4-year-old squirrel regurgitates almost daily

[fairbank]

Hi there! My 4-year-old gray squirrel regurgitates almost every day. He's very methodical about it. He goes to a rock on the floor of his cage, retches a few times, regurgitates a white sticky glob of goo, then eats it. It usually happens between noon and 2 PM. He's been doing this for quite a while, and doesn't show any symptoms of being ill. He is bright and active, and his diet is varied (although a little high in nuts - I'm working on that). What do you all think?

[SammysMom]

We need to know specifically what he eats every day. Does he get a high quality rodent block?

[Jackie in Tampa]

hello fairbanks... and welcome to TSB:Welcome

what is your sqs daily diet?
we love details....

[fairbank]

He gets rodent blocks - although he doesn't like them, so he'll only eat them out of desperation, seasonal vegetables and fruits, and nuts - usually almonds. He generally chooses vegetables first and will eat a lot of bulk, especially greens. I occasionally withhold the nuts altogether to get him to eat the rodent blocks.

He also has access to animal bones, which he chews and eats throughout the day. He gets a good amount of sunlight, at least an hour or two is direct with minimal screening.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am a slow lousy lazy typer...someone will def share important dietary info with you... and please read as many stickeys as you can, they all hold valuable info in reguards to healtrhy captive sqs... Henry's Healthy Pets make a block for sqs...not your fathers Buick if ya know what I mean... they are the best suited food available...
not sure what all the daily vomitting is about...it is NOT normal...
really need more info and to stew on it...
thinking parasites...

[stepnstone]

Hi there! My 4-year-old gray squirrel regurgitates almost every day. He's very methodical about it. He goes to a rock on the floor of his cage, retches a few times, regurgitates a white sticky glob of goo, then eats it. It usually happens between noon and 2 PM. He's been doing this for quite a while, and doesn't show any symptoms of being ill. He is bright and active, and his diet is varied (although a little high in nuts - I'm working on that). What do you all think?
:confused: :thinking
Hello fairbank and :Welcome to TSB
First, congratulations on having a 4 year old. :thumbsup

Regurgitating is not anywhere normal, definitely a sign there is something wrong and obviously been going on too long. "A little high in nuts" and "working on that" is redundant. You stop them period, he's not feeding them to himself.
For captive squirrels, we as caretakers are held responsible for balancing their nutrition. Unlike wild squirrels,
they do not have access to all that's in the wild to do it on their own.
Too many nuts will rob his body of calcium and the nutrition his body needs.
Diet is the main suspect so please list what his diet has been and let us help you help him.

[fairbank]

:confused: :thinking
Hello fairbank and :Welcome to TSB
First, congratulations on having a 4 year old. :thumbsup

Regurgitating is not anywhere normal, definitely a sign there is something wrong and obviously been going on too long. "A little high in nuts" and "working on that" is redundant. You stop them period, he's not feeding them to himself.
For captive squirrels, we as caretakers are held responsible for balancing their nutrition. Unlike wild squirrels,
they do not have access to all that's in the wild to do it on their own.
Too many nuts will rob his body of calcium and the nutrition his body needs.
Diet is the main suspect so please list what his diet has been and let us help you help him.

Reposting: He gets rodent blocks - although he doesn't like them, so he'll only eat them out of desperation, seasonal vegetables and fruits, and nuts - usually almonds. He generally chooses vegetables first and will eat a lot of bulk, especially greens. I occasionally withhold the nuts altogether to get him to eat the rodent blocks.

He also has access to animal bones, which he chews and eats throughout the day. He gets a good amount of sunlight, at least an hour or two is direct with minimal screening.

Added: Today, he had spinach, whole shell peas, wax beans, frozen blueberries, and Kaytee rodent blocks. No nuts! He ate all the vegetables and a few blueberries, but hasn't touched the block yet. I just ordered Henry's to see if he likes them better. I'm concerned, because he doesn't like pecans, but I'm going to give it a try. In the past, I've caved after a few days, because he would rather go hungry than eat rodent blocks. I also mentioned free access to bones.

[stepnstone]

Eating rodent block "out of desperation" is not good as it is the most important nutrition factor of his diet. A good quality rodent block has all the dailey requirements a healthy squirrel needs. Fruit has no nutritional value and nuts should be limited to 2 per day only as a treat and only if he is eating his healthy diet.
Rodent block should be fed first before any other foods are introduced. Ordering Henry's was a good move as HHB's were specially designed for squirrels, which type of HHB's did you order?
Your vegetable source looks good, almonds are a preferred choice of nut.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Step, any thoughts on why he is vomiting and not showing any other symptoms of illness...
this is strange...:thinking
had many MBD sqs and vomiting has never been an issue...
doubt it's poisoning as there is no lethargy noted... what do you think?
we all concur the diet needs tweaking...any thoughts on worms?

[stepnstone]

not sure what all the daily vomitting is about...it is NOT normal...
really need more info and to stew on it...
thinking parasites...

Good catch Jackie! :thumbsup

fairbank, Jackie has just about seen it all, she has raised many many squirrels.
Provide her with all and any information you can think of and she can most likely
help you get to the source of the problem.

edit: Jackie I agree with you on the mbd and vomiting. My girl never did.
Although the diet does need tweaking for his own good, 4 years is still saying something.
I think you could very well be on to something with the parasites...

[CritterMom]

Bones? He eats bones? I know that the wilds do too but I am wondering if this might have something to do with it. Dogs get in trouble because they don't chew thoroughly and swallow large pieces and splinters - I wonder if a squirrel could do the same?

I find the fact this it isn't just that he is regurgitating - he is doing it on a very specific schedule...???

[fairbank]

Eating rodent block "out of desperation" is not good as it is the most important nutrition factor of his diet. A good quality rodent block has all the dailey requirements a healthy squirrel needs. Fruit has no nutritional value and nuts should be limited to 2 per day only as a treat and only if he is eating his healthy diet.
What type/kind rodent block are you feeding? And will you please list some of the vegetable types you are feeding.

I feed Kaytee blocks, but I just ordered Henry's Healthy Pets blocks in hopes he likes them better.

I'll try to be very explicit as to what he eats:

Vegetables: I'm an organic farmer & grow vegetables year round. He eats spinach, kale, collards, broccoli and cabbage daily - whatever is on hand. When in season, he eats carrots & their greens, beets and their greens, snow peas, shell peas, green & wax beans, turnip, winter squash and occasionally I'll offer cooked sweet potato.

Fruits: I also grow blueberries, red and black currants, blackberries and other NUTRIENT-DENSE fruits, and he eats these in small quantities daily, fresh when in season, frozen otherwise.

Calcium: He eats animal bones and oyster shell (and gets direct sunlight for Vitamin D production, so his calcium is accessible). Sometimes I offer yogurt, but he doesn't like it.

Treats: He'll also eat bugs if he can catch them. I give him apple branches to chew, and I do see him eating the cambium and phloem layers. Sometimes I'll give him an chestnut, acorn or fir cone for a treat. In the fall, he sometimes gets a chunk of a whole sunflower or an echinacea seedhead for a treat.

Nuts: He used to have free access to almonds and other nuts in the shell, but as I mentioned, I've tapered that off over the past year, and now he only gets them when I cave in to his begging.

[stepnstone]

Fairbank, your obviously a faster typer...
Your replying faster then I can edit or answer.
Please go scroll back and look at the posts again
and catch the reply from Jackie if you haven't.

[Jackie in Tampa]

Bones? He eats bones? I know that the wilds do too but I am wondering if this might have something to do with it. Dogs get in trouble because they don't chew thoroughly and swallow large pieces and splinters - I wonder if a squirrel could do the same?

I find the fact this it isn't just that he is regurgitating - he is doing it on a very specific schedule...???OO...I also give bones...but well cleaned bones...deer antlers are bones... I have a whole cow skull in the gazebo... and ham bones are everywhere... all dried and cleaned... I also use seashells for calcium source...
the greys will not usually accept egg shells but my flyers do...I have always supplied bones as cal source as well as teeth maintance..
pretty sure it's okay if they aren't full of bacteria.

fairbanks..please limit the quanity and frequency of the spinach...sqs love it, but it is super high in oxilates and can cause issues...stones.
here's a link to the best food chart for sqs....
the nutrition forum will help explain alot of captive sq diet concerns... devour it!!!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-%28Revised-2-13%29

[CritterMom]

OO...I also give bones...but well cleaned bones...deer antlers are bones... I have a whole cow skull in the gazebo... and ham bones are everywhere... all dried and cleaned... I also use seashells for calcium source...
the greys will not usually accept egg shells but my flyers do...I have always supplied bones as cal source as well as teeth maintance..
pretty sure it's okay if they aren't full of bacteria.

fairbanks..please limit the quanity and frequency of the spinach...sqs love it, but it is super high in oxilates and can cause issues...stones.
here's a link to the best food chart for sqs....
the nutrition forum will help explain alot of captive sq diet concerns... devour it!!!

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?39275-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-%28Revised-2-13%29

Yeah, me too - well, the barn dog keeps me in antlers - she finds them discarded in the woods and brings me her prizes, but those are rock hard - some bones are splintery. I am just struck by the specificity of the timing of this.

[fairbank]

Bones? He eats bones? I know that the wilds do too but I am wondering if this might have something to do with it. Dogs get in trouble because they don't chew thoroughly and swallow large pieces and splinters - I wonder if a squirrel could do the same?

I find the fact this it isn't just that he is regurgitating - he is doing it on a very specific schedule...???

Yes - bones, antlers, and oyster shell. He does a lot of things on schedule - the bone-gnawing usually happens in the late afternoon. What's funny is that there are a number of cow bones on my rock walls, and the wild squirrels and chipmunks often gnaw at them, also in the late afternoon.

Someone mentioned parasites in an earlier comment - I'm wondering if this is the case myself, and may ask the vet to check him out again. He eats bugs occasionally, and one could easily have been carrying some kind of wee beasties.

[Jackie in Tampa]

I kn ow it... very starnge...
how long does 'quite awhile' mean? as far as the duration of the vomiting...
his diet sounds not too bad actually... and home grown organics... doesn't get any better than that!

wish I could grow... and have a barn and a dog...
stuck in the city with store bought...:(

calling the vet...need some educated guesssing!:grin

[fairbank]

Eating rodent block "out of desperation" is not good as it is the most important nutrition factor of his diet. A good quality rodent block has all the dailey requirements a healthy squirrel needs. Fruit has no nutritional value and nuts should be limited to 2 per day only as a treat and only if he is eating his healthy diet.
Rodent block should be fed first before any other foods are introduced. Ordering Henry's was a good move as HHB's were specially designed for squirrels, which type of HHB's did you order?
Your vegetable source looks good, almonds are a preferred choice of nut.



I ordered the Adult Formula. If he doesn't love them, I'll try the Picky Blocks :-)

[stepnstone]

The "wild foods" are great but can certainly be a source for obtaining parasites.
Still think Jackie could be on to something here...
fairbank did you see Jackie's post?

On the note of vomiting "timing", when my cats had worms one threw up on schedule an hour or two after eating, the other was within a half hour of my crawling into bed so I'd have to get back up and clean it up. It took me about a week to figure out what was going on because they are strictly indoor cats but their timing was impeccable!

[stepnstone]

I ordered the Adult Formula. If he doesn't love them, I'll try the Picky Blocks :-)

You could call them and have them switched before they ship them out. I have had better results with the picky blocks with my 3 year old. She won't eat the adult formula anymore...

[Unikorngrrl]

:wave123 #nd welcome to TSB!!! We worry b/c diet is almost always an issue with newer members! Don't take offense please :D. Fruit holds nutritional value for humans but is essentially candy to squirrels! Nutrient rich for you and I is simply not the same for a squirrel! Fruit should be limited to one small chunk per day, and nuts really should be limited to one also. ;) Jackie ROCKS and she's on it (though she needs to empty her PM box) so you're in GREAT hands! :grin. Are you feeding any kind of fruit with pits or seeds in them? We've discovered that some squirrels will eat peels and pits that can be toxic to them. Just throwing that out there as a possibility!!

[fairbank]

The "wild foods" are great but can certainly be a source for obtaining parasites.
Still think Jackie could be on to something here...
fairbank did you see Jackie's post?

On the note of vomiting "timing", when my cats had worms one threw up on schedule an hour or two after eating, the other was within a half hour of my crawling into bed so I'd have to get back up and clean it up. It took me about a week to figure out what was going on because they are strictly indoor cats but their timing was impeccable!

Yes - I've read every post, and truly appreciate the wealth of information here. The more I explore this, the more I'm thinking parasites. How do you all handle them?

[Jackie in Tampa]

Yes - bones, antlers, and oyster shell. He does a lot of things on schedule - the bone-gnawing usually happens in the late afternoon. What's funny is that there are a number of cow bones on my rock walls, and the wild squirrels and chipmunks often gnaw at them, also in the late afternoon.

Someone mentioned parasites in an earlier comment - I'm wondering if this is the case myself, and may ask the vet to check him out again. He eats bugs occasionally, and one could easily have been carrying some kind of wee beasties.
it really is what flashes in me wee blonde brain... parasites... btw... many are hard to detect even in the lab clinically....
a well tolerated broad spectrum medication/dewormer would be praziquantal pyrantel pamoate & febental... drontal drontal plus and droncit are different...
the drontal plus or fenbendazole/panacur is probably best to try first.... I have a call in to the vet... will let you know what she advises...

alot of vets will recommend ivermectin... but be very, extremely careful... it's a powerful dewormer and can be overdosed easily...
the other meds mentioned are much safer and usually only one dose would be needed...
I can try to help with mg/kg dosing if your vet needs that info to properly dose... sqs are always treated OFF label!:grin

btw... I am not a licensed rehabber...I depend on vet advise constantly...but I do have squirrelitis for many years!

[fairbank]

Step, any thoughts on why he is vomiting and not showing any other symptoms of illness...
this is strange...:thinking
had many MBD sqs and vomiting has never been an issue...
doubt it's poisoning as there is no lethargy noted... what do you think?
we all concur the diet needs tweaking...any thoughts on worms?

Hi Jackie - I'm thinking worms as well. I took care of a wormy kitten before that also vomited on schedule until the parasites were treated. Thank you so much for the insight.

[Unikorngrrl]

JIT did u see my post! Peels, pits and your PM box?!?
:grin
I know Ivermectin dosage for dogs and cats. I use it for heart worm preventative for mine, tons cheaper than buying marketed items. I have no clue if the dosage would be the same for sqs though... :dono

[stepnstone]

it really is what flashes in me wee blonde brain... parasites... btw... many are hard to detect even in the lab clinically....
a well tolerated broad spectrum medication/dewormer would be praziquantal pyrantel pamoate & febental... drontal drontal plus and droncit are different...
the drontal plus or fenbendazole/panacur is probably best to try first.... I have a call in to the vet... will let you know what she advises...

alot of vets will recommend ivermectin... but be very, extremely careful... it's a powerful dewormer and can be overdosed easily...
the other meds mentioned are much safer and usually only one dose would be needed...
I can try to help with mg/kg dosing if your vet needs that info to properly dose... sqs are always treated OFF label!:grin

btw... I am not a licensed rehabber...I depend on vet advise constantly...but I do have squirrelitis for many years!

I would definitely go with Jackie on this one...
Most often the offender is tape worm, Praziquantel is what I have used.
It can be purchased at most pet supplies such as PetSmart, Petco, etc, or ordered on line.
The product I have used is sold by TradeWinds.

But do wait for Jackie to hear back from her vet... :thumbsup

[farrelli]

Personally, I would never feed bones. I've just heard too many warnings/horror stories from too many vets to do it. In fact, one of the things that bones can cause are digestive issues. My childhood dog used to vomit until we took the bones away. I've never seen an objection to antlers or cuttle bone because they don't seem to splinter though.

[fairbank]

JIT did u see my post! Peels, pits and your PM box?!?
:grin
I know Ivermectin dosage for dogs and cats. I use it for heart worm preventative for mine, tons cheaper than buying marketed items. I have no clue if the dosage would be the same for sqs though... :dono

Hi - yes! I did see your message. My vet is researching treatment now as well. She was formerly in charge of rats and mice used in the lab, but readily admits she searches the internet when I ask her about squirrels - mine is her only squirrel patient. That's why I'm relying so heavily on the advice and experience of the folks here.

My squirrel and my vet will benefit from your knowledge :-)

[Jackie in Tampa]

I use a human medication..for worms... I use mostly human meds due to the cost....
many meds are the same fairbanks... some have different names...
most members on TSB do the same... ciprofloxacin is almost identical to animal baytril, both are Bayer products...

Step, you guys know all the trade secrets..I had no idea that pet stores carried prazi...good to know... I use human biltricide 600mg tablets... generics and still cost $20 a tab but I have enough to treat myself should i need to...yuck and ugh, but some worms are zoonotic... and it's an issue I choose not to deal with...oye!
Florida is legal state so many and most vets do treat wildlife... I cannot imagine living where sqs are illegal....how doh is that!!! yikes!
law makers need a swift kick....most vets are willing to treat wild animals...it's the idiots that control the voting dockets...:soapbox

fairbanks, bleach down what you can and laundry all bedding.
10% bleach should remain for ten minutes to be effective.

I am the slow typer....:sanp3

most vets will have these meds standard in stock... domestic pets are carriers too...

let me know what med she chooses and I can help with mg per kg advise if needed... my vet does that same if I don't know... the internet....so valuable!!!

[SammysMom]

Stepstone is right. Sammy won't eat adult formula, but he eats pickys every day!:thumbsup

[Jackie in Tampa]

Stepstone is right. Sammy won't eat adult formula, but he eats pickys every day!:thumbsup
my sqs get what they get and they like it...uphill both ways in a snow storm!:rotfl

seriously fairbanks...keep us in the loop please....we love pics... and again...welcome to TSB!!!!

[SammysMom]

my sqs get what they get and they like it...uphill both ways in a snow storm!:rotfl

I'm afraid Sammy expects to be carried up any hills snowstorm or not!:nono

[fairbank]

Stepstone is right. Sammy won't eat adult formula, but he eats pickys every day!:thumbsup

I swapped my order to Picky Blocks - thanks for the tip!

[stepnstone]

seriously fairbanks...keep us in the loop please....we love pics... and again...welcome to TSB!!!!
Yes, please do!!


I swapped my order to Picky Blocks - thanks for the tip!
:thumbsup

[fairbank]

it really is what flashes in me wee blonde brain... parasites... btw... many are hard to detect even in the lab clinically....
a well tolerated broad spectrum medication/dewormer would be praziquantal pyrantel pamoate & febental... drontal drontal plus and droncit are different...
the drontal plus or fenbendazole/panacur is probably best to try first.... I have a call in to the vet... will let you know what she advises...

alot of vets will recommend ivermectin... but be very, extremely careful... it's a powerful dewormer and can be overdosed easily...
the other meds mentioned are much safer and usually only one dose would be needed...
I can try to help with mg/kg dosing if your vet needs that info to properly dose... sqs are always treated OFF label!:grin

btw... I am not a licensed rehabber...I depend on vet advise constantly...but I do have squirrelitis for many years!

Hi Jackie - I finally heard back from the vet. She initially suggested Piperazine or Ivermectin (she mentioned the the paste is harder to overdose). I happen to have both on hand, but neither label indicates being effective against tapeworm. I mentioned this, and she agreed that Drontal would be a good choice if tapeworm is as common as suggested. She only carries the dog tabs, so an alternate source or some dosage advice would be helpful.

[stepnstone]

fairbank can you ask the vet and find out how many mg's the tablet is?
Also do you know what your squirrel weighs?

[Starfish]

Hi Jackie - I finally heard back from the vet. She initially suggested Piperazine or Ivermectin (she mentioned the the paste is harder to overdose). I happen to have both on hand, but neither label indicates being effective against tapeworm. I mentioned this, and she agreed that Drontal would be a good choice if tapeworm is as common as suggested. She only carries the dog tabs, so an alternate source or some dosage advice would be helpful.

Did you check 1800 pet mess? Remember to also Gooe search for coupon codes.

Does revolution or capstar (never used the last one) help w/ tapeworms?

[Starfish]

Is it possible that it could be dehydration? When I brought my littleguysin, one (the tiniest and weakest) would vomit when I tried to feed it. We figured it was due to extreme dehydration. In hindsight, it could have been parasite related, they were being colonized by bugs and we treated w/ revolution.

At the time, we treated with revolution all three for the bugs and gave the vomiting one extra attention hydration-wise (again, in our situation, we figured he couldn't handled formula due to dehydration).

Both treatments were occurring at about the same time. Haven't had those issues since. *knock onwood*

If it is tapeworms, extra attention will have to be given to nutrition as your squirrel will not have been getting much nutrients for some time.

[stepnstone]

Panacur (Fenbendazole) is an alternative your vet may have, it's very good for your situation as well. :thumbsup

[Starfish]

Did you check 1800 pet mess? Remember to also Gooe search for coupon codes.

Does revolution or capstar (never used the last one) help w/ tapeworms?

If you use them (1800petmeds), try if any of these work:

TENOFF -10% off order
N673 or FLEATEN -10% off flea treatments
W5PER - 5% off order (if 10% doesn't work)
WEBC5 - $5 off your order (best deal f your order is under $50 )

[Starfish]

Panacur (Fenbendazole) is an alternative your vet may have, it's very good for your situation as well. :thumbsup

Someone else would have to confirm if thisis the right stuff: http://www.beardeddragon.co/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=245

It would be faster to getfromyour vet though.

[fairbank]

fairbank can you ask the vet and find out how many mg's the tablet is?
Also do you know what your squirrel weighs?

They're 34 mg Praziquantel tabs, and they are scored to be easily cut in half. I think they could be relatively easily quartered, but probably not any smaller than that. I can order online if you have suggestions for getting closer to the dosage. He weighs about 18 ounces - just over a pound.

[Starfish]

They're 34 mg Praziquantel tabs, and they are scored to be easily cut in half. I think they could be relatively easily quartered, but probably not any smaller than that. I can order online if you have suggestions for getting closer to the dosage. He weighs about 18 ounces - just over a pound.

http://www.beardeddragon.co/index.php?route=product/product&path=60&product_id=245

[stepnstone]

They're 34 mg Praziquantel tabs, and they are scored to be easily cut in half. I think they could be relatively easily quartered, but probably not any smaller than that. I can order online if you have suggestions for getting closer to the dosage. He weighs about 18 ounces - just over a pound.

I have the dose for 23mg, not the 34mg.
My math bites...
Let me do some checking, I'll get back to you.

[stepnstone]

34mg praziquantal for 18 ounce sq...
crush entire tablet... add 1 cc water
dose would be 0.15ml

Note!! This is a one time treatment! at 0.15 ml only.

Make sure you desolve the tab with the water well.
I'm assuming you have a syringe to measure the proper dosage right?
I'm assuming you know how to read a syringe correct?

Not trying to undermind you, just want to make sure all our ducks are in a row.
We can also help with syringe diagram if needed...

Tapeworms are the most common, this is only for tapeworms. (&Flukes)

[fairbank]

34mg praziquantal for 18 ounce sq...
crush entire tablet... add 1 cc water
dose would be 0.15ml

Note!! This is a one time treatment! at 0.15 ml only.

Make sure you desolve the tab with the water well.
I'm assuming you have a syringe to measure the proper dosage right?
I'm assuming you know how to read a syringe correct?

Not trying to undermind you, just want to make sure all our ducks are in a row.
We can also help with syringe diagram if needed...

Tapeworms are the most common, this is only for tapeworms. (&Flukes)

Thank you Stepnstone. I do have the correct syringe and know how to measure the dosage, but I appreciate the questions. I will share this info with my vet, and hopefully she'll let me pick up a tablet tomorrow. I'll keep you posted.

[fairbank]

Hi there! My 4-year-old gray squirrel regurgitates almost every day. He's very methodical about it. He goes to a rock on the floor of his cage, retches a few times, regurgitates a white sticky glob of goo, then eats it. It usually happens between noon and 2 PM. He's been doing this for quite a while, and doesn't show any symptoms of being ill. He is bright and active, and his diet is varied (although a little high in nuts - I'm working on that). What do you all think?

Hi all - thank you for all the advice. I've just ordered some Henry's Healthy Pets rodent blocks, and will be treating for tapeworms tomorrow. If you're interested, I've added an album with some photos of the Munchkin. I'll keep everyone posted!

[stepnstone]

:poke I thought you already had the tab...
If you can't get it from the vet PetSmart does carry the TradeWinds tape worm tabs. It's $24.99, small bottle w/ 3- 23mg tabs. Of course we'd have to do another dosing for that one...

[fairbank]

:poke I thought you already had the tab...
If you can't get it from the vet PetSmart does carry the TradeWinds tape worm tabs. It's $24.99, small bottle w/ 3- 23mg tabs. Of course we'd have to do another dosing for that one...

If you don't mind, let me know the dosing for that one as well. If I don't hear from the vet in the morning, I'll just buy it from PetSmart. Thank you so much!

[jo_schmoe]

Panacur (Fenbendazole) is an alternative your vet may have, it's very good for your situation as well. :thumbsup

:thumbsup I swear by this stuff....used it on all my rehab squirrels and also on my pups....very mild to the digestive system. Its a cattle wormer....most vet will have it. Light yellow in color and very hard to overdose.

[stepnstone]

If you don't mind, let me know the dosing for that one as well. If I don't hear from the vet in the morning, I'll just buy it from PetSmart. Thank you so much!
The dosing is credited to Jackie. Lets just wait and see what it is your actually able to get and we can go from there...


Panacur (Fenbendazole) is an alternative your vet may have, it's very good for your situation as well. :thumbsup


:thumbsup I swear by this stuff....used it on all my rehab squirrels and also on my pups....very mild to the digestive system. Its a cattle wormer....most vet will have it. Light yellow in color and very hard to overdose.

Panacur (Fenbendazole) would definitely be the ideal med of choice as it covers a wider spectrum.
It would also cover roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, threadworm, as well as tapeworm.
Wouldn't hurt to ask your vet if it's available.

[fairbank]

The dosing is credited to Jackie. Lets just wait and see what it is your actually able to get and we can go from there...





Panacur (Fenbendazole) would definitely be the ideal med of choice as it covers a wider spectrum.
It would also cover roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, threadworm, as well as tapeworm.
Wouldn't hurt to ask your vet if it's available.

The vet can get Fenbenzadole powder packets for dogs that come in 2g and 4g sizes. She will have to order it.

*I can also get Panacur paste from my feed store today.*

It's a 25g tube of 10% Fenbendazole. I prefer this option, if it's safer, as indicated in the above post. How should I dose the paste for an 18-oz squirrel?

[fairbank]

:thumbsup I swear by this stuff....used it on all my rehab squirrels and also on my pups....very mild to the digestive system. Its a cattle wormer....most vet will have it. Light yellow in color and very hard to overdose.

Hi Jo - how would you dose an 18-oz squirrel? Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I think I've found the correct solution.

[Jackie in Tampa]

any domestics vet will have fenbendazole ,,, dogs and cats get worms all the time... vets treat this everyday, several times a day... it is a common medication.
panacur, Droncit, Drontal Plus, praziquantal... these are all common in every vet office in the USA. These are not specialty meds...
:thinking

I did find since posting yesterday that as others shared, praziquantal no longer requires RX... so the pet store will have it.
Was mentioned Trade Winds brand...
I can dose anything.... a tablet or a suspension... I will help you break down to a sq size...But I cannot help with ivermectin...It terrifies me.
let me know if I can help...
If the vet needs mg/kg info on a specific mediaction < I have that also for most dewormers...

have you had the opportunity to research worms yet? are you thinking that it is a possibility?
does your vet agree?

[fairbank]

any domestics vet will have fenbendazole ,,, dogs and cats get worms all the time... vets treat this everyday, several times a day... it is a common medication.
panacur, Droncit, Drontal Plus, praziquantal... these are all common in every vet office in the USA. These are not specialty meds...
:thinking

I did find since posting yesterday that as others shared, praziquantal no longer requires RX... so the pet store will have it.
Was mentioned Trade Winds brand...
I can dose anything.... a tablet or a suspension... I will help you break down to a sq size...But I cannot help with ivermectin...It terrifies me.
let me know if I can help...
If the vet needs mg/kg info on a specific mediaction < I have that also for most dewormers...

have you had the opportunity to research worms yet? are you thinking that it is a possibility?
does your vet agree?

Hi Jackie - thank you, and yes! My vet was open to anything, and felt every suggestion was good and all options were safe - including Ivermectin. Fenbendazole appears to be the safest broad spectrum wormer, from what I've read here and elsewhere. How would you dose 10% paste for an 18-oz squirrel?

[Jackie in Tampa]

Hi Jackie - thank you, and yes! My vet was open to anything, and felt every suggestion was good and all options were safe - including Ivermectin. Fenbendazole appears to be the safest broad spectrum wormer, from what I've read here and elsewhere. How would you dose 10% paste for an 18-oz
squirrel?would need more specifics on the paste... such as how many mgs per gram/ounce... any label info would be helpful.
Is the vet overseeing this dose? or do you have this paste on hand?

[fairbank]

would need more specifics on the paste... such as how many mgs per gram/ounce... any label info would be helpful.
Is the vet overseeing this dose? or do you have this paste on hand?

Here's a label I found online. I don't have the paste on hand, but can pick it up today without a prescription. http://www.vetdepot.com/product-labels/panacur-equine-dewormer.pdf

[Jackie in Tampa]

give me a shout/PM when you get the meds:thumbsup

[jo_schmoe]

Hi Jo - how would you dose an 18-oz squirrel? Thanks so much for sharing your experience! I think I've found the correct solution.

Anytime i had to give meds to a squirrel i had one of 3 people dose for me. A trusted rehabber friend....jackie (also trusted rehabber friend) or my vet. My math simply stinks....kids wont even trust me to help with math homework ...like ever!!. Lol. Jackie will know how much.

[fairbank]

give me a shout/PM when you get the meds:thumbsup

Hi Jackie - I have the meds. The package insert I posted yesterday is correct for the product I bought. Here are some details:

- Fenbendazole 25 gram paste 10% (100 mg/g)
- Entire syringe contains 2.5 grams of fenbenzadole
- It's a graduated dial-ring syringe, that will dispense 1/10th of the tube at each click (approx 125 lbs body weight for horses)
- Dosage for horses is 2.3 mg/lb for large & small strongyles and pinworms
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for encysted early third stage and late third stage and fourth stage cyathostome larvae and fourth stage larvae of strongylus vulgaris
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for ascarids
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for fourth stage larvae of strongylus vulgaris over five consecutive days

I've used paste syringes before, so I'm aware of the practice of pressing the plunger until undiluted product comes out.

Thanks for your help - I appreciate everything! :thankyou

[Jackie in Tampa]

Hi Jackie - I have the meds. The package insert I posted yesterday is correct for the product I bought. Here are some details:

- Fenbendazole 25 gram paste 10% (100 mg/g)
- Entire syringe contains 2.5 grams of fenbenzadole
- It's a graduated dial-ring syringe, that will dispense 1/10th of the tube at each click (approx 125 lbs body weight for horses)
- Dosage for horses is 2.3 mg/lb for large & small strongyles and pinworms
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for encysted early third stage and late third stage and fourth stage cyathostome larvae and fourth stage larvae of strongylus vulgaris
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for ascarids
- Dosage for horses is 4.6 mg/lb for fourth stage larvae of strongylus vulgaris over five consecutive days

I've used paste syringes before, so I'm aware of the practice of pressing the plunger until undiluted product comes out.

Thanks for your help - I appreciate everything! :thankyou
I am not comfortable yet with this paste, going to need a few minutes to read and read again...
want to get my brain to jib with this...:thumbsup:eek:grin
I would never give advise unless I am confident...hang tight.

[cnmnnaturalist]

This is a very interesting case!

I cannot help but wonder what is going through your 4 yo's mind. Regurgitating and thinking, "Hm, I would like to eat that!"

[Jackie in Tampa]

I am not confident ...
I do not feel this product should be used..
very tricky to dose properly.... I am sure it CAN BE DONE, but too much room for error.
I wish I could help.
My advise is to purchase a panacur/fenbendazole tablet made for a domestic pet, either Rx thru your vet, or again, from the pet store.

[fairbank]

I am not confident ...
I do not feel this product should be used..
very tricky to dose properly.... I am sure it CAN BE DONE, but too much room for error.
I wish I could help.
My advise is to purchase a panacur/fenbendazole tablet made for a domestic pet, either Rx thru your vet, or again, from the pet store.

Thank you Jackie - thank you for the advice via PM (tried to respond but your box is full). The medication in the suggested dose is now *in* the squirrel. Success!

He's now eating a Henry's Picky Block, which he LOVES! He wastes a little when he tears through it, but I think he's figuring out now that it's all good and no peeling is required.

This board is great - I'm so glad I found you all! :thankyou

[SammysMom]

:Welcome:Love_Icon:Welcome

[Jackie in Tampa]

Thank you Jackie - thank you for the advice via PM (tried to respond but your box is full). The medication in the suggested dose is now *in* the squirrel. Success!

He's now eating a Henry's Picky Block, which he LOVES! He wastes a little when he tears through it, but I think he's figuring out now that it's all good and no peeling is required.

This board is great - I'm so glad I found you all! :thankyou:thumbsupnow let's hope this is the culprit.

[Pointy Tale]

fairbank— hi! Welcome!!! You HAVE come to the RIGHT place!! I’m glad you’ve decided on the treatment. However, I do have some thoughts and questions.

1) When you say regurgitates are you saying it’s similar to Mega-E (http://www.caninemegaesophagus.org/) in dogs?

2) Could he be vomiting bile? Do you know what that looks like?

3) How long has he been regurgitating and when do you remember it starting?

4) How is afterwards, a sad little fellow who appears ill, or is he energetic, ready to go on about the day?

5) What happens in HIS environment between the Noon and 2 PM occurrences?
Is something from outside brought in? Is he brought outside?

6) With what and when do you clean his cage/environment?

7) Are you using pet store animal bones or from the grocery store or your livestock? And, are you sterilizing them in any way?

8) Branches, does he get them directly from outside? Are they cleaned first, put in the freezer?

9) Does he come in contact with other animals?

10) Does he get any supplements?

I do not agree that rodent block is the most important nutrition factor of his diet, BUT, I also do not have a “pet” squirrel in my care. I think real foods are the best with the appropriate vitamins/minerals needs for the species, in this case, based on what I have read for ingredients, Henry’s (http://henryspets.com/) is the best choice.

My initial thoughts do include parasites, but also could be bacterial or even an allergy, but unless you determine the source, deworming, etc will only be temporary and sadly because it may have gone on for a while may NOT fix the regurgitation. If you’d prefer an more natural way to rid the body of parasites, coccidia, worms you can check out ONP (http://www.onlynaturalpet.com/search.aspx?avs|Pet+Type=Dogs&avs|Health+Condition=Worms+%2f+Parasites)

BUT, before I jump to any conclusions, I would like to hear your replies first.

For cleaning, I would use something like tea tree oil added to the wash load.

Also, 1 more thought Buddy (http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?26978-Buddy-just-threw-up-BLOOD), the Chipmunk would regurgitate his food. Here is his thread and there is a video there for you. (Rest in Peace Buddy).

Good luck and hope the treatment fixes him up.

[Jackie in Tampa]

all good points and questions PT...:thumbsup

[Jackie in Tampa]

any updates?

[Jackie in Tampa]

tinfoil