Sick Squirrels

[junik85]

Hi, I'm new. About 2 weeks ago I found 4 Grey Suqirrel and 1 Flying Squirrel. I fed them the Esbilac formula every 3-4 hours. They were around 4-5 weeks old. Well, everything was going fine. Then one morning, I found one dead. So, I just figured ??? I don't know. I don't know why it died. Well, then just this last week 2 more died. They seem to do fine. Very playful, eat fine, sleep, I mean seem just fine. Then the next thing I know, I'll go to feed them and one will be laying there. I picked it up and it was the saddest thing ever. It was alive, but it kept arching it's back and couldn't even hold his head up. I couldn't tell it was alive except I saw it was breathing. It wouldn't drink anything or nothing. About 10 minutes later, it died. Then just Saturday night, I fed them, everything fine. I go eat, come back 3 hours later, another one is doing the exact same thing. It drank alittle water, but still didn't make it. I've been giving them crushed up cheerios with formula, bites of banana, and formula. I don't know what is causing this. I've talked to someone who rescues them and he said he has had that happen before and doesn't know what causes it. Now this morning, the last Grey squirrel was moving around, but couldn't move his front legs. He still ate fine, but his feet kept turning under and he had no control. The flying squirrel is doing fine. Can you maybe tell me what I need to do, what I've done wrong. I've tried so hard to do this right and it's so upsetting watching it turn out this way. Thanks

[Secret Squirrel]

Sounds like you aspirated them. Did the formula come out of their nose while you were feeding them???

[junik85]

The very first time I fed them it did and I stopped feeding them and wiped their noses off. Then continued feeding them. I got it to where they just about never sneezed. I fed it to them really slow to where sometimes they got frustrated waiting on me. If that was the case is there anything I can do to help the last one?

[Secret Squirrel]

Is it gasping for breath?
Is it cold?

[Secret Squirrel]

go to the lobby chat room.

[MissDolittle]

The Lobby is under the Chat link on top of the page...we are waiting for you.

[junik85]

The chat thing isn't working. The squirrels are not cold. I have a small heating pad for them. They don't gasp for air. They breathe fine and it sometimes slows way down. You can't even tell they are breathing. Then they'll just jerk. It reminds me of someone suffering from tectnus or something. It's body muscles just jerk one long time, then it'll go limp. ???

[Secret Squirrel]

Are they ticking when breathing?

[junik85]

No. Just silently breathing.

[MissDolittle]

Is there any way you can take a picture and show it here?

[thundersquirrel]

i suggest you get an autopsy on the dead ones. you might not get it back in time to save the last one, but their behavior sounds so strange....maybe i'm too cautious, but if i were in your situation and no one had ever heard of such a thing i would have the bodies tested, because it could be a serious disease. i always think about west nile or some weird new strain of bacteria..... :dono

there can't be birth defects in every single baby. it sounds like you're doing everything right.....maybe it's some lack of nutrition that they desperately need? make sure they're getting a source of calcium and phosphorus....of course, you are feeding them formula, and that's supposed to cover everything.

huh. i really am stunted by this situation. i can really only tell you to keep trying, to get the bodies tested, and to disinfect everything the squirrels come into contact with. basically, you should quarantine the place. :shakehead
i hope the last one pulls through.
stay nutty :crazy
thundersquirrel

[junik85]

Unfortunately, the last one didn't make it. :sad The flying squirrel is doing great. He's just a little bit lonely. I wanted to thank all of you for your replys. It does make me feel better to know that ya'll seem to think I did everything right. Maybe it just wasn't meant to be. I guess things like this can happen when humans try to raise wild animals. Thanks again for all of your support.:thankyou

[island rehabber]

I am so sorry about the 4 gray babies. Were they 4 siblings? If so, I am wondering whether the mamma squirrel passed a disease on to them. It's very sad. I am sure the flyer is lonely and it would be great for him if you could find someone with another single flyer and join them up. I believe that flyers are much more socially oriented than greys and they really do thrive better with a few of their own kind around :)

[Luv4scratty]

Well what would suggest. Is that you feed them dry puupy formula. Feeding them crushed banna's isent good for them. Dry puppy formula is what you need to be feeding htme. Go to any pet store or and genral store and you can find liitle bottels that are made for wildlife. Mine came with Squrriel,and baby Bird. This will help them in the long run. Good luck and so sorry for your lost.

[capybara16]

I'm new as well. I just found this board the other day and decided to give it a try. I was raising a baby squirrel that was about 4 weeks old. I fed the right formula and everything and mine did exactly the same thing as you described about your baby grey squirrelsl. I am a vet technician and so I would take mine to work everyday. It happened at work and I got really worried. She wasn't moving much and arching her back and making screaming sounds so I immediately warmed her up with rice sacks and gave her karo syrup. She started to come back around and would eat and she lived to be about 8 weeks old but she would have those espisodes and I was doing everything I knew how to do. She didn't grow much compared to the sister that a friend rehabber was raising. But she ended up passing away and to this day we don't know why. Sometimes things happen when you are raising wildlife that can't be explained.

[FLUFFYTAILNUT]

I'm new as well. I just found this board the other day and decided to give it a try. I was raising a baby squirrel that was about 4 weeks old. I fed the right formula and everything and mine did exactly the same thing as you described about your baby grey squirrelsl. I am a vet technician and so I would take mine to work everyday. It happened at work and I got really worried. She wasn't moving much and arching her back and making screaming sounds so I immediately warmed her up with rice sacks and gave her karo syrup. She started to come back around and would eat and she lived to be about 8 weeks old but she would have those espisodes and I was doing everything I knew how to do. She didn't grow much compared to the sister that a friend rehabber was raising. But she ended up passing away and to this day we don't know why. Sometimes things happen when you are raising wildlife that can't be explained.
OMG..you guy's..So, sad..so sorry for both your sadness...
My heart just aches for you ..BOTH...!
I hope th flyer continues to do well.:grouphug :grouphug