SEVERE URI, no vet until Monday...

[xoniac]

Hi,

My 6 mo old grey has a uri. It came on suddenly, overnight, with a vengence. Started with lack of energy, congested nose, watery eyes, fever and within two days... She is on deaths doorstep. She went to the vet (well, vets replacement since he is on vacation for the week) who put her on Bactrim, but the following day she was gasping so X-rays were done. No sign of pnemonia but had gas in the abdomen. My guess? Swallowing air while she eats. Vet decided it was a reaction to abs and took her off. She is on antiinflammatories and is due to go back Monday... But I am afraid she won't make it til then.

Today, she spent most of the day flat on the bottom of her hospital cage, mouth breathing with her eyes barely open. We periodically cleaned her nose off, this morning her nose had blood crusted over it but it turned to straight snot later in the day. She did not move a whole lot today. I purchased a vaporizer and set it up for the night, blanket over cage, with some Vicks rubbed on some blankets. She has lots of blankets and water and her rodent blocks, but she is to the point where she just lys there and doesn't even struggle when we wipe her nose or give her meds. I will be getting water in her as much as I can, but is there anything else I can do to keep her alive until she can see the vet on Monday? THis came on so suddenly and I can't imagine loosing her as just four days ago she was a happy, healthy squirrel.

[SammysMom]

Do you have access to human antibiotic Cipro or to veterinary antibiotic Baytril? SHe needs an antibiotic now.

[xoniac]

No I do not, unfortunately.

[xoniac]

Do you have access to human antibiotic Cipro or to veterinary antibiotic Baytril? SHe needs an antibiotic now.

I do have veterinary azithromycin...

[SammysMom]

I would suggest calling friends and family to see if anyone has a single pill of either. We can help to dose it, and if you find some do NOT give any without a proper dose though!

[xoniac]

I would suggest calling friends and family to see if anyone has a single pill of either. We can help to dose it, and if you find some do NOT give any without a proper dose though!

I have so,e liquid vet azithromycin...

[SammysMom]

Hang on...let me check, but I have never used or dosed this one that I remember. I will look it up.

[Nancy in New York]

Just let me ask as I am on my way out for a minute, the vet did NOT find upper respiratory infection or did.
What you are describing now is that a reaction to the Bactrim?
Gayle do you think that Benedryl should be used?
OK running out for about 15 minutes.

[xoniac]

Please keep in mind that she is not technically MY squirrel. She belongs to the zoo I work with or else I would have Already rushed her to an emergency vet. They had her in an oxygen tank for a little while and she improved, and she improves slightly for a few hours after the antiinflammatory is given. Since she belongs to the zoo, I can't technically give her any kind of drug that isn't approved by our vet or collection manager. However, if it comes to her life, I am not opposed to sneaking it to her.

Do you think she has a chance of making it to Monday, or should I really be praying for a miracle?

I may have some other antibiotics hidden in my medical kit, but if I do, they are likely old and possibly expired.... But I will check.

[xoniac]

Just let me ask as I am on my way out for a minute, the vet did NOT find upper respiratory infection or did.
What you are describing now is that a reaction to the Bactrim?
Gayle do you think that Benedryl should be used?
OK running out for about 15 minutes.

The temporary vet has no idea what he's doing in my opinion. He assumed uri but then took her off antibiotics the following day because he believed the gasping was a reaction, not a symptom. No pnemonia was found in her lungs though, apparently they were completely clear. He didn't want to put her on more antibiotics because he wanted the reaction to clear up first.

I've had rats in the past and I'm pretty sure she has a severe URI.

Vet put her on.... Metacam and Buprenex because he believed her stomach is causing her discomfort. So I have to be careful not to sneak her anything that will react badly to that.

[SammysMom]

Look in your medical kit and see what you might have. I am unfamiliar with this drug except that I think it is what a Z-pack is for humans and it is time released. I am not sure about time released drugs with a creature whose metabolism is so fast.

[xoniac]

More bactrim which is whT the vet thinks is causing issues (smztmp), a single pill cephalexin, human clavamox expired late September, human doxy expired early july

[SammysMom]

What strength is the clavamox?

[xoniac]

What strength is the clavamox?

875mg tablets. I guess technically it's called Amox-clav for humans, but I assume it's the same thing.

[SammysMom]

Hang on. Making sure this is the way to go, but I think clavamox is the best choice. I will have dosing and confirmation shortly.

[xoniac]

Hang on. Making sure this is the way to go, but I think clavamox is the best choice. I will have dosing and confirmation shortly.

Thank you so much.

I cannot give whatever drug to her until tomorrow - do you think she has a chance?

[MollyBear361]

I would do what I needed to do to save the squirrel.

[Nancy in New York]

Can I assume that you have a stethoscope there? Can you hear anything when you listen to her chest?
You took her to the vet thinking that she had a URI due to the symptoms she was displaying, yet the vet found nothing to indicate that?
He put her on Bactrim, just in case, and she had an allergic reaction to it, and has gotten worse since? Correct?

Could she also have an allergic reaction to any other anitibiotic that is given? Why is she on Metacam AND Buprenex ?
Was the Buprenex an injection?

[SammysMom]

So she isn't with you now? She is at the zoo? She still certainly has a chance.

[xoniac]

She is at the zoo in a hospital cage with a vaporizer on. I will be there by 830am and can give her whatever she needs at that point. If she makes it that long, fingers crossed. When I give her the antibiotics, how long does it typically take before I notice any improvements? What else can I do to keep her alive and comfortable until then?

no, the vet said he believed it to be a URI but no signs of pnemonia as xrays showed her lungs were perfectly clear. However he thinks she reacted to the bactrim (I disagree). She is on both meds as a pain reliever and anti inflammatory as he found some gas in her intestines he feels makes her uncomfortable. Both are injectable. Today before I left, I noticed a small, very quiet clicking when I listened to her chest - this was not there previously. I'm guessing this is a sign that it us becoming pnemonia now.