Sick and vomiting Squirrel.

[Silverline]

Hello all. Sorry I haven't been on much.
I need some help. Little Trooper is sick today. She is vomiting and not moving much. She was fine yesterday but I woke up to some vomit in her cage. She has slept most of the day but started vomiting again a few minutes ago.
I gave her an avocado yesterday that I just discovered wasn't very ripe yet. I just tried a piece myself just and could barely bite into it. I'm wondering if this has upset her tummy, or if this is a much larger issue. I know that the skin and pits are toxic, but I'm not sure about unripened avocado.

She has been eating mostly grapes, corn, assorted unsalted nuts (no peanuts), lettuce, Kial, peas, and she made off with a small tortilla chip yesterday.

She has had a 2 grapes today and has been drinking a lot of water out of a cup that I bring to her. She is curled in a ball at the foot of the bed and seems very weak. She does move around a bit, but stays mostly in one spot.

I just need some advice. Is this cause for panic? or should I wait things out and see how she does in a few hours since she has expelled everything out of her system?

Thank you.

[Nancy in New York]

Hello all. Sorry I haven't been on much.
I need some help. Little Trooper is sick today. She is vomiting and not moving much. She was fine yesterday but I woke up to some vomit in her cage. She has slept most of the day but started vomiting again a few minutes ago.
I gave her an avocado yesterday that I just discovered wasn't very ripe yet. I just tried a piece myself just and could barely bite into it. I'm wondering if this has upset her tummy, or if this is a much larger issue. I know that the skin and pits are toxic, but I'm not sure about unripened avocado.

She has been eating mostly grapes, corn, assorted unsalted nuts (no peanuts), lettuce, Kial, peas, and she made off with a small tortilla chip yesterday.

She has had a 2 grapes today and has been drinking a lot of water out of a cup that I bring to her. She is curled in a ball at the foot of the bed and seems very weak. She does move around a bit, but stays mostly in one spot.

I just need some advice. Is this cause for panic? or should I wait things out and see how she does in a few hours since she has expelled everything out of her system?

Thank you.


YIKES honey this diet is ****!
Do you feed her any acorns?
Does she get any squirrel block?
You need to start her on the MBD protocol, seriously her diet is lacking big time.
I have company, but I have alerted some other members that can help. I will be on
and off.
Let me find the link to MBD.
They typically do not vomit with MBD but her diet is terrible.
Start the protocol.
Have you given ANY nuts in the shell?

MBD Protocol
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?32122-MBD-Treatment

Healthy diet for squirrels.

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels

[CritterMom]

The Tums may help her stomach, too.

How much avocado did you give her? Unripe avocado is NOT poisonous, but when you say you gave her "an avocado", do you mean a whole one??

Let her have as much water as she will drink.

[Silverline]

Sorry, I should have clarified a little better. This was just what she has eaten in the last two days.
Her diet has been consistent over the year. She gets a whole range of fresh fruits and veggies. I ran out of Henry's blocks and I'm just waiting for the shipment to come in.
I will for sure read the protocal and alter her diet until she is better.

She only had a couple diced cubes of the avocado yesterday. The cubes are just the right size for her to hold on to and munch. I don't giver her anything big. Everything is as proportional as I can possibly make it for her.

She has just gotten sick over night. Before that she has been super playful, energetic, and loving as ever. This was very strange to wake up too.

[Silverline]

Tums you say? What would be an appropriate proportion to give her? 1/4th of one?

[CritterMom]

Can she get to any houseplants that she may have eaten some of? Anything else she could have gotten her paws on?

[Nancy in New York]

She has free roam, correct?
Think of anything that it could be.
A dropped pill of some kind, a nut she could have buried in the shell a long time ago.
Does she have old stashes where she sleeps.
Are you saying she has had NO acorns?

[Silverline]

No, we keep her away from the house plants. She has been in her room and cage mostly for the last couple days. She has a lot of branches and toys she chews on regularly. Nothing too out of the ordinary.

[CritterMom]

Also, you say she has eaten - have you seen her poop at all since the vomiting started?

[Silverline]

No, we keep her room pretty clean. No bad things enter here. I clean out her room, cage, and nests regularly too and get rid of anything that she buried and could spoil. I keep a pretty close eye on her. Also no acorns.

[Nancy in New York]

OK what kind of branches?
Just trying to rule out things, I know lots of
questions.

[Silverline]

I haven't noticed any poop really. I wasn't really watching for it, but I will. She has peed. She just ate a grape a half hour ago. I do believe that's the only thing she's eaten today. She's not touching anything else.

[Silverline]

That's alright, ask away. Anything to help her.
They are just branches from around a crab apple tree that's in our back yard. She's had these for a couple weeks already, They are pretty big too so that she can climb and play.

[Silverline]

She just threw up again. It seems to be kind of foamy.

[Silverline]

She immediately drank a lot of water and ate a bunch of her fruit, Strawberry, blueberry, and a couple raspberries. She is just cleaning herself now.

[CritterMom]

Keep her warm and quiet and with you if you can. I wouldn't push her to eat anything but let her drink water. Really do some hunting for poops. Nothing you have fed or mentioned should have caused this unless she successfully hid some food that went bad. Sudden vomiting with no poops going through can be a sign of a blockage and that is not good.

[Silverline]

She is in a warm quite bed beside me. She currently has a small plate of fruit, lettus, an almond, and grapes. I have this plate on the bed close to her. I'm just letting her do what she wants now. She went to the plate on her own and I bring her cup of water too her frequently and she drinks out of it each time till shes has enough. I will watch for her poop over the night. Shes now back into a ball at the foot of the bed with some blankets around her.

[SammysMom]

Many prayers for Trooper. I think that it sure sounds like all that it could be from is something she ate or maybe a virus of some sort. Poor girl. Hydration is key with vomiting so her drinking water and eating grapes is really good.:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[Nancy in New York]

Just trying to think what this could be.
Do you peel the grapes for her? If not, could you start to do that.
Sometimes they just get the peel stuck in their throat.....but I do suspect
if that was her problem you would hear some hacking of her trying to dislodge it.

Do her gums look pink and healthy? Also, are her feet cool or warm?

[Silverline]

Thank you for the prayers. :) She is drinking lots of water. She drinks every time I bring her the cup of water, then she goes and wipes her face and clean herself. She's curled up again at the foot of the bed with blankets around her. She seems most comfortable in this spot, but she does look quite discomforted still. She does move fine when she decides to move around.

She is very good at peeling her grapes. She peels it completely before she eats it. She likes to throw the skin all over the place lol.
But i can start peeling them for her.

She's had a lot of corn in her diet over the last few days. She peels the skin off all the kernels as well (Very big mess) But she seems to love the stuff. We had a few fresh corn on the cobs, and I would break off a small piece for her over the last few days and she just goes to town on it. Should I be cutting back on this? I know there is some debate over corn, A few say it's good for them and some say that corn can be bad. Thoughts?

I also have a friend on stand by who deals with exotic animals and has some knowledge. Her close friend is also an exotic animal vet at our local zoo, She wont be able to see her until Monday though. But my friend told me that I should call our local vet hospital to see if they deal with squirrels. She also has a critical care formula for small herbivores. She mostly uses it on rabbits that she cares for. She says that she can bring me some tonight if I need it, but we would like to hear what you guys think of this first. Here is a link to the formula:
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. This is quite nerve racking. She has never been sick like this before.

[Silverline]

Her gums also look fine and her feet seem to be a warm and comfortable temperature

[SammysMom]

As long as she is drinking water, she will be okay without the Oxbow formula, I think. Poop is the real question at this point. Does her tummy feel soft or is it bloated and firm?

[Nancy in New York]

Thank you for the prayers. :) She is drinking lots of water. She drinks every time I bring her the cup of water, then she goes and wipes her face and clean herself. She's curled up again at the foot of the bed with blankets around her. She seems most comfortable in this spot, but she does look quite discomforted still. She does move fine when she decides to move around.

She is very good at peeling her grapes. She peels it completely before she eats it. She likes to throw the skin all over the place lol.
But i can start peeling them for her.

She's had a lot of corn in her diet over the last few days. She peels the skin off all the kernels as well (Very big mess) But she seems to love the stuff. We had a few fresh corn on the cobs, and I would break off a small piece for her over the last few days and she just goes to town on it. Should I be cutting back on this? I know there is some debate over corn, A few say it's good for them and some say that corn can be bad. Thoughts?

I also have a friend on stand by who deals with exotic animals and has some knowledge. Her close friend is also an exotic animal vet at our local zoo, She wont be able to see her until Monday though. But my friend told me that I should call our local vet hospital to see if they deal with squirrels. She also has a critical care formula for small herbivores. She mostly uses it on rabbits that she cares for. She says that she can bring me some tonight if I need it, but we would like to hear what you guys think of this first. Here is a link to the formula:
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/vets/products/critical_care
I would love to hear your thoughts on this. This is quite nerve racking. She has never been sick like this before.

Are you back in Troy or still in Canada?
Do not take her to call your local vet hospital to see if they deal with squirrels.
I can give you two names but again, they are closed until Monday.

I would think that if she had a lot of corn, she would have very loose stools. I do wonder if her tummy is upset because of it. Just trying to think..........but as was mentoned before, with the vomiting you HAVE to watch out for blockage, so this may be a problem. You have to watch for poop.
Is she sensitive anywhere in the belly area? Can you just sort of feel around her tummy?

[Nancy in New York]

How old was the corn, did you keep it refrigerated?
I worry about aflatoxins with these symptoms.

http://www.cdc.gov/nceh/hsb/chemicals/aflatoxin.htm

[Silverline]

We are in Canada. She has a new home here now. She has a room all to herself that's been made into an atrium sort of setting. She is very happy :).
The corn is about a week old and was sealed. I had some myself and it seemed to be still good. About to go stale though, so I'm going to toss the rest tonight.
The exotic vet here that works at the zoo is a good friend of my friend. She has fallen in love with her and she used to have a squirrel too. So she is someone who I can trust with her. But she's also not back in until Monday. She vomited again, but no foam this time. She had lots of water and ate her fruit before. She just ate a bit again and also had more water.

She is letting me cuddle her and seems to welcome it. I was able too feel and examine her belly. Everything seems to be normal. No bloating or firmness. Just the squishy furry little belly that I'm used too. Still no signs of poop yet.

[Nancy in New York]

We are in Canada. She has a new home here now. She has a room all to herself that's been made into an atrium sort of setting. She is very happy :).
The corn is about a week old and was sealed. I had some myself and it seemed to be still good. About to go stale though, so I'm going to toss the rest tonight.
The exotic vet here that works at the zoo is a good friend of my friend. She has fallen in love with her and she used to have a squirrel too. So she is someone who I can trust with her. But she's also not back in until Monday. She vomited again, but no foam this time. She had lots of water and ate her fruit before. She just ate a bit again and also had more water.

She is letting me cuddle her and seems to welcome it. I was able too feel and examine her belly. Everything seems to be normal. No bloating or firmness. Just the squishy furry little belly that I'm used too. Still no signs of poop yet.

I'm happy that she is drinking. When they vomit they need hydration. Do you have Pedialyte? Tomorrow go get some if you don't. They lose electrolytes when they vomit, so if she takes it, give it to her for about 24 hours, we want them replenished.
I wished I had the answer. I really do. I feel good that you know of someone safe, I can imagine that Monday seems like a lifetime away.
So you aren't coming back to NY anymore? I have Trooper's spot reserved for when you go on vacation. :grin2:poke
Is Ben with you?

Please keep us posted. I wished I could suggest something more. :(
Kiss that little girl for me, she is adorable, and she took my heart. :Love_Icon

[Silverline]

I will go first thing in the morning to get some. She is sleeping now still at the foot of the bed. I'll leave her over night and stay beside her and get some shut eye too. I'll wake up early with her and see how things progress. She hasn't vomited in a while now and she has some food and water in her still. So that must be a good sign.

We maybe traveling back to NY soon-ish. Ben is still out there, but Trooper has a much better environment in Calgary. Big yard, Her very own room, and lot's of love. I will let you know when our ext trip will be and we will visit. Trooper misses you. She snuggles with her christmas stocking still lol. She loves it.
I gave her a great big kiss for you :)

[SammysMom]

Many prayers for that sweet girl to be back to her happy healthy self in the morning!:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[CritterMom]

Could we get an update on Tropper Marie??

[SammysMom]

I sent an email asking how Trooper is.

[Silverline]

Hey all. It's been a rough day. I brought her to the Exotic pet hospital today as she wasn't getting any better and still vomiting. They did some tests and gave her a Sub-Q injection for dehydration. That was not fun at all. The poor thing was crying so bad that it almost made me cry. She bit my thumb pretty bad and also got startled earlier and jumped on my face with her nail puncturing underneath my eyelid. OUCH! I got a bit of a black eye now but so long as she is ok, then that's all that matters. She's number 1! :)

She is pretty weak and cranky still. She does not like me very much for holding her down to get the needle. She is starting to trust me again but still bitey and squeeky. She is eating little bits again and the vets have her on some medications. She also pooped and it seemed normal. The vet doesn't think that is a blockage. If Trooper is not well in a couple of days then I have to bring her back. The vet thinks that everything should be fine though and that she just ate something that she shouldn't have. She is laying beside me in bed under some of her blankets and she hasn't vomited since early this morning (Which is fantastic!). Were both going to sleep and try to recover now. It's been a long 36 hours.

I will keep you all updated as the days progress :)
Thank you all for your support <3

[Nancy in New York]

Hey all. It's been a rough day. I brought her to the Exotic pet hospital today as she wasn't getting any better and still vomiting. They did some tests and gave her a Sub-Q injection for dehydration. That was not fun at all. The poor thing was crying so bad that it almost made me cry. She bit my thumb pretty bad and also got startled earlier and jumped on my face with her nail puncturing underneath my eyelid. OUCH! I got a bit of a black eye now but so long as she is ok, then that's all that matters. She's number 1! :)

She is pretty weak and cranky still. She does not like me very much for holding her down to get the needle. She is starting to trust me again but still bitey and squeeky. She is eating little bits again and the vets have her on some medications. She also pooped and it seemed normal. The vet doesn't think that is a blockage. If Trooper is not well in a couple of days then I have to bring her back. The vet thinks that everything should be fine though and that she just ate something that she shouldn't have. She is laying beside me in bed under some of her blankets and she hasn't vomited since early this morning (Which is fantastic!). Were both going to sleep and try to recover now. It's been a long 36 hours.

I will keep you all updated as the days progress :)
Thank you all for your support <3

Awe poor little Trooper, and Poor YOU too! :shakehead
I'm glad that you found someone to take a look at her.
Also thrilled that she hasn't vomited anymore. Keep letting her
drinks as much as she wants.
Go get some rest and tell our little girl I hope she gets better real
soon.
I'm so glad she has you to watch over her. :Love_Icon

[Silverline]

Just a quick update for little Trooper-Marie.
She has made a complete turn around and is pretty much back to her fun-loving, trouble making self.
She is still afraid of me after the evil vet visit with the Sub-Q fluid injection that we had to give her. But, I'm sure she will warm up to me again in time.

Thank you everyone for the support. Much love to you all from me and little Trooper-Marie. :grouphug

[TubeDriver]

:bliss:thumbsup


Just a quick update for little Trooper-Marie.
She has made a complete turn around and is pretty much back to her fun-loving, trouble making self.
She is still afraid of me after the evil vet visit with the Sub-Q fluid injection that we had to give her. But, I'm sure she will warm up to me again in time.

Thank you everyone for the support. Much love to you all from me and little Trooper-Marie. :grouphug