PLEASE HELP CHUMPY!!!

[babybleu]

took Chumpy for a tooth trim today and she was fine... trimming went as usual. Of course she was upset and panting, laying flat when we got home. She's usually upset and sleeps for a while afterwards. When she got up, she is mouth breathing and sounds like her nasal passages are stuffed up. Can anyone shed some light on this and tell me what to do??? The vets is closed now, as it's 6 pm here.

[Nancy in New York]

Do they give her a little gas when trimming the teeth?
Offer her some molasses with some water mixed in.
I wonder if this is stress related, even though it is after the fact.

[CritterMom]

Do they use gas on her to trim?

[babybleu]

no, we squirrel burrito her and clip away. I also use a drop of rescue remedy prior to the procedure.

[babybleu]

Do they give her a little gas when trimming the teeth?
Offer her some molasses with some water mixed in.
I wonder if this is stress related, even though it is after the fact.

she does get stressed with this but she just seems to be having a hard time breathing through her nose. Could she maybe have sucked a piece of tooth up the backside of her nose... kinda like when you snork a piece of rice up there? I just don't know. She did drink some water.

[SammysMom]

I would say keep the water coming...Maybe it will help to wash it down...:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug

[TubeDriver]

Double check the teeth and make sure that there was no splintering.



took Chumpy for a tooth trim today and she was fine... trimming went as usual. Of course she was upset and panting, laying flat when we got home. She's usually upset and sleeps for a while afterwards. When she got up, she is mouth breathing and sounds like her nasal passages are stuffed up. Can anyone shed some light on this and tell me what to do??? The vets is closed now, as it's 6 pm here.

[babybleu]

I'm not trying to figure out what happened, I just want to know what to do about it now.

[SammysMom]

You may need to figure out what happened to know what to do now.

[Nancy in New York]

I'm not trying to figure out what happened, I just want to know what to do about it now.

I believe that TD asked this question to see if she has pain and discomfort which could be causing the mouth breathing.
IF the tooth is cracked and it's a vertical crack that could go to the roots which potentially could be
near her sinus area.
TD is only trying to figure out WHAT happened so he can help solve the mystery of what to do now.

[TubeDriver]

What SM and Nancy said is true. We need to figure out what happened to cause the mouth breathing in order to help you treat her.

Splintered tooth and possible root damage might lead to some mouth type breathing.

Could she have hit her nose on cage during transport to the vet? Any swelling or bleeding in her nostrils?

Someone mentioned that sometimes a peice of clipped tooth can be swallowed or maybe it got into her nose?

Could something else completely unrelated to the teeth trimming be causing this?

[babybleu]

she wasn't breathing this way before her teeth trimming...I've spoke with the vet this evening and he doesn't think there was a piece of tooth that could have gotten swallowed, etc. She was in some strange positions today as they had to trim her top tooth, on her back for a minute. I did take her in the bathroom with a hot shower going to try to soften the nasal passages. She did get up briefly this evening and was still mouth breathing but didn't sound as "stuffy" as earlier. She's in a soft transport when going to and from the vet. I've touched her all around her mouth and nose area and she doesn't seem to be in pain. I haven't looked at her teeth since at the vet and really don't know if there's splintering... if there was, what could I do about it? If she does get up before I go to bed, I'm gonna try to check her out and see if she'll eat or sneeze or something. The vet and I talked and if she's still having this problem tomorrow, I'm taking her in to find out what's the deal...

[babybleu]

Took Chumpy back to the vet today. She's still sounding stuffy. Got a shot of baytril, some for the next couple days. He listened to her lungs, heart, etc and checked her over well. We opted for no sedation for an x-ray because we didn't want to stress her anymore than she is. He thinks that it's sinus related or stress related. She did eat a little and drank some water but has been pretty well resting today. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a bright new day!! Praying this helps.
:dono:dono

[SammysMom]

We are praying with you and for you... :grouphug:Love_IconChumpy:Love_Icon:grouphug

[babybleu]

Thank you for your prayers. I didn't mean to imply that I wasn't interested in what happened, because I am. It was not my intention to seem ingracious to all of the awesome advice here. I was very stressed at that point, myself. My 11 1/2 year old Lab has terrible oral and anal cancer and I'm dealing with that at the same time, among other life tragedies.

We'll see what tomorrow brings!

[SammysMom]

We all understand that terrible worry. Dont worry about human feelings with animals in trouble.:Love_Icon

[babybleu]

It's been a week since Chumpy had her teeth trimmed and began having problems with her breathing. I just don't know what to do... She's still sounds like there may be mucus
in her nose and she's breathing like she's laboring. I tried a steamy bathroom, ear drops, blowing softly into her nose and mouth. She's still mouth breathing and makes a little squeek when she breathes through her nose. Her appetite is good but she's not as active as she usually is. When she sleeps, she's pretty quiet and curls up like normal. I don't know if I should take her back to the vet and have them suction her without sedation or to sedate her and do the whole xray thing. I don't want to stress her, but I want her to breathe normally again. Whaddya think?

[SammysMom]

If you listen to her chest, is she clicking with each breath? Poor Chumpy...:shakehead

[babybleu]

No, she's not clicking and I've listened and it sounds like it's all in her head area.

[SammysMom]

Can you see her teeth? Can you see if any of them are split vertically?

[babybleu]

I can see her (1) bottom tooth and one of her tops but the second top one curves backwards towards the roof of her mouth. The vet rechecked her on Tuesday and didn't see anything with her teeth that could be causing it. I've rubbed her mouth and nose area and she doesn't seem to be in any discomfort when I do.

[SammysMom]

Well, that top one that goes backward would worry me a bit. It seems like there might be a bigger chance for a issue. If your vet could take a closer look at it and be sure it didn't puncture the roof of her mouth or split vertically, it would be a good idea.

[SammysMom]

Do you have any infant ibuprofen liquid? If you have her weight ad the infant ibuprofen, I can dose it for you. Maybe that would give her some relief if she has swelling. It is an anti inflammatory.

[czarina]

What did the vet say about the odd breathing?


I don't know if this will help anything, but I will mention it.
I have a special needs girl, who is maloccluded, and needs trimming about every 2 to 3 weeks. I have noticed that if I don't trim until the 3 week , its like her mouth muscles have grown, and adjusted to the longer teeth, so when I do trim them, she has trouble eating/keeping the formula in her mouth. She actually starts drooling on the left side of her mouth, for several days.

The point of me mentioning this, is I think I remember the pic of Chumpy's teeth, and they were really bad?

So, maybe, when the vet trimmed her, it kind of threw off the homeostasis of her mouth/sinuses?

So maybe, the muscles that kept her sinuses open, will need to realign, for her to breathe properly? Are you following me?
It sounds like she still has a very long tooth that is growing towards the roof of her mouth, and her teeth were bad for a long time, so those muscles also had all that time to grow the wrong way, so it probably will not correct itself over night.

I would suggest physical therapy/massages, to perhaps help the healing process, but, if you are not acutely aware of a squirrels nasal anatomy, I don't think you shoukd attempt it, without talking to the vet.

Just my thoughts on what may be causing the odd breathing.

And, if you had not of had those teeth trimmed, it would have eventually killed her. So, hopefully she can get over this odd breathing.

Have you tried using a cool mist humidifier in her area?

[babybleu]

I don't have any infant ibuprophen and I really haven't seen any swelling. When we were trimming her teeth, we did her bottom one (which is easy) and the front top and the vet said the other top one looked ok. I insisted that he trim it because it does curve back and up. If it had punctured the roof of her mouth what would we do about that and would it cause the sinus congestion?? Her top two teeth kinda look like scissors and they curve to the right slightly. Her single bottom tooth is on the right side and curves up and out of the left side of her mouth. I take her to have them trimmed each and every month.

[SammysMom]

Great advice czarina! Thank you for sharing your experience!:Love_Icon

[SammysMom]

I may be wrong, but i think monthly is not enough. The one that i have dealt with is twitch and we did hers every 2 weeks and then 3 weeks.i think 3 is recommended. If the tooth punctured, it certainly might cause sinus issues or possibly get infected. You might need am antibiotic. The swelling i am talking anout wouldnt be visible. I am more concerned about sinus inflammation than outer swelling.

[babybleu]

I've taken her into the bathroom with the shower running on hot and steamed her, I tried spraying an inhaler by her, I've tried ear drops ( since the sinuses and ears are somewhat connected). She's eating okay, except for the problem of swallowing and breathing through her nose. She doesn't seem to be smelling as well as she used to but is smelling her food.

[babybleu]

When we went back to the vet after the trimming and the breathing problem started, they gave her a shot of baytril and gave me some pre-filled syringes that are marked "oral baytril". I have had the pills before and crushed them up. She is soooo difficult to get the medication into, I've thought bout calling the vet and asking if I can inject this instead of giving it orally. Chumpy will be 7 this August and we've been trimming since her teeth came in and we noticed that they were maloccluded.

[babybleu]

Chumpy weighs 2.5 pounds, what would be the dose for the infant ibuprophen and what kind should I get??

[SammysMom]

Just be sure it is ibuprofen and that it says infant NOT children.you can buy the store brand as it is the same and usually cheaper. I will give dosimg via pm or have asked a couple of senior members if they cam give it tonight. I cant access the file atm.

[babybleu]

Thank you so much!

[czarina]

DO NOT INJECT THAT BAYTRIL! Talk to the vet first. If it is an oral form, and you inject it, it will cause horrible abscesses.

I know it is really hard to get them to take the baytril, my girl has actually screamed when I give it to her. (If this is the injectable kind, that you are giving orally)

So, how muchof the baytril have you given her? Did you miss any doses?
There is an oral form of baytril, called Orbax, which doesn't taste so bad.

I am rather concerned now. I believe I am thinking of a different squirrel, that was sent to Dr. Dan.

If you have been trimming her teeth since you have had her, they should not have been in too bad of shape, and the nasal muscles should not have had years or months to grow incorrectly.

I would suspect a bad sinud infection. Which requires consistent dosing of a med that she will take, antibiotic. Also, a decongestant. I am not familiar with what decongestants squirrels can take, but by morning someone should be able to tell you.

Its like when you can't breath because of a cold, the insude of the sinuses swell up.

This vet needs to check/ x-Ray her sinuses, to make sure it is not punctured.
How long was it between her last 3 trimmings?

[babybleu]

This vet needs to check/ x-Ray her sinuses, to make sure it is not punctured.
How long was it between her last 3 trimmings?[/QUOTE]

I'm sure you have Chumpy mixed up with another squirrel... we've never seen a Dr. Dan. I have her teeth trimmed EVERY 3 or 4 weeks.

[babybleu]

I've heard Chumpy doing this a few times during this whole scenario. Does this ALWAYS happen only with obstructed airflow?

[SammysMom]

I am NOT an expert of any kind. However, I do wonder if the "whistling" could be caused by either a puncture to the roof of her mouth into her sinuses OR perhaps a piece of the clipped tooth getting lodged somewhere down her windpipe. I really think that a trip to the vet for an x-ray may well be the way to go. Do you have another vet that you are more comfortable with?

[Nancy in New York]

babybleu I merged your threads since they are all the same topic.
This way any new members that are reading can see the FULL story.
It's better to have all the information in one spot. :thumbsup

[babybleu]

I am NOT an expert of any kind. However, I do wonder if the "whistling" could be caused by either a puncture to the roof of her mouth into her sinuses OR perhaps a piece of the clipped tooth getting lodged somewhere down her windpipe. I really think that a trip to the vet for an x-ray may well be the way to go. Do you have another vet that you are more comfortable with?

My vet is awesome!! I trust him 100% but I'm scared of having her sedated. He's been researching how to do it but as with any sedation, it's risky. What would be the best way to do this? Or could you do an x ray without sedation?

[czarina]

So, how many times over the years has she made this noise? If you have heard this on several occasions, after a trimming, and it resolves, then it is probably just the muscles realigning.

But, if this is something that has only occurred since the last trimming, that is why I was wondering about a puncture from the tooth you said is angled up toward the roof of her mouth.

Also, there is something called stridor, which is a kind of whistleing noise, usually associated with swallowing something, and it being caught in the aurway. That is why it was asked if it was possible a piece of tooth could have either been swallowed, or snorted into the sinus cavity.

Si, I guess the main question is, how often have your squirrel made this noise, or been in this kind of distress?

[czarina]

Ok, I've read your thread. So, its sounds like this is the first time she has had this problem. Poor girl.

I am still concerned about about a possible puncture.

But, I also don't really think they could get an x-ray without sedation. But, at her age, and with already having breathing problems, you might be better off going with a round if strong antibiotics, to see if that can clear it up.

My other thought might be using some benedryl to make her sleepy, and you hold her in her cube, and try for an x-ray? I have no idea if she would be calm enough for this, but it sounds like something I might try, with my own squirrel.:grin3

It wouldn't be the best x-ray, but it should show a foreign body.

I am very sorry about your dog. I just lost my 15 year old daschund, Waffles, and I have a 17 year old flat coated retriever, that is in pretty bad shape, but we keep nursing her along, and she is senile, to boot! So I know how stressful this all is. I am sure you are worrued sick about them both.

Usually to sedate squirrels they use the gas, and just a whiff, of the iso fluro.
I would be very hesitant to let your vet use any injectable sedation on her, because when I sooke with Dr. Emerson,( who is a squirrel expert), she told me that there are not any safe ones. I have personally opted to drive 18 hours, to have her work on my squirrels teeth.( not just a trimming!)

Because my vets here, were" looking it up", and saying, " oh, here, this says it safe". Not good enough for me.

I might suggest being careful if spraying nose spray by your girl, because they raise the bp dramatically in people. (I am a nurse) so I would be very concerned what it would do to a squirrel.

I wonder if letting her sniff some vicks would help open her sinuses?
The benedryl is an antihistamine, so could also help if this is allergy related.

I hope she improves soon.

[babybleu]

Thank you for your help, I really think it's a puncture or a stuck piece of tooth. I have a message into the vet to see what he thinks. She was up for a bit tonight and I put some drops in her ears and got her to sniff some tea tree oil. She certainly looked like she did smell it and it has a mentholy smell. I was hoping that might help her out. I took a video of her tonight but I don't know how to post it here. I've heard this stridor since her trimming... not all the time, but when she's eating sometimes. She's done this once in a while when she gets too big a piece of something previous to this while eating. I've been running myself ragged with Chumpy and my dog, Zeus who has cancer, is a diabetic and is also 11 1/2 years old. Between the two of them, it's a wonder I have time for anything else and when I'm not taking care of them, I'm thinking about how to "cure" them both. It's exhausting to worry so much.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Thank you for your help, I really think it's a puncture or a stuck piece of tooth. I have a message into the vet to see what he thinks. She was up for a bit tonight and I put some drops in her ears and got her to sniff some tea tree oil. She certainly looked like she did smell it and it has a mentholy smell. I was hoping that might help her out. I took a video of her tonight but I don't know how to post it here. I've heard this stridor since her trimming... not all the time, but when she's eating sometimes. She's done this once in a while when she gets too big a piece of something previous to this while eating. I've been running myself ragged with Chumpy and my dog, Zeus who has cancer, is a diabetic and is also 11 1/2 years old. Between the two of them, it's a wonder I have time for anything else and when I'm not taking care of them, I'm thinking about how to "cure" them both. It's exhausting to worry so much.
Please don't use tea tree oil at all around your squirrel. It is very toxic. A squirrel on the board nearly died from tea tree oil after licking it off the fur. I think we were ALL surprised at how toxic it is if ingested. I wouldn't take a chance with it.

[Nancy in New York]

Please don't use tea tree oil at all around your squirrel. It is very toxic. A squirrel on the board nearly died from tea tree oil after licking it off the fur. I think we were ALL surprised at how toxic it is if ingested. I wouldn't take a chance with it.

Where are people coming up with this method to treat squirrels.
This really should be a warning sticky somewhere. I never heard of it
until Stosh's baby was treated with it, and started that strange behavior! :shakehead

[babybleu]

Wow, I had no idea about the tea tree oil...

[HRT4SQRLS]

I'm just curious, does you vet clip the teeth or does he use a dremel to cut them? I know some vets use a dremel. It just seems like that would cut them with less effort and trauma. IDK :dono

[babybleu]

I'm just curious, does you vet clip the teeth or does he use a dremel to cut them? I know some vets use a dremel. It just seems like that would cut them with less effort and trauma. IDK :dono

My vet uses the clippers I got from the squirrel store. I had her done once with a dremel and it took 3 days before she could eat anything. I've heard that the dremels get really hot really quick and can cause a lot of damage.

[babybleu]

Got Chumpy on injectible baytril and some eardrops. Two doses in as of tonight and hoping that she starts sounding and feeling better.

[czarina]

Prayers coming your way. Did the vet say what the problem was ?
:Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon:grouphug:Love_Icon:g rouphug:Love_Icon