Baby Squirrel Swallowed Nipple

[Kallah2B]

Help Please! My mom was trying to give the three squirrel boys their breakfast when Zera became so excited and swallowed the silicone nipple. We tried to get the nipple out of his mouth, but were unable to retrieve it.

He is breathing ok and running around the cage, but I'm worried about a silicone nipple being inside of his GI tract. I can't take him to a vet due to my circumstances and I wouldn't want to put him through any invasive procedure that may not be necessary.

Could olive oil or something else help him to digest this nipple and eliminate it out of his system?

PLEASE HELP SOON? I don't know what to do.

[island rehabber]

Kallah I just left you a voice mail. I would say give him ONLY soft, wet foods for the next 24 hours....try pumpkin from the can, in fact, to really get things moving. No nuts or anything dry. Lots of water.....formula....even fruit-flavored baby food.....

I have never had this happen so that's all I've got to offer -- anyone else, please chime in!

[longshotgamble]

The only thing I can think of is to call Chris at Squirrels and More. She may have some advice. 860-749-1129.

[PBluejay2]

Help Please! My mom was trying to give the three squirrel boys their breakfast when Zera became so excited and swallowed the silicone nipple. We tried to get the nipple out of his mouth, but were unable to retrieve it.

He is breathing ok and running around the cage, but I'm worried about a silicone nipple being inside of his GI tract. I can't take him to a vet due to my circumstances and I wouldn't want to put him through any invasive procedure that may not be necessary.

Could olive oil or something else help him to digest this nipple and eliminate it out of his system?

PLEASE HELP SOON? I don't know what to do.

He won't be able to digest the nipple no matter what you give him. I'm doubting if he swallowed the entire nipple that it would go further than his stomach, and since the nipple is an inch or so long, I would think it would still be lodged at least partially in his esophagus. I've had this happen with a baby bird once, and fortunately I was able to massage the nippile back up the esophagus far enough to get a grip on it with tweezers and pull it out. By "circumstances," do you mean you can't get him to a vet because of their status in your state? If the circumstances are other things, we might be able to help, but action needs to be taken soon!

[Kallah2B]

My circumstances are that I'm not licensed and live in Virginia. I want to do the right thing to take care of Zera so I will try my best to get the nipple out.

Can I give him something that may help him throw it up?

[Pam]

My circumstances are that I'm not licensed and live in Virginia. I want to do the right thing to take care of Zera so I will try my best to get the nipple out.

Can I give him something that may help him throw it up?
Here's a link to a list of exotic vets in Virginia. http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=20280

I thought one of my baby squirrels had swallowed a nipple once. I later found the nipple in the blanket I had the squirrel wrapped in at the time.

[PBluejay2]

My circumstances are that I'm not licensed and live in Virginia. I want to do the right thing to take care of Zera so I will try my best to get the nipple out.

Can I give him something that may help him throw it up?

Can you give me the age/size of the squirrel? I'm in class now, but later I can/will call my vet. Hopefully others will do the same before me. I did call the refuge where I volunteer. Their opinion is that either the baby would have to put under so that it might be able to be retrieved via the throat or the baby would need surgery. Again, I don't think something as big as this nipple will get past the stomach, and even if it did, it couldn't make the twists and turns of the intestines and would kill the baby by blocking them.

[Pam]

Can you give me the age/size of the squirrel? I'm in class now, but later I can/will call my vet. Hopefully others will do the same before me. I did call the refuge where I volunteer. Their opinion is that either the baby would have to put under so that it might be able to be retrieved via the throat or the baby would need surgery. Again, I don't think something as big as this nipple will get past the stomach, and even if it did, it couldn't make the twists and turns of the intestines and would kill the baby by blocking them.
I checked with a vet. His opinion is that the baby needs to be seen by a vet. The nipple will have to be removed. He agrees with Pbluejay2 that the nipple will not get past the stomach, and if it did, it would not be able to pass through the intestines.

[muffinsquirrel]

Search the area he was in VERY VERY throughly, I have had many times when I thought one of the babies had swallowed a nipple, but have always found the nipples laying on the floor, or in the blankets, or stuck to the baby's fur or in my hair or in the cushions of the couch, etc. Just look EVERYWHERE!!!!!

It isn't that easy for a nipple to go down their throat, so you would probably see/hear him coughing, straining, pawing at his mouth, etc.

muffinsquirrel

[Lady Squirrelly]

I am not trying to down play the problem, but look very carefully around you. Those rubber nipple can really bounce if they fall.

I am saying this because last year someone thought their baby had swallowed the nipple and after a panic and a melt down, they found it on the floor quite a distance away.

I hope this is what has happened to you.

Thinking of you and your baby.:grouphug

[Kallah2B]

Good News Update:

Well, I didn't find the nipple around the room (but too much stuff to look through now). However, after careful physical examination and observation of Zera, I'm greatly considering the possibility that he may have spat out the nipple in all the commotion from when it first slipped off the syringe. He is running around happy as a clam and eating just fine. I will be monitoring his stomach closely for any possible distention and looking to see that he is pooping normally.

In addition, a wonderful dear friend of mine for years talked to the vet her family has used since before she was born. He has a very small practice in the area and is willing to help me care for the squirrels if veterinary assistance is required (and he will give the squirrels back to me to finish their rehabilitation even though I don't have my license yet). God is just performing one miracle after another in the care of these little angelic creatures.

Going back to the possible swallowed nipple...I will give Zera some mineral oil to help his GI tract in case he actually swallowed the nipple. And tomorrow I will take him to the vet for an x-ray if he has not passed any stool by then. But I will also look for the nipple around the squirrel room in case it has fallen by the wayside.

Thank you for all of your quick and helpful responses in this time of need. And I'm sorry for the panic, but I guess it's just a natural response when caring for something so small that may need immediate medical attention.

I will post tomorrow with the update on Zera's condition (and hopefully even more good news).

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I have never had a squirrel swallow the nipple. It will slip and they suck at it, but it comes out of their mouth. I think their throat is too small to actually swallow it whole unless they are older. I have lost one in a bird's crop and luckilly all birds pellet (you see it on owls because they are so much larger, but even the little songbirds pellet, it usually looks like little seeds) so the nipple was brought back up and was laying in the cage the next morning.

I hope you find it laying around somewhere, they can be very hard to see.