Wounded eastern gray

[HelloChello]

Hello all, I'm new here and this is my first Squirrel, but I have a rescue released eastern Gray who is about 2 yrs old now. he comes back every so often for snacks and recently he came back with 3 wounds on his side, one that was very swollen and abscessed. I put some colloidal silver on it that first day, but I didn't keep him. he came back 3 days later, and the abscess had ruptured and left a decent sized open hole and I could tell one of the other wounds scab was backed up with puss. so, I kept him inside I've been using wound wash, iodine and the silver, and it has improved, but then it fills with puss again, it scabs, then it opens. he's been inside since may15th and I hate to keep him much longer. I'm thinking I need to administer some oral antibiotics and the only thing I can get my hands on is Clindamycin 150mg capsules. I've read other places that this is an ok antibiotic to use for squirrels. can anyone help me with dosing? He is currently 572 grams. Also, any recommendations on how to get the medicine into him would be great. he's a pretty picky eater. I attached a bunch of photos showing the progress of the wound. Let me know if they don’t work or you would like me to send them a different way, like I said I’m new and this is my first post 😊
also wrapping the wound has proven impossible because of the area its in and he hates it. i did see a thread about how to make an e collar which i might be able to try but he's not going to be happy about it at all. any advice is greatly appreciated

31846331846431846531846631846731846831846931847031 8471318472

[Spanky]

Clindamycin is not the best choice for this type of wound. I'll write up the clindamycin dosing and send it but try to find some other choices... ask family, friends and neighbors. A couple that would be better include Bactrim (SMZ/TMP) and Clavamox/Augmentin; there are others that would be a better choice than the Clindamycin, so if you find anything let us know.

Looking at today's pic I would not worry about wrapping it. He looks like he was very lucky and got away from a hawk or other bird of prey....

[HelloChello]

Why isn't clindamaycin the best choice?

I will try my hardest to find some Bactrim or clavamox /augmentin and let you know if i get my hand on any

Thank you so much

[Spanky]

Clindamycin is not very effective against organisms that infect soft tissue would like these wounds. Clindamycin is better for treating infections of the mouth or bones and such. Many other antibiotics target the types of organisms that infect soft tissue much better than clindamycin.

Edit: Dosing sent in PM.

[HelloChello]

so I just found some I have on hand.

I have sulfamethoxazole /TMP DS TAB the bottle does not say what mg they are but its a white oval with IP on one side and 272 on the other

I also have some Augmentin white oval says 875

any recommendations on which is best to use and dosage instructions please

Thanks

318473

[Spanky]

I sent dosing for the augmentin in a PM. If positive results are not obvious in 2 -3 days we can switch to the bactrim, which has broader coverage (if needed) but more slow acting....

[HelloChello]

I am both happy and sad, Happy that my friend Earl the Squirrel is all healed up and sad that I had to let him go.
318619
He got so sweet and cuddly in the 3 weeks I had him inside he even started grooming me. he is the best.
318620

I released him back to my back yard on 6.6.21 and I am hoping he doesn't take forever to come visit again but I am sort of expecting it will be a while.

Can you see him?:
318621

:Love_IconThank you Spanky for your help and to whomever created this message board, your saving so many little furry lives. !!!!Thank you Thank you Thank You!!!!:Love_Icon

[Spacec4t]

I'm glad your little friend healed and is now happy and free! It is a mark of great trust that he came to you when he needed help! Something I would forever cherish in my heart.

Just in case someone else finds themselves faced with a potentially infected wound without any medication on hand, here is something you can use in a pinch. It is called Dakin solution. It is very good for any infected wound. It is an old classic remedy that was taught to me by my father who was a pharmacist.

The recipe is very simple. You just need to make sure to respect the proportions because otherwise you could create something very corrosive or a solution that doesn't work as well.

So here is how it goes:
- 1 TBS or one bottle cap of chlorine bleach
- 1 qt of water
Just mix together. As simple as that.

Keep it in a closed container with a cap that won't rust or corrode and label it. Keep in a cool place away from direct sunshine and it will keep for a good while.

To use it, soak a piece of cotton in the solution, apply that compress to the wound for 20 minutes. Of course with a squirrel it can be difficult to achieve that duration. The longest time possible anyway.
Repeat 3-4 times a day.

Chlorine bleach kills germs on contact. There is no danger of creating any resistance to it.
Again, just make sure not to make it more concentrated than the recipe says. At this concentration it is not corrosive to the skin or the flesh so no worries about that.

However, take care of not using fabrics that can be discolored close to it. If it gets on something that could fade, just rince with a lot of water as soon as possible.

Cheers! ����