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| Problem |
Symptoms |
Causes |
Solutions |
| Dehydration |
- Sunken eyes
- Skin tents
- Dry, scaly skin
- Pale mucous membranes
- Lethargic
- Dirt in and around mouth
|
- Separation from mother
- Too much heat
- Insufficient humidity
- Formula too concentrated
- Feeding before rehydrated
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- Monitor heat, humidity
- Accurately measure formula
- Stop formula and offer rehydrating solution overnext 12-24 hours, thengradually add formula
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| Hypothermia |
|
- Exposed to elements
- Unable to thermoregulate
- Insufficient heat source
|
- Warm infant by placing near but not directly against heat source
- Monitor temperature
- Provide layers of ravel-free bedding
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| Bloat |
- Distended abdomen
- Uncomfortable
- Lethargic
- Not urinating or defecating
|
- Over feeding
- Too frequent feedings
- Feeding cow’s milk
- Spoiled formula
- Failure to stimulate orphan to urinate and defecate
- Unable to urinate or defecate
- Punctured bladder
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- Feed smaller amounts
- Warm infant before feedings
- Warm infant, gently stroke abdomen
- Do not let formula sit out at room temperature, refrigerate
- Do not reheat unused formula, discard
- Stop formula feeding and administer rehydrating solution for 12-24 hours, then gradually add formula
- ALWAYS stimulate infant to urinate/defecate before or after feeding! Rub genital area with cotton ball moistened with warm water
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| Diarrhea |
|
- Feeding cow’s milk
- Spoiled formula
- Formula too concentrated
- Dirty feeding utensils
- Parasites
|
- Same as above
- Sterilize feeding utensils after each use
- Deworm (Contact O.S.U.S. if unsure about deworming recommendations)
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| Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD) |
- Difficulty walking (frog-like)
- Inability to grip
- Fragile, broken bones
- Deformities
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- Poor diet
- Insufficient dietary calcium
- Improper Ca:P ratio
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- Feed high quality, balanced diet with sufficient Ca and proper Ca:P ratio
- Supportive care
- See veterinarian if moderate to severe
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Cannibalism
(Rare) |
- Eating other opossums
- May also self-mutilate
- Pay particular attention to chewed ears, tail, toes
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- Poor husbandry
- Overcrowding
- Stress
- Inadequate diet
- Improper diet
- Placing injured opossum with healthy
- Mixing different sizes
- Sick opossum
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- Provide sufficient food
- Do not overcrowd
- Minimize stress
- After eyes open, use caution when mixing litters
- Watch for problems and signs of aggression, listen for “cacking” sounds, separate immediately
- NEVER place injured animal in cage with others!
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