Aspirated my baby

[MeganGoode]

Hello all! I'm new to the board. We found a baby squirrel 5 days ago that we estimate to be 4-5 weeks old. This is my first one raising and I'm planning to release him when he's old enough. He has been doing perfect this whole time. His appetite is wonderful, so wonderful in fact that he aspirated twice this morning :( it was around 7am. I immediately put him upside down both times and wiped his nose after each sneeze. I don't know of this is beneficial but I also put him in the bathroom while I showered thinking the steam may help? He has sneezed occasionally the whole duration I've had him but not excessively in my opinion. He hasn't shown any symptoms but I am terrified of aspiration pneumonia. I was in tears this morning because I have become so attached to this little guy. I am planning on taking him to the vet on Monday and hopefully getting Baytril if they will see him. Right now I only have Amoxicillin 400mg tablet form. I know amoxicillin can cause GI upset. Being its a Saturday I'm really stressing :( do you guys have any recommendations? I've asked friends and family if they have Baytril by chance and they do not. Thanks in advance for the help!

[Mommaluvy]

I am new.. so hopefully more experienced people will catch this...

BUT .. just because he snorkled once or twice does not mean he WILL get pneumonia. Still we must try to avoid it. Because they can actually take in enough liquid into a lung to basically drown instantly. Or .. get aspiration Pneumonia . That said.. let me put your mind at ease. Granted this is only by first squirrel season. BUT I have nine squirrels. My first never visibly aspirated. I TOOK EVERY PRECAUTION.. Yet low and behold he got what we think was silent Pneumonia. A few weeks later.. I got his brother Basil and sister Tess. Basil SNORKLES ALL THE TIME. Scared me to death. He even snorkles himself if I bowl feed him. He snorkles in the water dish. He is just not a graceful drinker. Never got Pnumonia. I don't want to jinx myself.. Just pointing out that even if your doing everything right it still happens. So .. Try not to worry ..

Infact don't worry about it. Just do what your doing by trying to get meds just in case. I don't think BAYTRIL is a human name of a drug. What your looking for is CIPRO or CIPROFLOXIN.. Or Amoxiclave. You just need one and know the dose of the pill.

You will want to listen for a very distinct clicking.. You sound familiar with the symptoms though.

Be careful with the vet.. Some will Euthanize if it is against your state law to have a squirrel in your possession.

There is a sticky on the best feeding positions and on the proper technique.

I would not run him to the vet if he is not showing symptoms. Even if the vet is squirrel friendly.

The people hear saved my Pip from his silent Pneumonia. I do have a squirrel friendly vet and he did change to injections.. and a legal permit holder who also gave similar but different instructions... BUT if it had not been for TSB ... Pip may not be here today.

So .. don't panic ... Just keep a close eye on him. How old is he again? and I am assuming he is a he and not a she?

[MeganGoode]

Thank you Mommaluvy!!
That helped me chill out a lot. I just get so attached so tend to panic and majorly stress when it comes to animals in my care lol I THINK he is 4-5 weeks old. I found him 5 days ago, and his eyes opened 2 days later. He is furred but his belly is still bare. He is definitely a he! Haha I don't hear a clicking sound. I don't know what to listen for exactly, but I put my ear close to him and don't hear anything as he breathes in and out. I was prescribed Cipro a few months ago for an ear infection and don't have any left! Ugh. That kills me. That's the last time I finish my course of antibiotics (haha). Thanks so much for your input. I'm still going to be extremely cautious and watchful, but you definitely put me a little more at ease. I'll be glad when he doesn't have to be "bottle" (syringe, 1ml) fed anymore. He is such a little piggy and stresses out his adoptive mother :)

I'm in Florida, I'm not sure the state law. I worked at one of the veterinary hospitals in town but my vet doesn't do squirrels :( there's a refuge in town, but it's also very questionable due to some of it's practices. So I really would like to care for him myself.

[ALittleNutty]

I am working from my phone so I can't copy and paste but there is a thread in the emergency life threatening section with a video of a squirrel with pneumonia and clicking. Unless you see other signs sometimes it's just bubbles in the nose. I have a few that I actually have to hold back on the plunger since they suck so hard. You should be using a 1cc or 3 cc syringe to feed.

[Nancy in New York]

I am working from my phone so I can't copy and paste but there is a thread in the emergency life threatening section with a video of a squirrel with pneumonia and clicking. Unless you see other signs sometimes it's just bubbles in the nose. I have a few that I actually have to hold back on the plunger since they suck so hard. You should be using a 1cc or 3 cc syringe to feed.

Here's the link that ALittleNutty is talking about.:thumbsup
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32290-Pneumonia-video

[ALittleNutty]

Here's the link that ALittleNutty is talking about.:thumbsup
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32290-Pneumonia-video

Thanks Nancy!

[DarkLies212]

Welcome to TSB and thank you for rescuing him!

What are you feeding him? And pictures!! We love pictures!:grin2

[HRT4SQRLS]

:wave123 MeganGoode
:Welcome to TSB

We have a lot of Florida members. I agree that they don't always get pneumonia when they snort formula. Of course, it is always concerning.
Hopefully this won't develop into anything so I would stop worrying for now. In a worst case scenario, the Amoxicillin could be used.

We might even have a member near you who could share an antibiotic if needed. I'm in central FL myself. In FL it is legal to own a pet squirrel, even though they do NOT make good pets. It is not legal to rehab a squirrel and release it IF you don't have a Wildlife Rehabilitators License. Some vets will treat your pet squirrel, others will not as you are aware. Don't go to a vet and say that you are raising the baby to release. That is a NO NO because I assume you are not a licensed rehabber. Don't worry, most of us are not licensed either.

We will be needing pictures and a name also. :grin2

[Mommaluvy]

Ladies.. she said he has no fur on the belly.. Could he be as old as five weeks? I would have to go back and look at pictures.


Aside from the clicking in that video.. just watch for " odd" behavior. Not wanting to eat.. not being excited to see the food coming.. stuff like that. Pip's was silent. The only symptom he had was a decrease in eating. One meal I just could not get the whole 5% of his body weight in him. That was very odd for him. I had had him since he was 15 grams... With his umbilical stump. He was just being a lazy eater. THEN.. he started this really weird behavior. Which in hind sight I think was a fever induced spasm of his head only. He was making a werid noise also. I showed it to my rehabber and to the nice peeps here on TSB and several people said he sounded congested. I never heard the congestion.. he still makes the funny noise and he is a big guy ready soon to be released. BUT.. either way.. Had I not been clued off by that decrease in interest for eating... I may have not been as concerned. Sure.. they get stomach aches and have off days just like us.. But the decrease lasted several feeds. So watch for lethargy. You know your squirrel better than I. Go with your guy. If he starts acting different for any period of time don't hesitate to bounce it off one of us.

[crazy4squirrels]

Where are you in Florida? I know of a couple of squirrel friendly doctors.

[grampyngramy]

Thanks for taking him in. Remember the proper feeding technique. Syringe pointed up to mouth as baby lays on belly.

[redwuff]

Hi guest, do you think you aspirated your baby?