Grey Squirrel - diarrhea and occasional odd discharge

[Jordan_Fish]

I have a 3 year old female North American Grey (Trixie) that I rescued at about 6 months old. She suffered a leg injury and later got MBD, and now receives calcium supplements daily in addition to her squirrel blocks from Henry's.

The last month or so, her feces has changed. Initially her stools just started getting softer, and then she would sometimes discharge a tiny bit of white/clear stuff. It sort of looked like tiny balls sometimes, but not all the time. Over the last few days, her feces has gotten even softer and are now almost liquid. She has been dragging her butt across our carpet floors and on her cage, and her butt is really wet.

Her diet is 90% veggies. She eats a lot of butternut squash, snap peas, green beans, cucumber, carrots, etc. She gets one or two nuts per day, and every now and then we give her a few berries with her veggies.

Recently we took a break from giving her butternut squash (which was a daily thing for about the last year) and started giving her raw spinach, which she seems to love. Also, a few months ago, we treated her for round worm just to be safe - because we adopted two sugar gliders that had a mild case and we just wanted to be sure our Trixie was safe.

She has not displayed any other symptoms other than what is outlined above. She is still very energetic and has an appetite. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[Diggie's Friend]

This discharge if from her rectum sound like coocidia, a very bad bacteria common to rodents.

Though I'm not a rehabber as to recommend the appropriate anti biotic, as it is very important when taking antibiotics to take a pre/probiotic source concurrently, for AB are generally destructive to both good and bad bacteria, to continually supply a source of good digestive bacteria.

In the wild tree squirrels chew on the soil surrounding the roots of grasses which they get both minerals and good digestive bacteria from. To supply this in captivity and not include bad bacteria also, Pet Flora by Vitality Science offers a product that meets this need. This source also is needful to support good digestion, intestinal health, and for bone health as probiotics alone have not been found to do so.

Add 1/64 Tsp. of this product daily to yogurt, or baked squash daily.

This source has been used in gray squirrel diet with no negative effects. https://vitalityscience.com/product/pet-flora/

Measure out 1/64 Tsp. of the contents of the capsule, saving the rest for following days in a "ziplock" bag.

Add this measure to yogurt, or baked squash to feed it.

Another source to support your squirrels bowel health and reduce inflammation is organic old fashioned rolled plain oats quick cook. (not instant with sugar). This source contains a compound known as 'glucan', not to be confused with 'glutens that this sources does not contain. 'Glucans' coat the lining of the intestinal tract and sooth it (anti inflammatory). The fiber in the plain oatmeal will also support a slower digestion of the meal which in turn supports better absorption of nutrients from the daily meals. Feed 1/2 Tsp. of the finished cooked oats daily, spliting the amount into 1/4 Tsp. to add to the AM and PM meals.

https://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-f...lled-oats.html

If not tonight, a rehabber tomorrow morning should be available to recommend the appropriate anti-biotic for this condition.

In the meantime make sure your squirrel is getting enough water to keep them sufficiently hydrated.

[Spanky]

I know this is a gross request, but if you could post a pictures of her poop that would help us to be more accurate in the assessment of what this might be and any recommended treatments.

[cava]

There's a recall on romaine lettuce. (e-coli)

If you're feeding 90% veggie diet try adding a rodent block (and omitting any romaine if you're feeding it.) You can feed rodent blocks along with your HHB's, which are a supplement.