5 week old squirrel clicking sounds

[RebeccaChristy]

5 week old squirrel has been eating really well from a 1 ml syringe. Switched to a 5 ml syringe and now he is making clicking sounds when breathing. He did swallow too much at last feeding and had some formula come out of his nose. The clicking sounds isn’t constant, but when it happens, it’s with every breath. I’ve determined that Baytril is best, but how do I go about getting it?

[Sottinger]

Cipro is the human equivalent. Can you try and ask people you know nearby if anyone has a leftover pill? And please toss the 5ml syringe. What’s recommended is 3ml or smaller. I’d hate to see you get the baby well and it happen again.

What part of SC are you in? There’s likely someone on the board here is in driving distance and has some they could share. Do you have a gram scale to weight the baby?

[RebeccaChristy]

I am in greenville, SC and I do have a gram scale.

[Sottinger]

You can call any pet stores around you and see if anyone carries FishFlox which is also cipro. It can be bought without an rx since it’s labeled for aquarium use. I ordered mine from chewy.com.

[RebeccaChristy]

I’m headed to PetSmart. If they have it, how do I dose?

[Spanky]

Is he lethargic or has he lost his appetite? If the clicking is not constant, and he is not lethargic and still eating good you may have dodged AP this time. Listening right after they have eaten (or aspirated) you can sometimes hear clicking that is temporary and clears up once they clear their airways.

I am about an hour from Greenville if he has symptoms of AP and you are not able to locate Cipro or Augmentin from family or friends.

[Spanky]

I’m headed to PetSmart. If they have it, how do I dose?

You should call ahead and ask if they carry it. The laws changed not long ago and most pet stores pulled these antibiotics from their shelves. I have seen people post that they regularly check the shelves for the fish antibiotics but have never seen it.

To dose, post the squirrel's weight, the antibiotic you have and the strength. Someone will assist with dosing.

[RebeccaChristy]

What about doxycycline Or erythromycin? Would those work?

[Spanky]

No to erythoromycin.

The doxy can work, but is more slower acting. An important note about Doxycycline (all -cyclines actually) is that they must not be used beyond their expiration date as they actually become lethally toxic.

Is he clicking?

[RebeccaChristy]

I bought doxycycline, it’s powdered 250 mg. I’ve also been offered levofloxacin. Would that be better. I’m headed home to weigh Sam.

[RebeccaChristy]

I honestly can’t tell if he’s clicking or not. There is a faint clicking sound but it’s not consistent with every breath. Ugh. So unsure. He’s not lethargic at all, though.

[Spanky]

I honestly can’t tell if he’s clicking or not. There is a faint clicking sound but it’s not consistent with every breath. Ugh. So unsure. He’s not lethargic at all, though.

Not lethargic is very good. How is his appetite?

[RebeccaChristy]

Appetite was great just now. I still hear a faint clicking sound right after eating. It seems to fade with time. He’s still not lethargic.

[Spanky]

Appetite was great just now. I still hear a faint clicking sound right after eating. It seems to fade with time. He’s still not lethargic.

They do have a faint clicking sound after eating. Check again about an hour after feeding for the clicking. The fact that his appetite is good and he is not lethargic are good signs.

Having some antibiotics at the ready is terrific.

When you get a chance to weigh him and post his weight, that would be great.

And for my future reference, were you able to find the doxycycline at a pet store (I assume the fish version, Fish Dozy)? They had that but not Fish Flox (CiproFLOXacin)? This will be good info to know since folks have not had much success lately looking for fish antibiotics in the stores due to laws recently enacted.

[RebeccaChristy]

Yes, I was able to get doxy at the pet store in the aquarium section. But, not fishflox.

Sam weighs 52g, so what would the doxy dose be? I

[Sottinger]

Glad to hear you found one!

[RebeccaChristy]

Someone is giving me a Cipro pill tomorrow. How do I dose?

[stepnstone]

Someone is giving me a Cipro pill tomorrow. How do I dose?
We need to know the milligram of the Cipro first....

[cava]

Just to clarify, this is a 5 week old squirrel who is 52 grams?

What kind of squirrel?

[redwuff]

Could you post a picture of your sweet boy? You know a picture is worth a million words...:grouphug