Seizures! :(

[whitewolf]

Hi everyone. I had to move to florida and I had left Delilah in the care of my bfs family who gave her the Henrys healthy blocks and lab blocks as a staple. She did not get the fox valley or yogurt or anything else like bugs and veghies I personally give her as supplements. It's taken 2 weeks for me to get down here I thought I was doing the right thing for her and now look what happened!


Spark notes version:
-5 seizures since this am
-lost weight while in care of bfs family despite being given lab block and he for 2 weeks. (When I rescued her from neglectful owner she was anorexic, had diarrhea, not thriving, dehydrated and did neurotic back flips all of which is better now this was last october)

-gave her sugar water first (just moved here and picked her up yesterday so have to go shopping).took some fox valley now refuses it. Then cottage cheese and scrambled egg. She has a hard time grooming or eating because of her jaw.

-seizures stopped around 3 ish. She pees and poops seems to have softer smash poop now. More coordinated now and pees and make attempt to hold herself up now.

-JAW: her jaw was locked open. Ate blocks the night before but noticed this am the hhb was not finished rat block gone tho. Jaw seemed fine last night.this is the scary part. This seems to me like its mbd???? That's why i did soft foods. Sometimes it's fine sometimes it isnt???

-does anyone know any vets in the north central florida area??? I asked the local vet before i got here and she didn't know of anyone so I've still been searching I'll drive anywhere i have to.

Long version below:

I picked her up yesterday and noticed she had lost some weight (not unusual for her as she was a rescue and when I first got her she was anorexic, back flipped, had diarrhea etc and all messed up this wqs last october). I kept and eye on her and she was all too happy to eat rodent block and her blocks and some collard greens.

This morning I find her seizing in her cage. I freaked out because I was so sure she was near death. Her jaw was like stuck open....I had noticed this am she didn't eat the rest of her hhb. Just the lab block and greens.

I tore my boxes apart and found her FV formula. First I gave her some sugar water as its all I had and I figured maybe bfs family thought she was eating when really she wasn't because of this weird jaw thing (either that or its mbd....). She does the jaw thing off and on now but it's better. She was not doing it yesterday. Then i gave her some FV but now she refuses it i have no idea where my electrostat is. I did sugar water all day and held her as she went through 5 seizures since this am. At about 3 pm they stopped and I continued fluids being careful not to aspirate (hard to do with her jaw like that). I got her to eat some cottage cheese about an hour ago. Next I wil make her scrambled egg. She seems a little ut more coordinated and a little stronger but not out of woods yet. I just got to florida so I don't have much on hand I'm going shopping tomorrow.

She has pooped and peed and is more active. Urine looks great but now she has sort of loose stool (not diarrhea just pasty/solid). She's crawling now where as before she was weaker and uncoordinated.

[whitewolf]

I'm going to give her some apple for diarrhea.i don't have last a on hand for binding. What about oatmeal?

[Mommaluvy]

Molasses on the gums.

For the runs maybe rice babyfood for binding .

Apples could cause more of the runs

[whitewolf]

I just remembered there is a 24/7 walmart in town here. I'll buy the baby cereal. Where would molasses be? The baking section? She's sitting up now which is a huge improvement.

Thanks for responding!

[SammysMom]

Molasses is for seizures to raise blood sugar and calcium, but it can cause loose stool. Sugar water is probably what did it already. Try using just water without the sugar for the moment. She needs nutrition. Try to get her to take the FV.

[SammysMom]

Although I understand the rice cereal, for the moment, I would try to get her to take something more nutritious. Is this a flyer we are talking about?

[whitewolf]

Although I understand the rice cereal, for the moment, I would try to get her to take something more nutritious. Is this a flyer we are talking about?


Thanks for responding. Yes a flyer. She was a rescue has had stress and anorexia problems from.get go and then she was fine. The least stressful option for the move i thought was for bfs mom to watch here where she had her cage snd wheel. But they arent hypervigilant people and they dont know squirrels well.

I will keep trying fv. It's her jaw that's preventing her from eating normally though it s better and closed now. She is still uncoordinated but on her haunches now curled in a ball as opposed to looking dead on her side. So both molasses an sugar water would give her diarrhea?

Still no more seizures. I've never had seizures or the jaw thing happen to a flyer. What is the jaw thing from? Any ideas? I of course blame mbd.

Maybe I can moisten blocks for her too? I have. Massive migriane from crying.

Suggested intervals for food and hydration alternation? I'm probably not going to sleep all night now. Too worried.

[whitewolf]

I'll do just water too. Have to go slow.

I once thought she had diabetes too she explodes in weight sometimes and then goes "normal".vet from back home said even if it was diabetes nothing we could do (she was fed a sugar glider diet from previous owner and peed a lot with large salt consumption D: ). That has all since stopped...but now this!

[SammysMom]

I would try to moisten a block. If all that is happening is a bit of loose stool and not diarrhea, don't sweat it. Can you get a pic of the jaw thing? I am not understanding quite what you are saying. Could it have been due to the seizure activity?

[whitewolf]

I would try to moisten a block. If all that is happening is a bit of loose stool and not diarrhea, don't sweat it. Can you get a pic of the jaw thing? I am not understanding quite what you are saying. Could it have been due to the seizure activity?

SammysMom I will definitely try to get a picture. She refused fv, eggs, oatmeal and water right now all she does is push me away (she feels stronger) and wants to curl up in a ball and sleep.

She isn't doing it as bad now. It comes and goes. It's like she gets lock jaw. I suspected she had seizures when I first got rescued her due to anorexia dehydration and regurge food....haven't actually seen one until now. Not sure if jaw thing came first or if seizures came first. I really don't know since I wasn't here for the 2 weeks. Perhaps she had been having issues that whole time at night? They said she ate and I saw her eat the blocks last night just didn't finish hhb from last night but it was worked on quite a bit. :(

Oh let me try for the pic. And it appears to be smeared mushy poop not liquid diarrhea just yet.

[SammysMom]

If she will munch on a bit of raw apple, the pectin may help the diarrhea. Just try to switch to plain water. If she has a seizure, just put a dab of molasses right into her mouth. Right on her gums and it will be absorbed through the membranes in her mouth. The jaw thing may be a seizure. They can appear differently in different animals. What you do not want is dehydration. Drop by drop of water into her mouth or even onto her lips so she licks it off.

[whitewolf]

Ok she's not doing it...no jaw picture but here is a drawing of what it looked like I hope this give you an idea until I can get a picture.

[whitewolf]

If she will munch on a bit of raw apple, the pectin may help the diarrhea. Just try to switch to plain water. If she has a seizure, just put a dab of molasses right into her mouth. Right on her gums and it will be absorbed through the membranes in her mouth. The jaw thing may be a seizure. They can appear differently in different animals. What you do not want is dehydration. Drop by drop of water into her mouth or even onto her lips so she licks it off.


Ok will do. I'll get molasses and do water. I wish I knew what was causing them. I didn't realize the jaw could be a symptom of seizures. :(

[SammysMom]

Almost any repetitive movement or rigidity can be a symptom of a seizure. I have to go to bed, but I am sure you will be fine with others on the board. You are in my prayers and I will check in in the morning as well.:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug
If you have a question now, please do ask as I will be back on before I go to bed for the night for a few minutes.:Love_Icon

[whitewolf]

Almost any repetitive movement or rigidity can be a symptom of a seizure. I have to go to bed, but I am sure you will be fine with others on the board. You are in my prayers and I will check in in the morning as well.:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug
If you have a question now, please do ask as I will be back on before I go to bed for the night for a few minutes.:Love_Icon

Ok. Thanks so much. I found an exotic animal vet 4 hours away from here. Do you think it's mbd related or just neuro? Would that back flipping behavior (and her screeching and neurotic barbing fur behavior when i first rescued her) have been seizures this whole time? Or just a symptom of greater neurological issues? My vet is the one who said he'd never seen a neurotic squirrel like her when I first got her. :( this poor girl got a poor start in life.

Thanks again for the helping prayers and caring!! I'm so nervous for her and won't be sleeping tonight. I k ow she may not make it but I'm going to give her the best chance.

Having vets so far away here makes me miss home.

[SammysMom]

Where are you in florida? We can probabky help find a good vet for you.

[whitewolf]

Where are you in florida? We can probabky help find a good vet for you.

Thanks. Lake city, florida

[pappy1264]

Ok, flyers are prone to seizures in times of stress. I have dealt with it, as have many other flyer people. Make sure she is in a quiet environment. Don't take her out of her cage if you don't have to. How old is she?

[whitewolf]

Hi pappy. I've never had a flyer with seizures but I've only had three. That would make sense though it happens in times of stress.

I ended up falling asleep because I was so tired and Delilah ended up passing away...probably because I fell asleep. I must have fallen asleep around 5 am. she was 10 weeks when I rescued her roughly and so I guess that makes her 1 or 2? I made a post here when I first got her I can't remember I'm just so upset. :(

[HRT4SQRLS]

I agree with pappy that flyers are prone to seizures BUT, in this case where the cause of the seizure is unknown and you yourself are questioning whether this is MBD, I WOULD start the MBD treatment immediately. I would give her some calcium in the form of a tums. It certainly won't hurt her and it could save her life.

When MBD is ruled out, then you can start considering other causes. This my opinion but it is certainly what I would do. Good luck to you. I would contact Anne or Magna about a vet in North Florida.

[HRT4SQRLS]

:grouphug Oh, I am so sorry!!! This breaks my heart. :boohoo

[TubeDriver]

:( I am so sorry. Gods Speed little Delilah.




I wonder if she could have contracted Tetanus?

[SammysMom]

Oh no!!! I am so sorry to read this. It certainly is not because you fell asleep. Please try to think about the fact that sometimes these things happen and it isn't as though she was choking and you could have saved her from it. She was ill and we don't know from what. It seems to me that it was awfully fast for MBD if she was only away from you for 2 weeks, but you never know. At any rate, I am very sorry I couldn't help you more to save her. She was my first thought this morning...
Godspeed Delilah...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

[whitewolf]

Thanks everyone for help and condolences. :(


Oh no!!! I am so sorry to read this. It certainly is not because you fell asleep. Please try to think about the fact that sometimes these things happen and it isn't as though she was choking and you could have saved her from it. She was ill and we don't know from what. It seems to me that it was awfully fast for MBD if she was only away from you for 2 weeks, but you never know. At any rate, I am very sorry I couldn't help you more to save her. She was my first thought this morning...
Godspeed Delilah...:Love_Icon:Love_Icon:Love_Icon

Thanks SammysMom. I went to go on nfsa and their website isn't working, just to update the saga of the hard life she has had.

It was only 2 weeks and she nose dived quickly for whatever reason. Of course I think stress of the move and breaking routine caused seizures but who knows if she started having issues at family's house. She was eating pooping and peeing and they aren't experts. :(

My other two flyers also had sudden death. First one had similar symptoms as her minus the seizures (couldn't gain weight necropsy showed no adipose tissue no matter how much he ate or how much calcium he got), second one was absolutely fine and died suddenly for no reason necropsy inconclusive. But Delilah had issues when I rescued her at 10 weeks....that was apparent. We suspected poor previous diet, genetics (organ or neurological) or diabetes from being a fed a sugar glider diet by the sugar glider owner that had her.
samson lived the longest all died before age of 5. He had no problems eats, thriving, putting on fat. Nothing. All received the same diet with hhb and variety.


Delilah was supposedly from the same breeder. Due to all the commonalities, I'd say that she definitely came from that breeder. I had a feeling she'd meet the same fate as my first one since he displayed similar symptoms from the get go when he was shipped to.me at 5 weeks old (yes he was shipped at 5 weeks I was told he would be 8 weeks).

I'm just heart broken and saddened, but I guess it's a miracle she lived this long being so sick when I got her in October for whatever reason the vet and I could not find. She was always a high stress squirrel, but eventually calmed down. I guess the move killed her or maybe one of the other problems she had.

I did do mbd treatment with her. But that didn't help and she only didn't eat much the night before and in the am she had seizures and now she is gone.

I'll blame myself regardless of what the vet and I think k may have happened with her life. Because at the end of the day, there is always something to be done and what if she needed fluids or fv when I had fallen asleep? Plus...If I didn't have to move...shed have been at the vet yesterday. :(

I do have other exotic or small animals so if you guys know of any exotic animal vets that would be great. This is the epitome of why you need to have a vet when you move. If I had time and this move was planned, I'd have already had found one and maybe shed be alive.

Thanks again for all of your help and support. I'm going to bury her in the backyard today. :(

[SammysMom]

:sad
I will let you know if I get any vet info for your area.

[whitewolf]

:sad
I will let you know if I get any vet info for your area.

Thanks SammysMom. No one is need of a vet right now. But i need to find one for reasons like these: emergency.

Only suitable one I found so far was in or near miami at deerfield beach 4 hours away that's all they do are birds and exotics. I'd be totally open to people who have had experience with other vets though and for those of you that know the area better than me.

Thanks again for all your help you guys. You are all a godsend.

[pappy1264]

I am so very sorry. Please do not blame yourself. You gave her a loving home and did the best you could for her. Sometimes we just never know what causes it. RIP little one. Look for Jett, she will be your friend.

[Mommaluvy]

Hi pappy. I've never had a flyer with seizures but I've only had three. That would make sense though it happens in times of stress.

I ended up falling asleep because I was so tired and Delilah ended up passing away...probably because I fell asleep. I must have fallen asleep around 5 am. she was 10 weeks when I rescued her roughly and so I guess that makes her 1 or 2? I made a post here when I first got her I can't remember I'm just so upset. :(

Oh no. I am so sorry for your loss. Do not blame your self.. She may have been waiting for you to leave er alone so she could pass. Sometimes animals do that.