Lethargic injured squirrel

[Nancy in New York]

She was 554 at the vets and I bet she's lost a gram or two. The Meloxicam is 15 mg. Here's a question. A little squirrel named Alex had major issues when he wasn't on a low dose of prednisone. On the prednisone he was near normal. Should I finish out the 24 hours since she was last dosed and start her on prednisone? Alex was neuro from an injury when he was a baby.

Pat what strength Pednisone do you have?
I can dose this but need a strength.
She has to be off the Meloxicam for 24 hours before starting Pred.
My daughter and grandson are here from California,
(My SIL had to work so he couldn't make it, we LOVE him, ) so I don't check
the board too much.
Send me a pm so I get an alert when you have the strength of the Pred.

[Chickenlegs]

Thanks Nancy. I'm late checking in. Hubby has classes here all day and everybody had to be fed, put up, taken out, Luray had to go in her new cage, clean up my mess (impossible so I mostly hide it), make formula, clean up mess I made making formula and get dressed cause I'm old and an old broad walking around in her skivies is scary. Yesterday Luray got no meds so she's clean for the Prednisone.

[Chickenlegs]

Prednisone is in. She got some formula mixed with babyfood fruit (not too crazy anout that) and she drank a lot of water. Her limbs seem to have strength and function, it's as if she doesn't know what to do with them. I think I'll start some physical therapy so when she does get out she'll be able to be a squirrel--climbing, jumping, running.

[Chickenlegs]

Poor girl has been circling since the prednisone hit. Just breaks my heart. Poor girl. Would Tramadol slow her down? Wish my friend who accupunctured her was here. She showed me how and where and left needles. Just don't want to stick her and my inexperience provide no relief.

[Shewhosweptforest]

Pat I sure hope she finds some relief from the prednisone but with her being so friendly...it makes me think of Sissy with Ella....hit in the head...just right

[Nancy in New York]

Poor girl has been circling since the prednisone hit. Just breaks my heart. Poor girl. Would Tramadol slow her down? Wish my friend who accupunctured her was here. She showed me how and where and left needles. Just don't want to stick her and my inexperience provide no relief.

If you have tramadol I can dose it.
I still have her weight from dosing the Pred.
IF you have 50 mg Tramadol that is what I will write it
up for and send in a pm.
Poor girl, I wonder why she is circling since the prednisone?

[UDoWhat]

This is Trysh and my iPad can't post pics from it so I grabbed Marty's and forgot to sign her out.

Pat, here is a photo of a dog spine. The points are GV20 at the top of the head on either side of the external occipital protuberance, the bony point on top of a dogs head. Just think where that bony point would be on a squirrel. This is the point that you needle more like doing a sub-q with needle pointed toward the tail.

in the picture of the dogs spine, the dots going down the center are the spinous processes of the vertebral column and of course the two longer lines where the hips would be are the hips. The 2nd point is GV 2 and I place that point at the lumbroscaral junction. I shared in the PM last night how to needle that point so I won't do that again. Hope this makes it clear as mud

[CritterMom]

Have you ever taken prednisone yourself? It is sort of like speed. It cranks you WAY up. I don't think the pred is causing the circling - that is likely from the injury, but it will sure increase her activity level. The tramadol should calm her down. Poor baby. I hope the pred does it's thing and wipes out any internal inflammation and swelling - which is what is probably causing the neuro symptoms...

[Chickenlegs]

OK--needled her this morning--of course before I checked here so likely got it wrong BUT--she calmed and I'm contributing that to the GV20. Don't know if I got the GV2 point right--went for the hip bones and the spine right between. She's had her prednisone and some nourishment--block soaked in formula and syringed in. She's had a good long drink of water. I noticed when friend needled her that she slept for several hours. Sleep is healing. Good girl. I gave her some lovins and LOOK! ARMAGE!!!!!

Question: I have two more needles. Should I use them this afternoon or tomorrow?

[Chickenlegs]

Have you ever taken prednisone yourself? It is sort of like speed. It cranks you WAY up. I don't think the pred is causing the circling - that is likely from the injury, but it will sure increase her activity level. The tramadol should calm her down. Poor baby. I hope the pred does it's thing and wipes out any internal inflammation and swelling - which is what is probably causing the neuro symptoms...

Yeah--I've taken pred. I wanted to kill and eat my hubby just because he was in MY space. I couldn't sit down for more than a minute. This house was CLEAN! I had the strength of TEN Grinches! I figure the circling is a neuro issue. I sure hope she can heal. Just gotta remember it's been a very short period of time since she was hurt and she has healing to do.

[CritterMom]

Yeah--I've taken pred. I wanted to kill and eat my hubby just because he was in MY space. I couldn't sit down for more than a minute. This house was CLEAN! I had the strength of TEN Grinches! I figure the circling is a neuro issue. I sure hope she can heal. Just gotta remember it's been a very short period of time since she was hurt and she has healing to do.

LOL. My mother has asthma and I can always tell when the doc has put her on one of the 5 day pred doses because when I get off the phone with her my ears are bleeding...

[Shewhosweptforest]

Wow Pat you are a brave needler I'm not sure I could bring myself to do that I'm so happy she's getting relief....and if the acupuncture helped...doesn't that indicate she is able to heal from this?

[redwuff]

The optimal way to needle is to treat when the effects start to wear off, and hopefully what you will see is that space between txs get extended till it is no longer needed. But I would wait till tomorrow. Try to get GV20 in, it is is a great point! Acupuncture should help with her appetite.

[Chickenlegs]

I have two needles left. Can I get acupuncture needles locally? Can they be sterilized for reuse? Right now she's circeling again but when I first peeked in the cage she was stationary and sitting STILL like a proper squirrel. I'll needle har again in the morning.
Oh Julie, I do hope she can recover from this. I know squirrels will zig when a zag is waaaaay better but so much could be prevented if folks would just SLOW DOWN!

[Mel1959]

I don't remember what Lurays neuro symptoms were from. Dr. E watched my video of May and said if the preds seem to be helping then I shouldn't do the tapering off doses as was initially prescribed. Instead she said to continue with once a day dosing. Do you have enough preds that you can continue for awhile?

[Chickenlegs]

Late but had to share this from earlier this afternoon
https://m.youtube.com/watch?list=FL2...v=FUTTEOarBE4#

Tonight she got her pred, a drink of water and some formula mixed with crushed block. She took more food than she has since I got her. She's still scared and stays curled up when I take her out. She's sleeping peacefully tonight. I cut the dose of pred back a little. She's lost weight and I thought some of the frantic circling might be from too much prednisone. Good night everybody.

Mel, she was hit by a car. She was found beside the road on her side. She stayed there all day poor baby. I still have some prednisone so if a daily dose helps, I'm good for awhile.

[redwuff]

Wow Pat. Great, just great!

[TubeDriver]

So glad to hear she is improving! That photo with armage is just too cute! I think the good response to pred and your care is very encouraging. I hope she can continue improving to the point that she can be released! Great job with her!

[Chickenlegs]

Next issue:she's hungry but can't seem to locate where the food is. I tried giving her little pieces of block and she'd try to hold it and drop it. I hope that will come-round soon. She seems to pee OK tho I have to hold the water bottle for her to take water. These are the needles I've used. She's a trooper. Don't know how well she sees. That's a concern. She tried to bolt today--GOOD!

[redwuff]

Hey Pat, I was not asking about what needles, but the area of the body she placed the needles.