine. You pointed out and the photo also seems to suggest that she has some abdominal fullness: is her abdomen hard or does the skin feel taught; does it seem that you cause pain or discomfort when you press on her belly? Are you providing a night feeding? If so, I would recommend discontinuing that. Based upon your baby's weight and presumed age (probably a little of 5 weeks), a night feeding is not necessary. You can safely hold off feeding for around 7 hours (give or take a little) at night and probably should. That way, you will get some sleep and your Squirrel's stomach will have time to fully empty before the first feeding of the day. I would still recommend feeding 4 times each day and divide this into your awake time and for today, at least, maybe use the 6ml she took this morning as your target for the rest of today's feedings. This is within the 5-7% of both weights (yesterdays and today's). Thanks and please keep on providing the updates! Thanks also for your concern and care of your little Squirrel.
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    That is a gain of 10 grams from yesterday morning! If this is accurate, most likely the weight is formula that is still in her stomach and the stomach has somewhat slowed down its emptying rate. Is it possible that there was some inconsistency in how she was weighed that might account for this. I know she had a feeding this morning of 6ml but why not check her weight again now just to have another reading. 6ml should be close to 6g additional weight. Also, with the possibility of today's weight being accurate, it may be that the prior weight had an unrecognized variable (or even both weights). The good things of course are that your Squirrel is still having normal stool and making urine. You pointed out and the photo also seems to suggest that she has some abdominal fullness: is her abdomen hard or does the skin feel taught; does it seem that you cause pain or discomfort when you press on her belly? Are you providing a night feeding? If so, I would recommend discontinuing that. Based upon your baby's weight and presumed age (probably a little of 5 weeks), a night feeding is not necessary. You can safely hold off feeding for around 7 hours (give or take a little) at night and probably should. That way, you will get some sleep and your Squirrel's stomach will have time to fully empty before the first feeding of the day. I would still recommend feeding 4 times each day and divide this into your awake time and for today, at least, maybe use the 6ml she took this morning as your target for the rest of today's feedings. This is within the 5-7% of both weights (yesterdays and today's). Thanks and please keep on providing the updates! Thanks also for your concern and care of your little Squirrel.
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel
    Her stomach does feel like it has pressure. She doesn’t like it when I press on it but it’s not rock solid. I have been feeding her once overnight so I will stop that feeding. When I weighed her on a different scale at work right now she was 135g. She was very squirmy when I weighed her yesterday so it was hard to get an accurate weight but it was definitely lower than today. What should I do now to deal with the bloat ?

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    Her stomach does feel like it has pressure. She doesn’t like it when I press on it but it’s not rock solid. I have been feeding her once overnight so I will stop that feeding. When I weighed her on a different scale at work right now she was 135g. She was very squirmy when I weighed her yesterday so it was hard to get an accurate weight but it was definitely lower than today. What should I do now to deal with the bloat ?
    This appears to be mild bloating. Henry's has some very good recommendations for common Squirrel problems among those is bloat. It would be worth going there to look over all of the information but specifically now for bloat: https://www.henryspets.com/5-common-problems/

    Bloat, to some degree is common and usually associated with overfeeding, to frequent feeding or intolerance of formula. I suspect the first 2 being most likely. My recommendation would be to limit the amount of formula for now to the low end (around 5% of accurate morning weight) and limit feedings to 4 times per day and no nighttime feeding; the first feeding after you weigh your Squirrel in the morning and the last before you go to sleep and spread out the other 2 feeding evenly between the first and last. There are a couple of suggestions that Henry's has on the "bloat" section and I have used both in the past with great success but it must be in conjunction with close management of the feeding times, amounts of formula per feeding, and the type of formula. By the way, Fox Valley 20/50 has not been associated by itself and as bloat provoking. It is usually tolerated very well!
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    This appears to be mild bloating. Henry's has some very good recommendations for common Squirrel problems among those is bloat. It would be worth going there to look over all of the information but specifically now for bloat: https://www.henryspets.com/5-common-problems/

    Bloat, to some degree is common and usually associated with overfeeding, to frequent feeding or intolerance of formula. I suspect the first 2 being most likely. My recommendation would be to limit the amount of formula for now to the low end (around 5% of accurate morning weight) and limit feedings to 4 times per day and no nighttime feeding; the first feeding after you weigh your Squirrel in the morning and the last before you go to sleep and spread out the other 2 feeding evenly between the first and last. There are a couple of suggestions that Henry's has on the "bloat" section and I have used both in the past with great success but it must be in conjunction with close management of the feeding times, amounts of formula per feeding, and the type of formula. By the way, Fox Valley 20/50 has not been associated by itself and as bloat provoking. It is usually tolerated very well!
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel
    Should I hold off on her next feeding. I would normally feed her at 11 because that’s 5 hours from the first feeding. Should I wait until 4 pm to feed her again?

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    Should I hold off on her next feeding. I would normally feed her at 11 because that’s 5 hours from the first feeding. Should I wait until 4 pm to feed her again?
    I would not skip a feeding because we do NOT want to run any risk of your Squirrel becoming dehydrated. You can use some plain water in place of some of the formula if she will drink plain water and keep the intake limited to 6ml just for this next feeding. Let's reassess
    her status before the feeding after this next feeding. Is she still appearing full? I will unable to access the internet for the next 2-3 hours as I am at work will busy with a couple of "issues. "
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    I would not skip a feeding because we do NOT want to run any risk of your Squirrel becoming dehydrated. You can use some plain water in place of some of the formula if she will drink plain water and keep the intake limited to 6ml just for this next feeding. Let's reassess
    her status before the feeding after this next feeding. Is she still appearing full? I will unable to access the internet for the next 2-3 hours as I am at work will busy with a couple of "issues. "
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel
    I fed her a small amount of water mixed with a little bit of formula because she would not take just the plain water. She pooped a few small pellets but her belly is still quite full.
    Name:  848F1CE5-9D1C-4459-A5BD-F360186A58C8.jpg
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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I fed her a small amount of water mixed with a little bit of formula because she would not take just the plain water. She pooped a few small pellets but her belly is still quite full.
    Name:  848F1CE5-9D1C-4459-A5BD-F360186A58C8.jpg
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    I just gave her a few drops of the liquid infant gas x. Hopefully that should help a bit.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I fed her a small amount of water mixed with a little bit of formula because she would not take just the plain water. She pooped a few small pellets but her belly is still quite full.
    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I just gave her a few drops of the liquid infant gas x. Hopefully that should help a bit.
    Trust your instincts.

    https://henryspets.com/5-common-problems/
    Bloating. Can occur when a baby squirrel eats too much and/or too often, or from formula intolerance. The stomach should be rounded after feeding, but still soft, like a half-filled water balloon. It should deflate before the next feeding. If stomach feels hard or does not deflate, skip a feeding, hydrate, and decrease the amount of formula at each feeding or increase the amount of time between feedings. Stimulate to potty. Dipping the baby in warm water up to his armpits and gentle massage can also help. A few drops of Gas-X also helps.

    The warm water soak has solved the problem with many also.
    Step-N-Stone
    State Licensed
    Wildlife Master Rehabilitator


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    SamtheSquirrel2018 (11-24-2021)

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by stepnstone View Post
    Trust your instincts.

    https://henryspets.com/5-common-problems/
    Bloating. Can occur when a baby squirrel eats too much and/or too often, or from formula intolerance. The stomach should be rounded after feeding, but still soft, like a half-filled water balloon. It should deflate before the next feeding. If stomach feels hard or does not deflate, skip a feeding, hydrate, and decrease the amount of formula at each feeding or increase the amount of time between feedings. Stimulate to potty. Dipping the baby in warm water up to his armpits and gentle massage can also help. A few drops of Gas-X also helps.

    The warm water soak has solved the problem with many also.
    I think her stool also seems quite hard so maybe she is constipated. I gave her a few drops of lactulose to see if that could help move things along.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    How is your Squirrel doing? Were you able to utilize the recommendations from Henry's with any improvement or success?
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    How is your Squirrel doing? Were you able to utilize the recommendations from Henry's with any improvement or success?
    SamtheSquirrel
    I haven’t seen much improvement but she seems ok. I tried the gas x at around 1:30. I also gave her some lactulose. She poops a small amount when I stimulate her ( she does pee and poop on her own though). I tried soaking her in warm water and massaging her belly but haven’t seen a change. I fed her around 5pm and gave her water mixed with a little bit of formula. She had 5mls. The color of her poop has changed from the dark brown color to a light almost pale green color and the pellets seem pretty solid. She gives like 3 small pellets at a time. Should I give more lactulose. Name:  2DE98B1C-9280-41BB-BE34-26AF03675E6F.jpg
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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    I have stimulated her twice in the past hour and she has produced 6 of the small pellets. That seems like more than her normal amount so I am hoping that this whole things was just constipation caused by switching to formula at every feeding as opposed to the diastat at every other feeding.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I have stimulated her twice in the past hour and she has produced 6 of the small pellets. That seems like more than her normal amount so I am hoping that this whole things was just constipation caused by switching to formula at every feeding as opposed to the diastat at every other feeding.

    That's encouraging! I have never used lactulose for Squirrels. I know that this has been used for pet rats for constipation but this seems to be more bloating than constipation. Others here may have had experience with lactulose and can comment on its use with Squirrels. Does your Squirrel's abdomen still seem swollen or has it returned to normal? If still swollen, is it still soft or is has the skin become tight? Is she still urinating normally. Please verify that you are have been using Fox Valley 20/50 and that it has been mixed 1 part powder to 2 parts warm water. If the abdomen is still bloated it is probably best to hold off on the next feeding of formula but give maybe 2 ml of water instead. Again, as Henry's points out on their website, it is essential that your baby remains hydrated. The best "routine" hydrating fluid is plain water. It can be warmed and this may be more acceptable to your Squirrel and can be offered in small amounts to maintain hydration. You were going to eliminate the nighttime feeding anyway and this will give some hydration through the night but just not the formula. Also, if there is still bloating, I would recommend continuing to soak the baby as Henry's suggests up to her armpits and gently (you should apply only very minimal pressure) massage her belly and do this every 30-60 minutes or so for about 5 minutes at a time through the night and reassess the degree of bloat before and after each "session." If the bloating is now gone and you are going to regular resume feedings, I would recommend using only plain water or very, very dilute formula for the next scheduled feeding.
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    That's encouraging! I have never used lactulose for Squirrels. I know that this has been used for pet rats for constipation but this seems to be more bloating than constipation. Others here may have had experience with lactulose and can comment on its use with Squirrels. Does your Squirrel's abdomen still seem swollen or has it returned to normal? If still swollen, is it still soft or is has the skin become tight? Is she still urinating normally. Please verify that you are have been using Fox Valley 20/50 and that it has been mixed 1 part powder to 2 parts warm water. If the abdomen is still bloated it is probably best to hold off on the next feeding of formula but give maybe 2 ml of water instead. Again, as Henry's points out on their website, it is essential that your baby remains hydrated. The best "routine" hydrating fluid is plain water. It can be warmed and this may be more acceptable to your Squirrel and can be offered in small amounts to maintain hydration. You were going to eliminate the nighttime feeding anyway and this will give some hydration through the night but just not the formula. Also, if there is still bloating, I would recommend continuing to soak the baby as Henry's suggests up to her armpits and gently (you should apply only very minimal pressure) massage her belly and do this every 30-60 minutes or so for about 5 minutes at a time through the night and reassess the degree of bloat before and after each "session." If the bloating is now gone and you are going to regular resume feedings, I would recommend using only plain water or very, very dilute formula for the next scheduled feeding.
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel
    I am feeding the fox valley 20/50 formula and am mixing one part formula with two parts water. The only reason I am thinking she is constipated is because I can feel the poop pellets when I very lightly palpate her abdomen and I can feel a lot of poop.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I am feeding the fox valley 20/50 formula and am mixing one part formula with two parts water. The only reason I am thinking she is constipated is because I can feel the poop pellets when I very lightly palpate her abdomen and I can feel a lot of poop.
    I have tried soaking her in warm water but she does not like it and will not stay in the water for longer than 5 seconds. I will continue to stimulate her every hour or so and see if I can get more poop out. She is very well hydrated and in general seems ok besides being less active. Her belly still seems swollen but soft like a water balloon. She is still urinating normally.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    The formula ideally is mixed up hours before using it... overnight is what I try to do. This allows it to more thoroughly dissolve and helps make it more easily digestible. While this is more important with younger squirrels, it is still a good idea to mix it well ahead of using it. Also, never reuse formula that was warmed for feeding... only warm what will be fed and discard any formula that was warmed but not used. The mixed formula should be stored in the fridge and the powder should be stored in the freezer after opening.

    I have used lactulose with success for constipation.

    Fox valley poop will be a golden / mustard color. The most recent poop pictures *almost* look whitish, but that could be the picture. Just be aware that a white / whitish poop indicates over feeding or too frequent of feeding.

    I am glad you used the Dia-Stat, I having been preaching it's value for some years now. Ever since it help to save what I call the Diastat Dynasty (I am including the link) which were a 4-some of emaciated, terribly sick babies... one of the greatest successes of my rehabbing...

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...light=Dia-Stat

    You are doing terrific in helping this baby, thank you!

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Spanky View Post
    The formula ideally is mixed up hours before using it... overnight is what I try to do. This allows it to more thoroughly dissolve and helps make it more easily digestible. While this is more important with younger squirrels, it is still a good idea to mix it well ahead of using it. Also, never reuse formula that was warmed for feeding... only warm what will be fed and discard any formula that was warmed but not used. The mixed formula should be stored in the fridge and the powder should be stored in the freezer after opening.

    I have used lactulose with success for constipation.

    Fox valley poop will be a golden / mustard color. The most recent poop pictures *almost* look whitish, but that could be the picture. Just be aware that a white / whitish poop indicates over feeding or too frequent of feeding.

    I am glad you used the Dia-Stat, I having been preaching it's value for some years now. Ever since it help to save what I call the Diastat Dynasty (I am including the link) which were a 4-some of emaciated, terribly sick babies... one of the greatest successes of my rehabbing...

    https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...light=Dia-Stat

    You are doing terrific in helping this baby, thank you!
    I usually make the formula the night before and keep it in the fridge for the next feeding. I was feeding her once overnight so maybe that is why she is a bit bloated because she was getting too much food. I haven’t fed her formula since 6 am this morning. I have been giving her mostly water with a small amount of formula mixed in a syringe every 5 hours to keep her hydrated. She is able to get the poop out when I stimulate her but I haven’t seen her poop on her own in a few hours. I really am trying my best to take care of this baby. I had a hard experience with the first squirrel I cared for so I am extra scared about everything with this one. I also wanted to let everyone know that baby got a name today. Baby girl is now “peaches”. Thank you so much to everyone for all of the advice and encouragement.

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by Squirrelbaby99 View Post
    I usually make the formula the night before and keep it in the fridge for the next feeding. I was feeding her once overnight so maybe that is why she is a bit bloated because she was getting too much food. I haven’t fed her formula since 6 am this morning. I have been giving her mostly water with a small amount of formula mixed in a syringe every 5 hours to keep her hydrated. She is able to get the poop out when I stimulate her but I haven’t seen her poop on her own in a few hours. I really am trying my best to take care of this baby. I had a hard experience with the first squirrel I cared for so I am extra scared about everything with this one. I also wanted to let everyone know that baby got a name today. Baby girl is now “peaches”. Thank you so much to everyone for all of the advice and encouragement.
    You are doing very well with your care of Peaches. You have given her a very nice name! The fact that Peaches is urinating normally is a good sign as Squirrels and other land mammals will decrease urine output to conserve water and normal urination is pretty good evidence of adequate hydration! Good job! Especially since the massage-stimulation seems to be effective I would recommend continuing that at least through the night and reassess her condition regularly and in the morning when you weigh her. Please keep on with the updates! Thanks so much for your superb care of little Peaches! Happy Thanksgiving to you SquirrelBaby, your family, and of course Miss Peaches!
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel

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    Default Re: Help baby squirrel is having diarrhea

    Quote Originally Posted by SamtheSquirrel2018 View Post
    You are doing very well with your care of Peaches. You have given her a very nice name! The fact that Peaches is urinating normally is a good sign as Squirrels and other land mammals will decrease urine output to conserve water and normal urination is pretty good evidence of adequate hydration! Good job! Especially since the massage-stimulation seems to be effective I would recommend continuing that at least through the night and reassess her condition regularly and in the morning when you weigh her. Please keep on with the updates! Thanks so much for your superb care of little Peaches! Happy Thanksgiving to you SquirrelBaby, your family, and of course Miss Peaches!
    Regards,
    SamtheSquirrel
    Now that she is not getting formula, she is interested in the rodent blocks. Is it ok for her to eat some of that now or should I take out all food?

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