my squirrel knocked her tooth out and is bleeding not sure what to do

[Carlala]

my 8 week squirrel was in her crate and i had just put her back in it and she screamed so i looked over and she was sneezing repeatedly so i got her out and she was bleeding from her mouth and one of her top front teeth were missing and her lip is swollen up pretty good now she is curled in my hand idk what to do

[Crystalis178]

How much is she bleeding? Were you able to find her tooth in her cage? Make sure she doesn't choke on her own blood. I'd offer more advice if I wasn't so new at this ._.

[Carlala]

not to much blood i am holding her she isnt choking but her lip is swollen on one side and it is pushing her nose closed and i can tell she is in pain i checked her cage and dont see her tooth

[Carlala]

i hope someone posts soon i am really worried about her

[Crystalis178]

If I were you, I would try to stop the bleeding gently with a warm washcloth. Is taking her to the vet an option for you?

[jbtartell]

sounds like what sam done in the carrier.. her tooth is probably in there but the swelling is covering it.. I could not find sams either.. it was still there. do you have antibiotics? dont want an infection to set in and it will. if not take her to a vet. what happened is she probably got hung up on the bars of the carrier with her teeth chewing..

[ZonaB]

Try to get pics
Every one will want to see in order to help.
Praying for your little one.
:grouphug

[jbtartell]

if you can open her mouth it will hurt but force her to let you but just enough to get it open and push her lip back to try to see where the blood is coming from. it might hurt her some but you have to see..

[Carlala]

its not bleeding much anymore seems to be stopping on its own. and my sister is a vet tech thats where gabby came from so yes but i dont have a car so i am waiting on my lil sis to call me back because she is at work and was going to talk to one of the vets there but its been 45 mins and i havent heard from her

[jbtartell]

and yes a warm rag will help clean and see what is going on

[Carlala]

she let me open her mouth and look but its really hard to get pics well holding her. i am fairly sure that the tooth is gone. and i was right by the cage she wasnt chewing on it although she does do that a lot i think it may have been the salt block in there

[jbtartell]

are you sure it is gone.. I thought sams was but it was there. may be under the gum..

[jbtartell]

did you check the clock to see if it is there? she deffinately need to go to the vet.please keep us updated/?

[Jackie in Tampa]

give her a cold peeled apple or grape and throw away the ****ing cage..

what type cage is she in?
we say over and over 1/2 inch BAR SPACING...
if you cannot afford a cage..you cannot afford a sq..:soapbox
at 8 weeks old they will be in a small cage that will last approx three weeks...then there will be the need for a bigger, more expensive cage.

now to help the sq..
get some infant or childrens ibuprofen
get her weight in grams so someone can help you dose it.
it wil help reduce the swelling..this needs to be done asap for best results and pain aid.
let her rest..she is in pain and stressed..
put her in a safe sq friendly container
ck her in two hours after meds.. start hydration at that time, all wounds weep.

read read read...we share for a reason, we do not make this stuff up..
sqs are our prioity..
sorry to be harsh, but read

cage advice is given for a reason..teeth are the avenue to being a sq..odontomas can be created from this..maloclusions..
non releasable statis as well..future health is risked
chances are the tooth will come back...
:shakehead
come on peeps...
think sq
sorry I just cannot sugar coat it..this is senseless.

[Carlala]

i am sure there is a huge hole where the tooth was at

[jbtartell]

ok reading back 8 weeks is small teeth the gum it probably covering it.. and at 8 week they will chew they are curious. you won hear it all the time. Jackie was right about the bar spacing.. get ur baby checked and follow Jackies addvice.:poke :Love_Icon

[Carlala]

i can afford a cage for her as well as her. i have proper caging for my babies right now she is in a large kennel but gets multiple hours of play time daily she is almost never in her cage and in a few weeks I have a larger custom made cage i will get out for her when she is ready it was not the cage that did this i was right by her the only thing i can think hard enough in there is a salt block a friend of mine who is a rehabber told me to give her.

my sister just called the vet sent my sister home with some meds for her for the night and she said to bring her in in the morning.

[Carlala]

the reason i know she wasnt chewing on the crate is because it makes loud noises when she does and i can see her in it she was in her blankets chewing on something when it happened

[jbtartell]

i am not saying you are wrong but I was standing next to sam in a larg crate and she tore her face up.. sweety no one is attacking you here :Love_Icon just trying to help..I had to pay a horrible price for a mistake I knew nothing about. the dog crate was to big. the bars was spaced to far apart. I was staning right there I did not know she was chewing.. till her teath were caught and she could not get loose. then my girl had to have surgery and now 7 months later she is dead. she was 8 had her since she was a day old. Please dont take offence we mean no harm just good help and addvice. sometimes an awful memory is brought back to some of us and the addvice comes out alittle harsh but it is good advice. wish I knew back then what this board and these what I call TSB angels have taught me now.. my sam would probably still be with me. so please listen no matter how harsh or silly it may sound.:grouphug

[Carlala]

the only bars on the cage are in the front of it and i keep it on my bed with me and gabby and i go for walks outside everyday so she gets sunlight and love and she sits on my shoulder. i spend every moment i have with her she is always with me.

my sister works for a vet who is a licensed rehabber and she keeps sending me babies when i started i knew nothing about them i just knew they were small and needed me and i found this and read everything just so i knew what to do she is my third baby and i dont have very much money but i live at home and the vet wont provide me with anything and my sister is just kind of heartless so i use all of the money i make to buy my babies everything they need and i manage pretty well

I love the squirrel board i am on it all the time everyone here knows what they are talking about and you all give great advice

[SammysMom]

Everyone here loves squirrels and wants to help them. Sometimes it takes harsh words to those of us who are learning the way to best care for them. In the end, the advice you will get from Jackie and many others is worth every hurt feeling it may invoke at the time it is given. Don't let honesty and plain truth cause you to go away.

[Carlala]

i have seen jackies posts and comments and i trust her advice i think she knows what she is doing and i will listen to her every time hands down i am not going away but the comment did slightly upset me although when you do something as much and know as much as her and some other people on tsb then newbie mistakes seem stupid and trivial

[SammysMom]

i have seen jackies posts and comments and i trust her advice i think she knows what she is doing and i will listen to her every time hands down i am not going away but the comment did slightly upset me although when you do something as much and know as much as her and some other people on tsb then newbie mistakes seem stupid and trivial

I am a newbie and I KNOW I have and will make mistakes. I am just glad none of them have been unfixable. You have a good head on your shoulders and knowing when others know more is the smartest thing anyone can ever know!:grouphug

[jbtartell]

I understand where the bars are, I kinda could see it in my head from my sams accident.. those larger crates are soo dangerouse and I lost my sam over it. {{crying}} stick to the small cat crates more safe.. please keep us posted and you do sound like a great squirrel mom.. got to go now check back later.:thumbsup

[Carlala]

the vet told my sister to give motrin to the baby but my sister forgot to get it and all i have is infant acetaminophen here and everything around me is closed. my sister told me the vet said not to give it to her right away let her try and sleep and if she wakes up and is in pain give her it well she just woke up and is clearly in pain still and i went to the car to get it and she told me she forgot it at work but i have baby acetaminophen here can you give that to a squirrel? how much would i give her she is 192 grams

[CrazySquirrelLady]

OH NO!

That is terrible news....

Hugs
CSL

[Carlala]

my neighbor had some motrin =) gabby will see the vet in the morning

[Chickenlegs]

Good goin mama. The little guys get into trouble SO fast. The meds will help your baby rest and tomorrow you'll get her straight. For heavens sake don't beat yourself up. Can't help Gabby if you're black and blue. I keep my feelins in a drawer somewhere. That way I don't get em hurt if somebody sets me straight--and my babies are all the better for it.

[Carlala]

i love my lil bratty gabby she is my baby she is sweet as pie and she never leaves my side if she accidentally climbs off of me on to the floor she panics and comes running back to me she knows i am mom and will protect her with my life. I know that I worry a bit to much about my babies but i dont have human children only furkids and i love them just as much as if they were the same species as i am =) she is sleeping now hopefully all goes well at the vet tomorrow =) ty everyone for helping me out and i will update as i know more

[jbtartell]

hope your vet trip is good.. get better little gabby:thumbsup

[ZonaB]

Praying for you and your baby!
We all support each other.
How is she doing now?

[stepnstone]

just want to point something out here...


she let me open her mouth and look but its really hard to get pics well holding her. i am fairly sure that the tooth is gone. and i was right by the cage she wasnt chewing on it although she does do that a lot i think it may have been the salt block in there


the reason i know she wasnt chewing on the crate is because it makes loud noises when she does and i can see her in it she was in her blankets chewing on something when it happened

Even though you are convinced she did not lose her tooth on the bars, who's to say she did not initially damage, chip or crack the tooth on the bars. By your own posts you admit she has chewed on them. The salt block could have just provided the final break, I doubt very seriously it was what caused it.

I do understand having to compromise with certain things that one has on hand but there are ways to improve what one has to use for the safety of the animal. You can always get, cut and attach a section of wire cloth to place on the inside over the bars so they can not get their teeth on them to chew. I would strongly suggest doing this if you intend on using this carrier in the future.

Wishing you and her a good outcome on her check up. :grouphug

[jbtartell]

How is gabby? I just wanted to check in on her.. hope all is good..

[stosh2010]

GABBY Up-Date PLEASE.......We all would like to hear how she is feelin' today !!!
Any chance for some photos??? They ALWAYS help to make a better diagnosis....

[Carlala]

ok so she went to the vet and her tooth is gone because another was growing in but it is growing in forward and all messed up i actually thought her tooth went thru her lip but it wasnt that its how the tooth is growing. the vet wouldnt do anything for her said not to give her anything pretty much didnt care. i wasnt there it is where gabby came from and where my sister works. they also said to let her go she is 8 weeks old!!! not gonna happen!! so now i need to know if it needs to be pulled and what to do. i will post pics soon my friend is going to help take them i have a vet tech who is willing to help me pull her tooth if i need to. i trust u all more than i trust the vet. i need to know what meds she needs and how much? she is 192 grams

[Milo's Mom]

You CANNOT just pull a squirrels tooth! Their teeth and roots are nothing like ours. Surgery is required.

[SammysMom]

This sounds like she needs the tooth surgically removed. There are several thread here about this surgery. I will look and try to post them here...

[SammysMom]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35442&highlight=odontoma+surgery

[Carlala]

this is the best pic i could get

[djarenspace9]

If she needs surgery she is way too young.
I know we have had members with baby squirrels having dental issues
that had to wait for the to mature more, so for now I think your focus
should be on keeping her safe and comfortable.
There is always a chance the problem may self correct too.
Please don't rush to do anything and try to get her to a vet that does have
experience with squirrels for a proper evaluation at some point.
I don't think any of us can properly make a decision about what she needs without proper evaluation and xrays.

I am sure you are going to get some good advice here and I thank you for listening.
We have all made our little mistakes as beginners and noone will hold it against you
if you are serious about learning and growing as a caregiver.

:grouphug

[Carlala]

ok so hopefully it corrects itself but if not how much am i looking at?

[djarenspace9]

Dental surgery for squirrels run in the thousands and very few vets have the experience to do that kind of surgery.
It is not a light matter.
I'd suggest for now do pain management, monitor changes, modify her caging and keep her from damaging it more, offer easy foods to eat etc.

[djarenspace9]

I know you are still in panic mode and just want to fix it,
but you need to find the right resources to do a proper evaluation.
We need to see if we have any very experienced rehabbers near you
or hopefully a good vet with squirrel experience to do a proper examination.
Whenever I have had babies with dental issues my vet always says let's wait and see.
The only risk I would worry about for now is if there is any infection and managing pain.
Did you get any antibiotic or pain meds from the vet?

[Carlala]

no she wouldnt do anything for her but i think i have a vet that could see her i will check on it. i have infant motrin but i am not sure how much to give her. and i will get antibiotics what kind how much?

[djarenspace9]

Let me check with my vet tomorrow and see what she would recommend for this type of situation.

I am going to post a thread asking for help in your area, maybe someone can direct you to a rehabber or vet that can help you.

[Carlala]

ok ty =)

[Carlala]

i live not to far from michigan state they have an amazing vet program maybe they do squirrels?

[jbtartell]

Let me check with my vet tomorrow and see what she would recommend for this type of situation.

I am going to post a thread asking for help in your area, maybe someone can direct you to a rehabber or vet that can help you.
Thank you for all the help she really needs it.. give Gabby a big southern kiss for me.. and try to calm down. beleave me I panic bad but I find when I calm down things are easier..:D

[Carlala]

i will give her a big southern kiss for you and thank you everyone!!!!!!

[Carlala]

can i use baby orajel on her?

[SammysMom]

Not sure why but I wouldn't... Others will chime in I am sure!:grouphug :grouphug

[djarenspace9]

Yeah I second SammysMom...that stuff is icky and will numb other parts of your mouth and throat if you swallow and it could freak her out.

[Carlala]

ok then i wont give her any. she wont eat hhb right now. she is getting fv still tho and other treats and gerber babyfood veggies =)

[SammysMom]

you can puree the HHBs with baby food or better yet, FV.:thumbsup

[island rehabber]

Always stay away from over-the-counter people meds unless your vet okays it (like the Children's Motrin, which is ok for squirrels). Wildlife reacts very differently to "safe" medications that humans take without a thought.....tylenol can kill some species, for example. :nono

[Carlala]

ty sammys mom wonderful idea! thats why i asked =)

[Carlala]

she is cranky and wont eat what antibiotic should i get her how much and what dose? and i can work on a way to get it

[djarenspace9]

My vet recommends SMZ if it's precautionary and if an infection is confirmed something stronger.
You need to get this from the vet or a rehabber, these are not meds you can just buy at the store.
It's going to be uncomfortable for a while so just try to bear with her and make her as comfortable as possible.

[Milo's Mom]

Carlala - have you even looked to see if there are any rehabbers close to you? I do not know if we (TSB) know of any, but I'd at least look if I were you.

From what I can remember, the info the vet gave you was not all that great. A Wildlife Rehabilitator (someone that deals with squirrels all the time) might be a better avenue.

If you love her and are this worried about her, LOOK for a rehabber!

EDIT: Just because she is cranky and will not eat does NOT mean she needs an antibiotic. Antibiotics are used to fight an infection. She needs pain meds for pain, NOT antibiotic. You can give her INFANT Motrin...this will help with the pain and also reduce any swelling she may have. INFANT Motrin can be bought just about anywhere...drug stores, grocery stores, even some gas stations may have it.

[Carlala]

i do know of three rehabbers one is the vet she came from she is a licensed rehabber who shouldnt be the other is a girl that lives fairly close to me which i also dont trust and one i have been trying to get a hold of.

[Carlala]

also i have infant motrin for her but to double check how much should i give her she is 197grams

and i can get my hands on bactrim how much when what mg?

[djarenspace9]

Milos Mom the reason I am encouraging her to treat with ABs as well as pain management is because a cracked tooth is a gateway for infection. My Trixie has an overbite and is trimmed every 2 weeks by her vet. He has always told me if I notice any crack or break to act immediately because the infection will run deep and unnoticed until it's too late. I called his office today and he said to opt for prevention with SMZ as due to the type of injury there is a high chance of infection. If there were obvious signs of infection he would go with a stronger med.

Carlala, I have said it before and strongly second what MM says though, and you should please seek EXPERIENCED help for her. This is the time to act and not hope for the best, because it is a critical matter.

I had posted earlier trying to seek help in your area but don't think anyone on TSB responded. :dono
Please keep trying.

[daniellenc]

What about wildlife rescues in the area?? Some will take babies old enough to make it through the night without feedings and rehab there. I live in a squirrel hating county, but there has to be a way to get some AB's to prevent any infection. Mouths are actually dirtier than tushes I know hard to believe, but true:D

[Carlala]

not around me there arent any but not to worry as long as i can figure out what to get her i will get it =)

[Milo's Mom]

Milos Mom the reason I am encouraging her to treat with ABs as well as pain management is because a cracked tooth is a gateway for infection. My Trixie has an overbite and is trimmed every 2 weeks by her vet. He has always told me if I notice any crack or break to act immediately because the infection will run deep and unnoticed until it's too late. I called his office today and he said to opt for prevention with SMZ as due to the type of injury there is a high chance of infection. If there were obvious signs of infection he would go with a stronger med.

Carlala, I have said it before and strongly second what MM says though, and you should please seek EXPERIENCED help for her. This is the time to act and not hope for the best, because it is a critical matter.

I had posted earlier trying to seek help in your area but don't think anyone on TSB responded. :dono
Please keep trying.

I stand corrected. The way I read it, it sounded like you were answering a very broad open ended question with a not strong antibiotic to appease her since she seems unwilling (or not trying very hard) to seek experienced help in her area...more effort seems to be going into seeking any and all ranges of meds.
But I do wonder why, if the squirrel came from a rehabber, who is also a vet whom has the ability to prescribe antibiotics and is fully aware of the squirrel...why would one not contact the said rehabber/vet for meds after explaining the situation. Maybe I've missed something :thinking

Again, I apologize djaren, but something here is just not adding up if you ask me.

[Carlala]

the vet was contacted she went to the vet who told us to let her go she was old enough and if we take her back they will take her and release her themselves i hate the vet she came from the women shouldnt have a license i am not even sure why she is sending squirrels home with her unqualified employees my sister would not have lasted a day with gabby i was willing to do my homework and the first ones were 5-6 weeks when we were sent home with them and my sister came home crying and said she didnt know what to do for them so i took care of them.

i am not unwilling i have found people i just am having issues contacting them and i want to know what she needs because i want to make sure what they tell me is good information i have had a bad experience with people who should know this and dont. i am doing my best

[Milo's Mom]

Here is a link to the Michigan DNR Wildlife Rehabilitator Listing...not sure if you've seen this or not.

http://www.michigandnr.com/dlr/

[Chickenlegs]

I still can't believe the vet would tell you to let her go as young as she is--and with obvious tooth issues. What sort of vet school did that person attend--mail order? Gabby is lucky to have a caring Mom.

[Carlala]

ok i finally got a hold of my aunt she is going to call me with the number to a rehabber that the animal sanctuary works with and said she should be able to provide me with everything i need so i will be calling her in the morning about little gabby.

chickenlegs i agree i was so mad when i heard that. it doesnt surprise me however because she said the same thing about the last 2 she sent and i am currently foster mommy to 2 kittens that are 9 weeks unfortunately we lost 2 and they are very undersized one is smaller than gabby and she complained that we were feeding them to much because the vet ran out of kmr and told us we had to get more ourselves even tho she gets it from the company for a 25% of the store prices. but obviously i did i wasnt going to starve the poor baby and last week they left a whole litter of pink squirrels in the clinic over night with no heating device and no food because the girl who was taking them wasnt able to get them until the next morning. they have a dog in a coma because someone had it boarding and they overdosed it on its meds

she is a terrible vet i would never send my pets there by choice thats where they all came from thats why we go there and my sister works there

[Carlala]

i have a better pic i am posting with this i was told by the rehabber I just got in contact with that it is probably her baby tooth and it should be fine but if it doesnt fall out it is a malocclusion what does everyone on here think?

[jbtartell]

awww poor baby, do you have a good body pic??? would love to see her..:D

[Carlala]

this is gabby :)

[SammysMom]

She is beautiful! :Love_Icon

[Carlala]

awwww ty i love her very much:D