Seeking health diagnosis/advice: urinary problems in 5yr old EGS.

[Luvsunshine23]

Good afternoon,

I have a five year old Eastern Grey squirrel who has been suffering health problems. About three and a half weeks ago he stopped eating, became very lethargic, and had difficulty urinating and was clearly in pain. His abdomen was bloated and he was crying whenever he moved or tried to walk. We took him to the vet and had X-rays done, and they told us it was a stomach blockage. He prescribed metoclopramide syrup for gut mobility and meloxicam for pain. A week and a half of that showed no marked improvement. He never had problems defecating, and never passed anything odd.

He started eating again and has no difficulty passing bowel movements, but he is still struggling to urinate. Before he can pee, he passes a clear, gelatinous plug and then he can urinate. After urinating he can move a little more easily. I have been syringe feeding him fluids because he is reticent to drink water. Another call to the vet and he prescribed Baytril suspension antibiotic because now he thinks it is a UTI or something of that nature. We were more of the mind it could be bladder stones, kidney stones, etc.

We finished a round of antibiotics and still there is no improvement. He is still in discomfort and is not climbing like he normally would. Has anyone had experience with this? There have been no changes in diet, exercise, environment, or stress. I have been in contact with another vet who wants his blood levels, tested for leptospirosis, orchitis, prostate issues, and to have an ultrasound for radio/opaque stones. I am scheduling all of this for this week but I would like advice or opinions if anyone has any experience with any of this.


Any help is greatly appreciated!

[Diggie's Friend]

A recent lab study in rats given a, “germfree” rats, (a good model for AB destruction of good digestive bacteria in rodents), resulted lthe formation of calcium blladder sludge (calcium oxalate and citrate). Yet, once the germfree rats were given biotics (normal gut bacteria, the formation of the bladder crystals ceased, because their digestion was restored by giving them normal bacteria as the other test group was given that didn't have any incidence of bladder crystal formation occur.

When giving AB, probiotics that can survive to reach the gut, should also be given about 4 hrs. apart. Giving Baytrl for example, a fellow member's vet said to include probiotics heavily to lend vital support to the biotic colony in the gut that makes up over 70 percent of the immune system. Probiotics with prebiotis to support their vitality, are vital to supply to protect the body from the overgrowth of bad bacteria by maintaining a positive good to bad bacteria balance. In the wild, tree squirrels are observed pulling up tufts of grass and flipping them over to chew on the soil surround the roots. This soil contains the good digestive bacteria to digest their foods to support the availability of the nutrients that they contain and reduce the calcium lowering anti nutrient (oxalate) as well.

It is these theh soil based probiotic plus prebiotics that replaces that otherwise missing in the captive care squirrel's diet, not the Acidophilis forms that are best used for neonates. Probiotic/prebiotic, aka: "Symbiotic" forms, aka: 'Soil Based Organisms', which unlike dairy probiotics that don't do well to survive the stomach acid, vital to supply daily in the diet of tree squirrels. Unlike the natural soil this source doesn't contain the bad bacteria, worms and their eggs that soil may have, but what counters the bad bacteria.

“Pet Flora” by Vitality Science, it is a soil-based array of good bacteria (probiotics with prebiotic), that not only aids in digestion, but lends significant support to the immune system against overgrowth of bad bacteria in the urogenital tract.

Pet Flora by Vitality Science https://www.amazon.com/Vitality-Scie.../dp/B005PJN2HO

With the heat and what you describe in the stomach, dehydration can become a serious problem. I knew of a squirrel that had a problem with not drinking enough water that was fed a rodent block with corn gluten noted as a main ingredient. When corn gluten is fed alone in a high concentration in rats, it was found to block the thirst censors in the lining of the intestions, causing the rats to dehydrate to death. For this reason, concentrated corn gluten by itself is now being used as rat bate because it presents no toxic issue to cats and dogs that may eat poisoned dying or dead rats.

For reason of corn gluten reducing thirst, even so in rodent block not blocking it entirely as pure corn gluten is known to do in rodents, I would recommend you try switching to, "Henry's Health block, which contains no corn, or soy products.

[Diggie's Friend]

https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/...emistry-Values

[Luvsunshine23]

@Diggie's Friend Thank you very much for the info, in particular the reference to blood levels. Hopefully that will come in handy later this week! Currently he eats Henry's squirrel blocks, and has been on the same diet for four years. He also gets healthy veg, occasional fruit and nuts, and sunflower seed treats. He has a bedroom in the house where his nests and play area is set up, and an outdoor enclosure he goes to in the day for foraging and such, and I have definitely noticed him eating soil and munching roots.