Need help ASAP! Prednisolone Syrup 5mg/5ml Dosage

[kutty]

I have a 7 months old Indian Palm squirrel. He weighs ~ 90 grams. He fell down from a height of 8ft to a marble floor almost 4 months ago. He was normal until yesterday. He has problems moving his hind legs, but they are partially functioning.

He is not eating anything solid. Feeding him Cerelac and Goat's milk using an eyedropper (2 full fillers), four times a day. I have prednisolone Syrup 5mg/5ml, and giving a drop twice a day. Should I increase the dose? Should I start giving him extra calcium?

Please advice. Thank you!

[Spanky]

If he was normal until yesterday, I would think this might be MBD versus an injury to be treated with steroids. While I did not know a lot about palm squirrels, if that is his entire diet I would think he was destined to get MBD.

So, yes I would start extra calcium immediately.
https://www.henryspets.com/emergency-treatment-for-mbd/

[Rock Monkey]

I

Feeding him Cerelac and Goat's milk using an eyedropper (2 full fillers), four times a day.



The Cerelac has wheat as the number one ingredient and generally substantial quantities of grain can cause problems for captive squirrels. It is on the list of "items to avoid" that was posted above by Spanky.

The wheat can cause constipation, which will definitely adversely effect appetite. However, the issues are likely deeper than that.

Is this a recent dietary change? Or has this always been the diet given?

You may want to contact Anu and Clare on this forum. Anu has a lost post in which you can see her struggle to get the diet right. They live in India and are caretakers of palm squirrels.

[Rock Monkey]

Anu has a lost post in which you can see her struggle to get the diet right. They live in India and are caretakers of palm squirrels.

Oops. Meant to say: "Anu has a long post ..."

[kutty]

If he was normal until yesterday, I would think this might be MBD versus an injury to be treated with steroids. While I did not know a lot about palm squirrels, if that is his entire diet I would think he was destined to get MBD.

So, yes I would start extra calcium immediately.
https://www.henryspets.com/emergency-treatment-for-mbd/



The Cerelac has wheat as the number one ingredient and generally substantial quantities of grain can cause problems for captive squirrels. It is on the list of "items to avoid" that was posted above by Spanky.

The wheat can cause constipation, which will definitely adversely effect appetite. However, the issues are likely deeper than that.

Is this a recent dietary change? Or has this always been the diet given?

You may want to contact Anu and Clare on this forum. Anu has a lost post in which you can see her struggle to get the diet right. They live in India and are caretakers of palm squirrels.

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

He had been eating veggies, nuts, greens, and goat milk + cerelac until few weeks ago. Since we don't have rodent blocks of any kind in India, we had to continue feeding him Cerelac. We were thinking Cerelac mixed with goat's milk could assist in keeping his nutrition levels balanced.

Since then, he is not eating anything. So we forcibly feed him Cerelac mixed with goat's milk. From yesterday, I started mixing Calcium Carbonate tablets 1450 Mg (equivalent to Elemental Calcium: 500 Mg) in his Cerelac + Goat's milk mixture and feeding him that mixture 6 to 8 times a day.

Today morning his tail was shivering for a few minutes when I took him out of the cage to feed him. I didn't see that afterwards.

He is slightly dragging his hind legs, but still managing to move them. Unlike in the western world, Vets in India are not well equipped or well knowledgeable about squirrels or in general, other pet reptiles. I took him to a nearby Vet, and he prescribed Prednisolone 5mg/5ml oral solution, with a dosage of one drop twice a day. He said, the dragging of legs is due to the injury had in the past.

Now he is not eating anything, always curl inside the cage. We forcibly feed him with goat's milk + cerelac mixed with Calcium Carbonate to improve his calcium levels to not to worsen his current MBD condition.

What would be the ideal dosage of Prednisolone 5mg/5ml oral solution to give it to him? Please advice me on how to recover him from his current state. :(

[Rock Monkey]

Since then, he is not eating anything. So we forcibly feed him Cerelac mixed with goat's milk. From yesterday, I started mixing Calcium Carbonate tablets 1450 Mg (equivalent to Elemental Calcium: 500 Mg) in his Cerelac + Goat's milk mixture and feeding him that mixture 6 to 8 times a day.

Today morning his tail was shivering for a few minutes when I took him out of the cage to feed him. I didn't see that afterwards.



Yes, you should definitely be giving him calcium. As Spanky said it is highly unlikely that a fall that long ago is just now manifesting itself in terms of some degree of parlysis. MBD is far more likely to be the explanation, unless there was some more recent injury of which you are unaware.

I would strongly recommend that you stop feeding the Cerelac. By mass it is more than 40% wheat flour. I believe the wheat is causing constipation. It just clogs up their intestines, preventing other nutrition from being processed. This has been my experience. There are good reasons why grains are on a list of items not to feed a squirrel.

What squirrels should eat and what is okay for people are two different things.

When was the last time the squirrel pooped? Did it come out in one big pile? Was it hard or soft? What color was it?

When the animals digestive system is full to the top they do not want to eat. They feel terrible and just want to lie down and sleep.

Is the squirrel's belly bloated? Rigid or soft?

If constipated a hydrating solution should help. Better to make a homemade solution. The ones sold for people and babies are too strong, and can cause serious electrolyte imbalances in a squirrel if used for more than a day.

Is the squirrel peeing? Does it strain to pee? Is it dark or normal color? Does it smell strongly or is it unremarkable?

If search "Anu" in the Forum's search box, you ought to find the long post that I was referring to. (Read it over.) Anu struggled to find the right foods for her palm squirrel.

"Clare" can also give good advice about administering hydration to a troubled squirrel like yours.

When Anu (who lives in India) stopped giving the Cerelac things improved and was able to get it back to normal appetite and pee and poop.

Do you have a gram scale? This way you can see if weight is going up or down.

Can you post a picture or link to the particular Cerelac cereal that you are feeding your squirrel?

[Rock Monkey]

Can you post a picture of the squirrel? (The picture should show the whole body.)