Clicking sound when breathing.

[Romans828]

Hi.
My sweet Romans makes a clicking sound when breathing. I used to have pet rats. They made this sound when they had mycoplasma problems. I have no vet nearby that will see him to see if it can be treated. I'm afraid his life is being cut short. He does not act sick, except for sleeping a lot. But I think that is boredom. He has free roam of my bedroom which has been made safe.
Thank you in advance for any advice. I am in the Kansas City area if that helps.

[supersquirrelgirl]

Hello Romans828,

Welcome to TSB. Please tell us more about your squirrel; appetite, food, activity, weight. How long this condition has been going on ??

Do you have antibiotics or access to them ? If yes, what do you have and what strength, liquid or pill ?? You will need a 1ml syringe (no needle) for meds. Do you have one ??

Mr.SSG

[Romans828]

Thank you for your response. I do have the syringe. I only have expired human amoxicillin. I don't know how to go about getting what I need to keep on hand. I apologize for taking so long to respond.
Romans only clicks when he's sleeping now.
Looking through this site, I realize that I should have introduced us in this spot and asked questions in another thread.?.
So,
I got Romans when he was 3 weeks old on 8/28/22. He is non-releasable. He doesn't have good motor skills with his hands. I prepare soft food that he laps up like a dog. When he was young he ran in circles and seemed dizzy most of the time. But he's grown out of most of that.
He's a good boy. He has free run in my bedroom always. When I'm home, he has free run of the house. Unfortunately, I work long hours and am away most of the day. When I am here, he's always ready for a cuddle.
We have it figured out pretty well. I would just like to have a vet on hand for whatever might come. As well as supplies on hand and dosing understood well in advance.
I would also like to have some guidance about loneliness and boredom . He sleeps up to 17 or 18 hours a day. I feel so guilty for being gone so long. I cannot figure out any kind of companion for him. He is so fearful of any kind of animal. I've tried to introduce him to a tiny baby kitten, a baby rat, even a mouse. I don't think there is anything that he will accept.
I also need advice about his ears. He has deep intense itching. He constantly scratches and shakes his head when he is awake. I clean them out with q-tips every couple of weeks. They create a lot of dark debris. I treated him with kitten strength pyrethrins. It seems to help for about a week and then the itching is back. I know that it's a cycle and you have to do it weekly until there are no more eggs. I did it weekly for about 2 months. I don't know if it is dangerous for prolonged use.
The itching is affecting his quality of life.
Thank you so much.
327335

[CritterMom]

It doesn't sound as though he is ill as far as the clicking is concerned.

His ears: It sounds like he has ear mites. The best way to get RID of them is with a drug called Revolution. It is for dogs and cats but works very well on squirrels. It will address a number of other parasites as well. It is prescription only but can be purchased online from Canada. I have had good luck with this place: https://www.canadavetexpress.com/flea-and-tick-control-treatment/revolution-for-cats/p56.aspx

Buy the 3 pack PINK puppies and kittens.

This is applied to the skin on the back of the neck. You will only use a drop or two, depending on how large your squirrel is (if you could weigh him it would be good). It can be redosed every 30 days as needed. Each little vial will dose your squirrel several times. It kills the mites AND the mite eggs.

[Romans828]

Thank you so much. I will get it ordered right away. Also, how can I get in touch with a willing vet relatively close to me? I'm in the Kansas City area.

[CritterMom]

Unfortunately, finding a vet usually means doing some calling around. If you have other pets or a relationship with a vet, even a dog/cat vet or large animal vet, they may be able to point you to someone who would help. It is often hard to find one.

Don't forget to put his weight up here so we can go into more detail on the dosing for you.