No upper teeth - doomed?

[MH2008]

Hi,

I've been nursing a squirrel I found on my front door back to health the last 4 days. He has clicking and was completely limp - so I read on this forum: pneumonia. He also had a bloody mouth. I put him on antibiotics and fed him blended fruit and water via a syringe to the mouth, daily. Hes recovering strength, however, he still won't eat or drink on his own, but is more vigorous when I pick him up, a good sign.

I noticed a serious thing. When i would give him solid food he would try to gnaw on it and most of it would just fall out (this is with me basically putting the food in his mouth). Then I noticed why: His upper teeth are completely gone, there is only a tiny little bone left sticking out barely visible. His bottom teeth meanwhile are growing too long - I think.

The story is starting to come together. He obvioulsy had some accident that knocked out his teeth and thats why he couldn't eat and got sick. That explains the bloody mouth when I found him.

So quickly now, I obviously can keep him alive by feeding him everyday but is this little bugger doomed? Can he regrow upper teeth after having them completely knocked out? And if so how long will that take? Thanks.

Also I know nothing about squirrels so I can't put an age on him. To me he seems like a small adult, maybe a teenager. I was thinking of posting picture so y'all could ID him. I live in Montreal. If hes a geezer maybe the best thing is euthanasia, but if hes a youngster maybe its worth it to see if he regrows teeth.

Any advice will be read & considered,

Thanks,

Martin

[Mars]

:wave123 :Welcome :wave123

Pictures would be very helpful. :) If you can keep the lower teeth properly trimmed while the uppers grow back there is a chance they will aline. But without x rays it's impossible to predict if the uppers are still there. Babies go through a stage where they are teething - just shredding their food and not really getting alot eaten. Aging your baby will give us a better idea here too.

[MH2008]

Ok I will post pics later today for sure. Gonna try to get some shots with his mouth open too.

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome Pictures will definately help! Hopefully we can get this sorted out and the little one will be okay!

[MH2008]

OK heres some pics. I could not get a pic of his mouth open, I tried. His upper teeth are all gone except for a tiny protruding bone fragment of one of this upper incisors. For the other incisor there is nothing visible.

Link to flickr account with 3 pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26388606@N02/

[4skwerlz]

He's just a baby. You should probably see if he will get back on formula right away. At least being so young, the chances are better his upper toofies will grow back, but the lowers might need trimming until they do. Also, if there's a sharp piece of tooth sticking down, that should be gently trimmed down as well. He's young enough that you should be able to handle him fine. For sure he can't really bite you!

A rehabber should be here shortly to help with the formula issue.

[4skwerlz]

Some more care tips:

This baby needs some cozy bedding--old t shirts work well. Then you'll need a heating pad. Set it on "low" and place it under half the box.

[MH2008]

Thanks for the tips. Gonna work up the courage to handle him without guantlets. Maybe then I can get a pic of the teeth for some expert feedback.

That cardboard box is just to snap him. His real box is my cat transport shuttle, where he has some soft rags, and food & water. I actually put a heating pad in the cage the very first night but then removed it thinking it was warm enough. I could put it back...its not adjustable. I'll go buy an adjustable one so I can get that low setting.

So, hes a young one. That was my inkling, too. Now, its confirmed. Thanks for that.

[4skwerlz]

Thanks for the tips. Gonna work up the courage to handle him without guantlets. Maybe then I can get a pic of the teeth for some expert feedback.

That cardboard box is just to snap him. His real box is my cat transport shuttle, where he has some soft rags, and food & water. I actually put a heating pad in the cage the very first night but then removed it thinking it was warm enough. I could put it back...its not adjustable. I'll go buy an adjustable one so I can get that low setting.

So, hes a young one. That was my inkling, too. Now, its confirmed. Thanks for that.

A rehabber is coming now to help you get some formula into him. He's probably very hungry. Hang on....

[MH2008]

ok

[4skwerlz]

Until Mars gets here, is there a store where you can buy some puppy replacement milk? Esbilac is the best.

[Mars]

Hi

Your baby appears to be about 8 to 10 weeks old.He's at weaning age but would benifit from formula. And soft food for a sore mouth. The formula I use and recommend is Esbilac puppy formula and organic live cultured yogurt. If you buy the liquid esbilac it's mixed 1 part esbilac with 1/2 part yogurt. The liquid Esbilac spoils quickly ( after 72 hours ) so I suggest freezing it using an ice cube tray so you can take out only what you need at a time. If you choose the powdered Esbilac it's 1 part esbilac, 1/2 part yogurt in 2 parts warm water. Remember to warm your formula just as you would for a human baby. Please do not shake or micro wave your formulas.

:thumbsup more in a minute.

[MH2008]

Yes, probably not for today. For tomorrow yes.

[4skwerlz]

Okay, I'm going to leave you with Mars. She'll help you with whatever you need.

Good luck.

[Mars]

Okay - how much to feed - at that age I'm normally feeding either 7% of body weight in grams = cc per feeding not exceeding 15 cc's 3 times a day. That would be for an average grey squirrel weighing in at around 200 grams.

Think soft food. Water melon, blue berries, small piece of banana and also from the baby section at the food store look for both fruits and vegtables.

More ideas to come.:)

[MH2008]

Thanks. I understand exactly and will follow that exactly. Two questions:

1) Assuming he's still not drinking any water from the bowl, how much water in CC should i feed him.

2) Right now I'm giving him complete darkness at night(towel over shuttle) and putting him near a window during the day for some sunlight, is that ok? He can always go under the covers...

[Mars]

Baby is old enough not to need heat all day but may still enjoy to snuggle at night. Just make sure there is a warm spot and a cooler spot so he can more on or off the heat as needed.

Water can be provided in a swallow bowl or by a water bottle. Put rather large ( so they can't be swallowed ) clean pebbles in the bottom of the bowl and let the water just cover them . This helps them learn to use the bowl without to much sputtering. As they figure it out the pebbles can be removed.

[Mars]

Thanks. I understand exactly and will follow that exactly. Two questions:

1) Assuming he's still not drinking any water from the bowl, how much water in CC should i feed him. During rehydration I use pedilyte and use the 5% rule. 5% of body weight in grams = cc of fluids every couple of hours depending on how dehydrated they are. Pedilyte is safe to use over the short term but should be discontinued after 72 hours and never used over the long term.

2) Right now I'm giving him complete darkness at night(towel over shuttle) and putting him near a window during the day for some sunlight, is that ok? He can always go under the covers...

This should be fine. :) He will want some exercise as he is feeling better and will need either a large cage or free run time in a squirrel proof room.

[MH2008]

Thanks for all the info. I just realized its thursday so I can get all the supplies tonight (Montreal store hours thing). I'm on a mission. Will check back and report back. Thanks Mars.

[Mars]

Any questions just yell !!! :thumbsup Someone will be on to help. :)

[MH2008]

Just an update.

I did everything suggested incl. formula, new cage w heater, etc.

The lil bugger is doing well. He's got a ton of strength now compared with before. He started to eat apples on his own. And one of his upper teeth is growing back, so at worst he'll be missing only one upper. His lowers look fine. He poops...

He still sneezes & sniffles some, but no clicking. I'm finishing up the antibiotics soon.

And he still hates me (which is fine), but he is always cowering in the cage. He is not getting any exercise. I let him loose in a room, but he cowered in a corner. I don't want to leave him unsupervised in a room. Oh well, one thing at a time.

So the question now is when/how to release?

Thanks

[Abacat]

And he still hates me (which is fine), but he is always cowering in the cage. MH2008, I doubt if he hates you...sounds like the poor guy is scared. At that age, typically they start the "teenage adolescent" behavior. Example: Charging you as you try to put your hand in the cage, or may not want to be held for feeding, you can try feeding him through the cage bars.

Deciding at what age to release is not really important, it's more their behavior and skills. They must be healthy, and strong, have the appropriate response to humans and domestic animals, be able to search for food... many things to think about before releasing.

I usually do a soft release, having them in a release cage (outdoors) to get re-acquainted with the sights, sounds, climate of the outdoors. (As well as to interact with the "natives" from the safety and comfort of a cage.) You can also release with just a nestbox (when they are ready), providing food for a few days after release.. There's time to discuss that, plenty of good reading here. :)

We're all here to help you. Some things to consider, do you have proper forage on your property to support the current squirrel population? Do you have alot of squirrels? If you do have alot of squirrels and not alot of food sources it may be best to look for alternate sights. They need food, shelter, and a year round source of water, it needs to be suitable habitat for the species. Like Mars said, yell if you need help or have any questions...

And :Welcome , that little guy is a cutie! ;) Good luck, please keep us posted. :D

[Loopy Squirrel]

You may have to hold on to him a little longer to make sure his teeth grow in and align properly. You want to make sure he'll be able to crack nuts, chew branches, etc..

[MH2008]

Thanks again for the wisdom. And I must say this site is a repository for invaluable information.

Theres not many trees near where I live (its downtown in a dense neighborhood), but there are alot of squirrels. So they gotta be living somewhere. Theres also a park near my house (for Montrealers I'm referring to none other than Mount Royal, the cities namesake) where there are a million trees and a million squirrels, which seems to me right now the best destination for him, when he is ready and releasable ofcourse.

In the mean time I will continue to absorb more knowledge from this site and continue to do my best to prepare him for an exciting life outside a cage.

I'm hoping I am competely *wrong* about my worries regarding his teeth. Expect those pictures I promised sometime in the next few days.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:wave123 Still waiting for pics...how are you ?

[MH2008]

I got good news. Both his upper teeth are growing back. Gonna take some pics tonight.

[4skwerlz]

Fantastic news! Excellent job. :thumbsup How is he otherwise?

[MH2008]

Fantastic news! Excellent job. :thumbsup How is he otherwise?

As far as I can tell he is 100% in every way. He will eat every fruit that I place in his cage (apples, blackberry, grapes, bananas), and his appetite for formula is unending. He has become super strong and his nails are growing fast and sharp (I have scratches). And when I let him free roam in a room its becoming really challenging catching him again, hes fast and vigorous.

I will slowly introduce other harder foods such as nuts etc, and see what he takes.

I couldn't get pics of his teeth (but trust me they're all there, and growing fast). But a promise is a promise, so here's some more pics in my flickr photostream:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26388606@N02/

[4skwerlz]

He's adorable and looks a lot livelier now! A good appetite is a great sign. You really have done a wonderful job with him. :thumbsup :bowdown

[secretsmom]

He is so cute!! What a great job you did nursing him back to health!! Lucky boy to have found you!!

[CorgiLover]

Thanks again for the wisdom. And I must say this site is a repository for invaluable information.

Oh man, you have no idea. This place is AMAZING!!! I was so happy to find TSB. I felt like Charlie in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory! :multi

[Sciurus1]

Hi, just wondering, seeing him in a box, if you have a large cage for a proper habitat? If you don't, our members can help you with what that is. Not sure if this guy will be released, but should not be released before his teeth grow back in. Blessings!

[4skwerlz]

Hi, just wondering, seeing him in a box, if you have a large cage for a proper habitat? If you don't, our members can help you with what that is. Not sure if this guy will be released, but should not be released before his teeth grow back in. Blessings!

MH2008 posted earlier that he only put him in the cardboard box so he could take the picture. The squirrel was being kept in a carrier, but now has a new cage.

[Sciurus1]

Sorry, I missed that; thanks for sharing! This is so wonderful, he has a cage already!! So glad to hear that he is being taken such good care of! Very commendable indeed!! mjs


P.S. Post #23, simply excellent! :thumbsup

[Abacat]

:wave123 Martin
Just wondering how your little fuzzy friend is doing? How are his teeth looking?

LOL about the scratches, I used to think they had "Freddy Kruger" claws, in case you don't know who he is, just take my word that they are razor sharp.
Wear long sleeves, it helps. ;)

That park you were talking about sounds nice. Have you given anymore thought to his release?