Many animals can develop diarrhea, baby squirrels included. If your baby squirrel’s poop is suddenly very watery, and you think that the animal has diarrhea, then you’re probably right.
This article explores how to stop diarrhea in baby squirrels.
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How to stop diarrhea in baby squirrels
If you’re feeding your baby squirrel formula, its poop should be yellow to brown in color, and the poop should be well-formed, not too firm but not too soft. If the baby’s poop is suddenly very watery, then the animal likely has diarrhea.
Squirrels can develop diarrhea because of different reasons, this is how to stop diarrhea in baby squirrels based on the different reasons:
Diarrhea because of overfeeding:
A baby squirrel that is overfed can develop diarrhea. If this is the case with your pet, then you’d need to reduce how much food the animal eats. Make sure that the squirrel is only eating as much food as it needs.
Baby squirrels only need to eat between 5% to 7% of their body weight (in grams) of food. Start off with 5% then move on to 7% later on.
Diarrhea because of parasites:
Parasites like coccidia can cause squirrels to develop diarrhea. The salmonella bacteria can cause squirrels to develop Salmonellosis, a symptom of Salmonellosis is diarrhea.
If you think that your pet has diarrhea because of a parasite, then you’d need to get the squirrel on medication as soon as possible.
Your local vet (an exotic vet would be best) or your local wildlife rehabilitation center will be able to help with this.
Diarrhea because of eating the wrong formula:
Esbilac is the brand of formula that many use to feed baby squirrels. If you feed the baby squirrel liquid esbilac, and not powdered esbilac, then this can give the baby squirrel diarrhea.
If the liquid formula is what you’ve been feeding your baby squirrel, then you’d need to switch to feeding your baby squirrel the powdered formula.
The differences in the ingredients of these two products can mean the difference between your baby squirrel having diarrhea or not.
Diarrhea because of overfeeding:
Baby squirrels are ravenous, they will eat more than they should and can develop diarrhea because of this. If they overeat they can overheat and can develop diarrhea.
Combat this by feeding the baby only as much feed as it needs for its age and weight.
Hydrating the baby squirrel:
In addition to doing the above, you need to make sure that the baby squirrel stays hydrated. Dehydration can kill a baby squirrel quite quickly so hydration is a must.
Stop feeding the baby squirrel for a couple of feedings and rather hydrate it.
You can hydrate the baby using a homemade rehydration solution. Add a teaspoon of sugar, molasses, or glucose to a cup of warm water to create the homemade rehydration solution.
You can also use Pedialyte to hydrate the squirrel.
Note: If you choose to use Pedialyte to hydrate the squirrel do not use it for more than 24 hours because it contains salt. In addition, do not mix Pedialyte with formula and feed this to your squirrel to hydrate it.
When to see a vet:
Baby squirrels are quite fragile, if the baby’s diarrhea is not treated in good time then the animal can die.
You should take your baby squirrel to a vet if the baby’s diarrhea continues for 24 hours after making the changes listed above. The vet will take a sample of the baby’s stool to have it tested and offer treatment for the baby.
If you can’t get your baby squirrel to a vet immediately then you may need to give the baby a drop of children’s Kaopectate. This will stop the diarrhea for a little bit while you wait to see a vet.
Note: The Kaopectate isn’t a permanent solution, it will only work for one or two doses.
Do baby squirrels poop on their own?
No, baby squirrels cannot poop on their own, well the ones under 5-6 weeks old can’t.
If these animals are being raised in the wild, the mother squirrel will stimulate the baby’s genitals to get the baby to poop. If you’re raising the baby squirrel in captivity, then you’d need to stimulate the squirrel’s genitals to get it to poop.
You need to stimulate the baby squirrel before or after feeding, some people do this both before and after feeding.
Use a warm, damp, cotton ball, or a q tip, to do this. Make sure that what you use is clean, baby squirrels can get diaper rash too.
Stimulation involves patting the baby’s genitals until it urinates. Stroking downwards above the genitals can also help the baby urinate. Pressing the area around the baby’s anus will help it poop.
You may have to stimulate the baby for 5 minutes before anything happens. Make sure that you empty the squirrel’s bladder completely when you stimulate.
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other bird related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Baby Squirrel Twitching In Sleep, Baby Squirrel Bloated Stomach, How To Tell If A Baby Squirrel Is Dehydrated, Baby Squirrel Constipated
