one of my babies just stopped eating. HELP!!D

[froggyliscious]

Please I hope someone can help. I have 4 baby squirrels they were about a week old when I got them and I have had them for about 2 weeks now and they were doing great until this morning when I went to feed them and one of them wouldn't eat and he looks really dehydrated and is lethargic and his poop os weird it's not runny but it's soft and is a pale color I'm trying to get some pedialyte in him but he will barely drink and I have been feeding them esbilac puppy formula. What can I do please help me I don't want to lose him and I don't want him suffering!

[Spanky]

Please I hope someone can help. I have 4 baby squirrels they were about a week old when I got them and I have had them for about 2 weeks now and they were doing great until this morning when I went to feed them and one of them wouldn't eat and he looks really dehydrated and is lethargic and his poop os weird it's not runny but it's soft and is a pale color I'm trying to get some pedialyte in him but he will barely drink and I have been feeding them esbilac puppy formula. What can I do please help me I don't want to lose him and I don't want him suffering!

Just for confirmation, you are feeding the powdered Esbilac, the one with the blue banner reading "Now with Pre and Probiotics". And mixing it up 1 part Esbilac 2 parts water? The canned, liquid Esbilac could be causing this....

[pappy1264]

That is usually a sign of overfeeding(the pale, soft poop). How much do they weigh? You should only be feeding 5-7% of their body weight per feeding, approx. every 3 hours. Is that a pic of the one that won't eat? Hard to tell, but belly looks a bit round. Can you tell me if his belly is hard?

[HRT4SQRLS]

Froggy, loss of appetite and lethargy always makes me nervous.

When the baby breaths, do you hear clicking? Aspiration of formula causes aspiration pneumonia. If the baby has AP, you will hear a click with every breath. It can be very faint. I would hold the baby next to my ear and listen.

I always want to rule that out first because it is an emergency situation.

:Welcome to TheSquirrelBoard

[Nancy in New York]

How much are you feeding and how often?
What is his weight?

What size syringe are you using, and do you use a nipple?
Do you have them on LOW heat, half under the container?
Has he ever aspirated?

Sorry so many questions, but the answers may help us determine the problem.

[froggyliscious]

I am feeding the powdered kind of formula mixing 1 part powder to 2 parts water and they have only been getting 2, 1ml syringes of food every cpl hours but I do hear a faint clicking noise when he breathes it's not with every breath but it's there. I had been being extra careful not to aspirate them when feeding, I thought. I feel so horrible! Is there anything I can do for him?

[Nancy in New York]

I am feeding the powdered kind of formula mixing 1 part powder to 2 parts water and they have only been getting 2, 1ml syringes of food every cpl hours but I do hear a faint clicking noise when he breathes it's not with every breath but it's there. I had been being extra careful not to aspirate them when feeding, I thought. I feel so horrible! Is there anything I can do for him?

What is he weight, he looks a little skinny in the photo.
Also do you know the age?

OK I think you posted you are estimating ~3 weeks.
IF you know that he hasn't aspirated, it most likely is not pneumonia.
Just to be safe, what antibiotics do you have on hand.
Cipro would be the choice, then clavamox.

[froggyliscious]

I am using a 1 ml syringe with a nipple on it and he weighs 40 grams and if they aspirate milk comes out their nose, correct? And if that's right then no he has not aspirated. I work at a vets office so I have access to whatever I might need medication wise. What would the dose of clavamox be for his weight I'm not sure if we have cipro in liquid form

[froggyliscious]

The rest of the babies are 46-48 grams

[HRT4SQRLS]

Did you ever see bubbles come out of his nose when feeding?

What antibiotics do you have on hand? It only takes one pill.

[Nancy in New York]

Another member recently posted this chart.
Your little ones are on the small side.
I can see his ribs in the photo.
Do you feed them 'round the clock as well?


Weight Chart:
Based on --Wild Mammal Babies 2nd Edition


Birth ---: between 15 & 25 grams

1 weeks: between 25 & 60 grams

2 weeks: between 60 & 70 grams

3 weeks: between 70 & 80 grams

4 weeks: between 80 & 120 grams

5 weeks: between 120 & 150 grams

6 weeks: between 150 & 250 grams

7-8 weeks: 250 grams and greater


*weight may vary depending how long the orphan baby squirrel has been away from mom and food.

[froggyliscious]

Yes I feed them around the clock I take them everywhere with me just so I can and they have doubled their weight since I first got them. I have access to ant med I need I just need dosing instructions and no he has had no bubbles coming out of his nose

[froggyliscious]

Ok I have either 250mg cipro or 22.7mg baytril can someone give me the dosage for a 40g baby

[Nancy in New York]

Ok I have either 250mg cipro or 22.7mg baytril can someone give me the dosage for a 40g baby

I sent detailed dosing instructions for the Cipro.
I did say I don't know if pneumonia is the concern here since she
never saw him aspirate.
She does have the dosing for a 40 gram baby, just in case.

[froggyliscious]

He is getting worse I can't get him to even open his mouth for me to give him any meds. Every now and then he will lift his wobbly little head like he is looking for food but he won't even try to eat. Should I give him sub-Q fluids or would it even help? Please there has to be something I can do for him. Is there anything else that would cause that clicking noise when he breathes besides AP?

[HRT4SQRLS]

He is getting worse I can't get him to even open his mouth for me to give him any meds. Every now and then he will lift his wobbly little head like he is looking for food but he won't even try to eat. Should I give him sub-Q fluids or would it even help? Please there has to be something I can do for him. Is there anything else that would cause that clicking noise when he breathes besides AP?

The clicking noise is definitely aspiration pneumonia. You need to get the antibiotic in the baby. They respond very fast to the antibiotic. I have seen results in 12 hours. You need to keep the baby warm. Do you have a vaporizer or humidifier. I would not let the baby lay flat on his side. I would prop him up with fleece or tshirts. I would probably hold him against my chest.

[froggyliscious]

I just wanted to thank everyone who helped me and let everyone know that all 4 of my babies are doing great even the one that had the pneumonia, although he is a bit smaller than all the others but he seems to be healthy considering. Thank you sooooo much I cant tell you how much it means to me!!!:grin3