Aspirated???

[Mhiggi23]

Hi everyone, I'm new here. I saved a baby squirrel in my front yard from a cat a couple weeks ago now. His eyes and ears were still closed at the time. Fast forward to today, he's probably about 6-6.5 weeks old? His eyes are open and ears are open now.

This morning I was feeding him, and he sucked in too hard on the syringe (he's using a miracle nipple too btw) and took in too much formula. He was sneezing a lot and I held him upside down trying to get the formula out of his nose. I'm worried he's going to develop AP. I took him out for his daily play in his bigger enclosure, and he usually climbs all over the place and is hyper and is playing. Today though he just climbed around a bit, then laid down to nap.

Hes been sneezing still this afternoon, and just wants to cuddle instead of being his playful and hyper self. If I do need to dose him, if I can find some Cipro or Amoxicillin, how many pills of it would I need to get? I'm getting a new scale for his weight today. He's usually eating probably 12ccs of formula. I followed the Henry's age feeding guide and I feed him probably ever 4-4.5hrs. I ordered some picky blocks from Henry's just waiting on those. Anyways, Please help me out. His name is Pepper. We called the local rehab place here and were told he would just be put down if we brought him in so thats not an option for us. :(

[Rock Monkey]

Cipro would be preferred over the amoxicillan. Get your hands on this as soon as possible. Be sure to provide the specifics concerning the strength of the pills that you have and expiration date. Some antibiotics can be used even if out of date.

You will likely only need one or two pills.

Note, aspiration doesn't always lead to aspiration pneumonia, especially in strong, healthy squirrels, but Pepper is already showing some concerning signs.

AP symptoms include:

1. Lethargic (inactive)
2. Difficult/labored breathing or rapid breathing or slow breathing and/or open mouth breathing
3. Rapid heartbeat or slow heartbeat
4. Fever or Chills
5. Pale, bluish to dark purple skin from a lack of oxygen (Look at lips and pads of feet)
6. Nasal discharge
7. Sweet or foul smelling breath
8. Wheezing, crackling, or clicking sounds when inhaling and/or exhaling. (You will need to put your ear close to the squirrel to hear this.)

You will need Pepper's weight so an administrator can determine the proper dosage. Given the speed with which AP can progress, I think it is better to be proactive rather than let things get bad and maybe irreversible.

In the meantime keep him warm, maybe even cuddle with him and keep him some place quiet with his head at least slightly elevated above his chest.

[Rock Monkey]

Keep him hydrated and feed him if he is inclined to eat.

Once things settle down you may want to watch this very good video about feeding techniques, with tips on how to help prevent aspiration.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLjRlzTOGHY&ab_channel=squirrelsandmorellc

[Mhiggi23]

Pepper is now falling over and being extremely lethargic. Refused to eat. I am waiting on a friend to see if she has any antibiotics or not. I don't know what to do 😭😭

[Rock Monkey]

I believe there are one or two administrators online currently, though I am not sure which ones.

[Rock Monkey]

Pepper is now falling over and being extremely lethargic. Refused to eat. I am waiting on a friend to see if she has any antibiotics or not. I don't know what to do ����

You need to get some antibiotics as soon as possible, tonight, not tomorrow. Keep him upright. You can tuck him between layers of your clothing.

[Rock Monkey]

Note, in order to see new posts you will need to hit the "refresh" button on your browser.

Do you have a recent weight for Pepper?

[Rock Monkey]

If you can't get your hands on the Cipro, there are other antibiotics that will work.

Baytril (animal)/Cipro (human), Bactrim (human), are some of the prescription medications that are preferred and effective for treating upper respiratory infections in squirrels. Clavamox (animal) / Augmentin (human), these will work also, though there is some concern in the veterinary community concerning potential adverse side effects of using pencillin based antibiotics on rodents. Others antibiotics may work, some may be less effective for treating pneumonia.

This is important, the drug names that appear on the prescription bottle or box may vary, even though the medication is the same. Here is some of the different technical language that you may see:

Bactrim: SMZ TMP (Sulfamethoxazole and Trimethoprim), Bactrim DS, Sulfatrim.
Baytril: Enrofloxacin (a fluoroquinolone antibiotic). Made by Bayer.
Cipro: Ciprofloxacin. (a quinolone class antibiotic) Cetraxal, Ciloxan, Cipro XR, Otiprio, Neofloxin, Ciproxin, Cibrobay, Cipro in D5W
Clavamox: amoxicillin and clavulanate potassium; amoxicillin trihydrate / clavulanate potassium. Made by Zoetis US.
Augmentin: amoxicillin/clavulanic acid; amoxicillin clavulanate. Augmentin XR, Augmentin ES 600, Amox Clav.

[Rock Monkey]

Pepper is now falling over and being extremely lethargic. Refused to eat. I am waiting on a friend to see if she has any antibiotics or not. I don't know what to do 😭😭

Keep contacting people, neighbors, family, friends, until you find somebody that has some antibiotics. Tell them you only need one or two pills.

[Mhiggi23]

Note, in order to see new posts you will need to hit the "refresh" button on your browser.

Do you have a recent weight for Pepper?

I just weighed him, scale says he's 126 grams

[Rock Monkey]

Post the antibiotic's details as soon as you are able to get your hands on it.

Also, you will need a small syringe to administer the antibiotics, preferably 1 cc or 1/2 of one cc.

Do you have one of these small syringes?

[Mhiggi23]

I gave him a couple ccs of pedialyte and he perked up a bit. Still not himself. I'm still trying to find some antibiotics. So far the only person who might have had anything only had liquid amoxicillin. I'm still looking though and asking around.

[Rock Monkey]

I gave him a couple ccs of pedialyte and he perked up a bit. Still not himself. I'm still trying to find some antibiotics. So far the only person who might have had anything only had liquid amoxicillin. I'm still looking though and asking around.

Regarding the amoxicillin, something is always better than nothing, but there are other antibiotics that will be more effective.

You might copy the list with detailed names that I posted and send that to people. We have had people who had access to effective antibiotics, but didn't realize it because they were looking for a different name. There are many different names used for the same thing. Read that detailed list over a couple of times so you will recognize them.

[Mhiggi23]

Update:

Okay! The only thing I found was 500mg capsules of Amoxicillin

Will this work???

[Mhiggi23]

Post the antibiotic's details as soon as you are able to get your hands on it.

Also, you will need a small syringe to administer the antibiotics, preferably 1 cc or 1/2 of one cc.

Do you have one of these small syringes?

I do have 1 cc syringes

[Rock Monkey]

What size syringe do you have?

If you don't have a small one you can often get one from the pharmacy, though they may be currently closed. Luer tip or slip tip o-ring syringes are preferable. Tell them you are taking care of a kitten, better not to mention the squirrel.

If you don't have a small syringe we can try to make do with what you have.

[Rock Monkey]

Update:

Okay! The only thing I found was 500mg capsules of Amoxicillin

Will this work???

Is there a picture of the package that you post? Just to be sure of the particulars.

Administrators have access to lots of files and should be able to answer that question.

[Mhiggi23]

This is what I found? Hoping it works?? :dono

[Rock Monkey]

We are waiting for an administrator to have a look at this thread and they will decide how to proceed.

[Spanky]

Give me a few minutes to work up the Amoxicillin dosage. Amoxicillin is not the best option, so please continue the hunt for more appropriate antibiotics.

[Mhiggi23]

Okay, I've asked everyone I know personally. That was the only one i could find. :( I gave everyone I know the list provided above of the names of medicine and asked them to pass it along to people they know as well.

[Spanky]

Amoxil dosing sent via PM.

[Mhiggi23]

Update:

Thanks to Spanky I was able to give Pepper his first dose of amoxicillin. I am still asking around for Cipro but no luck yet. I feel so helpless I wish I could make him feel better faster. I did get him to eat about 9ccs of formula and 3ccs of pedialyte a while later. He's peeing normally. He didn't eat as excitedly as he normally does :( he still just wants to be held and cuddle so we are cuddling while I study for my college midterms. Really praying he makes it through. I don't hear any clicking while he is breathing, but his breathing does sound a little labored. Thanks to all who replied to my post for any help given. This forum has been really helpful to me while having Pepper and has given me a lot of useful info.:squirrel2

[Chirps]

:sqrrl11

[Buddy]

Praying and sending healing vibes for Pepper! :Love_Icon

[Spanky]

Please do not singularly focus on Cipro, there are other medications that will be more effective than amoxil even if they are less effective than Cipro for AP.

I want to clarify that Augmentin/Clavamox is an excellent drug for AP and is okay for use in squirrels; the main ingredient (amoxicillin) is NOT the type of "penicillin" that should not be used in rodents.... typically if the name contains "penicillin" (e.g. Penicillin G Potassium), those are the medications (generally) not to be used in rodents.

Baytril/Cipro is an excellent drug for AP, but be aware that it can and will interfere with long bone development in mammals, including squirrels, if the animal remains on the antibiotic for an extended period. A single 5 or 7 day course of Baytril/Cipro has not been detrimental for baby squirrels in the collective experience. For this reason, Augmentin is my personal go to choice for AP. However, when a squirrel develops AP time is of the essence, and certainly the potential for developmental issues is outweighed by lethal nature of AP and how quickly it can kill a baby.

Bactrim is the tried and true treatment though a more slow acting antibiotic.

We will not dose drugs not already approved (or proven) to work in squirrels without adverse side effects.

[Mhiggi23]

Praying and sending healing vibes for Pepper! :Love_Icon

Thank you so much! Hes doing okay this morning. I thought he wouldn't make it through the night, but he's more active, he ate his full serving of formula for breakfast and climbed into my hand when I got him out of his enclosure which made me so happy, yesterday he wouldn't climb into my hand and just laid there. He usually is always very excited to see me so it made my heart sad. I'm glad he was happy to see me this morning :)

[Mhiggi23]

UPDATE

Hi everyone, I noticed this morning that Pepper has now started breathing with his mouth open, and it isn't with every breath, it's only every now and then if he's sitting still for long periods..... I still don't hear any clicking while he breathes, and he seems more active than he was the other day, he's still eating pretty good, but he just started breathing through his mouth off and on starting this morning. I gave him his second dose of the amoxicillin last night, still have not found anyone with different meds and have sent the list I was provided on here out to everyone I possibly know, so I wasn't just focusing on Cipro. I'm at a loss of what to do here at this point. :sadness :boohoo

[stepnstone]

Just throwing this out there, not trying to sound sexist...
Cioro (Ciprofloxacin) is a pretty common antibiotic prescribed to many woman
for a common yeast infection. Those who have had it prescribed to them usually
will keep some on hand.
Baytril is the animal version used to treat various ailments in animals.

[Mhiggi23]

Just throwing this out there, not trying to sound sexist...
Cioro (Ciprofloxacin) is a pretty common antibiotic prescribed to many woman
for a common yeast infection. Those who have had it prescribed to them usually
will keep some on hand.
Baytril is the animal version used to treat various ailments in animals.


Yeah, I have asked everyone I know. Nobody seems to have anything. I've been asking around for both Baytril and Cipro :/ still can't seem to find either one. I even tried emailing my doctor to see if she would prescribe me Cipro for a yeast infection (that I don't have.) Of course they won't prescribe anything without a doctors visit.

[stepnstone]

Yeah, I have asked everyone I know. Nobody seems to have anything. I've been asking around for both Baytril and Cipro :/ still can't seem to find either one. I even tried emailing my doctor to see if she would prescribe me Cipro for a yeast infection (that I don't have.) Of course they won't prescribe anything without a doctors visit.

If you have a pet/aquarium/fish store you can get to they usually have Fish Flox for treating aquarium fish.
Fish Flox is Ciprofloxacin, normally 250 mg in tablet form.

[Mhiggi23]

If you have a pet/aquarium/fish store you can get to they usually have Fish Flox for treating aquarium fish.
Fish Flox is Ciprofloxacin, normally 250 mg in tablet form.

Would that work better for him than the Amoxicillin?? I can try to see if theres somewhere around me like that.

[stepnstone]

Would that work better for him than the Amoxicillin?? I can try to see if theres somewhere around me like that.
Cipro is one of the better antibiotics for treating Ap.

[Rock Monkey]

Definitely keep looking for antibiotics that are more effective against AP, different bacteria require different antibiotics. The antibiotics on the list previously given are broad spectrum antibiotics, meaning they are effective against many different bacteria. Be sure to tell people you only need one or two pills so they know you are not asking for their whole supply.

Important note, you mentioned giving Pepper Pedialyte. The manufacturer of Pedialyte recommends disposing of their product 48 after opening because it can readily become a bacterial breeding ground. This recommendation even applies if the product has been refrigerated. The longer the product has been open, the greater the probability that it has become filled with bacteria. This is the last thing a young that is already struggling with a bacterial respiratory infection needs.

For hydration you can substitute lightly sweetened water to engage stronger interest. Additionally, hopefully you already have a water bottle in Pepper's cage. This water should be changed daily and the bottle cleaned with hot water periodically.

[Mhiggi23]

Cipro is one of the better antibiotics for treating Ap.

I ordered some, it will be here tomorrow morning. I am still giving him the amoxicillin for now. Does anyone know the dosing for the Cipro?

[Rock Monkey]

I ordered some, it will be here tomorrow morning. I am still giving him the amoxicillin for now. Does anyone know the dosing for the Cipro?

An administrator should be able to help you with that.

[Spanky]

When the Cipro arrives, post the strength along with the current weight of the squirrel...

[Mhiggi23]

The Cipro arrived today, they are 250mg tablets. Peppers weight as of this morning before feeding was 130-131g he was wiggly. but it seemed to stay at 131

[Mhiggi23]

I had another question about feeding him. He's been relatively active the last 2 days as compared to before. He's been playing and climbing around, isn't as lethargic until evening time then he's all kinds of sleepy and then he's breathing heavily again. He's been slowly refusing his formula. Is this just because he's sick? Or is he weaning himself?

Also, if he's doing better should I still give him the cipro? Just in case? I mean would it hurt him to give it to him even if he seems like he's getting a bit better? I just want to make sure I do the right thing for Pepper and whatever will make him healthy and happy.

Thanks again everyone for all the help you've been giving me. It means the world to me. I adore Pepper very much and it's been a very stressful few days spent worrying if he'll make it through. :Love_Icon

[stepnstone]

The Cipro arrived today, they are 250mg tablets. Peppers weight as of this morning before feeding was 130-131g he was wiggly. but it seemed to stay at 131

I'll work this up and send in a pm...

[Rock Monkey]

I had another question about feeding him. He's been relatively active the last 2 days as compared to before. He's been playing and climbing around, isn't as lethargic until evening time then he's all kinds of sleepy and then he's breathing heavily again. He's been slowly refusing his formula. Is this just because he's sick? Or is he weaning himself?



He is not weaning himself, he is much too young for that. Based on weight I would guess that Pepper is 5-6 weeks old.

It is highly likely that he doesn't want to eat because he doesn't feel. That is one of the classic signs of a squirrel battling
a respiratory infection. It means he is struggling. Be sure to review your feeding technique against the video provided to prevent any future aspiration. When they are feeding strongly it is often a good idea to provide a little back pressure on the plunger to prevent the squirrel from pulling too much formula at once.

Even if he doesn't have much appetite keep him hydrated with lightly sweetened water.

We wouldn't recommend the antibiotics if they were going to cause substantial harm. If you give Pepper some lightly sweetened whole milk, plain Greek yogurt that should help mend any upset to the digestive system caused by the antibiotics. The Cipro will be much more effective than what you had been giving. The problem with AP is that once they start going downhill they go down hill fast, oftentimes so fast that the decline cannot be reversed regardless of the antibiotic given. My motto is don't gamble with death.