Lethargic injured squirrel

[Chickenlegs]

This morning finder removed young squirrel from the edge of the road on her way to work. She put the squirrel on the grass and went on to work. Coming home, finder saw squirrel right where she left her. She went to get something to put the squirrel in and when she got back outside, squirrel had moved under a bush next to a fence. When finder tried to catch the squirrel, she ran into the sewer. Finder finally caught the now very wet squirrel and that's where I come in. This little girl weighs 452 grams--give or take a gram. When I looked her over she was pretty darned calm--and i was rinsing the sewer water off--though she did want to get away from me. The finder said she can move all of her limbs but very slowly. I couldn't find a mark, bruise or bump on her and I could tell one pupil is reactive. Couldn't position her to see the other pupil. From where she was found, I'd think she was bumped by a car. She's in a cage under fleece. She has a weighted dish of water and some squirrel goodies. I was thinking of offering some watered applesauce later via syringe. Do you think she could use some pain meds to help her rest? Poor baby hasn't moved since I put her in the cage. There's no blood coming from her mouth or ears. Finder named her Luray. Pretty name for a pretty girl. The plan is to get her to a vet tomorrow.

[Mel1959]

Thank God, she made it to you. :Love_Icon. I can't imagine her laying on the grass next to the road for the entire day. :eek:eek. Poor baby had to be in shock. I would think pain meds wouldn't hurt. I hope the vet can figure out what is wrong.

[Chickenlegs]

Anybody got doseing for Tramadol?

[SammysMom]

Hang on and I will PM dose. Poor baby. Do you have any prednisone?

[Chickenlegs]

I do have some. Gotta find it. This little girl is tugging at my heart. She seems perfect but obviously something is seriously wrong with her. Prayers for a lovely little girl squirrel. Thank you for the doseing. I hope she feels better and can rest. Baby's gotta hurt.

[SammysMom]

Pred is the best anti inflammatory there is! Find it and we we can help dose.

[Chickenlegs]

Tramadol is in and she took some applesause water. Poor thing is shaking--but not as much as when she got here. She's gotta be shocky with all she's gone through. She has heat if she wants it--and apparently she does. Poor baby has to hurt all over.

[lennysmom]

Oh goodness that poor sweet girl.:grouphug I'm so glad you got something in her for pain Pat. Hope you will be able to find some prednisone too. I would defiantly cover her cage where she feels secluded and safe and hopefully she will be able to rest. Praying for that little one.:Love_Icon

[Chickenlegs]

This morning she had moved to the center of her cage. She seems alert but VERY docile. She got some more applesauce water which she took eagerly. Girl has a vet appointment at 10:30 this morning and I'll let everybody know what's going on as soon as I do.
Luray this morning.
https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-GL5N6M6/0/2a6467d1/M/i-GL5N6M6-M.jpg

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mXv4qLN/0/7472a7f0/M/i-mXv4qLN-M.jpg

[Nancy in New York]

Luray is so lucky to have found her way to you.
There are some little ones that take your heart immediately,
and Luray is one. :klunk

Oh I fixed your picture, and took out the line
about it being upside down. :)

[lennysmom]

Praying for some answers and good news from the vet.:grouphug

[Chickenlegs]

Luray is so lucky to have found her way to you.
There are some little ones that take your heart immediately,
and Luray is one. :klunk

Oh I fixed your picture, and took out the line
about it being upside down. :)

THAAAAAAAAAANK YOU! She's a sweetheart so far. Sure would be happy if she was insanely charging around her cage wanting OUT!


Praying for some answers and good news from the vet.:grouphug

Your wish is my command. Luray saw Dr. Kelly this morning. The diagnoses is head trauma--likely from a car. Her eyes are reactive but not normal and of course she is docile and sweet. She has three huge doses of Metacam and we go from there. The E word was mentioned but we all know if she's a happy girl that's off the table. I'm soaking some Harlan Teklan blocks with applesauce and water. That will go in shortly. So far she's been cooperative about yumming stuff--even the Metacam. Oh--her actual weight is 554 grams.

Dr. kelly and Luray

[Chickenlegs]

She's moving. I think she may have nibbled on a HHB. Everything about her is brighter but she's still a sweet girl. Hope she gets over that because too many people are not sweet.

[lennysmom]

:Love_Icon

[Chickenlegs]

Luray is better--lively, brighteyed but she isn't eating, and she circles left. She got acupunctured but even tho I think it helped some, she obviously has neuro issues. So here's some questions:
1. She's in a small cage--one of my guys travel cages. When can I introduce her to a little larger cage with a cube so she can have more normal activity. Is it too early for her to go anyplace where she might get too active and make things worse
2. How long does a neuro injury take to heal?
3. Can Gabapentin be used for brain injury (well--it does wonders for nerves and brains are the motherload of nerves)
4. She isn't eating. What can I tempt her with. I've given her nuts, apples, blocks, avocado and birdseed. I know some of that she wouldn't be used to so I tried junk I ordinarially wouldn't give one of my squirrels. I put a shallow dish of water in the cage and doubt she's drunk much if at all. Last night and this morning I gave her formula just to get some guaranteed noirishment and liquid into her. She hasn't tried to bite me and that worries me. Either she's deciding just which artery to go for or she's confused and doesn't know she can.

The prescribed Metacam is gone but I have Meloxicam and can give her that if you think it will help. Need some doseing help if so.

This is my first grown up neuro squirrel and I want to do right by her

[Nancy in New York]

The prescribed Metacam is gone but I have Meloxicam and can give her that if you think it will help. Need some doseing help if so.



Metacam and Meloxicam are the same. What is the strenght/mg of the Meloxicam and what is her weight?

[Chickenlegs]

Metacam and Meloxicam are the same. What is the strenght/mg of the Meloxicam and what is her weight?

She was 554 at the vets and I bet she's lost a gram or two. The Meloxicam is 15 mg. Here's a question. A little squirrel named Alex had major issues when he wasn't on a low dose of prednisone. On the prednisone he was near normal. Should I finish out the 24 hours since she was last dosed and start her on prednisone? Alex was neuro from an injury when he was a baby.

[Mel1959]

Yes, Pat, I think the prednisone is a good choice. Actually prednisolone is a little easier on them according to the dr. I don't know if you read that my released girl fell and had head trauma. She may have had a slow bleed in her brain, but I tucked her into bed one night and the next morning when I got her up her head was bobbing, she couldn't walk and she had rapid eye movement. She may have had a seizure. After a trip to Dr. E she got hypertonic saline administered and an injection of dexamethasone. She sent me home with prednisolone that is to be given for about 8 days. She is definitely improving.

At first she didn't eat either. She eventually took a Henry's wild bites and some boo balls, but only a few veggies. Her appetite has increased so your little one could start eating. I offered formula too.

Best of luck.

[Chickenlegs]

I DID see that Mel. This girl is young. I hope she recovers. Is your darling in a small cage--medium size? (you likely said and I didn't look far enough). I need to call you and pick your brain. Luray was definitely hit by a car. She was found beside a road. I just remember little Alex could function almost normally on a low dose of prednisone and was stumbling and couldn't stand without it. I'm looking for a cube so I can give her some more squirrley comfort. The cage isn't huge--a medium size cockatiel cage--bit there's room for a cube and a hammock. I don't want her tearing around--just more comfortable, now need pred doseing. I need Wild Mammal Babies--recent addition. Maybe I won't be such a pain for the dosers.


Yes, Pat, I think the prednisone is a good choice. Actually prednisolone is a little easier on them according to the dr. I don't know if you read that my released girl fell and had head trauma. She may have had a slow bleed in her brain, but I tucked her into bed one night and the next morning when I got her up her head was bobbing, she couldn't walk and she had rapid eye movement. She may have had a seizure. After a trip to Dr. E she got hypertonic saline administered and an injection of dexamethasone. She sent me home with prednisolone that is to be given for about 8 days. She is definitely improving.

At first she didn't eat either. She eventually took a Henry's wild bites and some boo balls, but only a few veggies. Her appetite has increased so your little one could start eating. I offered formula too.

Best of luck.

[Mel1959]

May is in one cage of the double critter Nation cage. I have a blanket on the bottom of the cage and the plastic trays are covered with fleece. She has a hammock and one of the ramps, which she uses frequently. Rarely does she zoom in the cage.

The first few days I had her in a bin. And then when I moved her to the cage she hung out in her cube most of the time. I don't think she felt good. She doesn't run around inside the cage like a lunatic, like when she and her sisters were in there! In the last couple of days she has willingly come out of her cube, though.

[Nancy in New York]

She was 554 at the vets and I bet she's lost a gram or two. The Meloxicam is 15 mg. Here's a question. A little squirrel named Alex had major issues when he wasn't on a low dose of prednisone. On the prednisone he was near normal. Should I finish out the 24 hours since she was last dosed and start her on prednisone? Alex was neuro from an injury when he was a baby.

Pat what strength Pednisone do you have?
I can dose this but need a strength.
She has to be off the Meloxicam for 24 hours before starting Pred.
My daughter and grandson are here from California,
(My SIL had to work so he couldn't make it, we LOVE him, :() so I don't check
the board too much.
Send me a pm so I get an alert when you have the strength of the Pred.

[Chickenlegs]

Thanks Nancy. I'm late checking in. Hubby has classes here all day and everybody had to be fed, put up, taken out, Luray had to go in her new cage, clean up my mess (impossible so I mostly hide it), make formula, clean up mess I made making formula and get dressed cause I'm old and an old broad walking around in her skivies is scary. Yesterday Luray got no meds so she's clean for the Prednisone.

[Chickenlegs]

Prednisone is in. She got some formula mixed with babyfood fruit (not too crazy anout that) and she drank a lot of water. Her limbs seem to have strength and function, it's as if she doesn't know what to do with them. I think I'll start some physical therapy so when she does get out she'll be able to be a squirrel--climbing, jumping, running.

[Chickenlegs]

Poor girl has been circling since the prednisone hit. Just breaks my heart. Poor girl. Would Tramadol slow her down? Wish my friend who accupunctured her was here. She showed me how and where and left needles. Just don't want to stick her and my inexperience provide no relief.

[Shewhosweptforest]

Pat I sure hope she finds some relief from the prednisone:please but with her being so friendly...it makes me think of Sissy with Ella....hit in the head...just right :sadness

[Nancy in New York]

Poor girl has been circling since the prednisone hit. Just breaks my heart. Poor girl. Would Tramadol slow her down? Wish my friend who accupunctured her was here. She showed me how and where and left needles. Just don't want to stick her and my inexperience provide no relief.

If you have tramadol I can dose it.
I still have her weight from dosing the Pred.
IF you have 50 mg Tramadol that is what I will write it
up for and send in a pm.
Poor girl, I wonder why she is circling since the prednisone?

[UDoWhat]

This is Trysh and my iPad can't post pics from it so I grabbed Marty's and forgot to sign her out.

Pat, here is a photo of a dog spine. The points are GV20 at the top of the head on either side of the external occipital protuberance, the bony point on top of a dogs head. Just think where that bony point would be on a squirrel. This is the point that you needle more like doing a sub-q with needle pointed toward the tail.

in the picture of the dogs spine, the dots going down the center are the spinous processes of the vertebral column and of course the two longer lines where the hips would be are the hips. The 2nd point is GV 2 and I place that point at the lumbroscaral junction. I shared in the PM last night how to needle that point so I won't do that again. Hope this makes it clear as mud:grouphug

[CritterMom]

Have you ever taken prednisone yourself? It is sort of like speed. It cranks you WAY up. I don't think the pred is causing the circling - that is likely from the injury, but it will sure increase her activity level. The tramadol should calm her down. Poor baby. I hope the pred does it's thing and wipes out any internal inflammation and swelling - which is what is probably causing the neuro symptoms...

[Chickenlegs]

OK--needled her this morning--of course before I checked here so likely got it wrong BUT--she calmed and I'm contributing that to the GV20. Don't know if I got the GV2 point right--went for the hip bones and the spine right between. She's had her prednisone and some nourishment--block soaked in formula and syringed in. She's had a good long drink of water. I noticed when friend needled her that she slept for several hours. Sleep is healing. Good girl. I gave her some lovins and LOOK! ARMAGE!!!!!

Question: I have two more needles. Should I use them this afternoon or tomorrow?

[Chickenlegs]

Have you ever taken prednisone yourself? It is sort of like speed. It cranks you WAY up. I don't think the pred is causing the circling - that is likely from the injury, but it will sure increase her activity level. The tramadol should calm her down. Poor baby. I hope the pred does it's thing and wipes out any internal inflammation and swelling - which is what is probably causing the neuro symptoms...

Yeah--I've taken pred. I wanted to kill and eat my hubby just because he was in MY space. I couldn't sit down for more than a minute. This house was CLEAN! I had the strength of TEN Grinches! I figure the circling is a neuro issue. I sure hope she can heal. Just gotta remember it's been a very short period of time since she was hurt and she has healing to do.

[CritterMom]

Yeah--I've taken pred. I wanted to kill and eat my hubby just because he was in MY space. I couldn't sit down for more than a minute. This house was CLEAN! I had the strength of TEN Grinches! I figure the circling is a neuro issue. I sure hope she can heal. Just gotta remember it's been a very short period of time since she was hurt and she has healing to do.



LOL. My mother has asthma and I can always tell when the doc has put her on one of the 5 day pred doses because when I get off the phone with her my ears are bleeding...

[Shewhosweptforest]

Wow Pat :eek you are a brave needler :laugh2 I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that :embar I'm so happy she's getting relief....and if the acupuncture helped...doesn't that indicate she is able to heal from this? :please

[redwuff]

The optimal way to needle is to treat when the effects start to wear off, and hopefully what you will see is that space between txs get extended till it is no longer needed. But I would wait till tomorrow. Try to get GV20 in, it is is a great point! Acupuncture should help with her appetite.

[Chickenlegs]

I have two needles left. Can I get acupuncture needles locally? Can they be sterilized for reuse? Right now she's circeling again but when I first peeked in the cage she was stationary and sitting STILL like a proper squirrel. I'll needle har again in the morning.
Oh Julie, I do hope she can recover from this. I know squirrels will zig when a zag is waaaaay better but so much could be prevented if folks would just SLOW DOWN!

[Mel1959]

I don't remember what Lurays neuro symptoms were from. Dr. E watched my video of May and said if the preds seem to be helping then I shouldn't do the tapering off doses as was initially prescribed. Instead she said to continue with once a day dosing. Do you have enough preds that you can continue for awhile?

[Chickenlegs]

Late but had to share this from earlier this afternoon
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=FL2Hle-0imbz7Rnn3kHnHplw&v=FUTTEOarBE4#

Tonight she got her pred, a drink of water and some formula mixed with crushed block. She took more food than she has since I got her. She's still scared and stays curled up when I take her out. She's sleeping peacefully tonight. I cut the dose of pred back a little. She's lost weight and I thought some of the frantic circling might be from too much prednisone. Good night everybody.

Mel, she was hit by a car. She was found beside the road on her side. She stayed there all day poor baby. I still have some prednisone so if a daily dose helps, I'm good for awhile.

[redwuff]

Wow Pat. Great, just great!:grouphug

[TubeDriver]

So glad to hear she is improving! That photo with armage is just too cute! I think the good response to pred and your care is very encouraging. I hope she can continue improving to the point that she can be released! Great job with her!

[Chickenlegs]

Next issue:she's hungry but can't seem to locate where the food is. I tried giving her little pieces of block and she'd try to hold it and drop it. I hope that will come-round soon. She seems to pee OK tho I have to hold the water bottle for her to take water. These are the needles I've used. She's a trooper. Don't know how well she sees. That's a concern. She tried to bolt today--GOOD!

[redwuff]

Hey Pat, I was not asking about what needles, but the area of the body she placed the needles.

[Chickenlegs]

Oops! The only needle she placed was GV 20. She thought about another point between the eye and ear--don't know the name. Suggestions?

[Chickenlegs]

My sweetie continues to improve bit by bit day by day. Tonight she held the syringe with her little hands. She was hungry. Dinner was formula with harlan teklan blocks crushed in it. She likes that better than formula and babyfood. She had a restful day--lot of sleeping/little circling. She has a long way to go but she IS going!

[Chickenlegs]

https://youtu.be/NKjI3MrXXYQ

She's showing some spunk this morning and EATING! She's been getting her food via pippett. I can give her something with texture that way. This morning I thought I'd try something she can hold in her own hands. Block?--bleeeeh! Avocado?--yuk! Down the list till I thought "what the heck--squirrels love sweet corn and durned if she didn't grab it and start nomming holding that little piece of corn with her own hands. She'd had block and formula mush via pippett so the good stuff was in and she hung onto that piece of corn as I put her back in her cage. She's had her prednisone and been needled--GV20--and had a long drink of water. Oh--she growled at me. Wooooohooooo!
:jump:woot:banana:fireworks:brock

Durn! Upside down. Oh well, you get the gist.

[redwuff]

She is so exciting! Go Luray :grouphug

Her eyes are so much brighter.

[Chickenlegs]

I took her out of her cage for some water and dinner and right there in the bottom of her cage were (drum roll please) HHB crumbs! My girl is eating on her own. She had some formula and baby food gruel, a good long drink of water and some massages on her sweet body and nite nite Luray. For her snacking pleasure is a piece of butternut squash, a little avocado wedge, and another block. Maybe in the morning they'll be nommed on too! :grin3

[Nancy in New York]

Here you go Pat!





Durn! Upside down. Oh well, you get the gist.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XmQGMPB/0/8d070ac0/O/i-XmQGMPB.jpg

[lennysmom]

Oh I'm so excited to read these wonderful updates on Luray!:dance And even nibbling on her HHB!:w00t I hope she will continue to improve - she's so blessed to have landed in your care.:hug

[Chickenlegs]

Here you go Pat!


THANK YOU NANCY! So far this little girl has been a delight. I hope I can give her her life back. She's relaxing some when I hold her and she does like massages. I bet she's still sore from being hit by that car. She has a sweet little face.



https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-XmQGMPB/0/8d070ac0/O/i-XmQGMPB.jpg


Oh I'm so excited to read these wonderful updates on Luray!:dance And even nibbling on her HHB!:w00t I hope she will continue to improve - she's so blessed to have landed in your care.:hug

You and me too Lindsey. Every little accomplishment seems to give her confidence to do something new. I see her busy in her cage sometimes but it's not that frantic circling. She's eating block and that's a big plus. Now if she would master the waterbottle she could eat and drink when she wants to rather than wait for her turn. I kinda think I'm the one that's blessed--no bites--so far!

[Chickenlegs]

https://youtu.be/BIsG0pXvLdA
She eats!she CLIMBS! She's still way too sweet--even if she is less cooperative. Last night my hubby was stopming and banging around while I had my sweet girl in my arms giving her some night night formula and massages. She startled and did a good job of climbing up the door jamb. So how long should I keep her confined? I worry that I haven't seen her drink from the water bottle hanging on her cage. OK so neighborhood trees don't have water bottles hanging in them but that's another milestone. Any suggestions. The finder would like for her to come back to her old neighborhood. I'd like for her to stay out of the road.

Ohohoh--she just chomped an almond!