worried about pneumonia

[country_girl]

ok u guys this is my first time raising babies by myself as I have only been at it for about a week now and I do have a rehabber helping me, I lost alyssa last nite without any reason why even the rehab who checking in on me 2x a day was very surprised when she got here this morning and alyssa had passed, but now my concern is for her sister katie. My rehab helper went outta town for the weekend and gave me her number but I can't seem to reach on it n I have no way of contacting the rehab center till 9am tomorrow. Katie is making a werid clicking sound it not her normal clicking sound so I am worried, my mom said that when she feed her earlier today while I was working that katie got some formula in her nose but that she tipped her forward like the rehabber showed her, she is only making the clicking sound when she is awake n when she sleeping it stops but she does look like she is breathing harder... Please someone tell me what I should do. I don't want to lose katie too I cried enough today. She is roughly 2 weeks old.

[island rehabber]

hi Country Girl -- Gammas Baby is correct and your little one needs meds ASAP. The one I love for treatment of pneumonia or respiratory infection is Baytril. You can also give her Clavamox if that is easier to get your hands on. Do you have access to either of thee within the next 12 hours? We can help you get them into her -- you just need to get some.

[Mars]

If th clicking is not heard at night while sleeping that is a good sign. If you do not have access to antibiotics tonight the most you can do is keep her warm and continue with her feedings. But feed very slowly.

Hold the baby in the belly down position, just as a kitten would nurse and bring the syringe up from underneath at about a 45 degree angle and a bit to the side. That way you are not aiming fluids directly down the throat. The technique with a syringe is a gentle tap/swallow, tap/swallow. Using an eyedropper - put one drop on the lips just inside the mouth and allow the baby to swallow then repeat. At all times allow the baby to set the pace of the feeding. For babies under 50 grams I use a 0.5cc syringe, 50 to 100 grams use a 1cc syringe, and only after baby is over 100 grams use a 3cc syringe.

Hope this helps

[country_girl]

unfortunely i live in a really small town where everything closes at 9pm So even if i even knew what Baytril or Clavamox was I probably wouldnt be able to get my hands on it, I don't understand why the rehabber isnt anwering her phone or why she didnt leave another rehabber number the clinic is closed I have tried calling over n over I just get the voicemail I am really really worried I dont wanna wake up at 2 in the morning again to find my baby dead, is there anyhting I can do???

[Mars]

Here is a link to the rehabbers in your state. http://www.ncwildliferehab.org/membership/membership_public.cfm
Just click on the name to bring up their addresses and phone numbers. Hopefully there is someone near by.

[country_girl]

thanks mars the nearest one would be in beaufort which is almost 2 hours away and I have no way to get there at the moment since i lent my vech. to my uncle so He could go visit a friend. Should I still call and ask him what to do???

[country_girl]

my rehabbers number is just ringing n ringing and see that is what I was thinking if she knew I lost alyssa last nite why aint she answering now? I should of never asked if I could be taught how to do this I lost a baby n may lose this baby too.

[country_girl]

i have a very important question one of my dad's friend raises pigs on their pig farm and I know they have antibotics just not sure what kind and I can't call them till 6am to find out but that is still three hours sooner than the rehab center if I cant get up with my rehabber, will this antibotics be ok for katie? I jsut hope hse makes it thru the nite.

[island rehabber]

i have a very important question one of my dad's friend raises pigs on their pig farm and I know they have antibotics just not sure what kind and I can't call them till 6am to find out but that is still three hours sooner than the rehab center if I cant get up with my rehabber, will this antibotics be ok for katie? I jsut hope hse makes it thru the nite.

They might have Clavamox or amoxicillin on hand, CG -- it's an all-around mammal antibiotic and people take it, too. Or doxycyclene -- if they have that it's good as well!

[country_girl]

my mom says that she is pretty sure it is penicilin now if there are differnet forms of it I honestly don't know seeing how I can't take penicilin myself...
on another note I keep checking in on katie every few minutes or so she has stopped breathing as hard as she was its still not her normal breathing but she doesnt seem to be "gasping" for air in her sleep now is this a good sign?

[country_girl]

i can try thanks for the idea

[country_girl]

thanks gamma I needed a shower anyways so I was already looking at forums on that as soon as you suggested it and the one I found said to wrap her up n place her near the shower as i was getting one so i did and then i let her stay in the room for a bit afterwards I didn't see any nasty gunk but as my mom suggested I did have the baby bulb out. :) She seems to breathing a bit better than before and the clicking isnt as loud except right now but its her normal clicking n she is suckling at the air Its like she is saying mommy feed me. Should I go ahead n feed her as I normally do?
And another thanks on the shower I have been upset about alyssa all day n then katie getting sick has me worried even more and the hot shower helped relax me as well n calmed my nerves some.

[Buddy'sMom]

:wave123 Glad the shower thing helped -- BOTH of you!! Yes, you can go ahead and feed her, especially if she's acting hungry. Just take it nice and slowly. :)

Hope you have a quiet night! :grouphug :grouphug

[country_girl]

I failed. Katie died this morning as well. I don't understand How she got sick so fast though she was fine yesterday morning even the rehabber said so, she fianlly called me back this morning after it was to late she had left her phone in her car. :( Katie died in my hands at 3am :( I don't know if I am ready to try this again anytime soon at least not with something so small, I really love animals and want to make sure everyone of their lives and thrives but this one hit hard they were so little and I don't know what I did wrong with alyssa and then when katie needed help I couldn't get it for her. but I just wanted to let everyone know what happened tahnks for the support last nite though.

[island rehabber]

CG I am so very sorry about Katie......if we've seen anything on this board lately it's that pinkies are very very hard to save, especially once any kind of pneumonia has set in. It's not just 'newbies' who lose them, country girl, we ALL lose them sometimes. Don't beat yourself up and don't get discouraged. Learn all you can and keep trying. Please try to remember that, although the two did not survive, you did give them a chance. Had you done nothing, they most certainly would have been dead. Keep giving critters in need a chance, OK? :grouphug

[Mars]

I'm so sorry. :grouphug Trust me when I tell you did everything you could last night to save your little one. The first one may have died from internal injuries from the fall from the nest. Such injuries are almost impossible to detect. The life of a rehabber is full of heartache, I won't lie to you and tell you otherwise. We live for the ones we can save and rejoice in seeing them go free. :Love_Icon And we try to give comfort to the one's we can't save. And we cry. Alot.

[Buddy'sMom]

So very sorry to hear about your two losses. Poor babies. :Love_Icon :Love_Icon

As IR and Mars have already said, it's very hard with the little ones. Finders and rehabbers can do their very best, but it is still a poor substitute for being raised by a squirrel-mama in a nest. You found this website with all it's instructions and support, and you were working with a rehabber who had just checked on them. It sounds like you were doing exactly the right things. Sometimes there are just very sad endings. Including possible injuries from their fall.

Your heartbreak is understandable -- and we share your tears. Try to take comfort in knowing that you gave them a safe and loving home for their too-short lives, and gave them an opportunity which they would not have had otherwise. It is a wonderful thing to know that they were comfy and warm and fed by a loving Mom -- that was your best gift to them. :Love_Icon

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug