4 yr old NR loose stools for 3 days now

[SugarBooger]

My sweet Louise has been dealing with loose slimy looking poo for the past 3 days and I'm not sure what caused it or how to help her get over it.
She hadn't eaten anything out of the ordinary before it started. Just a couple of jumbo blueberries & 2 small chunks of butternut squash after she ate her Henry's blocks. At first I thought perhaps the blueberries triggered it but I don't think it would still be having any effect on her after 3 days. I've been making sure she's staying hydrated & even coaxed her into drinking some fox valley this morning since she's hasn't had her normal appetite while sick. I took a few pictures of some of the poo but it's kinda hard to get a good picture since she tends to smear them with her butt.

[Charley Chuckles]

I'm not sure but this will bump your thread 👍

[Clare]

Will commenting bump threads

[Spanky]

I know this is gross... but does the poo have a strong smell? If it does, would you describe it as rotten meat, sickening sweet smell or something else?

Have the veggies and fruits she is eating been washed?

Looks kinda of like Coccidiosis poo to me, but usually there is a large volume of poop. Resembles the texture of "slime" that kids play with...

[SugarBooger]

I know this is gross... but does the poo have a strong smell? If it does, would you describe it as rotten meat, sickening sweet smell or something else?

Have the veggies and fruits she is eating been washed?

Looks kinda of like Coccidiosis poo to me, but usually there is a large volume of poop. Resembles the texture of "slime" that kids play with...

It smells like diarrhea, not really strong or anything strange though. I attached more pictures of her poo from today. It does look slimy. At first she was going every couple of hours but now not so often. Probably because she only has Pedialyte/water and Ensure in her stomach though. She hasn't wanted any food I've offered her today.

I have been washing her fruits & veggies before giving them to her. Do you think that maybe something in my refrigerator may have gone bad & caused this possibly? Could that be possible?
I wondered that myself so I threw out all of her produce & bought new stuff today & thoroughly cleaned the fridge before putting it in there. There were a couple of things that were old but they were sealed in Tupperware & not really old & gross just too old to eat.
I currently have 3 babies also around 8-9 weeks old & they're not sick at all. They're in the same room but in a cage away from her space. They only drink fox valley formula & nibble at Henry's healthy blocks though. That's why I was thinking it may be something to do with the produce.

[Spanky]

Since it has been several (5?) days now I'd tend to think it is not something she ate... unless she has a stash and is continuing to access that? I'd check out her room / cage / nest and eliminate any stashes.

I would treat her with Pepto-Bimol or Kaopectate... 1ml or so. This will not treat an underlying cause like an infection but it will decrease the fluid loss caused by diarrhea. Her stools may turn very dark / black from these meds so don't be alarmed if that happens.

I would also provide pro-biotics... Bene-Bac, Yogurt or even a pinch of human probiotics mixed in water or her Ensure. This *could* be all she needs to get her system back in order and resolve the diarrhea.

Ideally, getting a fecal test done would reveal any bacterial or protozoal infection and help determine the best course of treatment. In absence of a fecal, my first choice of treatment would be a medication called metronidazole ("Metro"). Metro is my go-to for gut issues since it can be effective in treating both bacterial and protozoal infections.

Other potential treatments would include Sulfadimethoxine ("Albon"), Sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (SMZ/TMP, "Bactrim" , "Septra") and Toltrazuril (Baycox).

Check the cabinets, ask family friends and neighbors... often folks have leftover antibiotics because they stopped taking them when they started feeling better (not ideal FWIW). One pill is all that would be needed.

Toltrazuril is the only one of these I am aware that can be bought on-line without a prescription. If memory serves, it only took a couple days for me to receive the package this bunny place:
https://www.allthingsbunnies.com/Tol...s-p/med132.htm

Another under-realized cause of diarrhea can be soap... as in washing her dishes but not rinses really well. Dish soap and such can cause diarrhea.

Other less likely causes could be the other squirrels in her room. Is she used to having babies staying with her through release? Babies that age get very active and even noisy so there is a chance it has her uneasy maybe. Changes like this in her environment can, at times, cause diarrhea. Have any new detergents, soaps, materials, toys been introduced shortly before the diarrhea started? Also, if this happens to be Coccidiosis it is very contagious and spread by fecal matter... Coccidiosis is always present int eh gut, it just gets out of control sometimes and they need a bit of help (fluids, probiotics and / or medications) to get it under control.

[SugarBooger]

I think the diarrhea has stopped this morning. She tried poo once but nothing happened. She is resting now & has been more cooperative with drinking Pedialyte, today is the first time I haven't had to use a syringe. Hopefully it was just a bad case of upset stomach & she continues to improve.
I already cleaned out all of her bedding & got rid of her stashes when she first got sick & have continuously cleaned up after her so she didn't get worse & to try to keep her comfortable.
She has had the babies in the room with her for several weeks & before she got sick seemed fond of them & would even play with them on occasion. I don't think they are stressing her out, but if she doesn't continue to improve today I will move them to another room to see if that helps.

[SugarBooger]

Since it has been several (5?) days now I'd tend to think it is not something she ate... unless she has a stash and is continuing to access that? I'd check out her room / cage / nest and eliminate any stashes.

I would treat her with Pepto-Bimol or Kaopectate... 1ml or so. This will not treat an underlying cause like an infection but it will decrease the fluid loss caused by diarrhea. Her stools may turn very dark / black from these meds so don't be alarmed if that happens.

I would also provide pro-biotics... Bene-Bac, Yogurt or even a pinch of human probiotics mixed in water or her Ensure. This *could* be all she needs to get her system back in order and resolve the diarrhea.

Ideally, getting a fecal test done would reveal any bacterial or protozoal infection and help determine the best course of treatment. In absence of a fecal, my first choice of treatment would be a medication called metronidazole ("Metro"). Metro is my go-to for gut issues since it can be effective in treating both bacterial and protozoal infections.

Other potential treatments would include Sulfadimethoxine ("Albon"), Sulfamethoxazole + trimethoprim (SMZ/TMP, "Bactrim" , "Septra") and Toltrazuril (Baycox).

Check the cabinets, ask family friends and neighbors... often folks have leftover antibiotics because they stopped taking them when they started feeling better (not ideal FWIW). One pill is all that would be needed.

Toltrazuril is the only one of these I am aware that can be bought on-line without a prescription. If memory serves, it only took a couple days for me to receive the package this bunny place:
https://www.allthingsbunnies.com/Tol...s-p/med132.htm

Another under-realized cause of diarrhea can be soap... as in washing her dishes but not rinses really well. Dish soap and such can cause diarrhea.

Other less likely causes could be the other squirrels in her room. Is she used to having babies staying with her through release? Babies that age get very active and even noisy so there is a chance it has her uneasy maybe. Changes like this in her environment can, at times, cause diarrhea. Have any new detergents, soaps, materials, toys been introduced shortly before the diarrhea started? Also, if this happens to be Coccidiosis it is very contagious and spread by fecal matter... Coccidiosis is always present int eh gut, it just gets out of control sometimes and they need a bit of help (fluids, probiotics and / or medications) to get it under control.

I asked everyone I could think of but no one had any of the medications you listed. I did order the Toltrazuril using the link you gave & it finally arrived. Could you please help me with the dosage , as there are many different dosages suggested online & I want to be sure it's correct

[Spanky]

I asked everyone I could think of but no one had any of the medications you listed. I did order the Toltrazuril using the link you gave & it finally arrived. Could you please help me with the dosage , as there are many different dosages suggested online & I want to be sure it's correct

Has the diarrhea continued / returned?

The dosing is by weight, if you post the weight her weight someone will help with dosing...