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Crittercare098
08-19-2015, 10:37 AM
Hi everyone! I am new to this group, but have used the information on this site to successfully raise and release over 25 orphans in the past 2 years alone. Chester is the last baby I have this year, and he is 11 weeks old (320 grams) and refuses to eat solid foods of any kind. I have tried just about every trick I can think of, from baby food, to formula mixed in with solid food, to soaking it, to fruit juice etc. he will NOT touch solids.

That being said, I went into his room last night, and his cage door was left open. We have this room away from all other ankmals, and it is considered our wildlife nursery. I found him laying on the desk, face down. He showed no interest in me, and what I was doing, when normally the sound of my voice and the smell of his formula gets him bouncing off of the walls. I noticed a small abraison on both of his front arms, and behind his arm (underneath arm, on top of ribs). He was very lethargic, and although he ate well last night, has so far refused formula this morning. I gave him .08 cc of infants ibuprofen after cleaning his wounds out with 1 part gydrogen peroxide to 3 parts water, and then covering with neosporn plus. I then cut a tube sock and put it over hjm so he wouldn't get to the wounds. They are not by any means deep, at all, but I am worried there may be damage to other parts of his body. He will not move, as of this morning he will not eat, and he is very lethargic. Last night he had white eye discharge (pain, from what I have researched) but this morning I have yet to see this. I have taken him out of his large indoor enclosure and put him in a small petmate carrier, on top of a heating pad in a dark quite room to try to limit his activity. I am taking him to a good friend f mine who is an exotic vet later today, in hopes that they will be able to give me any meds he may need. However that is not for another 6 hours, and I would like to have at least an idea of what is going on with him by then. Thank you guys!!

Btw- he was my youngest baby ever rescued, coming to me at just 18 grams.

SammysMom
08-19-2015, 10:49 AM
:Welcome to the Squirrel Board!
Is there any possibility that he chewed an electrical cord in the room? Have you looked at his teeth? He should be eating solids by now and the fact that he isn't makes me a bit concerned about his teeth.
When you look at the injuries, do you have any thoughts on how they might have occurred?

CritterMom
08-19-2015, 10:50 AM
It sounds like you are covering the bases. I wonder if this little guy took a knock to the head in his accident?

I HOPE that this is just a case of him being hurt and frightened of what happened. He is a little bit of a baby you said - a teeny one to start, lots of attention from mom, doesn't really want to wean - that is the little squirrel that will also be scared of something like this. Some of them are little lions - they will spit in your eye with the most horrific of injuries - and others are less able to deal with the pain and fear.

Warm/dark/quiet is good though I would hang with him and love on him in his little carrier so he knows mama is there. If he won't eat it is super important you get hydration into him. Syringe it if need be but if he shuts down drinking he will feel worse fast. I would continue with the ibuprophen - just relieving pain can help tremendously.

Can you move things around and see if you have signs of breaks or anything else skeletal or muscular? Be very gentle - see if you are getting a pain reaction from anything other than the scraped area.

CritterMom
08-19-2015, 10:50 AM
:Welcome to the Squirrel Board!
Is there any possibility that he chewed an electrical cord in the room? Have you looked at his teeth? He should be eating solids by now and the fact that he isn't makes me a bit concerned about his teeth.
When you look at the injuries, do you have any thoughts on how they might have occurred?

Good catch!

Crittercare098
08-19-2015, 11:32 AM
I am devastated. I left for an hour, and when I went in to check on him he had passed away. I cannot stop crying. After all this time, 11 weeks of waking up, and loving him, and waiting for the perfect release and because someone in my house was not smart enough to double lock the cage, I lost him. This is t first loss this old.

CritterMom
08-19-2015, 11:37 AM
Oh no. I am SO sorry. Sweet little Chester... :grouphug

Sara in NW MS
08-19-2015, 11:40 AM
I am so sorry, I know this is devastating. Poor little guy, that just breaks my heart for you. Godspeed little one. :sad