Sniffling Squirrel

[Lark]

Hi! I just joined and this place looks like a great board! I do have a few concerns over this most recent squirrel we have.

We got Camo about 3 or 4 weeks ago. She had fallen out a tree and was left dehydrated, wounded on the head, and ultimately weak. Someone found her and knowing my family has raised squirrels in the past, called my mom and we went and picked her up.

Camo was bad enough off the first evening I didn't think she'd live. She was so dehydrated I'd tent her skin and it's just stay up and not go back down. She had a couple fleas hopping on and off her. Her nose has blood under it and she had a large bump on her head which has by now scabbed up and is nothing, but a scar on her head.

Camo is about 9 1/2-10 weeks old now. She's crazy. Hyper. The typical behaving squirrel. However, she has been sneezing constantly from day 1. Sometimes this results in a slight clear discharge from her nose. I have already looked at images of the bad teeth (malocclusions) and I highly doubt this is her problem. Her teeth on the bottom are perfectly straight and I can see her top ones too. The top ones are fairly small still, but they appear normal.

When we first obtained her I wondered if it was pnemonia, but it apparently this is not her problem. She acts as alert and lively as any other squirrel of ours. She just sneezes. Enough so we jokingly thought of calling her Sniffles rather than Camo.

Do you think she has some sort of respiratory illness? I would think if it were a disease she'd show some sort of sign in her behavior. My dad's theory is when she fell and bumped her head she also injured her nasal cavity. I'd love to see x-rays of her head. Curious to know if this is the case. I doubt my employer would want me x-raying a squirrel though. :rotfl

So, what do you think?

Camo hanging out on top my dove cage:
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g281/Lark_Pash/100_9627.jpg

Camo eating a rather healthy breakfast this morning (Okay...a bad breakfast)
http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g281/Lark_Pash/100_9636.jpg

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

What does her bedding consist of?

[Lark]

It's only blankets with newspaper underneath. She is living in a 3 story metal cage. And like I said, she was doing this before we even brought her home.

[Sciurus1]

Does your little one after sneezing, wipe it all over, ending at the tail perhaps? If so, she is using her snot to clean herself, which is entirely normal. Sometimes they do this in a very ritualistic way, more about speed that thoroughness, a sign of frustration, or agitation, which does happen from time to time. Keep an I on her to see if anything changes, such as breathing as you have noted. Otherwise, likely she will be ok, as long as their is no color to the mucous from her nose, and it isn't dripping, or running down. If she develops a cough, or gag, then that would be of concern.

[Lark]

I've seen her mess with her tail, but she sneezes about ever 10 seconds unless sleeping. And, that isn't really an exaggeration. No color to it though or coughing, gagging, etc.

[Sciurus1]

Every ten seconds is allot really. Again watch out for any other symptoms. Perhaps it is something in the room she is reacting to?

[Lark]

No, like I said when we got her she was sneezing and sniffling and this was before she came into our home and everything. But, I guess it isn't any worry. She acts normal. In fact, she went crazy through the house all evening long.

[Sciurus1]

Sorry, I hadn't caught that. Maybe something got up her nose and irritated it, and sneezing is just her way to try to resolve that, even if it is gone already, like when something gets in your eye, and even so it has been washed out, it still has been irritated., so you want to rub it? :dono