Adult Male With Spine Injury

[Shannon]

Unfortunately, my Schnauzer was able to get a hold of an adult male squirrel and give him a few good shakes before my daughter made her drop him. When Chloe first brought him to the house he was not moving back legs or tail at all. I thought the best we could do was give him a place to rest until he passed. That was Sunday. He has been drinking water from a dropper and eating a mix of dried fruit, nuts, corn and seed I bought at the pet store, intended for rabbits and other small mammals.
There were no external cuts. He has been peeing and pooping. He is not showing much movement in his back legs, although he sometimes tries to pull his right hind foot away when I touch the pads. I also noticed that he tries to clamp his tail down, today, when I am cleaning his rear end. He has a bit of diarrhea today. We are trying not to over feed, just give him a little at a time.
I have been in touch with the local wildlife rehab people. They have said that since it has been a few days without marked improvement, the kindest thing would be to put him down. I don't want to quit trying if there is still a chance that him might recover.
I would appreciate any advice about what to do/not do next. Thank you in advance!

[CritterMom]

We will have to work with you on diet, but first thing's first.

Call your friends, family, check the mediciane cabinet...see if you can get your hands on some prednisone. It is a steroid and is very commonly prescribed by doctors for upper respiratory issues and for muscle pulls and inflammation. It is an extrememly powerful anti-inflammatory. Sometimes, internal swelling can push on nerves causing partial or total paralysis, and the prednisone can "sometimes" get the swelling down fast enough to help. Since he has some movement, there is a chance...

[Shannon]

I will see what I can find. Thanks!

[CritterMom]

I will see what I can find. Thanks!

We will really need some way to get a weight on him if you find prednisone. We need his weight and the strength of the pred to tell you how to use it to help him. So you need in addition to the meds, a scale - like a kitchen scale, digital postal scale, etc., preferably one that measures in grams but we can do the math if not; and a 1cc syringe to do the soding with. If you go to your pharmacist and tell him you are trying to feed a newborn kitten and need a 1cc syringe they should be willing to give one to you.

[Shannon]

I have not found any prednisone, but I do have Metacam oral suspension drops that the vet prescribed for my cat awhile back. It is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicine. I think it is pretty strong though, just on drop on the tongue daily for the cat, so I'm not sure about giving it to such a small animal. Thoughts?

[island rehabber]

metacam is more for pain than swelling but good if you cannot find prednisone. Just a note: if you start him on metacam, even if you DO find some prednisone later, you cannot give them both to the squirrel....VERY harmful.

What is the strength on the bottle of metacam that you have? That, plus a weight in grams is how we can give you a safe dose for the poor little guy.

[Shannon]

He weighs about 600g. Does that sound right? It was hard to keep him from wiggling on the scale.

[Shannon]

All it says on the bottle is Metacam Oral Suspension 1ml. That is probably the quantity in the bottle, though, not the the strength.

[stepnstone]

metacam is more for pain than swelling but good if you cannot find prednisone. Just a note: if you start him on metacam, even if you DO find some prednisone later, you cannot give them both to the squirrel....VERY harmful.
What is the strength on the bottle of metacam that you have? That, plus a weight in grams is how we can give you a safe dose for the poor little guy.

Need to control pain and help with inflammation.
Wondering if the infant ibuprofen also for inflammation would be better?
Only thing I see with metacam just relates to pain. :dono

[Shannon]

Since the med was only for a couple of days worth of pain relief for the cat, I don't have a lot. Probably 2-3 days worth at that dosage rate. I guess it will be a good place to start, right? I feel like I need to do something for him now.

[Nancy in New York]

Since the med was only for a couple of days worth of pain relief for the cat, I don't have a lot. Probably 2-3 days worth at that dosage rate. I guess it will be a good place to start, right? I feel like I need to do something for him now.

What is the date on the bottle?

[Shannon]

What is the date on the bottle?

May of this year.

[Nancy in New York]

May of this year.

Do you know if this is honey flavored?

[Shannon]

Do you know if this is honey flavored?

No idea. The vet didn't mention any flavoring when prescribing. Just instructed to place 1-2 drops on the cat's tongue once daily for pain. It is in a small squeeze bottle.

[Nancy in New York]

No idea. The vet didn't mention any flavoring when prescribing. Just instructed to place 1-2 drops on the cat's tongue once daily for pain. It is in a small squeeze bottle.

Do you have a 1 cc syringe? When dosing a squirrel, we go in grams to get the accurate amount you need a syringe
like what is pictured here.


http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?36873-Dosing-Syringe

[Shannon]

Do you have a 1 cc syringe? When dosing a squirrel to get the accurate amount you need a syringe
like what is pictured here.


http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?36873-Dosing-Syringe

I do! Thankfully, my cat is taking medicine for her thyroid at the rate of .5cc, so I have a few of them.

[Nancy in New York]

I do! Thankfully, my cat is taking medicine for her thyroid at the rate of .5cc, so I have a few of them.

Perfect, BUT make sure that you wash it out really well before administering to the squirrel, as
cat saliva is deadly to squirrels. :thumbsup

Also, I would back that dose up to .12 ml for the loading dose, and starting tomorrow back it off to .06 ml ONCE DAILY.

ALSO make sure the squirrel is WELL HYDRATED BEFORE ADMINISTERING.

[Shannon]

Perfect, BUT make sure that you wash it out really well before administering to the squirrel, as
cat saliva is deadly to squirrels. :thumbsup

Also, I would back that dose up to .12 for the loading dose, and starting tomorrow back it off to .06 ONCE DAILY.

:grin2 I will sanitize it well!!! Alright, I'm going for it! I hope it helps the poor little guy. Thank you all for your help!
Also, I would love to know what and how much I should be feeding him. I have offered apple, cheese, bread and the treat mix from the pet store. The only thing he really eats are the dried fruits and peanuts out of the mix and plain old bread. He is drinking water very well, but as I mentioned earlier, he has some diarrhea today. I just don't want to make his stomach worse.

[island rehabber]

Yes. Agree that Nancy's dosage is perfect.

[Nancy in New York]

:grin2 I will sanitize it well!!! Alright, I'm going for it! I hope it helps the poor little guy. Thank you all for your help!
Also, I would love to know what and how much I should be feeding him. I have offered apple, cheese, bread and the treat mix from the pet store. The only thing he really eats are the dried fruits and peanuts out of the mix and plain old bread. He is drinking water very well, but as I mentioned earlier, he has some diarrhea today. I just don't want to make his stomach worse.

Take a look at the link below for healthy foods.
If you can order the HHB's from Leigh, 4skwerlz, that would be the best thing you can possibly do.
I am running out now for a while.....and will be back for more info on what to try feeding. :tilt
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32218-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-(Rev-Dec-2011)

[Shannon]

Take a look at the link below for healthy foods.
If you can order the HHB's from Leigh, 4skwerlz, that would be the best thing you can possibly do.
I am running out now for a while.....and will be back for more info on what to try feeding. :tilt
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32218-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels-(Rev-Dec-2011)

That threat isn't working for me Nancy, but I will poke around on the nutrition board and get some ideas. :)

[farrelli]

This is what I think Nancy was linking to:

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

Henry's are the best, but until they arrive, many pet stores sell Kayte Forti-Diet (blue bag) rodent blocks.

[SugarBugFerret]

Try this one for good foods to feed him.

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

Thanks so much for giving him a chance and helping him. My squirrel came to me unable to move her hind end, and today she is doing great! Given a little bit of TLC, a squirrel's ability to heal can be an amazing thing! :thumbsup