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Why is my flying squirrel's coat greasy and losing hair? Is it diet?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Exotic | Unknown - Exotic | Female | unspayed | 1 year and 11 months old | 2 lbs

I have a northern flying squirrel. Her coat is greasy and shes losing a lot of hair. She is eating and drinking normally. Shes acting fine but looks like crap? I need help. Is this normal should I be worried?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Dr. Strydom, DVM

Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on July 28th, 2019

This is most likely diet related. I don't know what you are feeding her but I would suggest you review what you are feeding and make sure it is a correctly balanced diet. Almost every medical issue we see with these guys is due to improper diet. A good flying squirrel diet consists of a combination of fresh nuts and fruits.

* Nuts may include peanuts, pecans or walnuts.

* At least 40% of their diet should be fresh fruit. Fresh fruits may include apples, grapes, oranges, peaches, pears or plums.

* Other foods that may be included in their diet are carrots, mealworms and sunflower seeds.

* A commercial flying squirrel food made by Brisky should also be used.

( https://brisky.com/index.php?_route_=flying-squirrel-diet )

* Provide water in an open container, not a water bottle.

* A spool of rabbit salt should be kept available at all times.

Hope this helps. If you have more questions you can always opt for a private consultation where we can chat back and forth. That way you can ask as many questions as you'd like. Best wishes.
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