I think my 4 month old grey squirrel is sick need to know with what and how to treat

[Squirrelagirl]

My 4 month old squirrel, Squirrelagirl, has been making this constant noise for almost 5 days now I don't know if it's a cough, a sneeze, or just a noise but I'm conserned. She still isn't weaned and I've listened to her breathing to see if any fluid is in her lungs but they sound clear. The best way I can describe it is like a "tsk" noise. She's eating good active and playful. This is my first time raising a squirrel and I really love her and want to make sure that she's happy and healthy

[TubeDriver]

Could you post up a video? That would be really helpful. What does her diet consist of besides formula?




My 4 month old squirrel, Squirrelagirl, has been making this constant noise for almost 5 days now I don't know if it's a cough, a sneeze, or just a noise but I'm conserned. She still isn't weaned and I've listened to her breathing to see if any fluid is in her lungs but they sound clear. The best way I can describe it is like a "tsk" noise. She's eating good active and playful. This is my first time raising a squirrel and I really love her and want to make sure that she's happy and healthy

[Squirrelagirl]

She eats rodent block, pea pods, grapes, seeds, nuts, corn, treats...i don't know how to Post a video on this site

[RockyPops]

You post your video to YouTube first. Then post the link to the video in your post on this board.

I've noticed squirrels making a slight snorting, sneezing type sound. I think it has something to do with scents. They have a very strong sense of smell.

Could this be what your hearing?

[Squirrelagirl]

Omg...i was doing some research online and it says that sniffing and sneezing(which compared to videos that i watched in YouTube) is what she's doing. It says that these are symptoms of malocclusion. How can I tell if this is the problem? She eats and drinks fine but constantly gnaws on everything...how do I know? And if not malocclusion, what is wrong with her??

[Squirrelagirl]

Its less a sneeze and more a "pfft"

[SammysMom]

Which formula are you giving? They do make that sort of noise sometimes. Pics of her teeth would help rule out malocclusion

[Squirrelagirl]

What’s the best way to get her to let me look at her teeth...she’s really fast and jumpy and she really doesn’t like her about being touched

[Squirrelagirl]

Could someone send me a pic of how her teeth should look?

[Squirrelagirl]

I was giving her GME with heavy whipping cream added but she finally stopped taking milk a few days ago

[Javarat]

Best way to look at her teeth is to wrap her up in a towel like a squirrel burrito so she cannot move, with her eyes covered and just her nose sticking out.
Place her on her back in your lap using your legs and a hand to hold her in place. Having her head lower than her butt seems to make them move less.
Then slip a chopstick or paintbrush handle sideways into her mouth like a horse bit, behind the bottom teeth. (She will not like this)
Pull downwards behind the teeth to expose them, and see how long they are, and if they line up with the upper teeth.
Also look to see if their is any sign of irritation or cutting to the upper lip, and if the upper teeth are straight and not curved inward.
Each pair of teeth should be the same length. If one is growing and the other is not it is a sign of odontoma (a broken root with tissue or tumor blocking growth)
A squirrel with odontoma or malocclusion cannot be released... the teeth will quickly grow until they cause a wound, infection, and then death. They have to get their teeth trimmed regularly.

You use this same method to trim teeth.
After positioning the chopstick or dowel, you cut the teeth with jeweler's cutter, at a 45 degree downward angle towards the tongue.
I use the dowel as a safety stop for the cutter.
You cut both teeth with one snip.

[RockyPops]

Thank you squirrelagirl for helping your baby. Sometimes they're a pain but...

:grin2 they're worth it!

[Squirrelagirl]

Im going to try to examine her teeth as soon as she wakes up... she hasn’t really been making that noise at all for the past 3 days but I’m still going to check her teeth ASAP. I love her and if there’s something I can do to make her feel good or more comfortable I’m going to do it.

[Spanky]

She eats rodent block, pea pods, grapes, seeds, nuts, corn, treats...i don't know how to Post a video on this site

Seeds, nuts and corn are treats and should be very limited. Not a part of their regular diet. Think of those as cotton candy... a toddler can have cotton candy occasionally, but you'd feed it to them on a daily basis with each meal.

Here is the healthy squirrel diet pyramid:
https://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?44440-Healthy-Diet-for-Pet-Squirrels