Loose poops and worried human

[Raindog]

Hi. My hedgie Quinn is having loose, runny poops right now. On Wednesday I gave him a couple of wax worms because he no longer eats mealworms. He is almost 4 and is loosing his teeth and I read on another thread that another toothless hedgie will eat the wax worms. It is the first time he has had them. Also I started watering down his normal kibble to soften it so he will have an easier time eating. So Wednesday night he ate the worms and ate the kibble. Sometime between Friday morning and 11:30 Friday night when I found him, the loose stool started. Is it likely that it is from the wax worms even though it was over 24 hours since he ate them? Could it be caused from watering down the kibble? I'm going to try to get a vet appointment for early next week. I was also planning to take him to the Hedgie show in WI this upcoming weekend. Now I don't know if it is a good idea. I am very worried about him.

 

[Kalandra]

Are the stools just loose but of normal quantity?

The cause is likely both. Cooper is my toothless boy and when we first started wetting his food he got watery and runny stools from it. A lot of it seems to be because there is a lot more moisture in his diet. I reduced the amount of water I was putting in his food until I finally found just the right amount that will soften his food so that he can eat it, and his stools improved. Given time, and some acidolphilus, his GI finally settled down and his stools firmed up. He now has firmer stools. They are still softer than the girls have, but they are normal stool shape. However, they do still contain a lot of moisture based on the "moisture" ring that appears around them when they sit on the liners over night.

Waxworms are a fatty food. If you give too many, they can upset the GI. This can happen with just about any new food though.. When I first got them for Cooper & gave one each to the girls so that they could try them. Rose had a runny stool that night. But was normal later.

 

[Raindog]

Thanks for your reply. I think its normal quantity, just very soft. How do you fix Cooper's food? Do you put water in and then pour it off? Do you crunch it up first? How much acidolphilus do you give?

 

[Kalandra]

The amount of water may depend a lot of the kibble you are feeding. You will need to play with it a bit to determine the right amount for the foods you feed.

Cooper eats a mix of Fromm mature gold, Felidae, Innova & Katz-n-floken. He gets 1 tablespoon of kibble, and 1/2 teaspoon of water. I put the kibble in first, and pour the water over top of the kibble. I let it sit while I prepare the girls food (which takes a while because Rose is on a special diet that takes time to prepare all her supplements). After I finish with their food, I give his a little shake to move the food and water around again. I also add a little canned cat food to the top of the kibble.

He will eat the canned cat food first and by the time he is done with that the kibble typically has soaked up enough water that he can eat it.

In the morning, I remove any remaining food, and give him a teaspoon of canned cat food for breakfast. Sometimes he eats it, other times he doesn't.

Now I will note that the above is a lot of food. Cooper has always needed a lot to maintain his weight and he has never eaten all of it. He has come close a couple of times, so I try to give him plenty to ensure he has what he wants/needs.

As to the acidolphilus... its real technical... I give a pinch. I break open a capsule and sprinkle a little on. No measurement. Some days he gets more than others.

 

[Raindog]

Thank you so much for your help. I feel so bad, I put so much water in his food last night. Tonight I only put in a little. I watched him eat and he only spit out a couple of bites. Hopefully it will help. I feel so much better after reading your reply, I think I might sleep tonight. Thank you again. :hug2:

 

[Kalandra]

I should note, occasionally I will add a little more water, it really depends on the make up of kibble in the bowl. It was hard at first, but over time I have just learned what to watch for and if it is going to need more for Cooper. But these kibbles will soften with just a small amount of water. Any extra and they tend to swell up and all that extra fluid goes right through them.

If your little one has some teeth, use less water. He won't need it as mushy as Cooper does.