Diarrhoea
- Diarrhoea
- The young animal is not used to the new milk
- Allergic reaction to milk powder
- Poor hygiene
- Stress
- Overfeeding
- New foods
- Candidiasis
- Bacterial diarrhoea
- Coccidiosis
- Worms
Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea is very common in hand-raised animals (don't mistake the toothpaste-like faeces from young suckling animals with diarrhoea). It can occur in animals that do not put on enough weight. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find out why the animal has diarrhoea.
A complication of diarrhoea is a prolapsed rectum. When suffering from diarrhoea, animals can strain so much that their rectum pops out. The animal will need to be treated by a vet, who will prescribe an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory cream. Serious cases may require surgery.
Overview
Diarrhoea is very common in hand-raised animals (don't mistake the toothpaste-like faeces from young suckling animals with diarrhoea). It can occur in animals that do not put on enough weight. Sometimes it can be very difficult to find out why the animal has diarrhoea.
A complication of diarrhoea is a prolapsed rectum. When suffering from diarrhoea, animals can strain so much that their rectum pops out. The animal will need to be treated by a vet, who will prescribe an antibiotic/anti-inflammatory cream. Serious cases may require surgery.
The young animal is not used to the new milk
Young animals may react to new milk powder by getting mild diarrhoea. This tends to settle down within two days.
Allergic reaction to milk powder
Some orphans react to the some brands of milk. If you have ruled out any other causes of diarrhoea or failure to thrive, it is a good idea to change the orphan's milk.
Poor hygiene
Joeys can contract bacterial diarrhoea from poorly disinfected bottles and unclean bedding and pouches. In bad cases, joeys may pass blood clots or black faeces, which contains blood from high in the intestines. This will need to be treated with antibiotics prescribed by a vet. The carer must also practice better hygiene.
Stress
| Being orphaned will stress an animal, which will cause diarrhoea. Having a lot of people look at your orphan or unusual noises or smells can also cause diarrhoea. Try to reduce the amount of stress the animal will experience. |  Joey showing stress lines |
Overfeeding
Too much food can cause an animal to develop diarrhoea. Weigh it and follow the Wombaroo charts if you are using Wombaroo milk replacer or feed it 10-20 percent of its body weight if using other milk types.
New foods
Young animals sometimes get diarrhoea when they start eating solids.
This will settle down within two days. If it does not, stop feeding the baby the food that is causing the diarrhoea.
Candidiasis
This is a yeast infection normally associated with poor hygiene, but can also be seen in very immature animals or animals that have had antibiotics. You may notice white plaques in the animal's mouth or it may have problems sucking. The diarrhoea tends to be a yellow-mustard colour. It will need to go to the vet and be put on an antifungal treatment such as Nystatin.
Bacterial diarrhoea
This is usually the result of poor hygiene, but occasionally it can be passed on by its mother or caused by environmental contamination (especially for animals cared for by people with a lot of animals in their back yard).
Salmonella is a very bad type of bacterial diarrhoea, and you may find your joey dies without any sign of diarrhoea. Often their diarrhoea will be streaked with blood and has a fetid smell. Animals will need to be treated by a vet as soon as possible.
Coccidiosis
| This is a common cause of diarrhoea in eastern grey kangaroos. It is not generally pathogenic in other species. It is passed on by its mother or contracted through overcrowding. The joeys are often lethargic and in pain (hunching over), usually you will get green, smelly, watery diarrhoea, which progressively becomes blood stained. This condition often kills a joey within a few days. |  Grey kangaroo with coccidiosis |
Worms
These rarely cause diarrhoea in hand-reared animals, as most young orphaned animals will not come in contact with contaminated faeces. A vet can test their faeces for worm eggs and they can be treated with a worming paste or tables.
Last updated: 13 January 2005