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Thread: Sick Squirrel

  1. #1
    Nutters_mom Guest

    Question Sick Squirrel

    Hello, I just found this board today, and am so glad I did!! I just wish I would have found it sooner.

    My problem is, I have a 5 year old squirrel named Nutters, this morning when I went to feed him he was lying on his nesting box almost lifeless. His eyes are crusty. I can get him to drink water, but he won't get up and move. He has never been sick and always healthy. The only thing that has changed in his diet was that I gave him some acorns, but I have done that every fall with him. If any one has any suggestions please let me know.

    Thanks

  2. #2
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    nutters mom, welcome to The Squirrel Board although I'm sorry it's under these circumstances. Tell me what your squirrel's diet is like, other than the acorns -- what does he eat on a daily basis?
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  3. #3
    Nutters_mom Guest

    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    He eats monkey bisquits, unsalted peanuts, fruits and veggies, spinach greens, I try to keep a balanced diet for him.

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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    welcome.

    did this just happened overnight??? with the crusty eyes?? Hard to know from your description. Is it conjunctivitis??? can you take him to a vet if you arein a squirrel friendly state. Can you post pics of his eyes?? GB

  5. #5
    Nutters_mom Guest

    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Yes this happened over night, he was fine yesterday. Here are a couple pictures, not sure if you will be able to tell anything from them. I don't want to distrub him to much. We also don't have a vet in this area that will treat squirrel's. Thanks




  6. #6
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by Nutters_mom
    He eats monkey bisquits, unsalted peanuts, fruits and veggies, spinach greens, I try to keep a balanced diet for him.
    I'm so sorry your baby is sick; you must be terrified.

    Can you be more specific about Nutter's diet? How many monkey biscuits per day, how many peanuts, etc? Is spinach a daily item? Also, what other foods does he eat?

    Have there been any changes to his environment? Has he been outside? Any chemical treatments for pests, etc., in or around your house?

    Also, have there been any other symptoms, even mild ones, before this? Gradual loss of appetite or seeming to sleep more?

    Do you have any way of taking Nutter's temperature? A rectal thermometer will work if he will let you do that, but a digital ear thermometer is of course a lot easier. This would help rule out infection.
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  7. #7
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Welcome, NM, and I'm sorry Nutters is ill.Do you check his teeth to make sure they are okay ? Indoor squirrels have a lot of dental issues with maloclusion and overgrown teeth.

    I couldn't find a photo right away of a normal squirrel's mouth,but the top2 front teeth should be straight and rather short.The bottom 2 front teeth should be straight and longer to meet up with the top teeth, and they should be an orangy color.

    Hopefully someone can post a pic of normal teeth.Dental issues can cause nasal and eye symptoms including weepy and crusty eye as well as inability to eat. Please look in Nutter's mouth and make sure his teeth are not overgrown.

    to Nutter

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  8. #8
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Normal teeth:
    Name:  normalteethlength.jpg
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    Normal teeth in a young squirrel:
    Name:  young squirrel norm.jpg
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Size:  19.0 KB
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Cant tell much from looking at the pics. Perhaps the acorns were contaminated and the contaminant (poison ivy???) got transferred on his eyes??

    Is there some milky fluid around his eyes?? If it is something could be irratating his eyes or it could even be nasal i.e I have seen when wild squirrels get an irratation in their mouth, they clean their nose and theyt get milky discharge around their eyes. Sorry cant be of much help to you at the moment

  10. #10
    Nutters_mom Guest

    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Thank you all for your answers!!

    Nutters is still taking water, and I have been wiping his eyes with a warm wet towel. He is a bit more alert, so I am hoping that continues. I am going to get him settled in for the night. Again thanks and I will let you know how he is doing in the morning.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    Quote Originally Posted by Nutters_mom
    He is a bit more alert, so I am hoping that continues.
    Me too. C'mon Nutters, get well for Momma.

  12. #12
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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    How's Nutters this mornig. Just a long shot, do you think he may have mange. I doubt it but just keep an eye (no pun intended) on him

    GB

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    Default Re: Sick Squirrel

    This is about rats, but squirrels may well be prone to the same kind of infection. The "porphyrin staining" refers to a red discharge from the eyes/nose.

    Mycoplasma and the Evolution into a Deadly Respiratory Disease

    In a healthy rat, the mycoplasma bacteria is not particularly disruptive. A rat with a robust immune system will experience no ill effects from the bacteria, which are kept in check by the healthy rat's immune system.

    Sneezing is more common in rats with mycoplasma and in the case of a minor infection, porphyrin staining and sneezing are likely to be the only noticeable symptoms in the rat. If sneezing and porphyrin staining are observed, a visit to a small animal veterinarian is required for a round of antibiotics. The rat can often live with a low-level infection, but the rat will be at very high risk of developing a deadly respiratory infection at any time.

    Mycoplasma poses the most serious health risks to a rat when stressors come into play. Emotional or mental stress, such as that which is caused by a move to a new home or the addition of a new cage mate, places stress on the body and this, in turn, stresses the immune system, making it less capable of keeping the mycoplasma in check. A stressed rat is going to be more prone to developing a secondary infection, and once a secondary infection has moved in, this places serious stress on the rat's body, and the mycoplasma bactera will start to multiply and spread. This is when symptoms of respiratory illness begin to become apparent.

    Notably, even a healthy, unstressed rat can fall ill when exposed to the right bacteria or virus, and when this occurs, the end result is the same - a rat with a respiratory infection.

    Once the mycoplasma bacteria multiplies and spreads, the rat will begin to experience symptoms like sneezing, coughing, labored breathing, nasal discharge, porphyrin staining on the nose and eyes, lethargy, irritability, weight loss and poor appetite.

    Treatment for Mycoplasma in Rats

    When treated in its early stages (i.e. when only sneezing and porphyrin staining are present), mycoplasma is a very treatable illness. But when other visible signs of respiratory infection are seen in the rat, the chances of recovery plummet.

    Mycoplasma does not respond to antibiotic treatment in a reliable manner, and this means that a veterinarian may have to prescribe several different antibiotics until the rat responds favorably to the treatment. Each infection is slightly different and each rat is slightly different, therefore a drug that's successful in treating a rat on one occasion may be unsuccessful in that same rat later in life. Mycoplasma's lack of reliability in response to antibiotics makes trial and error a necessary component of treatment and in a critically ill rat, there is simply not enough time and the rat succumbs to pneumonia before the proper combination of antibiotics is found.

    Some of the most successful drugs for treating mycoplasma include Baytril, Doxycycline, Baytril combined with Doxycycline, and Tetracycline.

    In sum, it's vital to treat a rat for respiratory illness as soon as symptoms arise - delaying treatment will place the rat at a high risk of mortality from mycoplasma or a secondary infection.


    Read more: http://pet-diseases.suite101.com/art...#ixzz0Qi1y6FQo
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