Please help, I love my little guy

[Andi]

I have a 3 year old non releaseable Fox Squirrel, up until now he has always eaten nuts with the shell, I only give him 1-2 per day along with fruits and veggies. He is very healthy. A few months ago his little face swelled up on one side, I took him to the vet and he gave him an antibotic and in a few days he was back to himself.
Last week he was not acting like himself , he wasn't eating nuts with a shell, on examining him I realized that he had a tooth ache again. I took him to his Vet and he gave me an antibotic as before, he also had a fever of 104 so he took xrays and blood work, the blood showed nothing out of the ordinary and xrays showed no tooth trouble. I gave him the medicine all week and he still was not actng right. I took him back and they did a full body xray because he was not peeing. Again nothing showed up. He is on a new antibotic now and does seem to be much more livelyand is starting to pee again, however he will not eat a nut with a shell, and when I give him one he looks at it like he doesn't know what to do with it, yesterday I heard him in his house , turning the walnut round and round I guess trying to open it. He will eat avacodo and grapes and shelled walnuts only. Even if I shell an almond or peanut he won't eat it. When I let him on the floor he runs around like nothing is wrong, but his eating habits are not the same as before.
I am really worried, please help, what is wrong with him.

[gs1]

i'm sorry andi,i don't know enough to help you.

he may be associating nuts with pain.

talk to your vet as well as people here.

it's very important that he start eating squirrel blocks and getting either outside sun, not through windows or a special light that the other squirrel people use for their squirrels so that they can absorb calcium.

calcium deficiency can be related to sore teeth or sore teeth can absorb a lot of calcium ... another tsb has had a similar problem, hopefully she'll come on and post.

all the best.

[foxsquirrels]

Andi, did he eat nuts in the shell before now?
What antibiotic is he currently taking.
Can you please post us some pictures of him and his teeth.
It sounds like he might have some maloclussion with his teeth.
Why has he been a non-releasable squirrel?

Sorry for so many questions, it just helps us have a better of what is going on and why.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome Hello and Welcome to TSB!
I'm with FoxSq...what anti biotics has he been taking currently and previously?
Also he may have a maloclusion, even though he has been seen by a vet.
Not knocking your/or any vet, I took my sq to an exotics vet in SC, and she had no idea what sq teeth were supposed to look like and probably still doesn't and misdiagnosed a very obvious tooth issue. Point being, not all vets are sq vets.
Abcess????that will swell and disappear when treated with anti biotics only to return. If this is the case, the tooth must be pulled. A vet with EXPERIENCE is recommended for ths procedure. It can be complicated and the time under anethesia is very delicate. Please be careful when choosing vet...and if your vet is not seeing anything on X rays,,,it maybe time for different vet...or get your X rays and we can have someone look at them...
Just my thoughts, however good Luck!:grouphug
:poke Why is your sq NR?
And TSB loves pics!
:wave123

[Andi]

Hi Thanks for answering, Yes he always ate nuts before, Both shelled and with the shell on . He needs the shell on nuts to grind down his teeth. He has a full Sunlite bulb all day and I give him liquid calcium also.

He was taking Daytril, and when it didn't help he is taking Smz-Tmp Oral now his mouth is fine now but he wont eat a nut in a shell.

When I first found him, he had fallen out of a very tall tree, he had very little hair and his ears were not even out yet. His back legs were paralyzed . I nursed him back to health and was about to release him as I have with many other babies before. Then he took sick again and the vets didn't know what was wrong with him, they wanted to put him to sleep, but I wouldn't let them. I took him home again and researched until I found an answer, I started giving him calcium and he was a normal squirrel and by now so tame he plays with our dogs and cats and would be prey for anyone outside.

The Vet took Xrays of his teeth and whole body and cannot see anything wrong. He just refuses to eat a nut with a shell.

His temperature was 104 the first time and then it was 102. What is the normal temp for a squirrel? The Vet said it is 100-101 is that correct. our Vet does see many squirrels. If this goes on into next week I am making an appointment with another Vet that I know also specializes in Squirrels, etc.

Thanks for caring, I hope I have answered all of your questions to help me.

Andi

Also his face was not at all swollen, I knew something was wrong when I put my hand in his mouth and he cried. He doesn't cry anymore, just won't eat a nut with a shell.

[Sciurus1]

If see you are from California, depending on where in the State, I might be able to help you find a Vet to help you with teeth issues. Please do not reply though here on this thread, but contact me by Private message in regards to your area.

[MsOakley]

What did you determine was wrong with him as a baby after you researched his health problems?

[Jackie in Tampa]

Hello again Andi!
Baytril and SMZ are sq safe drugs, so all good there.
Abcess or anything lurking will give him foul bad breath.
If your vet said his x rays are good and he is eating...just not cracking, maybe he is ok and has a sore mouth and may start cracking any day. But I am thinking abcess. It will come and go with antibiotics. I dealt with the same issue with my sq Rocky. We did have tooth removed after 6 months of antibiotics off and on....grrr!
Please use extreme caution...serious surgery and illegal state!
I don't want to scare you, but google odontoma. An experienced vet is preferred. I am not suggesting he has an odontoma, however it is possible. I am insisting that you use dental sensitive vet, as an odontoma can also be created by improper dental treatment too. Just giving you all I know.
Keep us updated..:grouphug
:wave123

[JLM27]

Is it his bottom jaw or the top one that seems to be the problem? Is it a back tooth or a front tooth?

[Charles Chuckles]

:Welcome

[Andi]

What did you determine was wrong with him as a baby after you researched his health problems?


He needed Calcium

[Andi]

Is it his bottom jaw or the top one that seems to be the problem? Is it a back tooth or a front tooth?


I don't think it is his teeth, I can put my hand inside his mouth and he is ok with that.

[foxsquirrels]

Andi, this sounds very unusual. I'm going to pm you my phone number if you would like to call me. I have a adult squirrel that had his top teeth knocked out but they have grown back and he is doing great.