Please Help, New to Squirrels

[bkbjslay]

Hi everyone and thanks in advance for any advice...

We found an approximately 4-5 week old squirrel thats nest had fallen from a tree in our yard. He was dehydrated and was given a mixture of sugar water. After a day of hydration he began on goats milk. I believe he aspirated some of the milk and is now in pretty bad shape.

I have Antirobe antibiotics in a capsule form that I have been mixing into his milk since last night, but I am wondering if there are any other remedies that could help him.

His symptoms are: labored breathing, small clicking sounds, and loss of appetite

Thanks again for any suggestions.

[SammysMom]

Where are you in Florida? You need help now. What antibiotics and what is the does you are using? Did vet tell you to give it?

[CritterMom]

Hi everyone and thanks in advance for any advice...

We found an approximately 4-5 week old squirrel thats nest had fallen from a tree in our yard. He was dehydrated and was given a mixture of sugar water. After a day of hydration he began on goats milk. I believe he aspirated some of the milk and is now in pretty bad shape.

I have Antirobe antibiotics in a capsule form that I have been mixing into his milk since last night, but I am wondering if there are any other remedies that could help him.

His symptoms are: labored breathing, small clicking sounds, and loss of appetite

Thanks again for any suggestions.


Do you or ANYONE you know have any Cipro? It is a very popular human antibiotic.

Can you tell us where in Florida? Yhere are MANY members on here from FL who may be able to help.

[Jackie in Tampa]

where are you located? sqs are legal in florida, so you can get vet care.. recommended ABs for sqs with aspiration pnuemonia would be baytril/ciprofloxacin or amoxycillan imo. I have used both many times with good results.. It's probably not ideal to mix ABs in with formula, you cannot monitor amount, which is very critical.. I am not familiar with that AB, will google now...
:Welcome

[Jackie in Tampa]

antirobe is clindamycin, toxic to rodents.. please do not give any more..
I would start hydration and push oral fluids, plain water.

[bkbjslay]

Thanks soooo much for the speedy replies... We are in St Lucie County, FL. We have not taken him to the vet, until last night he was doing very well. I will look to see what other antibiotics we may have. If the antibiotic isn't sprinkled into the milk, how else could I have him take it?

[bkbjslay]

I did find Cefdinir AB, but it is a pill, not a capsule.

[Nancy in New York]

Thanks soooo much for the speedy replies... We are in St Lucie County, FL. We have not taken him to the vet, until last night he was doing very well. I will look to see what other antibiotics we may have. If the antibiotic isn't sprinkled into the milk, how else could I have him take it?

Right now don't worry about another ab. You need to get the ab that was administered out of him, it's TOXIC TO RODENTS.
Start pushing the fluids, we need to get this out of his system.

[SammysMom]

Are you using a syringe to feed? Do you have a 1cc syringe?

[bkbjslay]

Oh no, I used it due to finding it recommended by a doctor to another person on a different forum... Will stop immediately.

[bkbjslay]

I have a very tiny medicine dropper as well as a small syringe.

[SammysMom]

Use a syringe and hydrate. Just water or pedialyte. You have to try to flush those ABs.

[bkbjslay]

How much water/pedialyte can he tolerate?

[SammysMom]

As much as he will take for now. Carefully. Don't want aspiration again.

[bkbjslay]

Thanks for everyone's help...

[SammysMom]

Doing okay?

[Jackie in Tampa]

sodium can be iffy ... for right now I would give water with a wee tad of SUGAR, not a substitute, for inticement sweetness.
as much as the baby will take.

just found a rat site that has clindamycin listed on one of their med charts, may not be as toxic as I have always thought.
according to Wild mamal babies, not to be given to rodents.
??:dono
let me lookie see some more.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:shakehead nope, the rat site was refering to clindamycin CREAM, not oral ABs.. still very concerned...

[Jackie in Tampa]

how is the sq acting over all?
are you hearing clicking with every breath? is the baby active? acting normal or lethargic?

is he/she retaining body heat well?

[Monipenny]

Please get some 1 cc size feeding syrings, CVS pharmacy will give you a couple if you ask, then purchase some here. http://www.henryspets.com/categories/Rehab-Supplies/?sort=featured&page=1

Using medicine droppers are dangerous as it easily causes them to aspirate, however they can still aspirate from feeding syrings if you feed to fast, when that happens and they start sneezing milk from their nose, stop and hold them somewhat upside down to drain fluids out, dab their nose quickly with a kleenex to prevent him/her from breathing it back in. One baby I raised aspirated nearly every time she ate, though I am sure it was because of her injuries from falling onto a wood deck face first where she was found. She had some bleeding from her nose and suffered neurological damage that left her back right leg paralyzed. Otherwise, she is doing very well.

[TheSquirrel]

RE ANTIROBE CLANDIMYCIN ANTIBIOTICS

Hi, only just read posts on this page. Just wanted to say that Antirobe in my experience is safe to give a squirrel, and extremely effective in curing abscesses. Abscesses in squirrels are killers and when my squirrel friend developed a bad abscess on her chin which spread to her cheek, I was given Antirobe to treat her with. She had around 75 mg a day and after 3 days the abscess had got smaller, and within 6 days from the start of treatment it was completely gone leaving a dry black scab. I continued to give her the Antirobe to prevent the abscess returning and in total she had around 75 mg per day continuously for 3 weeks. It is the only medication I know that can cure abcesses in squirrels. Although it says Do not give to Rodents it was a matter of life or death - the squirrel would have died otherwise. My squirrel friend did not even need to have the abscess lanced, all I did was administer the Antirobe to her when she visited in my yard. That was 6 months ago. She's been fine and healthy ever since. I see her every day. Another squirrel with an abscess the year before was not so lucky as she died from an abscess (septicemia) and lancing and ordinary milder antibiotics did not help as it just came back.
Although your original post is not about abscesses, since you mentioned Antirobe and other replies have warned that it is dangerous to give to squirrel, I want you to know that that is not the case. I have also been advised by a US vet (I'm in the UK) that it was fine for me to continue for 3 weeks with it. However in your case Antirobe is probably not necessary as it's best for the treatment of abscesses. Good luck with everything and hope this info is of help to others in the future

[island rehabber]

TheSquirrel, this is very interesting information. Most of us rehabilitators here on TSB use a manual called "Wild Mammal Babies, the First 48 Hours and Beyond" by Ruth/Gode, as our "Bible". In that book, we are specifically warned that clindomyacin cannot and should not be given to rodents. :dono The book does not detail the reasons why, so I can't help you there. But this is why you saw so many reactions against the clindo.

[TheSquirrel]

island rehabber, hi, yes, I too read instructions on the internet that Antirobe should not be given to rodents. It could be because it's a drug that is licensed for cats and dogs. I tried to do lots of research of various information after my attempts to help my dear squirrel friend a couple of years ago failed. She was trapped and taken to the vet to have the abscess flushed out and given an antibiotic shot but the abcess returned with a vengeance and although I was given liquid antibiotics for rodents the abcess burst internally and she died.
So when my other squirrel friend developed a bad abcess last September I had already found out that ordinary antibiotics cannot penetrate the tough wall of the abcess which seals in all the pus, but something stonger and more like penicillin was needed. So I mentioned this to the vet nurse (who is a wildlife charity) when this second squirrel developed an abscess and I was then given Antirobe. Even the vet nurse was doubtful that Antirobe alone would help; she thought I'd need to trap the squirrel and get the abscess flushed. But the Antirobe clindamycin was so effective it cured the abscess without the need to trap the squirrel and put her through the distress of capture. I also read up on the drug and it does say that it can penetrate walled off abscesses and is used for cats and dogs. I read another post here on tsb a few months ago saying that clindamycin is the only drug they know of so far that can cure abscesses in squirrels.
A US vet also advised me to use up what I had of the clindamycin to ensure the infection didn't return, and that there was no harm at all in continuing for 22 days with it, which is the amount of time my squirrel was on it for, even though the abscess had gone after 6 days.
It's bitter tasting but I mix it into peanut butter and add maple syrup or honey and spread it onto a small piece of bicuit.
Something to bear in mind if you need to treat a squirrel with an abcess.

[island rehabber]

VERY interesting. Cheek and facial abcesses in squirrels is one of our recurring nightmares here on TSB. Rarely, if ever, are they permanently cured and some squirrels suffer for years with them once they start, before finally succumbing. Thank you for suggesting this and I will be investigating it further with my vet. If clindo is indeed safe I would hate to think we are ignoring the one med that can cure these often fatal abcesses.

[stepnstone]

VERY interesting. Cheek and facial abcesses in squirrels is one of our recurring nightmares here on TSB. Rarely, if ever, are they permanently cured and some squirrels suffer for years with them once they start, before finally succumbing. Thank you for suggesting this and I will be investigating it further with my vet. If clindo is indeed safe I would hate to think we are ignoring the one med that can cure these often fatal abcesses.

:bowdown :thankyou :thumbsup

[Shewhosweptforest]

Bkbjslay how's the baby:dono hope he's improving:Love_Icon

[magna]

From Plumb's Veterinary drug handbook. "Lincosamides are considered contraindicated for use in rabbits, hamsters, chinchillas, guinea pigs, horses and ruminates because of serious gastrointestinal effects that may occur including death. Clindamycin has been implicated in causing esophagitis and esophageal strictures in small animals. ...." it goes on to say "dry pilling" should be avoided when administering this drug to animals, which by mixing it the problem was most likely avoided, nice job. It lists dosages for dogs, cats, ferrets, birds and reptiles only.
Excellent source of information specified by a veterinary friend of mine. With that said I have used a variety of meds in ways other than intended with great results after doing research. Example is Tincture of Iodine, extremely toxic yet to a ruminate with gastrointestinal distress a small dose orally in the formula kills off bad bacteria and allows the rumen to begin to function normally much like flushing the system.
Expensive book but well worth the money. Also covers compounding, and dosing information.