Please Help! The squirrel I am raising seems sick overnight!!!

[RyMulcP]

The squirrel I have been raising has been weened and is on fresh fruit and veggies... Today I found her with one eye closed/scratch or something and her breathing very shallow and with little energy. She will not eat, and I just got her to drink some water but she has no energy. From 100% to 20% in one day.... what could this be and what should I do??

Please help!

[SammysMom]

We can try to help but need info.
Age? How long have you had her and how did you get her? What has she been eating and when did she wean? Gray squirrel? On heat?

[astra]

Hi,

Could you give a very detailed description/history:

1. How old is your squirrel?
How was it found? any injuries when found etc?

2. What formula was s/he on?

3. Why is s/he weaned? Did s/he wean herself or did you wean?
How long ago was s/he weaned?

4. Does s/he eat quality rodent block daily?
What kind?
How many per day?

5. What veggies does s/he eat?

6. Any possible injuries/traumas? COuld a fall happen?
Does s/he get out of cage time?
Where?
Is the room squirrelproof?
Could s/he have access to some human pills/vitamins/etc?
Could s/he have injured her/himself?

7. What preceded the onset?
What exactly did s/he eat the day before?
What exactly did s/he do the day/hours before?

8. Do you use any puppy pads in his/her cage?
anything scented? detergent?

9. Are the wild foods you give him/her safe?

For now, just from what you said, it sounds like the diet may be a problem.
If there is no rodent block regularly, then, chances are this might be MBD.

So, just in case this is MBD< please start the emergency treatment.
If it's not MBD, it won't hurt, and if it is, it will save the squirrel.

So, until TSB experts come with more questions and advise, start the MBD treatment.

And please make sure you answer all those details because that will help the experts to help you.

:grouphug

[astra]

Emergency Treatment for Metabolic Bone Disease (updated 3-31-09)

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

You will need:

--Tums or calcium pills (any kind)
--a syringe, eyedropper, or spoon

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 600-800 mg of calcium, and spread it out through the day and night to keep his blood calcium levels as steady as possible.

If the squirrel is having seizures, weakness, or paralysis, the symptoms 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.

Long-Term Treatment for MBD

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

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

2. Follow the Healthy Diet For Pet Squirrels, which can be found at the top of the “Squirrel Nutrition” forum. (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=16093) Your squirrel MUST eat rodent block or squirrel blocks every day. If your squirrel doesn't like rodent blocks, you can try crushing them up with peanut butter or avocado temporarily. You can also make a tastier version of squirrel blocks using the recipe at the top of the Squirrel Nutrition forum.

3. In addition to the Healthy Diet, you will need to continue giving extra calcium every day for several weeks. Either use the syringe/eyedropper or you can try putting the calcium on a small piece of fruit.

Week 1: calcium = 500 mg per day
Week 2: calcium = 250 mg per day
Weeks 3-8: calcium = 100 mg per day

The cause of the acute symptoms—weakness, lethargy, seizures, paralysis—is a drop in blood calcium levels. If these symptoms return at any time, you will need to give another emergency dose of calcium.

More Tips
MBD causes brittle bones that break easily. Try to keep your squirrel away from high places, where he might jump and break a bone. Also, if he is in a tall cage, either place him in a smaller cage, or pad the bottom very well.

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.

__________________

[RyMulcP]

She is a gray squirrel, I've had her for over a month because rehabbers would not take her. She has a paralyzed front arm, but she was strong and wanted to live. She could hold food with one arm and climb no problem.

She is probably around 8 to 12 weeks, closer to 12 in my opinion. She has been very active, eating fruits and veggies, and regularly goes to the bathroom/seemed very healthy. Today, she randomly has one eye squinting and she has little strength and is breathing hard. I don't know what to do...

[astra]

She is a gray squirrel, I've had her for over a month because rehabbers would not take her. She has a paralyzed front arm, but she was strong and wanted to live. She could hold food with one arm and climb no problem.

She is probably around 8 to 12 weeks, closer to 12 in my opinion. She has been very active, eating fruits and veggies, and regularly goes to the bathroom/seemed very healthy. Today, she randomly has one eye squinting and she has little strength and is breathing hard. I don't know what to do...
WHAT IS HER DAILY DIET LIKE?
DOES SHE GET RODENT BLOCK? WHAT KIND? HOW MANY PER DAY?
WHAT FORMULA WAS SHE ON?
IF she is 8-12wks, that's a very wide range with a month error margin.
BUT between 8-12wks she should still be on formula.
They should never be weaned off formula, but allowed to eat formula as much and as long as they will take it.

[CritterMom]

If she is no longer on formula and not eating a rodent block, it is very likely she has MBD. The treatment is posted above. Get calcium into her NOW. Read through the post that sastra put up and do it tonight.

[stepnstone]

Classic symptoms! Follow the instructions for MBD, her life depends on it!

[daniellenc]

How old, what kind of formula did he/she get, what kind of rodent block is it on, how much fruit do you feed? How much does it weigh?? Sorry with no info it's kinda hard to help you figure out what's wrong or could be wrong.

MBD is possible if your diet is off and it sounds like it may be

Do you hear a clicking noise when he/she breathes??

[RyMulcP]

I got some tums water mixture in her and will try and get her some more formula tomorrow and see if she will eat it... anything else I can do until then?

[island rehabber]

I find it highly unlikely that a 3-month old squirrel would have MBD, even if she was weaned early. Something else is going on. Did you give her anything different to eat today? A new plant or fruit or seed? Is it possible she got into something in the house, or near her cage?

[RyMulcP]

No clicking noises... might be MBD but not sure =\ what else can I do besides get tums into her and keep her warm?

[island rehabber]

No clicking noises... might be MBD but not sure =\ what else can I do besides get tums into her and keep her warm?

Make sure she's hydrated -- offer her water and/or Pedialyte or homemade solution over the next few hours -- try to flush whatever it is out of her system. Again, MBD does not set in so quickly in a baby's life....if she were 8 to 12 MONTHS old, then I would say yes, quite possible.

[daniellenc]

Order Henry Healthy blocks growth formula immediately, cut out the fruit- it is only meant as a treat not a meal staple, and get her to a vet something is off. You really need to research diet and nutrition now on here there are tons of threads for you to gain insight from. Rodent block primarily Henry's need to be 70-80% of their total diet once weaned, with veggies second, and fruit and nuts as treats. Formula should be fed as long as they'll take it whether they are drinking it from a bowl or you are syringe feeding it- never self wean. Fox Valley 20/50 can be ordered online and is the best formula option out there. For now like tonight go get some canned goats milk, whipping cream in the carton not whipped cream, and some full fat plain or vanilla yogurt. Here is the recipe:
3 parts goat’s milk
1 part heavy whipping cream*
1 part vanilla yogurt

So like 2 tablespoons goats milk, 1 tablespoon whipping cream, and 1 tablespoon yogurt to start. Warm in hot water do not microwave and check to make sure it won't scald them. Use a syringe from the pharmacy they will hand them out and slowly feed this 2-3 times a day with rodent block being the only other food you offer till she accepts the block. Depending on how early this squirrel was weaned MBD isn't impossible especially with a diet of fruit and veggies and their rapid growth this young. Do not feed kitten milk replacer or esbilac- either the goats milk mixture or fox valley only:)

[kastillo]

Could it be a stroke possibly? Is the squinty eye on the same side as the paralysed arm?

[Jackie in Tampa]

where are yuo in florida?