Possible Poisoning - HELP

[kcassidy]

Helping another rehabber friend. Here are the facts.

Newly built release cage Here are the pictures - https://www.icloud.com/photostream/#A4532ODWvA7bz

3 16 week old squirrels, went out to the cage 7 days ago.
All were playing and active, until yesterday at the afternoon check. One squirrel was dead in the nest box.
Two boys left, she just went out and one squirrel is running around playing, she found the other in the nestbox, falling over and breathing funny.
She took both out and brought them in the house, she is holding the sick one, he just ate 15 CC's of formula.
Diet - only foods on the safe list, as well as blocks and 2 nuts a day.
Water - bottled water

I will take both squirrels and move them to either mine or another rehabbers release cage, so that is not a concern.

What I need to get back to her on asap, is how to flush the sick fella's system?
How do we figure out what is poisoning them?

Cage is made of wood and galvenized wire.

I had her check the nest box and she said all that is in there is cotton bedding.

Anyone have any ideas? Please help me help her and the squees.

Thanks,

Kim Cassidy (kim @ cl ick and tr im.com) remove spaces.

[island rehabber]

Did someone use pressure-treated wood in building the cage? If they chewed it, arsenic poisoning is possible.....
FLuids, fluids fluids are all you can really do in this case.

[TubeDriver]

Some types of galvanized wire can contain high levels of zinc but I think this onset sounds too rapid?

Have there been any really hot days since they were placed in the RC?

I would remove all food and water from the cage in case it somehow got contaminated.

Some type of mold or fungus growing on branches in the RC?


Since we don't know, I would hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!


Can you inspect the body of the poor squirrle that passed and make sure there are no tiny wounds (spider bites).


:(

[TubeDriver]

In the second pic of the cage, there is something white on the floor? Mushroom?

[kcassidy]

Thanks everyone.

Hydrate with what? Formula?

She said that is a mushroom that she gave them, not growing wild. I told her if she uses the cage in the future to fill the floor with dirt, better for the squirrels as they transition to release.

I'll see if she still has the little girl who died.

Thank you again, glad to have this group with such vast knowledge at my disposal.

Kim

[Shewhosweptforest]

That one squirrel looks just like a Kensington :dono I'd definitely look for bites also....doesn't look like there's any vegetation that could be harmful. :dono Praying for the other two. Sorry for the sweet lost one :shakehead :grouphug

[kcassidy]

That one squirrel looks just like a Kensington :dono I'd definitely look for bites also....doesn't look like there's any vegetation that could be harmful. :dono Praying for the other two. Sorry for the sweet lost one :shakehead :grouphug

What squirrel?

[SammysMom]

If possible, I would think that bringing them indoors and offering heat might be the way to go for a bit. They probably need a close eye on them and the ability to really monitor their behavior and eating/drinking and peeing/pooping. That would be easier to do in a smaller area.
Many healing prayers. No acorns or other wild nuts?

[SammysMom]

The squirrel that I saw was Pip's baby and not part of this scenario, just part of your photos.

[kcassidy]

Oh on the squirrel, DUH I forgot you can see all the other pix, I was searching the cage pix for a squirrel :D

No acorns but they did have a Butternut 4 days ago. Yes she is keeping them inside for now.

[SammysMom]

I may be crazy, but I would offer heat if possible. When you don't feel good warmth is soothing...:grouphug Watermelon or other hydrating fruits might help to flush also.

[kcassidy]

Thanks SM. Also, she has the two boys separated, do you think he would be less panicky if they were together, or should they remain apart for now?

[SammysMom]

I would let them be together. They might feel safer if they had one another.:grouphug

[pappy1264]

Can she see any marks on the one who had passed? Wood doesn't look like pt in the pics, although that is the first thing I thought before seeing pics.

[kcassidy]

confirmed wood is not PT. She examined the little girls body and there are no visible bites/swelling :(

[pappy1264]

What has the weather been like there, has it been warm?

[CritterMom]

Check in the box for any signs of mold or mildew.

[HRT4SQRLS]

When she checked the nest box, did she look carefully for mold. Here we had VERY rainy weather last week... this week it is dry and the temps are in the mid 90's. That is the perfect storm for mold. I would check again and I would also put some ventilation holes in the box. On my screen the board under the nest box looks a little green. That might not be the case at all. It could be lighting or shadows.

I also thought about heat. If they were raised in AC, they might not be adequately adjusted to the heat outside. I don't know about your temps and it does appear to be a shaded area. Just some ideas. :dono

That must be completely heartbreaking to get them to release age and have them crash like this. :(

[CritterMom]

I read cotton bedding - if that is the case, it is a PERFECT medium to grow mold. If indeed she is using cotton bedding, pitch it and get some polyester fiberfill or quilt batting - POLYESTER, not cotton. Water will pour right through it so it does not retain moisture - it dries right away. It also allows air flow right through the bedding and when they burrow into it in the nest it provides a lot of mosquito protection, too.

[kcassidy]

What has the weather been like there, has it been warm?

Actually it has been incredible, high 70's no humidity.

Box has been checked, no mold or mildew. But I see CM that you are saying Cotton Bedding is a breeding ground for mold, I'll ask her to get ride of that.

It hasn't been rainy or humid for over a week, but rain is coming for this weekend.

Thanks again everyone for putting your thoughts out there for us.

Regards,

Kim

[HRT4SQRLS]

If the temperature is ruled out, mold ruled out and arsenic ruled out, the only thing left to consider is the hardware cloth. There are reports about hardware cloth from China with high concentrations of lead on it. If you google 'lead contaminated hardware cloth from China' you will find information about this problem. A pic shows a warning insert on the product. It state that you should wash your hands after handling it. I don't know if a week is long enough to get acute lead poisoning. Squirrels would spend a lot of time on the wire climbing around so if the lead concentration is high I would think they would have significant exposure in a week. I really don't know the answer to this question. The fact that this is a NEW cage might be significant.


http://t.petco.com/Content/ArticleList/Article/33/20/861/Heavy-Metals.aspx

[SammysMom]

Any chance that the butternuts might have been contaminated? It reminds me so much of the acorn tragedy...:sad

[czarina]

This is truly tragic.
Is that some kind of ivy growing under the cage?
Could they have eaten some of the cotton, and developed bowl obstructions?
Healthy squirrels don't just die. Check that tree for insects. What about snakes?
Could they have reached thru the caging on the floor and gotten moldy acorns, or moldy anything?
Was the yard ever sprayed with insecticide or stump killer?

I'd go inspect, inspect, inspect.
There was no bleeding from orifices on the dead squirrel was there, because vitamin K would be the antidote. Otherwise, hydration, and really closely inspect the surviving ones for any marks, swelling.

Good luck.

[SammysMom]

Below is a link to the acorn tragedy thread. This is by NO MEANS intended to make anyone feel like they did anything wrong. These kind of horrors are what all of our nightmares are made of...
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44354-frozen-acorns-kill-squirrels&highlight=uni+acorns
Godspeed little one...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

I pray for the littles who have survived this far to continue and go on to a bright new future...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[TubeDriver]

You asked about hydration.

I would hydrate with water, water melon, a little sugar water, anything to get fluids flushing their system out. A little pedialyte for a couple hours might not hurt either. Just push fluids, it is all you can do at this point.

[czarina]

I'm just gonna throw this out there.
In the hospital, we use activated charcoal on poisonings. The charcoal absorbs the toxins. It is messy, ( especially when some ridiculously high woman, is smaking her charcoal stained mouth at me, screaming," kiss me Charlie, kiss me!")

But anyway, it could be syringed in their mouths. I know I would do anything to save my babies.
Perhaps they could call the pharmacy, and see if it is sold OTC. For some reason, I want to say that you can grind up the the activated charcoal that you use in fish tanks, but you would need to check on the internet.

Hope the others are doing alright.

[Mommaluvy]

I have purchased activated charcoal capsules at grocery stores in the vitamin
section

[CritterMom]

How protected is this release cage? Is it visible to people walking or driving by? Neighbors? People have been known to do some heinous things...

[TubeDriver]

Updates?

[kcassidy]

Hi All:

Sad news, another boy died at 11:34pm last night :boohoo :Cry

I'm going to take the last boy and release him. We don't know what caused it. Was it in the shell nuts? So frustrating and so Sad. We need a :grouphug

Thanks,

Kim

[kcassidy]

How protected is this release cage? Is it visible to people walking or driving by? Neighbors? People have been known to do some heinous things...

I believe she said it is somewhat isolated but campers can and do come up to the cage. As I said in a previous post, I"ll be taking the last boy and put him in my release cage.

Poor rehabber ;( :(

[kcassidy]

How protected is this release cage? Is it visible to people walking or driving by? Neighbors? People have been known to do some heinous things...

I don't know :(

Sadly, I know how people react.

[SammysMom]

So very sorry for this tragic loss...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug
Godspeed little ones...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[TubeDriver]

I am sorry to hear about these two squirrels. :( Gods speed little fellows.

[stepnstone]

:(:(
That's tragic,
I hope the last little one makes it...

[Mommaluvy]

So sorry :boohoo

[czarina]

So very sorry. Please give the rehabber our condolences. I can only imagine how they must feel.

Cher, little babies Godspeed.
(Cher is a Cajun word, pronounced shaw, with the a like in cat. It is a term of endearment)
:Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon:g rouphug:Love_Icon

[magna]

If possible please list the safe foods given, as some are not safe if left whole or not pitted or peeled. Also we only give portabella or the small white mushrooms from the grocery. Some mushrooms found outdoors are toxic and cause the same type symptoms you describe. We went through a learning experience with unpitted cherries and our boy Pickles. Luckily he was released this past spring with no apparent permanent injury. Treated him for cyanide poisoning and he pulled through from almost complete paralysis, his story is here somewhere. I have a very dear friend who lost one of her adults shortly after feeding it a mushroom from the yard. Most current pressure treated lumber contains little or no arsenic and is nowhere near as toxic as it used to be. They are tough little guys but still fragile in so many ways.

Sorry for the loss, lord knows it's never easy.

[kcassidy]

I will point her to this thread.

I'm going to get the little boy tomorrow to release here on my property. She is afraid to put him back in the cage and I agree with her, even though that may have not been the issue.

I wish we knew as she is a good at helping Squirrels and we need all the help we can get.

I will doublecheck on the mushrooms, Magna and let you know.

Thanks,

Kim