Runny nose and groaning

[bacranford]

I received a 9-10 week old male sq this afternoon. He was very active when he got to my office, I am sure from being scared to pieces. He looks really good overall. However, he does have some "stuff" on his nose. It is dark, but not blood. Also, his nose seems to be running. My guess is that his nose has mucus and dirt on it. . I did manage to get about 1.5 cc of Esbilac into him, and he liked it, but he could not breath while eating.

He is exhausted and is sleeping. He is making noise while he is sleeping. At first it sounded like the growling he was doing when he was dropped off, but now it sounds more like he is moaning. :poke Does this sound like pneumonia?

[susanw]

Sounds like it could be, in that case he is going to need antibiotics. Since you live in Florida, is there a vet you could take him to? I am sure there will be a rehabber on here soon that can help you further. You said arrived at your office, are you a rehabber?:Welcome

[bacranford]

still learning to rehab...I am very new at this and have been getting great guidance on the board. Several members have been helping me out along the way. I would love to get licensed at some point.

The man that brought him to my office said that he had been sitting on his porch for a couple of hours. The man put out some food and water but the sq wouldn't eat. He is up right now and not happy about being confined, but still has the monaning sound to him. Of course now I can't tell whether its jut anger or if he is still having problems breathing.

I am going to get him to the vet in the am, but in the meantime, would love some help. I have not dealt with pneumonia before. Is it contagious to other animals or kids?

[island rehabber]

Not contagious at all, NO.
What I would do between now and your vet visit is to keep this poor guy dark, warm and quiet -- away from other pets & kids. He is stressed enough with the pneumonia and being captive; he sure doesn't need to hear any weird human noises at this time. :) Try leaving a shallow dish or jar lid of formula in his container with him. It may be easier for him to lap at it, with his stuffed up nose, than to deal with a syringe. Good luck -- we'll be hoping & praying for a good outcome tomorrow!

[digiandchipper]

Will be praying for good news - let us know how he is as soon as you can!:grouphug

[bacranford]

I just got home from work and have him in a warmed box, in the darkest, quietest place in my house (hard to find, I have to tell you!). He is not too appreciative of his housing, but hopefully, it will calm him down. I have put some formula in with him, but he is so upset that he has already spilled it. I will put some more in when he calms down.

His eyes seem to be slightly bulging. I thought earlier that they just looked wild.

Wish there was a way to help them understand that we are only trying to help! :peace

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

He will understand in his own way that you are trying to help him. Good luck with him, I hope its something some meds will help and he can be on his way.:Love_Icon

[Buddy'sMom]

Wow, bac, you certainly have jumped into this squirrel rescue thing with both feet, haven't you?! :thumbsup :thumbsup

You're doing all the right things for him -- I hope you both have a quiet night and the vet can help him tomorrow. What you have described sounds like it might be head injury symptoms rather than pneumonia. You should talk to the vet about that possibility and request that s/he consider dexamethasone if the vet thinks it is. It is used safely in squirrels. It is available as injectable and also orally. Usually given daily for a few days then in tapering doses. It can reduce swelling and inflammation in such injuries to allow them to heal. In case the vet is not familiar with squirrel dosing, we can help.

I'm just thinking that the presentation of this squirrel does not suggest pneumonia (although that certainly should be explored, too). A squirrel of this age is less likely to aspirate. The squirrel was not fed improperly and allowed to aspirate formula -- it was not fed at all. (fyi, the most frequent cause of pneumonia is aspiration of formula, which provides an excellent breeding medium for bacteria; this pneumonia is not at all contagious. It is possible that a squirrel could develop pneumonia from an infection (like people do) but squirrels of this age that are found wandering around have just left the nest and it doesn't seem like they would have been exposed to much to get an infection.)

I hope he does well tonight and the vet figures it out and is able to help him in the morning.

You are AWESOME!!! :bowdown :bowdown

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Jackie in Tampa]

I have a little girl for a few weeks now...she gowled when I got her...and she is still growling when I pick her up to feed, her brother is sooo the opposite.
Only you can judge if it sounds like pain...BsMom is right, probably not pneumonia. Good luck at the vets. I am praying she wakes up with a better frame of mind. Try to keep her quiet....
Thanks for helping All these babies, sounds like how I started years ago...just kept falling in love with each new fuzzy!
Still do!:Love_Icon

[bacranford]

Good morning! Last night after my house was finally quiet, I picked the little guy up. He ate about 3.5 ccs of Esbilac and then curled up in my lap and went to sleep. I held and petted him for over an hour. He slept all night. This morning has had about 5 ccs. He is very underweight! I do not have a scale here (I use the postal scale at my office normally), but I can feel every bone in his tiny little frame. He has the most beautiful coat and bushy tail. I was in the process of taking pictures when the camera batteries died.

His breathing seems normal today. He is still grumbling when he eats and when he is sleeping. I am holding him now and every few seconds we hear a squeak. Is it possible that all of the stress yesterday made him seem sick? I have not called the vet yet, as I wanted to get opinions this morning.

On another note, how long should I wait before I introduce him to my 7 wk. old sq? Gibson has heard his crying and has been somewhat stressed out himself.

[Buddy'sMom]

That is better news this morning. :)

It's possible he fell and hit his nose and was hurting yesterday but no internal damage. His nose is not runny? No further sign of blood? How is his balance (many with head injuries cannot hold themselves or their head quite straight, but tilt, or go in circles when they move around --- I'm thinking you would have noticed and mentioned if he was? :thinking ) I don't know -- it's nice to have access to a vet, but it's unclear if he has a need to go ---- hopefully others will weigh in. :dono

To backtrack a minute -- you didn't mention starting him with hydration fluid or diluted Esbilac, but perhaps just were focusing on your concern with his breathing? :thinking . A squirrel that old may have left the nest much sooner than tiny ones and perhaps was not without mama for long enough to get too dehydrated, but ................ did you do the neck-pinch check for dehydration? If he is dehydrated, he should get enough fluids before the formula. It's a bit of a balance in ones that look undernourished, because they need nutrients, too. But without enough fluid, they can't absorb what you give them. His activity level, pee and poop will give you further guidance here.

Rehabber input, anyone?????

Also, you should keep the squirrels separate for a bit of quarantine time -- someone else can let you know how long that should be.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug
[Gotta log off as electricity just went out, but I think you should still have phone # for me and others for consult in case no one posts here for a while.]

[bacranford]

I did the neck pinch as soon as I got him. His hydration seemed to be good. To be honest, he was pretty irate and my first concern was getting him warm and quiet. He has been peeing, but I have seen no poo yet. It was only last night while I was holding him that I discovered how thin he is. He looked so bushy when he arrived!

He is not at all moving in circles, tilting, or anything else that seems trauma related. He is very quick, has a great climbing ability (up my arms and down my back when I got him), and seems relatively healthy, except for his weight and the occassional labored breathing.

I posted earlier that his breathing seemed better. I have been holding him for a while (he is sleeping pretty hard) and it still seems somewhat labored. It really sounds like there is something possibly in his nasal passage, kind of a wheezing sound. It is not as labored in his lungs, but seems pretty contained in his head. No clicking. His nose is not running today.

[Buddy'sMom]

:thumbsup :thumbsup Sounds like he was not dehydrated (pee/activity level).

It's harder with older rescues because they are aware enough -- and instincts have kicked in -- and they KNOW this is NOT how life is supposed to be. It sounds like he has settled down and is at least connecting you with a nice full tummy and loving hands. :thumbsup

Still don't know about the vet check. It sounds like all his reactions are good, normal. Doesn't sound like a respiratory issue. Or, perhaps like a hard enough head injury to warrant meds. :dono A head injury also could affect tooth alignment, but I'm not sure anything could be done at this point for that??? A visit could put your mind at ease and possibly detect something ...... or not. It just doesn't seem like he is showing symptoms today that make a vet visit urgent.

(Though I know and respect that others would have a different approach and go to the vet more quickly ---- fyi, everyone, in trying to guide her, keep in mind that bacranford is doing an awesome job and has been a very quick study ... but she does not have the experience or knowledge to pick up on the little clues that are so meaningful for people with experience with many many rescues and rehabs. :) Perhaps some of you will know better than me what questions to be asking her???)

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[susanw]

It's so hard to speculate on what is wrong without seeing the squirrel. Is he gasping for air when you feed him? Is he sneezing at all. We have had bad storms the last few day's and it's possible he has gotten sick from being wet.

[bacranford]

Due to it being Friday, I am going to go ahead and get him in today. His nose is strarting to run again. This particular vet insists on keeping him so that he can be rehabbed (he won't see him otherwise). As long as he is well taken care of, that is fine with me. It may end up just being a cold, but I would hate it if something happened to him that could have been prevented! I appreciate everyone's help today. If something changes, I will keep you posted.

[susanw]

That is our main goal right, whatever is best for the squirrel! If it helps, our vet turns over whatever wildlife he gets in over to my rehabber for it's care along with any medication it needs. We have gotten in a few squirrels this year with runny noses and sniffles. We have two small incubators that are called "the brooder" that we keep them in along with a wet cloth that has vicks smeared on it. Of course they are on antibiotics. We have not lost any of them, and they have recovered fully! Let us know how things work out with yours!:thumbsup

[bacranford]

Dr. Mike now has little Forest (the subdivision where he was found is called Forest Hills). I hated to see him go, he was probably the most beautiful grey I have ever seen! They will look him over and make sure that he is well cared for. I will call his office on Monday for updates.:thumbsup

[Buddy'sMom]

:thumbsup You are in the best position to judge whether the squirrel in front of you might need more care --- and you have shown good instincts so far. It's always hard to let them go, but it seems that he is in good hands with Dr. Mike. :)

Get well quickly, Forest --- you've lots of trees to look forward to! :grouphug

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Frickster]

please make sure he won't be euthanized as well....and if it comes to him being non releasable that we can find a permanent home for him. i'm so glad you were able to find someone to look at him...sweet little guy!

[bacranford]

F, Dr. Mike was a licensed rehabber and his goal is to release, unless it is medically necessary to do otherwise. I will check on the little guy on Monday and see what the status is. If it is determined that he is non-releasable, I will certainly do what I can to get him back!!:)

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

:thankyou

[digiandchipper]

I was happy to read you saw the vet........I know it was hard, though, to let Forest go. Will be looking forward to your Monday update:grouphug

[susanw]

please make sure he won't be euthanized as well....and if it comes to him being non releasable that we can find a permanent home for him. i'm so glad you were able to find someone to look at him...sweet little guy!


I don't believe a vet would euthanize a squirrel because of the sniffles in Florida. Please don't discourage someone from seeking a vet when it is a legal state, if for any reason the squirrel needs to be euthanized I will go get him before that happens!