breathing hard and not eating

[sqmom]

it's me again. Squirmy is 6 weeks old. i started him on the FV 2 days ago, mixed with his puppy formula, and today he has been just sleeping more than usual, not wanting to eat, sleeping with his eyes half open. His breathing is similar to a human having subcostal retractions. Not labored, but using his stomach muscles to breathe. I'm afraid he is dying, but I don't know why. I've had him 5 weeks. What can I do?

[astra]

please provide more info on your baby:

1. did you transition gradually from puppy formula to FV?
how did he do during the transition? activity? poop?

2. How much do you feed him per feeding and how often?

3. what else does he eat?

4. What are his daily activities like? What's in his cage?
Do you let him out of cage? Is the room squirrelproof? Could he have gotten into something toxic?
Could he have hurt himself?

5. Assume he was fine before, when did his change start? what preceded it in terms of food, activities etc etc etc?
Was it sudden or was it gradual?

I might have missed something, but please think of every detail before he started feeling this way.

Could you post pictures?

Someone experienced will be here so please keep checking often.
:grouphug

[djarenspace9]

Here's a few basics to make sure of...
Make sure he is well hydrated is the one thing I can say.
It can cause lethargy and loss of appetite if he is dehydrated.
Is he on the FV full strength now?
How is his urine and poop?
Any signs of bloat?
Make sure he is digesting properly...that can also cause some of those symptoms.

I was looking at your previous threads and you mentioned a few things that concern me...the initial fall out of the nest and his seizures. You referred to them as feeding seizures and I'm not sure why you classify them as such.

Head trauma alone can do a number on these little ones.
Unfortunately they can linger for a long time before taking a turn for the worse,
especially because we (the caregivers) do everything we can to help them.

I am not being pessimistic about your Squirmy but being realistic that he did not get off to a good start and there may some damage there that keeps rearing it's head in different ways.

It sounds like you are trying to do everything you can...proper nutrition, housing, warmth, etc.
It's all you can do unless there were any medical intervention possible.

[sqmom]

I've been transitioning from puppy formula to FV gradually. I don't thing he likes it. I'm sure he was dehydrated today, so went back to Pedialyte/water today. But he was breathing fast this morning, and like I said, retraction breathing. The bottom fell out of the nest at about 1 week old. I went with "feeding seizures" from all the other info on posts I researched on this site. It could be aspiration, but after 5 weeks of feeding, I don't think that's the case. He's still bald on his back end, but started getting hair on his feet this week. He didn't stand a chance against all the cats in the yard, so he's already beat the odds at this point. But I would like to see him make it till next spring at which time he can hit the woods.

[sqmom]

I read on another thread that puppy pads are toxic. I've been using puppy pads in his box ove the heating pad to protect it since he started peeing and pooping on his own (with help from me, of course). I removed the pads. Is that a real concern? Have I poisoned him with the puppy pads?

[astra]

I read on another thread that puppy pads are toxic. I've been using puppy pads in his box ove the heating pad to protect it since he started peeing and pooping on his own (with help from me, of course). I removed the pads. Is that a real concern? Have I poisoned him with the puppy pads?
puppy pads could easily do it.
Let's hope it's not too late.

Hydrate him.
BUT do not mix formula with pedi. Separate feedings for each.
Do not give pedi for more than 24hrs. If hydration is still needed after 24hrs - either plain water, or water lightly sweetened with no sugar added apple juice or something like that.


Also, do you mean that the heating pad is IN his box?
It should not be IN the box, it should be UNDER his box, under HALF of his box, so that he could move off it if he gets too warm.

Also, when you say 'box' do you mean a cardboard box?
Cardboard boxes suck out moisture and contribute to dehydration.

Please get a plastic container, like those large storage containers.
Heating pad UNDER HALF of it, set on low

[astra]

if the heating pad is in the box, then, it could also be some overheating + the toxic puppy pads. Labored breathing is common in overheating cases

[astra]

Is that a real concern? Have I poisoned him with the puppy pads?
Please do not feel awful about this.:grouphug
You could not have known.
The rehabber who shared about the pads (and that's how that sticky came to be) didn't know at the time either.

You have been doing all you could do to the best of your knowledge.
You have been looking for help and that's what brought you here.
You are following all suggestions and that's all anyone can do.
If there was a user's manual with detailed instructions on all DOs and DON'Ts about them there would not be any need for a site like this.
And there would not be any need for rehab classes and book.
But there is very little info.
A lot of knowledge shared here is acquired through many years of hands-on experience
And everyone continues to learn, often from mistakes...
That's the best we all can do

So, let's just pray and hope your little one will get better.
Please keep posting updates on how he is doing

:grouphug :grouphug

[pappy1264]

Updates?

[jbtartell]

I did not know that about puppy pads either and I been rehabbing for almost 5 years..I have one in the drawer of analieses cage what is toxic about it ? is it the smell or if they touch it? and it is no where near her where she can touch it.. it is in a seperate drawer under the cage to catch pee.. and poo should I worry? I am sorry about your baby.. you are not alone we are all hear with you to help anyway we can.:grouphug

[pappy1264]

I believe even having it in the tray is dangerous, as I believe it is fumes from it. I use plain newspaper in my trays, change out twice a day, wipe tray down with bleach/water, dry and put back.

[Mochi&Mocha]

I did not know that about puppy pads either and I been rehabbing for almost 5 years..I have one in the drawer of analieses cage what is toxic about it ? is it the smell or if they touch it? and it is no where near her where she can touch it.. it is in a seperate drawer under the cage to catch pee.. and poo should I worry? I am sorry about your baby.. you are not alone we are all hear with you to help anyway we can.:grouphug

I would take it out immediately! It's better to be safe than sorry. I use newspaper and that works well for me.

[sqmom]

I took the puppy pad out immediately. Since day 1, I have had him on a cornbag heating pad in half the box that we reheat every 3-4 hrs with a tshirt over it, in a cardboard box. Hell, it's a wonder he's made it this far:) I had started the puppy pads 3 days ago. Anyway, I removed the puppy pad, cooled off the heating pad, and forcefed pedialyte then and at 4am. Amazing. He ate like a pig at 8am, and has been lively and eating good all day. It must have been the pads. Thanks everyone for your concerns, support, and advice.

[Nancy in New York]

I did not know that about puppy pads either and I been rehabbing for almost 5 years..I have one in the drawer of analieses cage what is toxic about it ?


It's a sticky right in this forum....:poke
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30460

[daniellenc]

You can go to walmart or target and get a sterilite bin- melt holes in it, and voila you have a cheapy cage for the new 2-3 weeks till he'll need a real cage. You can also pick up a cheap heating pad- the one's the don't shut off and set it on low under half the cage. Having heat directly on them is ok for transport situations or if the power is out, but they can easily screw up their little body temperatures being too hot at first, then just right, then too cold then replaced and suddenly too hot again. They need proper body temps to digest food and absorb nutrients so having your heating right all the time is a pretty big deal:)

[sqmom]

He's fully recovered. You should post a HIGH ALERT on not using puppy pads. I realize not everyone would think of that, but I have a small dog in the house, so that was a logical (I thought) solution to keeping pee off the heating pad. Thanks to the posts about that, he would have died that night if I had not seen that post.