7-year old gray squirrel with infection

[Twig]

I have a 7-year old gray squirrel who recently got an infection in several spot and kept chewing at them. Treated with Bactine, and they began healing but came back, and he is now very, very sick with labored breathing. He was rescued before his eyes were open, so he has no other diseases.

Is this most likely an infection that has spread to his blood? No vets will treat him in my area unfortunately.

Please advise most likely issue and possible immediate treatment. I am thinking a Baytril injection may be the only thing that may save his life at this point.

Thank you for your replies. I can provide phone number via pm.

[Mel1959]

What antibiotics do you have on hand? Human or animal?

[Twig]

Unfortunately, nothing on hand. I may be able to get a human antibiotic if there is one you can recommend. Twig is so weak, though, that I don't know if he can consume.

[Mel1959]

Call around to friends and family to see what you can find. Baytril (animal)/Ciproflaxin (human) and Clavamox (animal)/ Augmentin (human) are ones that we’ve used. Also Sulfa drugs like SMZ/TMP, doxycycline, Clindamycin are some others.

[Twig]

What would be dosing on ciproflaxin if I can get that? Also, he has barely eaten or drank in the last day. Any recommendations on getting him to consume in a weakened state?

[Twig]

He is now beginning to display some discharge from his eye. What is that symptom show?

[Spanky]

The strength of the Cipro and the weight of the squirrel is needed to dose medications.

If the discharge from the eye is a milky white discharge, that is pain. I'll send you a chart on dosing Ibuprofen (Infants).

What other symptoms does he have?

I would attempt to give him hydration or Ensure (or alternate) orally with a syringe.

[Twig]

The strength of the Cipro and the weight of the squirrel is needed to dose medications.

If the discharge from the eye is a milky white discharge, that is pain. I'll send you a chart on dosing Ibuprofen (Infants).

What other symptoms does he have?

I would attempt to give him hydration or Ensure (or alternate) orally with a syringe.

I am picking up some Cipro within the hour. I don't know the strength yet.

He also has some tremors, twail twitches occasionally, and just hangs his head.

I have been able to get him to lick an ice cube, but that is probably not enough hydration.

He really is has not eaten much in the last day since he has gotten very ill.

Once I have the antibiotic, aside from dosing (he is 7 years normal healthy sized gray squirrel. I will see if I can weigh him), any tips on getting him to take the medication. I believe it will be in pill form, so I am planning on crushing it and administering (somehow). Any tips appreciated.

Best guess at dosage??? I will respond back once i have the antibiotic.

thanks

[Twig]

Also, please do send the ibuiprofen dosing..thanks

[stepnstone]

I am picking up some Cipro within the hour. I don't know the strength yet.

He also has some tremors, twail twitches occasionally, and just hangs his head.

I have been able to get him to lick an ice cube, but that is probably not enough hydration.

He really is has not eaten much in the last day since he has gotten very ill.

Once I have the antibiotic, aside from dosing (he is 7 years normal healthy sized gray squirrel. I will see if I can weigh him), any tips on getting him to take the medication. I believe it will be in pill form, so I am planning on crushing it and administering (somehow). Any tips appreciated.

Best guess at dosage??? I will respond back once i have the antibiotic.

thanks
You can not just crush up an antibiotic and dose....
The Cipro would need to be properly diluted for a squirrel's use, we have to know the milligrams of the pill to know what dilution is needed.
We need to know the weight of squirrel or post a picture for an educated guesstimate. All medications are dosed by body weight.
You will need a 1 cc/ml syringe to dose.

[Twig]

You can not just crush up an antibiotic and dose....
The Cipro would need to be properly diluted for a squirrel's use, we have to know the milligrams of the pill to know what dilution is needed.
We need to know the weight of squirrel or post a picture for an educated guesstimate. All medications are dosed by body weight.
You will need a 1 cc/ml syringe to dose.

Got 250mg tablet, cut in half, crushed the 125mg half and mixed with snapple. Fed orally by syringe. I guessing he drank approximately 60mg? Still have some left and he spit out a fair amount.

Hopefully that was not too much or too little.

Thank you all for your help! Does not look good, but have to give it a shot.

[Spanky]

That is way too large a dose and anyone reading this in the future needs to know this...

I will send you to proper dosing and I think you will be surprised on how much of an overdose you have administered.

[stepnstone]

Got 250mg tablet, cut in half, crushed the 125mg half and mixed with snapple. Fed orally by syringe. I guessing he drank approximately 60mg? Still have some left and he spit out a fair amount.
Hopefully that was not too much or too little.
Thank you all for your help! Does not look good, but have to give it a shot.
:shakehead



I am picking up some Cipro within the hour. I don't know the strength yet.
Best guess at dosage??? I will respond back once i have the antibiotic.
I wish you would have stuck with this, we could have told you how to properly dilute/dose.



[I]The Cipro would need to be properly diluted for a squirrel's use, we have to know the milligrams of the pill to know what dilution is needed.
FYI: The strength used for a squirrel is 22.7mg, the dosage (according to weight) is 2.5 - 15 mg

[Twig]

:shakehead



I wish you would have stuck with this, we could have told you how to properly dilute/dose.


FYI: The strength used for a squirrel is 22.7mg, the dosage (according to weight) is 2.5 - 15 mg

I am hoping I overestimated how much he ingested. It really was hard to tell.

Is 22.7mg the max dose, even in a sepsis event?

What is the typical tolerance for an overdose? What symptoms to look for?

Hoping he can survive the night. I did thankfully arrange a shot for him tomorrow morning.

Knowing now of a possible overdose, please let me know if it would be best to delay that or maybe move to end of day.

As of now, he is still suffering but alive. It is heartbreaking.

[Spanky]

I am hoping I overestimated how much he ingested. It really was hard to tell.

Is 22.7mg the max dose, even in a sepsis event?

What is the typical tolerance for an overdose? What symptoms to look for?

Hoping he can survive the night. I did thankfully arrange a shot for him tomorrow morning.

Knowing now of a possible overdose, please let me know if it would be best to delay that or maybe move to end of day.

As of now, he is still suffering but alive. It is heartbreaking.

The 22.7 is the "strength" used in squirrels not the "dose" adn 22.7mg is the tablet sized often used in dogs that are many times the size of a squirrel. I think Step was trying to emphasize that while you had 250mg human tablet, that is about 10 times the vet / animal equivalent. The 2mg - 15mg is the dose range (per kg)... so 15mg would be the high range for a 2 pound (1 kg) grey, which is a very large squirrel.

Renal failure, liver damage, aortic aneurysm are a few of the possible ill effects from too much Cipro.

I will be praying for Twigs recovery.

[Twig]

I stayed up the night with Twig and tried to keep fluids in him, and he is still alive.

[Mel1959]

I’d continue to give fluids drop by drop if necessary. If he’ll take some Ensure (pecan flavor is usually well liked) it would provide some nutrition.

Have you examined his teeth to be sure there are no issues? Did his wounds ever get red, inflamed and oozy? I’m just trying to see if there may be multiple issues going on.

I’m glad he’s hanging in there. :Love_Icon

[Spanky]

Can you post a picture of these wounds?

Are you certain your vet is considering Baytril ("Cipro") as the injection to treat Twig? If this started off as a skin infection... and even if it is now systematic... and I am not a vet, but it does not seem that Baytril would be the best choice.

Maybe Convenia which is a long lasting, single shot medication (a cephalosporin) which is effective with skin infections, abscesses, wounds, etc.

[DavidDane]

Can you post a picture of the shin infection? I treated my grey squirrel last year for a nasty skin infection and he had discharge in the eyes too. I treated him with an Antibiotic called SMZ-TMP. You should be able to ask a local vet to prescribe it, if not I might have some extra you can start him on at least. If it's the same thing my little guy had I would get him on it as soon as possible. I can give you the dosing instructions as well.