baby squirrel sick?

[crazychelss]

I am a student just starting my basics for vet school last wk i took in a baby boy fox squirrel who fell out of a tree I was feeding goats mix formula listed on here and just got fox valley in the mail started the mix last night I'm just wondering if he is sick he has been active I think he is 6 or 7 wks but he makes a noise like clicking and just bit me this morning so I'm wondering if he's maybe sick or if that's normal

[CritterMom]

Have you aspirated him while feeding - formula out the nose? They can be very enthusiastic and it is easy to do. This can cause aspiration pneumonia which needs to be treated with antibiotics, preferably Baytril (enrofloxacin). Pneumonia babies will click in the chest at every breath, waking and sleeping.

Perfectly healthy babies make all kinds of mouth noises including clicking, but it is not constant like that pneumonia "hitch" in the lungs.

Which is he doing?

[crazychelss]

He has gotton some formula in his nose but i tipped him everytime and wiped it out. He seems completely normal but he makes odd noises a lot he does not sneeze or anything he is making a squeky noise as of today but also a chirping. Is this a sick kind of talk or normal? Hes been very active but still nippy at me not sure y.

[crazychelss]

I am not familiar with their sounds this is my first baby.

[SammysMom]

When you say "clicking" is it in his breathing or is he clicking his teeth?
P.S. He is "nippy" because he's a squirrel...lol We all deal with that from the little knuckleheads!

[crazychelss]

it seems as if it is in his teeth, anyone know of videos to where there is natural squirrel noises. I was wondering if i should get a precautionary rabies shot in case he bites and breaks skin is that needed?

[SammysMom]

No rabies from squirrels! He may just be giving you a warning by clicking his teeth. The aspiration clicking is in their chest when they breath.

[CritterMom]

Nope - one of the things you will learn in vet school is that you have a much, much better chance of hitting the Powerball than getting rabies from a squirrel (and if you win the Powerball I just want you to know how special you are to me:D ).

They squeak and pop and chatter and the one thing they do that surprised me to death was that they PURR - yes, very similar (yet different, not quite as low pitched) as a cat. The babies can to a whistly yell that will peel paint (their "Mommy!!" call). They can bark. They can fuss at you better than your mother ever DREAMED of doing. They make a lot of noise!

The pneumonia is rythmic because it occurs with EVERY BREATH.

[crazychelss]

Oh yay i do not think he is sick i have been worried like crazy about him but the noise he makes is almost a purr its not in every breath. I'm also glad i don't have to worry about rabbies lol :jump :thankyou