Why one of my 6 week old babies died?

[Mwatts]

I had 5 siblings 6 week old squirrels but unfortunately one of them died when they all seemed okay the one had diarrhea but it was better by the night before it died there was nothing wrong with it besides that but I woke up the next morning and it was laying down gasping for air and it had blood on it’s mouth but I checked for any cuts on it or any of the sibling but there were none any idea on what happened? I just would like to know so I can prevent it in the future

[Spanky]

I had 5 siblings 6 week old squirrels but unfortunately one of them died when they all seemed okay the one had diarrhea but it was better by the night before it died there was nothing wrong with it besides that but I woke up the next morning and it was laying down gasping for air and it had blood on it’s mouth but I checked for any cuts on it or any of the sibling but there were none any idea on what happened? I just would like to know so I can prevent it in the future

What are you feeding them, how often and how much?

With it gasping for air and blood in its mouth my first guess would be aspiration pneumonia. Listen to the others, hold them to your ear like a phone and listen for a clicking sound as they breath.

[Mwatts]

I was thinking pneumonia at first but I am feeding them esbilac formula the thing is that I have raised a few squirrels before this and it wasn’t showing any of the symptoms of Pneumonia I am always checking to make sure I watch them very closely I feed them as much as they’ll take about 4 to 6 ml of formula and I have started getting them to eat rodent block made for squirrels it’s the exotic nutrition brand they seem to like them I feed them ever 4 hours. Do you think it could have been the rodent blocks? I was also giving unflavored pedialyte for 3 feeding the day before the same amount as I would the formula.

[Spanky]

I don't believe you will find a whole lot of TSB members that are fans of the exotic nutrition blocks including me.

I doubt that the pediatric was a factor. Sever cases of Aspiration Pneumonia (AP) can result in hemorrhage in the lungs, which also seems to be more prevalent in older squirrels (6 weeks to 12 weeks) in my experience.

Was the diarrhea bloody in any way?

Is there any chance he may have eaten something he should not have... a house plant? Old / molded food? Something else?

[Mwatts]

I don't believe you will find a whole lot of TSB members that are fans of the exotic nutrition blocks including me.

I doubt that the pediatric was a factor. Sever cases of Aspiration Pneumonia (AP) can result in hemorrhage in the lungs, which also seems to be more prevalent in older squirrels (6 weeks to 12 weeks) in my experience.

Was the diarrhea bloody in any way?

Is there any chance he may have eaten something he should not have... a house plant? Old / molded food? Something else?



No she had no chance to get a hold of anything that she wasn’t supposed to have but when I saved them it was from the dealership that my boyfriend worked at they took them out of a cars blower motor and they dropped one of them before I had arrived to get them I was thinking maybe that could possibly have something to do with it but there was no blood in her diarrhea I was constantly checking just to make sure they were ok and I was changing out their food daily.