10 day old pup (baby mouse) with diarrhea

Question
I found this little guy a couple days ago abandoned by his mother and i did not have the heart just to leave him in the crying in the grass so i took him home. He is eating well, very active and has a nice looking coat. I feed him kitten formula round the clock every 2 hours. The only problem i am seeing is that he has diarrhea and his rear end is really irritated. He hates it when i go near it to stimulate him to poop and pee ( even though he seems to be doing it all mostly on his own) I am wondering if i should buy some pedialyte, i hate seeing his butt so red and painful from the diarrhea. His poop is the normal yellowish orange color and he had normal poops the first day i had him. Please let me know :)

Answer
Hi Kiley,

If he is going to the bathroom on his own, you may not need to stimulate him at all.  He really only needs help if he isn't already peeing and pooping reliably on his own.

The first couple of days on formula can be rough on a pup's digestive system - the sudden change causes diarrhea which should normalize on its own within a few days.  Pedialyte can certainly help the transition and keep him hydrated, though, so it's a good idea - you can mix this into the formula you are already feeding.

Have his eyes opened yet?  You may also want to try leaving dry mouse food in the cage such as a mix or blocks so he can start exploring it.  It sounds like he's eating quite a lot, and even though he needs formula regularly until he can learn to use a water bottle or find other moisture, giving him solids may help stabilize his digestive system and be an excellent supplement.

It sounds like you are doing a great job so far - let me know if I can help with anything else!  :)
-Tam