Baby with sniffles now lethargic

[acorniv]

Briefly, I took a male and female, around 5 weeks old in yesterday. The female's tail is fluffed up and she can hold it against her back. The male looks older in some ways but his tail is just beginning to bush up and he can't hold it against his back - not even yesterday when he was frisky. They'd gotten chilled before rescue and seem to almost not be able to get warm enough, though they'd been placed on a rice buddy by the time I got them. :thumbsup . The male has been sneezing periodically (not constantly) since I got him. It has not gotten worse or better.

The female was a little emaciated and just wanted to sleep all day yesterday, but has rallied and is, today, an extremely enthusiastic eater. The male was frisky and a good eater yesterday, but is now eating only every other meal and has remained more dehydrated. I've tried giving him a light meal more often with mixed success.

This is the point where I got worried enough to move this subject here:

The 8:00 pm feeding went okay - Brother reluctantly took 5 cc's of formula. Sister more enthusiastically, but not as eagerly as she has been, took 6. I could not get either one to pee, and Brother has a very red and angry looking penis. I will try soaking him in some warm water and see if that helps him relieve himself and get some relief for the irritation. Both look better, though not fully, hydrated.

However: Brother is looking weaker all the time, and just can't seem to get warm enough. He is floppy and just wants to sleep. I have their cage on a heating pad ( on low, with areas they can get cooler) and they have a rice buddy too. I am now seriously concerned about him.

We're to deliver them to Virgo at 11:00 am, and Virgo's husband ( Mr. Virgo?) told me they have some Baytril. Hopefully the little guy can hang on long enough for that.

Is Baytril the best option? Is there anything you'd do instead of or in addition to what I'm doing?

Thanks bunches.

[island rehabber]

I would offer the brother warm Pedialyte or sugar water IN BETWEEN each feeding. He sounds dehydrated and that is why his appetite is waning and he is becoming weaker. Try the hydration in between....very warm, drop by drop if you must. Try to get at least 3cc into him each time. By the morning you may see a marked improvement.

[Chickenlegs]

Try a warm mist vaporizer!!!! I had sick babies last fall/early winter--no improvement on drugs. IR suggested a virus. Poor little guys had a cold. Vicks (in the little reservoir in front of the steam hole) and a warm mist vaporizer--REAL warm room and my darlings were noticeably better in 24 hours. They are ready to go out as soon as it warms up enough. What worked for me as a kid is working for my squirrels. You can tent the cage but don't let the steam make everything wet. If he's just too cold put him under your shirt wrapped in fleece and sandwiched between you and a hot hands.

[Rhapsody]

You have been given great advice, please follow it and keep your little guys on a heating pad (set on low) if they still are not able to regulate their own body temperature.

[acorniv]

I would offer the brother warm Pedialyte or sugar water IN BETWEEN each feeding. He sounds dehydrated and that is why his appetite is waning and he is becoming weaker. Try the hydration in between....very warm, drop by drop if you must. Try to get at least 3cc into him each time. By the morning you may see a marked improvement.

I've been doing that - sugar water to be exact (switchedfrom Pedialyte on Sammy'smom's advice). He'll take as much as 2 c's but no more. He was clicking when I woke up to give him the last feeding. I rubbed his back and he stopped. It's been about 10 minutes since I put him back in the cage and so far so good. I offered formula as always - no go, but he took sugar water readily - very slowly, but readily. I think he drinks until he tires out. However - interesting change. His tail has fluffed some and he now holds it against his back. I'm hoping that is a sign of increased strength and not just development.

[acorniv]

Try a warm mist vaporizer!!!! I had sick babies last fall/early winter--no improvement on drugs. IR suggested a virus. Poor little guys had a cold. Vicks (in the little reservoir in front of the steam hole) and a warm mist vaporizer--REAL warm room and my darlings were noticeably better in 24 hours. They are ready to go out as soon as it warms up enough. What worked for me as a kid is working for my squirrels. You can tent the cage but don't let the steam make everything wet. If he's just too cold put him under your shirt wrapped in fleece and sandwiched between you and a hot hands.

Yes, I thought of this, but I haven't got one. I will suggest it to Virgo when I drop him off this morning.

I wish I had hot hands ~sigh~ I've been washing them on hot water nd also warming them on the little crock pot of hot water I use to warm formula, but they don't want to retain the heat. I've enlisted dh for this too, when he's available. I find they eat better when they're properly toasty. They're on a fleece blanket, on a heating pad, and covered with more fleece. They also have a plush horse and seem to realy like curling up between it's legs. The heat seems to warm him up better than the fleece, so they get surrounded by the heat then.

[Jackie in Tampa]

do you have any Antibiotics to start him on?
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug
so glad Deb/Virgo can help.:Love_Icon
thank you

Clegs, I too use the vics brand vaporizer... best $15 ever spent!!!

[acorniv]

You have been given great advice, please follow it and keep your little guys on a heating pad (set on low) if they still are not able to regulate their own body temperature.

Believe me - I follow the advice (of certain, not all) people on SB to the letter! Islandrehabber, Mars and Sammy'smom got me through some very dark months with my first squirrel, who had ongoing eating and digestion problems, and I think the world of them. I don't rehab regularly, so I need refresher courses, but I'm an avid student and how I wish everyone was!

They've been on a heating pad on low, and I'll be wearing them inside a camisole under my shirt with a rice buddy for good measure, for their trip to Virgo's today. We're meeting a little over an hour away.

[Scooterzmom]

A tip for keeping them warm while they eat: try covering the baby in fleece and wear cotton or wool gloves during feedings. Keep a cup of really hot water close by and at times warm your glove covered hands on the cup.

You can also take a wool sock, or one of those warm tube socks, and cut just the tip off - just enough to let the tips of your fingers show through, to make it easier for you to handle things. make a hole for your thumb too on the side, and voilą!

[acorniv]

Brother just climbed out on top of his fleece to have a pee - on his plush horse, unfortunately tinfoil . He has been peeing regularly, and although his skin is loose, it does slide right back down, when I pinch and lift a bit of it. I got another cc of sugar water in him before i let him go back to bed, but he wouldn't take more than that.

Both of them pooped at last feeding. Brother's are harder but in the normal looking range now.

[acorniv]

A tip for keeping them warm while they eat: try covering the baby in fleece and wear cotton or wool gloves during feedings. Keep a cup of really hot water close by and at times warm your glove covered hands on the cup.

You can also take a wool sock, or one of those warm tube socks, and cut just the tip off - just enough to let the tips of your fingers show through, to make it easier for you to handle things. make a hole for your thumb too on the side, and voilą!

I do keep them wrapped in fleece during feedings, and I warm the fleece first.

My son has fingerless wool gloves, so I can use those.

Thanks!

[acorniv]

do you have any Antibiotics to start him on?
:grouphug :grouphug :grouphug
so glad Deb/Virgo can help.:Love_Icon
thank you

Clegs, I too use the vics brand vaporizer... best $15 ever spent!!!

I don't - Deb/Virgo has Baytril.

Glad to hear you two like the vicks vaporizer - I'll pick one up to keep on hand, because we'll use it ourselves.

Brother's sniffles have remained the same - no worse, no better, since I got him. It's now been an hour since I heard clicking, and no more, so hopefully that has passed. I have been feeding him extra slowly because he seems to need it - I always let them pace the fluids.