Pip is sick..want input

[phillysquirrels]

Found a vet and went today. And it is a good thing cause pip has pneumonia, he isn’t clicking or wheezing. The vet put Pip on smz-tmp 0.25 two times a day. I mentioned the Baytril and he said it could be a little harsh on his system. I was reading the board and some say smz-tmp is good and others say it’s not good. Pip is 7 weeks and weighs 175 grams he really isn’t eating his formula but is eating his henrys biscuits, veggies, and yogurt. Please put my mind at ease and tell me Pip will be fine on the smz-tmp.

Thanks in Advance
Pip's mom

[SammysMom]

SMZ is okay, I think that the issue with it vs Baytril is that it is slower acting than Baytril is. :grouphug:Love_IconPip:Love_Icon:grouphug

[phillysquirrels]

Thank you Sammy's mom! Quick question ...would a humidifier help as well?

[Duckman]

I was always a Baytril believer, but when Felix got that really bad infection, she put him on SMZ-TMP and I think it saved his life. The thing is that Baytril has a quick reaction to bacteria, but it is very hard on their little systems. The SMZ-TMP is mild, but it builds up and actually overpowers, given enough time. If you have one who is on their last leg, Baytril is best, but if you catch it early, SMZ is the best. I question the dose though. That dose sounds like a full grown adult dose. Maybe someone who knows the dosage really well can pipe in. Make sure to give him a probiotic, starting a couple days before you end the treatment and continue for a few days after you finish, so you can help his little body bounce back.

[Duckman]

I personally wouldn't use a humidifier, but I do use a nebulizer for pneumonia. I have a plastic tub that I drilled a hole into, and put the nebulizer hose into it. It concentrates the oxygen in the tub, just like an oxygen tent and it works great!

[Rhapsody]

Sound like your little is in good hands...... just keep the fluids going --make up
some homemade Pedialyte and feed it if he is not wanting his formula while sick.

Homemade Pedialyte
1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt (teaspoon)
1 tbsp sugar (tablespoon)

...last 3 days in the frig / warm before feeding

[SammysMom]

Can you tell us what the strength of the SMZ is? That is a high dose, but perhaps it isn't as concentrated as it is in the Wild Mammals book dosing chart.

[phillysquirrels]

Sorry for the late reply..
The bottle reads ..smz-tmp liquid susp. 1oz give 0.25 ml twice a day for 14 days.

Pip weight is 275 grams and he is 7 weeks. He LOVES vanilla yogurt and is eating that up. He is starting to eat the NV formula, some veggies and his hennery blocks....just munching on it and making a wonderful mess. I gave him a wee bit of applesauce which he gobbled up. Keeping him in a smaller cage with a heating pad (no off switch) on low, he doesn’t seem to be cold. He has no desire to lie in the warmer area. Trying to keep him quiet but he wants to play. He can drink out of the water bottle which has only water in it. I am trying to get some pedialyte in him between formula feed. His urine output is good and his bowls are good. His poop is turning a very pale green, hoping that is the meds working. I never heard the clicking sound; the only indication was a lack of appetite.
Thank you for your help and input.
Dawn
A.K.A. Pip’s Mom

[Smartsgirl]

My little man, Monster, died of pneumonia 4 months ago :sad He was 18 months old & I found him & 2 siblings when they were just hours old. One was already dead, the tiny one lasted 6 hours. We put drip by drip of pedialyte the whole time, she was just SO super tiny. Half the size of the other two. Monster was covered in ants & had a scratch on his face. I spent all my time with him for the first week. But he was getting bigger & stronger every day :strong He was my miracle MONSTER!

When Monster got sick, it was so, so fast. Barely more than 24 hrs. He was lethargic, not wanting to eat or drink much & he would cough/gag for no apparent reason. The next morning, he was refusing to eat or drink so we started forcing it drip by drip. He became more & more restless, lethargic, breathing faster & he started to have white tears. We NEVER heard any clicking or wheezing & I used a stethoscope to listen to him. By midnight he was breathing so hard/fast, very restless, but was wanting the hydration. He would get in his hammock & his breathing would make the hammock swing pretty good. That would bother him & he'd go get in his house, then a bit later he would come out of his cage & get into his drawer, top drawer in my dresser that used to hold my panties until he discovered it one day & I walked into the room to see his adorable little face sticking out from some frilly panties. :eek After I finished laughing at him & then loving on him, I moved everything down a drawer & it became his penthouse condo! :pimp

We stayed up with him all night & at about 4:45 am, he had a bad cough/gag fit & my husband picked him up & turned him face down a bit & patted his back. Suddenly everything stopped & he went limp. We tried to suction his airway, we did mouth to mouth, but he was gone. UGH, now I'm crying :Cry. I remember holding him to my chest & sobbing, even howling in pain & disbelief. I didn't let him go for several hours. Later that day I called & talked to my vet, he doesn't do squirrels, but he agreed to do an X-ray. The consensus was it was MBD. That cough/gag thing just ate away at me & even though it was STUPID expensive, it was worth it to find out he did have pneumonia. He did show bone loss & his diet wasn't good, so those were underlying factors that made things go from bad to worse very quickly.

It just goes to show that these little bundles of love can have issues that aren't clear to us no matter how much we learn & grow with knowledge & experience. So don't feel bad that you didn't know what it was. There were no obvious signs to point to it. Thankfully you are a great squirrelly mom & hopefully he's on the road to recovery. Please keep us updated & I'd LOVE to see some pics too!

[squirrelsrule&bunniestoo]

SMZ is my go to drug for cat attacks, skin wounds, ear infections, and pneumonia. It's safe for bunnies, squirrels, and opossums, and it's a pretty safe drug.

[phillysquirrels]

Smartsgirl,

Oh Smartsgirl..I cried reading about you and Monster. It’s amazing how these sweet balls of fur can move into our homes and hearts, how quickly we fall in love with them.
I’ve had a few squirrels the last two had MBD and the it was heartbreaking. By the time they got to me it was way too late but I trudge on, hoping. They were such a blessing.
Has any new fur balls moved into your life?
Thank you for your encouraging words. I’m still trying to figure out how to put em on the post. I finally got the album part down. LOL
Hopefully this time it will work. Sorry if the images are to big. I will work on that. :)
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.png
A thank you to all who replied. I hope some hope!http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/images/smilies/bty.gif