my squirrel is in pain

[Pam]

My four and a half year old grey squirrel is having pain in her front leg or shoulder. Does anyone know of an anti-inflammatory that has been used successfully?

[LynninIN]

Pam,
Sorry to hear your squirrel is in pain. I'm not qualified to answer your question but wanted you to know the people here are great and will be very happy to help you. I encourage you to post on the emergency area if you feel it's necessary. This is monitored by rehabbers and is usually answered quick. Or if you feel it's not an emergent situation post on the non life threatening help needed. Your question will be answered pretty quickly there too. Good Luck.

If you post on one of the other areas, you may speed things up if you tell them:
Is the squirrel a pet or outdoors? Did something occur to cause injury? When did he/she start showing signs of pain? Is he/she mobile? Drinking & eating normally?

[Pam]

My squirrel is in a cage inside. She has always been very active until about a month ago. She started losing weight and staying in her nest more. My husband is a vet so we took her to his clinic and trimmed her teeth. While she was "asleep" he checked her over and and couldn't find any problems.
She perked up some but when I handle her she chatters and squeeks. It seems to be pain in her front legs. I've noticed that she doesn't climb much anymore. Maybe its old age. She is almost 5 years old. I just want to make her comfortable. Are any pain meds used in squirrels? My husband uses Rimadyl for dogs, but he doesn't know if it is safe to use on squirrels. He said you can't give it to cats.
Thanks for any info.....

[Pam]

I have a 5 year old grey squirrel. She is indoors and in a cage. I take her out of her cage to play and run around eveyday. Over the past month or two, I have noticed that she is losing weight and staying in her nest most of the time. She still eats well. My husband is a vet so we took her to his clinic and trimmed her teeth. While she was asleep, he gave her a good check up and nothing appeared to be wrong with her. When I touch her or hold her, she chatters and squeeks. Roxy seems to be hurting in her front legs or shoulders. I've also noticed that she doesn't climb much anymore. Maybe its old age, but I can't bear for her to be in pain. She is my heart strings. My husband uses Rimadyl for dogs,but he doesn't know if it's safe for squirrels. You can't give it to cats. Do you know of anything that is safe for squirrels? How about steroids? Any advise would be appreciated!

[ravenlaws32]

hi im a rehabber in nc, but not a vet or great big knowledge of vaccines although. but reading your post somethign struck out at me, what kind of diet does she get ? what type of calcium does she get ? any sunlight? and you mention trimming the teeth which should not be done unless she cannot eat. rodents need to chew on something to keep their teeth in form . you also mentioned while she was asleep and that seems odd to me because all the squirrels ive had in my care ,including lewis my baby who was paralyzed from waist down would wake up in a instant and not hold still. at 5 months old age is not the problem. she is only 5 months old. what makes you think she is in pain? usually its a gut call and you feel it. honestly to me from your post sounds like an injury .

when did you notice this behavior?
difference in diets?
any poisons around ?
does she hurt only in front legs?
and falls or injuries you know of
how is the stool?
is she urinating ok ?
and if possible could you post a pic . alot of great minds on this board to help . but as far as pain meds i leave to my vets.

[Timber]

Pam, you need to get her to and exotic vet. There are pain meds I just can't remember the name of the one that my vet gives Timber when neeed. But until you can get her to one try disolving a couple of Bayer childerns asprin in a glass of water and give her a drop every 4 hrs. she could have arthritis. But has your husband checked her for metobolic bone desease?

[Apple Corps]

Pam - picking up on Timber's comments - metabolic bone disorder is caused by a calcium defficiency - so a diet solution might be at hand. I've also read that a full spectrum sun lamp is necessary for the calcium to be absorbed.

You will have more responses in the morning.

[Pam]

My squirrel is 5 years old not 5 months. My husband who is a veterinarian had given her gas anesthesia to trim her teeth. That was when he performed a check up on her. Her teeth are deformed so that is why he trims them.
Her diet consist of sweet potatoe,spinach leafs, peanuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, grape tomatoes, brocolli, grapes, lettuce, hazelnuts, (She loves french fries and buttered toast),she also has a mineral lick. I even give her a little orange juice lately.
I do not take her outside. She is in a sunroom by a window. I cover her at night to keep her warm because she shivers a lot.
I feel like she has injured herself. I hope its not bone disease. I was hoping there was something I could give her for pain that would not harm her.
Thanks for your reply...I'll post a picture tomorrow.

[island rehabber]

Pam, I've merged your two threads into this "Non Life-Threatening Emergency" section so that we can all have the information in one place. For how long exactly has she been feeling poorly? Since your hubby is a vet, I would suggest an X-Ray to rule out amy displacement or breakage in the bones of her front legs or shoulders. Once that is ruled out you can look for internal problems. Aside from her teeth, is anything else unusual about her? You said she was losing weight...what about pooping/peeing? Is that normal? Any changes to her coat? Since she doesn't go outside, the full-spectrum light bulb over her during the day certainly couldn't hurt. Give us as much info as you can and maybe we can solve the puzzle here. :)

[Gabe]

Hi Pam, and welcome to the board. Squirrels need sunlight to metabolize calcium. The UV rays will not pass through glass. Most people on this board use a Full Spectrum Light for at least 20 min a day, you can actually use it from sun up to sundown. Lack of calcium causes Metabolid Bone Disease (MBD). The symptoms are lack of movement, due to pain, lack of appetite, weakness in bones eventually seizures and death. This progresses fairly rapidly but can be stopped. I would not worry about the pain aspect at this point. You need the pain to limit her activity until she is feeling better. You want to limit her activity because it is going to be very easy for her bones to start breaking. Get her into a smaller cage where she cannot climb, use lots of soft padding. Go out and get a Full Spectrum Light. It is important that you look for those words on the packaging, do not settle for less.
Sunflower seeds will actually block the absorption of calcium. Kale, broccoli, are high in calcium. You can give yogurt and use a cuttle bone that you will find in the bird area. If she will not gnaw on that then shave some off and sprinkle it over her food. Prime also found in the bird section is another good source of calcium. Remember none of this calcium will be utilized and absorbed without the FS Light.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Everything Island rehabber & Gabe told you is excellent advise.
YOu need to get these suggestions into place as quickly as possible.
Good luck &:Welcome

[Gabe]

Pam it is strange that she shivers.

Has she always done this, or is it something new?

What do you use for a nest box?

What kind of bedding is in it?

[Pam]

Are broad spectrum lamp bulbs the same as full spectum? I'll write more later...I'm getting my son ready for a motorcross race. Thanks for all the interest in my precious Roxy.
Pam

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Yes I believe they are, do you have a Big Lots near you?
They did have very nice floor lamps for 30$ a few weeks back. They also sell them at Lowes I am told.http://www.biglots.com/Images/Furniture/Item/Small/NOV_22_612000513.jpg

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

:Welcome to the squirrel board

I am sorry to hear that your squirrel is not feeling well. I would definetly get an X-Ray to check for fractures. How long have you had the squirrel? Since it was young? Have you always kept it in the same room? Any recent changes in diet?
It would be unusual for the squirrel to develop MBD at 5 years old if it has been with the same owner receiving the same care for so long wouldn't it?
I am leaning more towards an injury, but the weight loss seems weird to me. Is there anything around that he could have gotten into that he shouldn't have?
I would get him a cuddle bone for calcium and take the sunflower seeds out of his diet until you figure out what is wrong. Good luck and welcome!

[squirrelfriend]

I would deffinitly xray for fractures or breaks. Is it possible that the shivers are actually mild seizures? Seizures are very deadly for squirrels. as for the weight loss I am at a loss except now that I remember, you mentioned trimming the teeth. how was the little guy eating prior and after trimming? If it is having trouble eating, due to teeth problems try organic baby foods of the same types of food that you would normally feed him. Mine likes yams, pears, any fruit ones. as for greens that they badly need you can use a food processor and make a fine slaw for them out of any type of leafy greens except for lettuce. dandilion greens are great, kale is also great, you can throw in some broccoli etc. My guy has virtually no lower teeth and he loves his baby food and slaws. also Last night I also found in the health food section at the grocery store almond butter, cashew almond butter, almond hazelnut butter and a few others. This will go over well if it is having trouble eating nuts. peanutbutter is not good for him.

good luck with the little guy and please keep us posted on how it is doing. I hope all turns out well.

[Pam]

Roxy has perked up a little this afternoon. I was at my pet shop first thing this morning. I bought a UVA spot lamp and Avitron liquid vitamins. They didn't have any Prime. The Avitron has 6.6 I.U.s of Vitamin D3 per drop plus lots of other good vitamins. I can get them to order me some Prime if ya'll think that would be better. My husband also put her on Nutra-Cal paste. It is a high calorie supplement with calcium in it. I hope I am on the right track with her. Please tell me if I'm doing anything wrong. I asked for advice and suggestions. My husband is a great veterinarian, but his practice is mainly dogs and cats. He has helped me raise Roxy by trial and error. I wish we would have found The Squirrel Board years ago!
John is going to X-Ray her at the first of the week and try to draw some blood on her. Thanks for telling us about Dr. Pokas @ Tufts. We will be consulting w/ him.As for eating ,peeing and pooping...no problems what so ever. Plenty of "all of the above."
Thanks to you all,
Roxy' s mommy

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

I don't think that the Avitron liquid vitamins will be good for the squirrel! I have read that Vitamin D builds up in the fat tissue of squirrels and can cause serious problems. The light that you got will work for giving him the vitamin D, he just needs calcium. Did you get a cuddle bone? They are a good source of calcium, also leafy greens (kale and dandelions are good).

[Gabe]

I agree, they can readily overdose on Vit D.

[Gabe]

Pam, can you tell us a little more about the shivering.

Is it something new?

Does she use a nest box?

[Pam]

Roxy sleeps in a wooden nesting box. It has t-shirts and a baby blanket as lining. I give her paper towels, gift wrapping tissue paper that I shred in a paper shredder and Kleenex. Its quite cozy. The nesting box is inside of a large sugar glider cage. At night, I cover around the top of the cage where she sleeps with a large beach towel. The shivering started just recently after she started losing weight. It may just be muscle mass that she is losing since she hardly comes out of her box. Or maybe she shivers because I take her out of her cozy nest,and it has been cold in Mississippi! She eats great and drinks plenty. She loves OJ!
I only gave her a very small drop of the vitamins. I hope I didn't harm her.
Thanks Gabe!

[skwerls_R_soft]

Do you think that shivering may be from the sugar in the OJ? I know if I drink a big class of it I feel kind of jittery from the sugar rush since I am sensitive to sugar. Just a thought.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Rule of thumb I never gave anything they wouldnt normally find if they were out in the woods or urban squirrels..out in someones garden.
Veggies some fruit, anything that would grow local, apples, berries, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, brocolli, carrots, of course nuts.
Branches to chew on. Leafs to rip up, pinecones.

[Gabe]

That's a good thought about the sugar, however, OJ is generally pretty natural without added sugar. Therefore, I think it would be bascially the same as feeding fruit such as cantaloupe, banana, apple. Many squirrels eat oranges, mine love them, and I'm sure Florida and California squirrels eat them too.

Back to the weight loss. I think x-rays and blood work will tell us more. If you are unable to reach Dr. Pokras, he is hard to get ahold of, I can help you find blood analysis for squirrels, let me know. Better yet, turn on your pm option in your profile and I can pm them to you.

If you rule out MBD, I would consider parasites. I don't understand why her body is burning her protein, maybe your husband has some thoughts on the cause of this. Metabolically, they are the same as other mammals. Also, if you turn on your pm, I can send a list of pain medications for squirrels.

[Pam]

Gabe,
I went to the user CP and tried to set up PM ,but it says I don't have permission to use.

[Mrs. Jack]

Pam, it's autoset to turn on at I think 10 posts.. so just post in here a couple more times and then check again.

[Pam]

Thanks Mrs. Jack!
Gabe, You can E-Mail me now...I figured that out...

[Gabe]

Hi Pam, How is Roxy today? X-Rays tomorrow, right? Will your husband be able to do full body films? Would be nice to see what else is going on.

[Pam]

Roxy seems to be okay. She hasn't come out of her nest today. I handed her some sweet potatoe and she ate it.

[Gabe]

Pam, your pm is still not working. I just tried it. PM stands for private message. It is different from email, as you will receive the message immediately while you are logged onto the board. Seems you need to have 15 posts to activate it. Sometimes they are on after only a few posts, I don't understand why yours is not on. Try to go back to user profile and see if you have an option to turn it on.

[Pam]

Sorry it still won't work.

[Pam]

I'll try again later.

[Gabe]

Well, try posting until you hit 15 posts. You're almost there :D .
Wild animals are like cats. They will not let you see how poorly they are feeling until they are very, very sick. Now, dogs on the other hand are like men. :D

[Pam]

I've about decided that it is her front feet or toes that hurt. I think I'll get her a ferret cage tomorrow and see if she comes out more. It might be the metal from the sugar glider cage that is hurting her. My son said that it looks like her paws have some peeling on them.

[Pam]

Thanks for all of your help!

[Pam]

Sorry it still won't let me set the PMs

[Gabe]

I've sent you an email. Good idea about the ferret cage. I think her problems lie deeper than that. The weight loss is a sign of something else going on with her. Please keep us posted. I will send you info when you are able to do the blood work.

[Pam]

Gabe I replied to your e-mail

[Gabe]

got it, and replied.

[Momma Squirrel]

PM is now on, go for it

[Gabe]

Thank you for your help, MS and Squerly. :D

[Pam]

Thanks for everyones advice. Roxy is doing alot better. I think she's going to make it. She's eating everything offered to her, shivering less and spending less time in her nest. I bought her one of those $30 full spectrum lamps at Big Lots. I wish I would have know about the lamps years ago! Thanks again!
{{Hugs}} to all of you!

[Gabe]

Thanks for the update, Pam. Glad Roxy is feeling better.:D

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Oh what wonderful news!:wahoo

[Momma Squirrel]

Pam, that is wonderful news about Roxy, so glad we are getting such good news on TSB lately, just makes me feel so good. You keep us posted on how she is doing and give her a kiss and hug :wahoo

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

That is great news! I am so glad Roxy is feeling better! You should post some pictures of your little fuzzer now that she is healthy again!

[LynninIN]

So happy Roxy is better. I would love to see pictures. If you have any of her at the beach please, please post. That I've got to see.

[PiZzAEmiNeMz]

My four and a half year old grey squirrel is having pain in her front leg or shoulder. Does anyone know of an anti-inflammatory that has been used successfully?

My squirrel recently stopped being active and last night she started having seizures and ive figured out that its mbd. She doesnt go outside much either and she hasnt been getting the calcium she needs. She is having pain in her legs and stuff and thats why. So now im giving her a little bit of crushed up tums in her water until i can get some calcium tablets. My vet told me to give her crushed up cal tabs too and that it should help make the pain go away once the bones start building up again. K hope this helps

[Chickenlegs]

This is in the Squirrel Nutrition section. I copied it here for easy reference. There's no easy quick fix for MBD. Others will be on with excellent suggestions but this is tried and true and has saved MANY squirrels.

Default MBD Treatment
Emergency Treatment for MBD

Get calcium into the squirrel IMMEDIATELY, not later, not tomorrow, NOW.
Delaying treatment can cause death or permanent paralysis.

You will need:
Tums, (fruit flavored is the preferred ones for squirrels) , or calcium supplement (any kind)
a syringe or spoon


First try giving pieces of the tums to the squirrel, doing so throughout the day to equal ~500 mgs.
If that doesn't work, then, crush one Tums or calcium pill and add a little water or fruit juice. Use the syringe, eyedropper, or spoon to force-feed the mixture, a little at a time, until it is all gone. Feed a total of 500 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.


We recommend an initial dose of 500mg calcium. After you give the initial dose, give 100 mg calcium every 4 hours. If symptoms return or do not improve, try dosing more often: every 3 hours. Severe cases may need 50 mg calcium every 2 hours.

Your squirrel's symptoms should improve within a few hours; within 1-3 days your squirrel should be alert, active, and eating, with no seizures or paralysis. You should be giving 500-600 mg calcium per day. Keep track of how many doses you give so you can adjust the dosage if needed. You should work with TSB members to do this.

Important!

Any kind of calcium pill is okay for the initial dose. But you must use PLAIN calcium carbonate (without Vit D) from then on.

Many small doses of calcium throughout the day/night are best to keep blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If symptoms worsen or return, give an emergency dose of 100 mg calcium, then consult with TSB members or a rehabber or veterinarian to adjust the dosing schedule. Relapses are very serious and often fatal.

White feces or a white film on dried urine may mean the dosage can be reduced, as this indicates not all of the calcium is being absorbed. It may also mean you need to give smaller doses more often.

The acute symptoms (weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis) will usually improve within a few hours, but this does not mean the squirrel is cured. It will take many months to rebuild the calcium in the bones. (See the "Long-Term Treatment for MBD" below.)

More Tips

MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. You should pad the bottom of your squirrel's cage and keep him away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone.

Heat is very soothing for a squirrel with MBD. A heating pad turned to low and placed so they cannot chew the pad or cord, or a rice buddy (a sock filled with dry rice/beans and microwaved for about 20 seconds) will work. Squirrels with hind-end paralysis may benefit from gentle massage of the legs and hips.


Long-Term Treatment for MBD

The next step to curing MBD is to fix the diet.

1. Remove ALL seeds, nuts, corn, and treats, including stashes.

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found here: http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...-Pet-Squirrels ). Your squirrel MUST eat rodent blocks or squirrel blocks every day (either 2 Henry's Healthy Squirrel Blocks per day, or a small handful of commercial rodent block per day). If you choose to feed commercial rodent blocks, which are extremely hard, you should crush them up with peanut butter, yogurt, fruit juice, avocado, baby food, etc., to make them easier to chew and improve the taste.

3. You will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for many weeks. You can use a syringe or spoon, or you can mix the calcium with a small amount of peanut butter, crushed nuts, yogurt, baby food, or any food the squirrel likes. An easy way to dose the calcium is to mix 500 mg of calcium powder with 1 tablespoon of peanut butter or other tasty food and roll it into 5 little balls; each ball will contain 100 mg calcium.

Calcium Dosage:

Continue to give 500-600 mg calcium per day for 1 week. Then try reducing the total daily amount by 50 mg. If the squirrel remains stable for 1 week, reduce the daily amount by another 50 mg. Continue this weekly reduction until the squirrel is only getting around 100 mg of extra calcium per day. Continue this for at least another 2 weeks. If at any time symptoms return, give an emergency 100 mg dose, then go back to a higher dosage for 1-2 weeks.

The treatment for each squirrel may be slightly different and you should work with a rehabber or TSB members to tailor the treatment to your squirrel's needs. Depending on the age of the squirrel, severity of disease, and other factors, your squirrel may need extra calcium for many months, perhaps for life.

Important Information
The MBD treatment is a "standardized" treatment that will get most cases on the road to recovery. But every case is different and the treatment should be customized to each squirrel. Severe cases sometimes need more aggressive treatment. There is a limit to how much calcium the body can absorb at one time, so lower doses of calcium given more often is the key with severe cases.

What is MBD?
Calcium is a very important nutrient. It strengthen the bones, but also plays a vital role in all body functions. Every cell in the body contains water plus small amounts of dissolved minerals such as calcium, sodium, magnesium, and potassium. These minerals allow the cells to transmit small electrical signals. Without this cell-to-cell communication, the organs can't function: your heart can't beat, your nerves can't transmit impulses; in fact, you would die.

When there isn't enough calcium in the diet, the body will dissolve the calcium from the bones and use that instead. This eventually causes the bones to become depleted of calcium. Eventually the bones become so depleted, there isn't enough calcium left to maintain sufficient calcium in the cellular fluids, and the organs can't function properly. This is what causes the symptoms of MBD: loss of appetite, lethargy, muscle pain, paralysis, seizures, and eventually death. Humans don't get this type of severe MBD, partly because our calcium requirement is lower and our bones are much bigger, allowing us to store more calcium.

By giving high doses of calcium orally, you are artificially maintaining your squirrel's blood calcium levels because his bones no longer contain enough calcium to maintain his calcium levels normally.

Once the emergency calcium is given, your squirrel's blood calcium levels should normalize fairly quickly. He should "bounce back" and act normal or almost normal. If you are still seeing symptoms such as seizures, loss of appetite, lethargy, or paralysis, the calcium levels may still be too low. This means the body will try to pull the remaining calcium from the bones, which means the MBD is actually getting worse. So stabilizing blood calcium levels is critical. The next step to actually curing the MBD is rebuilding bone. This is the part that takes a long time.

Stabilizing the blood calcium levels can and must be done quickly. In severe cases, calcium may be needed more often throughout the day and night, as often as every 2 hours.
Last edited by Nancy in New York; 01-06-2015 at 08:18 AM.