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[Peaches]

Can someone please PM me the dose for injectable calcium in a squirrel. 12 weeks old, seizing.

[Pam]

Peaches, I emailed a rehabber to see if they could help you with a dosage.

[PBluejay2]

Can you give me what kind of injectable calcium?

[Peaches]

Calcium gluconate 10%

[PBluejay2]

My book says "calcium gluconate--starting dose--0.25-0.75 ml/lb of 10% calcium gluconate< intravenously, at 1 ml/min, or in 5% dextrose solution slowly IV. Maintenance dose--5-7.5 ml/lb, given over 24 hours or as needed according to blood calcium levels, or calcium gluconate 10% solution diluted 1:1 in saline: .5-1 ml/lb, by injection under the skin 3 times a day"Hope this helps.

[Peaches]

Thank you so much. Sorry for the short post but have baby in my arms. Just came in, person had for 2 months and never gave formula. Was going to release into yard today but I stopped her and by the time she gave her to me she was shaking and started seizing within minutes.
More specific later.
Thanks again

[Peaches]

Whew, now I can post a more informative post. Thanks PBJ2 and Pam for your quick response, I think it saved this baby but we are not out of the woods yet.
This woman found this baby girl at 4 weeks of age and has been feeding her avacodos, special K cereal and corn, no formula of any kind ever. As if this isnt bad enough she "released" her onto the street on Halloween and left her there all morning. I'm not even sure why she called me but I told her she cant leave her out there like that and she just kept saying "its ok she's a squirrel" I begged her to bring her to me and she finally said ok but 2 hours later still had not. I called her back and she said Bushy tail is back in the house but she's shaking. I knew she was in big trouble and told her to get her to me right away. She came in twitching, rapid breathing and tachy cardia. I ran for my wildlife dosage book and found someone had knocked it into the mop bucket and you couldnt seperate the pages without ripping them. I managed to get a tums in her before she started full out seizing. It took a few hours, two tums and an injection of calcium to get her sitting upright again. I actually sent a client out to get Esbilac because I didnt have any with me lol. This wonderful woman ran out the door and was back in about 10 minutes with it. Right now Bushy tail is laying down in a upright position eyeing me suspisously lol. I hope she makes it, she's so cute.
Again I'm sorry about the short, blunt posts earlier but I had a client typing for me while I treated Bushy tail. Thanks again, I'll keep you posted on her.

[island rehabber]

Peaches what a horrible story, this poor squirrel!! I hope to God you can save her. I'm so glad PBJ2 was here with speedy info for you :bowdown ,

[Peaches]

Yippy :wahoo
Bushy Tail is standing up this morning and eating. Still a bit wobbly on the rears but definatly on her way to better. I had her in a cat carrier in my bed last night because she was so critical, I woke up this morning to her hanging on the cage door peeing on my shoulder lol. I moved her to a short cage up against my other over winter babies cage. She seems so happy to meet other squirrels.
Thanks again for the help. We can move Bushy Tail out of emergency and I will post pictures as soon as I figure out how to shrink them lol.

[Jackie in Tampa]

TSB rocks again! GREAT TEAM work!
Peaches...it is wonderful knowing you are so 'There' for the sqs!:bowdown
and fast acting!!!!!!!!!:bowdown

I was watching and had sent good energy to you guys!
Glad she made it!:thumbsup

I have found that molasses on the gums is very fast acting especially with calcium deficient seizures.
I have been told, EVERY seizure depletes calcium from the brain to some extent...
If stacked on top of low calcium...seizures can cause instant brain death.
I have been amazed with immediate response I get with molasses...
I am not saying it is right in critical care, but once the sq is stable, and you feel seizing maybe about to happen, have it handy.
I also dilute with water and syringe feed emaciated babies molasses as one of my oral Life saving solutions.

again, happy BushyTails is better. :wahoo

[island rehabber]

Yay Bushy Tail & TSB team!! I will very gladly move this thread out of Emergency....Peaches I'll put you in the Squirrel Infirmary so we can all keep track of her....

[Peaches]

Thanks for that tip Jackie, I did not know that seizures sap calcium from the brain. I was mostly worried about her heart stopping. In my opinion when they are that critical try anything. Last year I had one come to me in a coma. I stomach tubed her and started pouring anything handy down that tube. She got 6cc of Esbilac, 2 tums, 1cc of parrot vitamins (loaded with calcium) Pancake syrup, some powdered turtle calcium and a little dextrose lol. Amazingly she was walking and alert 12 hours later. When in doubt give anything containing vitamins, calcium and sugar lol.
TSB does rock, everyone was amazed that I got a response at all to the dose question, they were completely blown away that it came so fast.
Even the clients in the waiting room were scampering to help, one ran out for formula, another was typing for me, still another was setting up a carrier with fleecies and heating pad. I believe fate brought little Bushy Tail to me. Had she been released a day earlier she would have scampered off and died alone outside. I'm not even sure why this woman called me in the first place since she had no intention of bringing me this squirrel. Had to be fate.
She's still hopping like a bunny when she walks but she is very active, eating and getting to know her future cage mates through the bars. I hope she continues to take the Esbilac for a few weeks longer, its the best way I know to get solid nutrition into her. So far she's ignoring the blocks.

[Peaches]

Miss Bushy Tail is doing great, She still hops more like a bunny than a squirrel but she is running around and playing normal. I have to question her age though. The woman who brought her to me said she had her for 2 1/2 months and she was about 4 weeks then. To me she looks like she's only about 8 weeks now, maybe poor nutrition stunted her growth but I'm not so sure. I have her on formula and will keep her on it as long as she will take it. I feel bad that she cant play with the other babies but they are larger than her and play very rough, her cage is right up against theirs so she can play footsies through the bars. She really loves her veggies but is turning her nose up at blocks.

[4skwerlz]

Nothing sadder than a young squirrel with MBD....God knows what other deficiencies she has. :shakehead

I'm not a rehabber, but if you don't mind I'll just throw in that she probably needs supplemental calcium orally throughout the day in small doses to keep her blood calcium levels up.

It's nice to know she's in your hands though.:grouphug

EDIT: Naughty girl not liking her blocks? :nono J/K

[PBluejay2]

Since you have access, I think it advisable to get a fecal done on her to check for parasites. She needs all the strength she has to get better without her body trying to fight those things also.