Worried That My Squirrel May Be Aspirated.

[Gray Squirrel]

Worried That My Squirrel May Be Aspirated.
Hi: Squirrel board form From: Gray Squirrel
I have a Squirrel that I think is 3 or 4 weeks old. She weighs about 105 grams. When I put my ear up the Squirrel I have I hear clicks and squeaks and some crackling noses. Sometimes there is a sound like a sneeze. Some of the clicks are in time with her breathing others are not. The clicks sometimes get quieter or stop but they come back. She has had a lot of twitches since I got her. I am worried the she may be aspirated. I have Fish Mox but I do not know how much to give or how to give it to her if she needs it. I have herd squirrels make noses before that ended when there was something like a squeaky burp and then they were O. K. but she keeps making noises I will keep listening to her to see if she gets better or worse. This is more persistent than it was with other Squirrels
She did not eat much at first but now She will eat between 3 and 4 ml. most of the time. I have been feeding her every three to four hours. I should try to feed her every three hours during the day. I think she is not quite four mouths old yet. I looked at pictures of baby Squirrel of different ages. Her eyes are still closed and she does not have (thick) fur around her lower stomach.

[Spanky]

All babies click sometimes, especially after feedings. These are more form the mouth versus the lung click that happens with AP. Also, the AP click does not stop, it is constant, so if you do not hear it when she is sleeping she is probably okay. They will also lose their appetites.

Fish Flox is better than Fish Mox, but Mox is still better than nothing if it is needed, but the Fish Mox really is not all that effective to be honest. Fish Flox is more ideal for treating AP.

For dosing if, the weight of the squirrel and the strength of the medication are both needed.

[nvsemma]

Worried That My Squirrel May Be Aspirated.
Hi: Squirrel board form From: Gray Squirrel
I have a Squirrel that I think is 3 or 4 weeks old. She weighs about 105 grams. When I put my ear up the Squirrel I have I hear clicks and squeaks and some crackling noses. Sometimes there is a sound like a sneeze. Some of the clicks are in time with her breathing others are not. The clicks sometimes get quieter or stop but they come back. She has had a lot of twitches since I got her. I am worried the she may be aspirated. I have Fish Mox but I do not know how much to give or how to give it to her if she needs it. I have herd squirrels make noses before that ended when there was something like a squeaky burp and then they were O. K. but she keeps making noises I will keep listening to her to see if she gets better or worse. This is more persistent than it was with other Squirrels
She did not eat much at first but now She will eat between 3 and 4 ml. most of the time. I have been feeding her every three to four hours. I should try to feed her every three hours during the day. I think she is not quite four mouths old yet. I looked at pictures of baby Squirrel of different ages. Her eyes are still closed and she does not have (thick) fur around her lower stomach.


I think mi bb squirrel has pneumonia too and I don’t know what to do and who to contact. He about 1-2 weeks old, weights 18 grams and I have amoxicillin 500. He’s sleeping a lot, lost appetite and I hear a clicking sound sometimes. I need help and I don’t know how to work this site 😩🥺.

[HRT4SQRLS]

I think mi bb squirrel has pneumonia too and I don’t know what to do and who to contact. He about 1-2 weeks old, weights 18 grams and I have amoxicillin 500. He’s sleeping a lot, lost appetite and I hear a clicking sound sometimes. I need help and I don’t know how to work this site 😩🥺.

I sent dosing for this baby. It was attached to another thread. I hope the OP comes back.

[Gray Squirrel]

All babies click sometimes, especially after feedings. These are more form the mouth versus the lung click that happens with AP. Also, the AP click does not stop, it is constant, so if you do not hear it when she is sleeping she is probably okay. They will also lose their appetites.

Fish Flox is better than Fish Mox, but Mox is still better than nothing if it is needed, but the Fish Mox really is not all that effective to be honest. Fish Flox is more ideal for treating AP.

For dosing if, the weight of the squirrel and the strength of the medication are both needed.
I looked at the internet to see if Fish Flox which is Ciprofloxacin can rupture tendons. I found something that said it is associated with tendonitis, tendon rupture and retinal detachment. All of these would be bad for a squirrel and it may not be possible to fix any of these for a Squirrel. I do not know if Amoxicillin weakens tendons. When I tried to look up the effect of Amoxicillin and tendons on the internet I found very little about it. So it is likely that Amoxicillin is safer for and tendons and eyes than Ciprofloxacin . I found this on the internet:
https://blogs.bcm.edu/2018/07/25/antibiotic-ciprofloxacin-increases-risk-of-tears-and-rupture-in-mouse-aortas/
From The Labs
"The dark side of antibiotic ciprofloxacin
July 25, 2018 antibiotics, aorta tears and ruptures, aortic aneurysms and dissections, ciprofloxacin, extracellular matrix, fluoroquinolones, mouse model, Research
UPDATE: A few months after this article was posted, the work by Baylor researchers has begun to have international impact. Read the details here.
The use of ciprofloxacin and other antibiotics of the class of fluoroquinolones may be associated with disruption of the normal functions of connective tissue, including tendon rupture, tendonitis and retinal detachment. These observations reported in a number of journals resulted in the drugs currently having a black box warning physicians and patients of the potential deleterious side effects."
I think the advantage of Ciprofloxacin (Fish Flox) is it works on a wider range of infections but the down side is that it is more likely to cause tendon ruptures and retinal detachment. I am not sure but I think Amoxicillin (Fish Mox) still works and is probably safer for tendons and eyes. If you are thinking of using Fish Flox or Fish Mox you could do some research on this before deciding which to use. I think if your type in ciprofloxacin and tendons on the internet you will find more articles about this. I am a little afraid of the possible side effects of Ciprofloxacin. At this time I think it is hard to get ether Fish Mox or Fish Flox.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi Gray Squirrel,
Everything you posted is correct. Ciprofloxacin and all the antibiotics in that class (fluoroquinolones) have the potential to cause serious side effects. You mentioned a black box warning. Actually the fluoroquinolone antibiotics have 3 black box warnings. A black box warning is the FDAs highest level of warning for a drug. The warning you mentioned is the potential to cause tendon rupture and other connective tissue disorders. The second warning is in regard to cardiac issues associated with their use. They can disrupt the normal rhythm of the heart. The third warning is central nervous system disorders like seizures. Also worth noting is the veterinary fluoroquinolone Baytril (Enrofloxacin) has been associated with blindness in cats.

SO, the bottom line is that this class of antibiotics does carry risk of potentially serious side effects. The good news is that the side effects are not common. If they were common, the drugs would be pulled off the market.

As far as treating AP with Ciprofloxacin or Baytril, the reason is because it has proven to be the most effective antibiotic for this serious infection. If not treated quickly, they will literally be dead in 12 hrs. When dosed with Cipro or Baytril you will see a rapid turn around in as little as 18 hrs. They will go from clicking/not eating/lifeless to ready to start eating in 24hrs. The turnaround is quite dramatic. That’s why we use it. As with all things, it is risk vs. benefit. Let’s face it, the small risk of side effects is irrelevant if they die of aspiration pneumonia.

As far as amoxicillin, it’s just not as effective for treating pneumonia. IF that is the only antibiotic available, I will always dose it but I’m acutely aware that it might not work but something is better than nothing.

Of note, Ciprofloxacin was once considered the drug of choice for UTI in women. It is extremely effective for UTI’s. Because a UTI is relatively easy to treat, Ciprofloxacin is no longer the drug of choice for uncomplicated UTIs because of the potential of these serious side effects. Septra (SMZ-TMP) is now the recommended drug of choice because it is much safer. Again, the side effects are RARE but they are real. We never recommend treatment as a prophylactic measure. We are asked for dosing by nervous moms that just want to be on the safe side but we won’t dose for that reason. If AP is present we will dose Cipro or Baytril because without it, they will die.