Help needed! Japanese squirrel

[Adrienn]

We have a young sick japanese squirrel-girl.
Symptoms are yellow to green coloured laxity, not feeding, enervation, vomiting (white), but she is drinking.
We were already been at the doctor, and she got an injection. For some days she felt better, eating, playing, etc. Her defaction became extreme green and then brownish. Now it is again more yellow (and fluid), and she is not eating.
Please help us, because the vet is not a squirrel expert.

[Mars]

Do you know what the vet gave her?? My guess is it was normasol or lactated Ringers??? IT is possible your baby has a virus and you maybe in for a fight. Can you get pedilyte? How about Ensure or some thing along that line?? Can you get Homeopathic remedies? Sorry so many questions. Hopefully, we can come up with something to help.

[fritzp]

I am guessing this baby is on formula? If so stop giving any formula emmediately. Just offer fluids-pedialyte if you have it or any equivalent electrolyte solution. Does the diarrhea smell foul? If so it is probably a bacterial infection and Baytril would be called for. If it is just watery with a normal "poop" smell then it is more likely due to the formula or overfeeding. Formula should not be started again until feces start to get firm, then start with formula diluted 1/2 with water. Have you actually seen her vomit? That is very unusual in a squirrel. If you give more history I might be able to guess more.

[Adrienn]

Hi,
Thank you for the fast reply!
She is already a few month old, see the pic.
Unfortunately, I don't know the name of the injection, but the vet said, it will work for two weeks, and we'll see... This is the second time she has this problem in ca. a month. First time she got 3 injections for 3 days, after it the sympthoms disappeared. But now they are back.
I think we can get all those things you mentioned.

What do you think,can it be because of food? Before she got sick the second time, she ate more walnuts as usually.

http://www.livo.hu/14_2.jpg

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

To me its sounds like an infection and perhaps the antibiotics weren't given for a long enough period either that or a parasite, if not the walnuts themself. If you can find out what meds from the vet it would be helpful.

What does she normally eat on a daily basis?
Is she eating or drinking "anything" at all?
When you say she is spitting up "white" is it from something she ate or an unfamiliar look?

Also the walnuts could have been contaminated or raw with some fungus on them etc. I would cut the walnuts out completely in the mean time and offer some acidophilus (health food store) with the other things she eats as well as pedialyte.

[Adrienn]

Yes, I saw her vomitting just a few hours ago. (And also last time, she was ill.)
The diarrhea is odourless when it is yellowish, and smelly when it become green-coloured.

[Mars]

IS her tummy tender to the touch? Does she seem sore or straining to go poop? Or is it just coming out of her? Does her urine have a color or odor too?

She is a beautiful girl :Love_Icon

[Apple Corps]

Adrienn - she is beautiful.

Many questions so we can help you:

What exactly are you feeding her / how much / how frequently? Tell us about her normal diet.

How much sunshine (direct - not through a glass window) does she get each day?

Examine her feces for any sign of worms or worm eggs.

[Adrienn]

We can ask the vet tomorrow about the medicine.
After our second visit at the doc, we stop giving her walnuts. (But she got hazelnuts, could it be problem?)

Normally she eats food specially for squirrels (= corn, dried fruits and vegetables, sunflower seed, peanut, other seeds), fresh fruits (not every day).
Now she drinks water, but not eating. She ate some apple in the morning... she would eat it any time, but we do not give her because of the diarrhea.

The spit was an unfamiliar look.

Mars:
When she come out from her house, she just sitting on our shoulder,and do not let me to pick her up with my hand. So I can say she is tender to touch at all. But she does not seem straining to go poop.

[Apple Corps]

First of all - and this may or may not be the problem - that diet is horrible.

Stop the peanuts and sunflower seeds and corn now. Hazelnuts are one of the better nuts for her to eat but not too many.

Fuzzers need sunlight to properly process calcium in the body.

SECOND DRAFT
Healthy Diet for Pet Squirrels
(Revised March 12, 2008)

You squirrel needs a balanced diet containing protein, fat, and vitamins and minerals, including lots of calcium. Feed a variety of foods from each category in the amounts indicated. Note: Amounts are for a 450-gram (1 pound) squirrel, and should be adjusted as necessary depending on your squirrel’s weight. For squirrels that are older, overweight, or less active, you should limit foods that are higher in sugars, starches, and fat.

1. Rodent Block—2-4 small blocks per day. Below are two of the best:
Harlan Teklad 2014 and 2018 Rodent Diets. The cadillac of rodent chows. Vegetarian formulas contain no preservatives, phytoestrogens, or nitrosamines. The 2014 is a low-fat, low-protein formula suitable for older squirrels. The 2018 is for growing squirrels (under 18 months old). Store in the refrigerator. $5.00 for 5 lbs at the Crafty Rat:
http://www.craftyrat.com/Merchant2/m...tegory_Code=FS

KayTee Forti-Diet for Rats and Mice. A tasty vegetarian rodent diet available at pet stores. If you’re having trouble getting your squirrel to eat blocks, it can be a good choice. Does contain added sugars such as molasses, as well as preservatives for long shelf life. $3.47 for 2 lbs at Petco:
http://www.petco.com/product/5906/Ka...-Rat-Food.aspx
2. High-Calcium Vegetables—5-7 thumb-sized pieces per day. arugula, beet greens, Belgian endive, carrots, celery, chicory, chinese cabbage (bok choy), cilantro (fresh), chrysanthemum flowers, collard greens, dandelion greens, fennel, kale, lettuce (looseleaf), mustard spinach, parsley (fresh), purslane, radishes, romaine lettuce, squash (butternut; raw or cooked), swiss chard, turnip greens, watercress.

3. Other Healthy Veggies—2-3 pieces per day. asparagus, artichokes, avocado**, bell peppers (green, red, or yellow), beans (snap), broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, green beans, mushrooms (1 per week), okra, pumpkin, squash (all types; cooked or raw), sugar snap peas, sweet potato* (cooked), zucchini.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
**High in fat
Avoid: beans, dried vegetables, fresh corn, garlic, onion, palm hearts, peas, potatoes, soybeans, sprouts, yams

4. Natural Foods—Unlimited while in season. Acorns, magnolia cones, pine cones, pine branches and bark, branch tips of nontoxic trees, roses from your garden, wild rose hips, purslane, plaintain, lambs quarters, and dandelion greens can be gathered fresh daily. Look to see what the wild squirrels are eating in your area. Always make sure the area hasn’t been sprayed, fertilized, or treated with any chemicals.

5. Animal Protein. Live or dried mealworms, crickets, or live moths (2 per day). Another option is eggs (hard-boiled or scrambled, with the shell) (1 tsp. per day) or dairy products like plain yogurt mashed with some fruit (1 tsp. per day). Mealworms are available from pet stores and online at http://www.exoticnutrition.com/Treat-Department.htm

6. Fruit—2 slices per day. apple, apricot, bananas,* blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, cherries* (sweet), cherries (sour), crabapples,* cranberries, grapefruit, grapes,* honeydew, kiwi, kumquats, lemon, lime, mangos,* navel oranges, nectarines, papaya, passion fruit,* peaches, pears, pineapple, pomegranates,* raspberries, strawberries, watermelon.
*Somewhat higher in sugars/starches
Avoid: dates, dried fruit of any kind, figs, persimmons, plums, prunes, raisins

7. Nuts—Two per day, preferably in the shell.
Acorns, whole roasted pumpkin seeds, and almonds are the healthiest, followed by hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, English walnuts, pecans, pistachios, and peanuts, in that order. Unlike other nuts/seeds, sesame seeds are an excellent source of calcium.
Avoid: Cashews, sunflower seeds, dried corn, pine nuts (will cause severe calcium loss).

8. Something to Chew On. Antlers, tree branches, sea shells, cuttlebones, or a walnut-sized rock from outdoors provide trace minerals and keep teeth from overgrowing.

Foods to Avoid Generally
-Packaged “squirrel food,” “pet treats,” or seed mixes.
-Starchy foods: pasta, bread, grains, seeds, rice, potatoes.
-Sugary foods: candy, cookies, dried fruit, banana chips, soda, fruit juices, sweetened yogurt, granola, sweetened breakfast cereals.
-Junk food: french fries, potato chips, pretzels, crackers, anything salted.
-Artificial sweeteners like Nutra-Sweet or aspartame.

Also Important for Good Health:

Natural sunlight. 1 hour per day in an outdoor cage or screened porch during the warm months provides Vit D and will help keep your squirrel healthy. An open window screened with aluminum screening or hardware cloth is another option. Indoors, a full-spectrum light (FSL) for 8 hrs per day is the next-best thing; although it does not provide Vit D, it is believed to have other health benefits.

Maintaining a Healthy Weight. Being overweight causes all kinds of health problems and is a major factor in diabetes in older animals. “Healthy weights” may vary: northern squirrels tend to be heavier than southern squirrels, and foxers are heavier than greys. In general, your pet should look like the healthy wild squirrels in your area.

[Mars]

Does she normally let you pick her up? Is there anything else going on that you would say is "Not normal" for her?? Have her sleeping habits changed?? or her additude?

[Adrienn]

Apple Corps:
I wrote about the seed-mix I gave her daily. Our chipmunk eats the same food, exactly the same, and - fortunately - he is healthy.
Our Japanese does not get direct sunshine.

[Apple Corps]

Gammas Baby has a sticky somewhere with more diet and sunlight info - will someone please link that in for Adrienn - I never can find it.

[Mars]

She posted it here just today :)

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12434

[Apple Corps]

It is possible that she is suffering from MBD - metabolic bone disease - sunlight and vitamin D is necessary for her to get the calcium working in her lil body.

Dark green vegetables are a good start - she will not want to eat them though - holding out to force you to start delivering peanuts, and sunflower and corn to her. Also, some antler tips that deer shed in the forest are another good source of calcium.

You can also purchase a FULL SPECTRUM light bulb that will provide some of the needed ultraviolet rays.

[TexanSquirrel]

Best of luck to you both!

[Apple Corps]

Adrienn - please review the link that Mars just provided (:thankyou Mars)

Given you location - most of this is for you information - let us know what you can find locally.

A Japanese Squirrel in Hungary - sounds like a novel in the making :D

[Apple Corps]

Here is the recipe for homemade pedialyte:

*If you can’t find Pedialyte at the store, here is a recipe for homemade Pedialyte:
--1 teaspoon salt
--3 Tablespoons sugar
--1 quart warm water
Mix all ingredients in warm water. Store in refrigerator.

This is an excellent fluid for rehydrating your fuzzer - should not be used for more than a day because of the salt content.

Are you enjoying your midnight reading??

[Apple Corps]

Some fuzzers love yogurt - it can often be purchased with calcium added.

Also - just for clarity - her current illness may not have anything to do with MBD - but she will be at risk given the diet you have her on and lack of sunlight.

We are giving you lots of info for her future care - what is her name?

[Adrienn]

Uh, thanx for the advices... Lots of informations...
Oh, yeah, I enjoy it very much, but getting hard to understand... to write... to indite... :)


Mars:
Yes, normally she lets me pick her up. Change in sleeping habbits: the place. Usually she sleeps is her "house" (hiding place), but now, on the floor of her cage.

[Adrienn]

Her name is Sushi

[Apple Corps]

This may be of interest for you also:

Quote:
Squirrel Blocks: Latest Recipe (8/25/08)
For Adult Squirrels (over 12 months old)*
Makes 56 blocks, or about enough for 4 weeks

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Vitamin mix:
1 tablet Vitamin B-12 (each tablet has 100 mcg)
2 tablets Vitamin B-complex (contains 100% human RDV; no more, no less)
8 tablets Calcium + D (each tablet has 500 mg calcium + 125 IU Vit D)
4 tablets Calcium (each tablet has 600 mg calcium carbonate)

Dry ingredients:
2 scoops** Pure Whey Protein Isolate
2 scoops pecan meal or ground pecans (or 19 halves chopped fine)
2 scoops almonds or walnuts (or other nuts) chopped fine
2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder***
Optional: 1 scoop of unprocessed wheat bran (some squirrels don't like it)

Wet ingredients:
1 whole egg
2 tbsp plain nonfat yogurt
4 tbsp natural peanut butter
2 gels Cod liver oil (1000 mg)
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract

Crush pills to a fine powder in a small bowl and mix well. Add wet ingredients to the bowl and mix well. Now combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Add the wet ingredients and mix until uniform. Dough will be fairly dry, like a pie crust or biscuit dough. Add a few drops of water if necessary until dough will barely hold together in a ball. Turn the ball onto a clean, lightly oiled surface and knead it exactly like bread dough. It should turn golden color and have a texture like nougat. Divide into four equal portions and roll each one into a "snake." Cut each snake into 14 pieces and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 30 minutes. Feed 2-3 per day for a 1-pound (450 g) squirrel.

Store in the refrigerator after 3 days.

Notes:
*For squirrels <1 year old, use 8 scoops of Whey Protein Isolate; everything else is the same.
**The "scoop" is the one that comes inside the Whey Protein Isolate jar (=28 grams).
***Rumford brand is fine. Just make sure it is aluminum-free.

[Mars]

Do you think you can find homeopathic remedies? Here they are considered alternative medicine and available in health food stores ( natural food stores ). They maybe available at your pharmacy or chemist. If you can get them I maybe able to make a suggestion to help. I'll keep working on other ideas as well. Can you think of a reason for her change in sleep quarters? How long has this been happening?

[Adrienn]

Thanx again for the advices!
Now, it is almost midnight, I need some sleep... have to work tomorrow, you know. Be back next day

Bye/Good night

[Apple Corps]

The above squirrel block recipe can be made with some adjustments as necessary based on what you can get - what you come up with will be so much healthier than what lil Sushi has been getting.

[Apple Corps]

Goodnight - prayers for lil Sushi and you!!!!

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

I personally and ( since this is your pet ) take her back to the vet. We can't exactly diagnose properly over the internet and it sounds like she needs to be seen again. In the mean time buy the light, get her some acidophilus and get back to the vet. Ask the vet to do a fecal float, and possibly get her back on antibiotics if needed or try to find a more "exotic" vet.
If you call a local rehabber they might be able to direct you to a vet that see's squirrels or possibly even help you with her.
This isn't something that can be put off for another day if she isn't eating, puking and having diarrhea. I know you came here for help but there is only so much we can do, especially from another country.
Good luck!

[Adrienn]

Hi all,

Thing did not get better, so we take Sushi back to the vet. She got injection again, and we will take and leave her there for a longer period (for a few days), so that the doc can examine her substantially. We'll see...

Bye

[Apple Corps]

Adrienn - what is the vet injecting her with - that is important information - he must be suspecting something that he is treating.

Very few vets are experienced with squirrels.

[Apple Corps]

ShesASquirrelyGirl

Difficult to disagree with your suggestion of getting Sushi back to the vet.

However - there are a number of very experienced members on TSB who have saved many many squirrel lives - in some cases providing guidance to vets who simply don't encounter squirrels very often.

So we want to make sure that we don't too rapidly defer to vets that may not have fuzzer experience.

The fact that this vet has seen Sushi before with less than stellar results is cause for concern.....

[Apple Corps]

Adrienn - Gammas Baby may be correct that calcium injections are being given - it could be something entirely different though.

The diet needs to be changed to what we have outlined and sunlight (or full spectrum light bulb) exposure is also called for.

She is a doll baby and with proper care will have a long, healthy, happy life :-)

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

ShesASquirrelyGirl

Difficult to disagree with your suggestion of getting Sushi back to the vet.

However - there are a number of very experienced members on TSB who have saved many many squirrel lives - in some cases providing guidance to vets who simply don't encounter squirrels very often.

So we want to make sure that we don't too rapidly defer to vets that may not have fuzzer experience.
T he fact that this vet has seen Sushi before with less than stellar results is cause for concern.....
Apple I understand and am experienced myself, however no one can fully diagnose over the internet, we can help and point out what might be wrong, give ideas, what he can do in the meantime, what should be fed, what shouldn't, what is safe to give, but with out knowing the actual problem we shouldn't give treatment advise. Thats all I am saying. Its not wise to keep putting something on hold and keep coming here instead of heading back to a vet in the meantime, especially since they are out of the country and have a possibly dying animal. The OP needs to find a vet who is experienced or willing to learn since this is their pet and responsibility to begin with. They need to ask the vet questions, find out what the vet is injecting into their pet, and make themselves aware of whats going on and educate themselves. Its not our responsibility to guess. I am sure there are rehabbers somewhere over there who know of a vet he can use or an exotics vet who may be more experienced with rodents at least.
I am not saying we shouldn't help, of course if possible we should help, but we shouldn't and don't replace a vet for someones "pet". Instead of waiting around for us to guess and give answers they should have taken the pet back to the vet when noticed " mean while" asking for our assistance if possible, not putting it off another day to see what happens.

[Apple Corps]

I could not disagree more - we should and DO give life saving advice every day.

Hx / Dx / Tx / Rx from experienced re-habbers and others have made a big difference in saving squirrels.

Have we (& me) missed some things - you bet. But there are simply way tooooooo many cases of no vet available or no vet with squirrel knowledge and a crisis that we intervene in - and we make a positive difference in many cases.

[Apple Corps]

Adrienn - I would consider getting Sushi back from the vet clinic. My concern is the stress she must be under in a strange place with dogs and cats around - some real damage could happen to her. Taking her stress out by chewing on the wire cages can lead to some serious dental isuues.

Did the vet give you any idea as to what he thinks the issue may be?

What is he going to do with Sushi while she is there?

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

I could not disagree more - we should and DO give life saving advice every day.

Hx / Dx / Tx / Rx from experienced re-habbers and others have made a big difference in saving squirrels.

Have we (& me) missed some things - you bet. But there are simply way tooooooo many cases of no vet available or no vet with squirrel knowledge and a crisis that we intervene in - and we make a positive difference in many cases.
Trust me I completely understand that many here may be more educated and knowledgeable then a vet. I feel this way about my chins. Its the same way on another forum I am on , and if its something obvious or a lose lose situation yes , do whats needed. We can't do fecal floats and smears online though or diagnose with out really having it in front of us. Since they already went to the vet though they need to help us to help them, and since the vet as injected something I am assuming even if he isn't as experienced he/she has at least some knowledge of what to look for and or test. Doesn't seem like the OP is to interested in finding out anything or looking for maybe a better vet or rehhaber who could help. All I am saying. (
I could go on about this and how I completely am with you on many being more experienced and educated then a vet which kinda annoys me lol) , but I think I am gettin off topic. :tilt

[LynninIN]

I'm thinking the injection may have been Convenia (cefovecin sodium) it is a newer injectable third-generation cephalosporin antibiotic. One injection continues to work for 14 days. The equivalent of a twice a day 14 day antibiotic course.