URGENT - CAT BITE/FLY EGGS

[Mchicha]

Vet's office just sent another baby squirrel home - this one injured, brought up by cat. Wounds on side near neck and eye. Appears to be about 4 weeks old - eyes should not be open but the one that was bitten has opened and is dull and non-responsive. She is very swollen in the face. Vet administered Baytril and daughter said "Dex-something". Probably Dexamethasone.

Need instruction on how to get fly eggs off the baby without injuring her further. Most decidedly do not want to progress to maggots. Vet did not administer flea med, as she did for the older baby, due to the injury.

Also, how soon to feed.

[CritterMom]

Call the vet and get a tablet of Capstar. Very fast, very safe and the maggots will drop right off.

Also, warm her up, then rehydrate - real important with the Baytril. Once completely rehydrated, THEN begin the food. I would dilute the formula and work up to full strength slowly.

[Mchicha]

Her face and jaw are so swollen I am doubtful that I could get a tablet into her and get her to swallow it. She is so swollen that her mouth is open with tongue protruding a bit. Would I disintegrate the tab into water? Dosage?

[Mchicha]

184640

[CritterMom]

Depending on tablet size, - try for the 11.4mg tablets - they seem to be the most popular size. Dilute 1/2 of a tablet in 1cc of water and administer .01ml per 25 grams of weight. Note: This stuff is REALLY well tolerated. Don't worry a lot about the exact accuracy of the dose. A lot of people automatically just give a quarter tablet! It is that safe...but it puts a hurting on maggots!

[Mchicha]

She looks really, really bad. No spontaneous movement when touched, etc. I am wondering if they should not have just humanely euthanized her. This is pitiful. The wound to the throat is very, very deep.

[CritterMom]

Oh that poor baby. Some chain pet shops sell Capstar in 6 pill packs - your vet may be able to sell a single tab. Rx is not required.

She looks bad. Make sure she stays nice and warm and quiet except for hydration time, and make sure it is warm, too.

[Mchicha]

I looked and found Capstar in the animal medicine chest (it's a full household). She has been being warmed on a rice sock, so I am about to dilute and try to administer. We will give her some quiet, warm time after that and then hydrate in 30 minutes or so, if that sounds right.

Is the homemade pedialyte equally as good - I can send one of the kids out for the real thing if it is somewhat better?

[CritterMom]

Do the homemade. Fewer chemicals. I would do the regular solution for the first few and then drop the salt. They need electrolytes when dehydrated from diarrhea or vomitig but not when it is from starvation, and the less stuff the kidneys have to filter out the better.

[Mchicha]

She made it through the night! She's strong-willed anyway. :) Daughter is taking her back to the office this morning as I think she needs to be sub q'd. She has been taking some hydration but not much - her poor little mouth is still hanging open and it appears to be difficult for her to swallow. On the up side of things, she is still craving warmth and will snuggle up to her rice buddy (the injured sister to Baby kept trying to crawl away from the warmth as though she wanted to die more quickly.)

These injured babies are so pitiful. :(

[CritterMom]

Ask about follow up dex and baytril. The dex is very powerful steroidal anti-inflammatory (make sure not to mix with any NSAIDS) and they often give several injections over several days.

[Mchicha]

Will do, thanks CritterMom. Daughter will be taking her right after her first class which ends in about 45 minutes.

She is exhibiting a little more sucking activity just a few minutes ago but still not taking in a lot of fluid. She took 1cc just now and about 3/4 of a cc about 2 hours ago. She has been peeing and pooping (small black stools). She appears also to have wet herself between the last two attempts at hydration so she's dried and has new bedding.

Most concerning is that she is sneezing. Not constantly and no clicking yet but daughter said there was some blood. It is difficult to tell the trajectory of the cat bite at the neck and I am concerned that there may have been a lung puncture as well.

Again, on the upside she has a great deal of fight. She is grabbing on and clinging when picked up and actually moved her head to find the syringe while being hydrated. Iffy, iffy, iffy but we are trying and praying.

I will definitely have her follow up for more meds while at the vet. I'm also going to see if they will send some fluids home with her in case we need them. We have not been giving any pain meds - she's so very out of it that she has not been exhibiting any pain behaviors and I worry about overloading her system. Right now we are on sugar water alone. If she is more hydrated tonight after drinking and subQ today, I will add a small amount of very diluted FV.

Thanks so much for your help.

[CritterMom]

I would start the FV in a watered down form sooner rather than later. Then she will at least start getting some nutrients into her and the water will continue to rehydrate her. Even as you reduce the dilution, you can still give water sips through the syringe in between feedings. She needs some chow on board to help get her strength up so she can hopefully fight this off.

If her little mouth is swollen she probably can't suck. Lord, I remember having all my wisdom teeth taken out with whatever little tooth hammer they use to chip them out, and my head blew up like a basketball. All I could deal with were liquids which I couldn't drink either with or withough a straw! I wound up feeding myself with a turkey baster...:shakehead Hopefully the meds will start reducing that swelling.

[Mchicha]

You have just made me snort my drink out of my nose!! A turkey baster!!! :rotfl

[CritterMom]

You have just made me snort my drink out of my nose!! A turkey baster!!! :rotfl

Darn near aspirated myself, too. :shakehead Good times...

[Mrs Skul]

:wave123 Hi Mchicha
You might have to lay her over your Chest so she can hear your Hart Beating. It is very comforting to Babies when in shock. :grouphug This can help will her to live.
You just need to stay still and calm when doing this. Just cuddle, softly talk to her, and keep her warm.
Make sure to put something of yours and the Daughters with her to cuddle up with. She will always be looking for the stronger sent/smell to come in the room when she gets frightened.
I know you can also poor the Well dissolved CapStar in the ear if you think Maggots are in their. (Miriam did this and some came out on their own. Others she picked out.) {"She found 6 to 8 in one ear."} :eek:
:grouphug OH! That Poor Little Baby Girl. I will keep you both in my Prayers. :Love_Icon
CM918
PS
Is she getting the Baytril 2 times a day?

[Mchicha]

Update - not good news. The injured baby has been hanging in but doing very poorly despite antibiotics, steroids, unguents and pain medication. The injured eye is necrotizing and she smells horrid. The sneezing has continued and she is draining greenish fluid - no clicking so not in lungs, I think it is likely infection in the sinus cavity, possibly from puncture by cat fang or claw. She clearly has brain damage - the mouth is still slack, she has to have her head tilted back in order to get fluids. Her little hands are remaining clenched. She has never really progressed to looking better than she did the first day - every time we go in to feed/medicate/check on her she looks, and smells, dead until you notice she is breathing.

We have made the decision to euthanize as she is suffering and is not improving much, if any, and her quality of life if she did miraculously survive would be next to nil given the amount of physical damage, including brain damage. I feel so bad that she has suffered so much through this.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Thank you...I am so sorry, it's a very hard call.
Heaven is a gift..
May she rest peacefully:Love_Icon

[Kebtaz]

So sorry for you're lost. At least she was loved for those few days! Poor baby!

[Mchicha]

Additional update: the vet, who hates euthanizing anything, sent the injured baby home with the experienced rehabber who is giving it a go and will keep her as an NR if she makes it. She has continued on meds and actually seems to be improving a lot - moving more and crawled out of her container yesterday. My daughter said while the baby still smells unpleasant it is a more of a healing wound odor than a rotting flesh odor. And her mouth is not looking so slack and misshapen. So, yay!

Of course, the fact that the baby seems to be improving leaves us feeling pretty darn bad about wanting to euthanize her, but she was so very miserable and smelled like death. I am just glad that she is doing better and hope she is able to make a very good recovery.

[kastillo]

How were the fly eggs removed, I've got one in a similar condition tonight but not as bad. She's taking a little hydration. But I have not been able to sub q yet. Picked them up on the way home from work from my cousins house. He thinks the momma was hit on the road 3-4 days ago.
These babies were found, one injured. She has blood in her nose, was leaking a lot of fluids when I picked her up, chilled them both, the t shirt was wet with fluids, I've warmed them gave them both oral hydration, gave the injured one dex and baytril, because I don't know if the fall is the injury or fall plus animal attack.
So I'm going to pick the fly eggs off and then administer capstar.

[island rehabber]

.
So I'm going to pick the fly eggs off and then administer capstar.

:thumbsupthat's exactly what I would have done...how are they this morning?

[Unikorngrrl]

I went ahead and text her lastnight IR and sent her a PM. She was worried, but had already been picking. :thumbsup I did respond to her though. Didn't leave her hanging ;) This is precisely why I sent you my info!! :grin

[Jackie in Tampa]

then drug store has those teeny close toothed nit combs, that's what I use for the fly eggs...or mineral oil and kleenex...
sounds like you know exactly what you are doing!!!!
good luck you two!

[kastillo]

I'm going to pick up the flea comb for next time.

But sadly the little girl just passed right before I got up.

I was up with them till 3:30 last night, then slept till 8am, I feel guilty I was not up all night with them.

I did everything I know to do, baytril, dex, sub q, heat, oral fluids, kayro in mouth..... just wasn't enough.

So sorry baby girl..... I was looking forward to a girl, been getting all boys lately.

Her brother is doing ok, he's def getting a bath, they were covered in mites as well.

[SammysMom]

Godspeed Little Girl...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

:grouphug:Love_IconLittle Boy:Love_Icon:grouphug

[Jackie in Tampa]

very sorry she passed...
how old are these babies?
were they super dehydrated?

glad the little boy is hanging on.