Possibly sick baby

[PhantomMommy]

I have a little boy squirrel about 7 weeks old. I got him and his siblings when they were about 1-2 weeks old but the 3 others have since died. He's always been the biggest and strongest and I don't know if what's happening is life threatening or not. I haven't taken care of any animal like this before and haven't felt like this about one either. My Phantom (from Phantom of the Opera) has been making some kind of scratchy noise in his chest for about 2 days now. His breathing is kind of odd but his brother did the same thing once and all I had to do was clean his nose and he was fine. The breathing is odd because he takes deep breaths and his lungs go in a lot when he takes a breath. I can send videos of the sound he's been making and I've cleaned his nose A LOT but I can't get inside because his nose is so small. He sneezes a lot as well but usually more in the mornings I think. He eats a lot and is active so I don't think he has pneumonia and there's no clicking. I keep him warm and feed him often and he has plenty of space. I do think he is small for his age as I've seen many be bigger than a guy's hand and he still fits in mine (I'm very small) but his siblings were small too. I've read nearly everything there is know about their care and I work very hard day and night to keep him alive, as I did with his siblings. I can provide videos and pictures and can be contacted at pretty much any time. I'm very concerned about him and hope it'll clear up but he's my last little baby left and I haven't read about anyone else having these problems and I've looked up everything. Please help!

[LR]

Please post a picture of him and a link to a video that shows his problem if you can . Do you have a scale to weigh him on? If you do please post a weight on him.

[cava]

Hi and welcome. Please be as detailed as possible answering the following questions...

What are you feeding him daily, how much, how often? Has he always had this diet?

Where do you keep him, what's the set up, where in the house, other pets?

How much does he weigh in grams, you need a kitchen scale (Walmart $11). You will need this in case he needs meds, so someone here can instruct you on how much to give him. Having a scale can save his life.

Videos can be uploaded to youtube and the link pasted here. Photos can be posted by attaching (top task bar) from your computer. Both would be very helpful.

[cava]

Also, can you get your hands on the following antibiotics? Start calling friends and family. These are best for pneumonia.

Best--Baytril (animal med) or ciprofloxicin (human, often for uti treatment in women)

Good--Clavamox (animal) or augmenten (human)

and possibly Doxycycline

[PhantomMommy]

[PhantomMommy]

I replied to your first message Cava but I don't see it

[cava]

He is very cute, but looks small for his age. Let us know what he's been eating along with the other stuff I asked.

We'll help you get him sorted out.

[cava]

I replied to your first message Cava but I don't see it

You may not have hit submit afterward. That stinks, try again.

[PhantomMommy]

What are you feeding him daily, how much, how often? Has he always had this diet?
I give him Pedialyte about every other time I feed him and if he's hasn't been fed for more than 4 hours to be safe. He gets PetAg milk replacer plus for puppies and I feed him until his belly is full and rounded. He's always been fed this and doesn't drink water but eats pecans and Wild Harvest veggie puffers for small animals but only when I show them to him.

Where do you keep him, what's the set up, where in the house, other pets?
I keep him in a very large metal ferret cage and he has plenty to chew on all around him but never does. He sleeps in a large shirt with a heat lamp beside the cage and mostly stays there but I think it's because my room has been cooler. My mom has a toy poodle but I don't let her near him a lot because he doesn't like her.

How much does he weigh in grams, you need a kitchen scale (Walmart $11). You will need this in case he needs meds, so someone here can instruct you on how much to give him. Having a scale can save his life.
I don't have a scale but I will work on getting one.

Videos can be uploaded to youtube and the link pasted here. Photos can be posted by attaching (top task bar) from your computer. Both would be very helpful.[/QUOTE]

[cava]

What are you feeding him daily, how much, how often? Has he always had this diet?
I give him Pedialyte about every other time I feed him and if he's hasn't been fed for more than 4 hours to be safe. He gets PetAg milk replacer plus for puppies and I feed him until his belly is full and rounded. He's always been fed this and doesn't drink water but eats pecans and Wild Harvest veggie puffers for small animals but only when I show them to him.

Ok. Pet Ag is not supporting him and he will continue to get sick if you continue to use it. He needs to be drinking Esbilac Puppy formula with pre and probiotics on the label (see below). Mix according to the label and feed him every four hours during the day and you can give a 6 hour break at night. Stop the Pedialyte. He shouldn't have that much salt. You don't ever want to replace a formula meal with pedialyte because you are taking much needed calories away. You are feeding until the belly is full, but that isn't a safe way to tell if he's getting what he needs. Overfeeding can be more dangerous than underfeeding as it can cause bloat and problems with GI tract. When you get the scale you will feed him 5-7% of his body weight in grams. For instance if he weighs 125g x .05=6.25ml each time.

Stop feeding pecans and puffers, get him on the right track with proper formula now.

What kind syringe/nipple are you using??


Where do you keep him, what's the set up, where in the house, other pets?
I keep him in a very large metal ferret cage and he has plenty to chew on all around him but never does. He sleeps in a large shirt with a heat lamp beside the cage and mostly stays there but I think it's because my room has been cooler. My mom has a toy poodle but I don't let her near him a lot because he doesn't like her Offer lots of non loopy fabric (no towels) that nails can get caught on like fleece, t shirt, sweat shirt material. He will want to sleep under things. Be very careful with the lamp and be sure it's not too close and he can get to a cooler area if needed.

Check out this link for more helpful stuff:https://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

[PhantomMommy]

What are you feeding him daily, how much, how often? Has he always had this diet?
I give him Pedialyte about every other time I feed him and if he's hasn't been fed for more than 4 hours to be safe. He gets PetAg milk replacer plus for puppies and I feed him until his belly is full and rounded. He's always been fed this and doesn't drink water but eats pecans and Wild Harvest veggie puffers for small animals but only when I show them to him.

[/COLOR]Ok. Pet Ag is not supporting him and he will continue to get sick if you continue to use it. He needs to be drinking Esbilac Puppy formula with pre and probiotics on the label (see below). Mix according to the label and feed him every four hours during the day and you can give a 6 hour break at night. Stop the Pedialyte. He shouldn't have that much salt. You don't ever want to replace a formula meal with pedialyte because you are taking much needed calories away. You are feeding until the belly is full, but that isn't a safe way to tell if he's getting what he needs. Overfeeding can be more dangerous than underfeeding as it can cause bloat and problems with GI tract. When you get the scale you will feed him 5-7% of his body weight in grams. For instance if he weighs 125g x .05=6.25ml each time.
I'll see about going to Walmart and getting the formula and scale right now.

Stop feeding pecans and puffers, get him on the right track with proper formula now.
When should I start feeding him solids again? And when should I give him Pedialyte?

What kind syringe/nipple are you using??
A little eye dropper. I make sure to feed him very slowly and he has not aspirated since he was smaller but I made sure he was okay.

Where do you keep him, what's the set up, where in the house, other pets?
I keep him in a very large metal ferret cage and he has plenty to chew on all around him but never does. He sleeps in a large shirt with a heat lamp beside the cage and mostly stays there but I think it's because my room has been cooler. My mom has a toy poodle but I don't let her near him a lot because he doesn't like her Offer lots of non loopy fabric (no towels) that nails can get caught on like fleece, t shirt, sweat shirt material. He will want to sleep under things. Be very careful with the lamp and be sure it's not too close and he can get to a cooler area if needed.
There's nothing with loops or things to hurt him. He has lots of space to move away from the light and usually does.

Check out this link for more helpful stuff:https://www.henryspets.com/baby-squirrel-care/

[/QUOTE]

[PhantomMommy]

I can't get him any of the things he needs right now. Is there something else I could feed him until tomorrow?

[Mel1959]

The advice you have gotten is spot on. Walmart in my area does not carry Esbilac Powdered puppy formula. It must be purchased from Pet Supermarket, Petco or Tractor Supply. Some othe feed stores may carry it, and I have never seen it at PetSmart. He needs the correct formula ASAP.

A scale is a must! He needs to be weighed every morning before his morning feeding and then you must calculate what 5-7% of his weight would be so you know how much to feed at EACH feeding.

He would probably like a non shut off heating pad set to low placed UNDER half of his bin. That way he can move off it if he gets too hot. A non shut off heating pad can usually be found at wal mart, target, walgreens, cvs etc. They aren’t too expensive because they don’t automatically shut off.

Keep trying to locate the antibiotics. It’s always good to have them on hand in case you need them.

[LR]

Take a look at the can of formula you are using now. Is it the same one that is in the picture below? Is it the powder? If the can looks the same and it is the powder you already have the correct formula. Esbilac is made by Pet Ag.

[Mel1959]

The only other thing to feed him still will require a trip to the store. It would be the temporary goats milk formula. You would have to purchase goats milk either refrigerated in the carton, powdered or canned. The powdered has to be mixed with water according to the instructions. The goats milk then needs to be mixed with heavy whipping cream and vanilla full fat yogurt. Can you get goats milk or those other items?

[PhantomMommy]

I can't get anything for him until tomorrow. I'm only 18 and don't have a car of my own. If the formula isn't at Walmart I'll look in tractor supply. I'll also get him a scale and ask around for antibiotics. What can I feed him until I get these things though? He needs to be fed again now and I usually wake up in the middle of the night to feed him. Also he's been sneezing more recently and he's sleeping on me now and his nose sounds VERY stuffy. I clean it when he sneezes and an eye dropper is too big for his little nose. Is there something I can do about that?

[PhantomMommy]

[LR]

Would mom or a neighbor be able to take you to a grocery store? This is not the correct formula.

[Mel1959]

If you can’t get to the store tonight to get the Esbilac or ingredients for the goats milk formula, you will have to feed what you have been feeding. You are mixing it one part powder to two parts water, right?

[PhantomMommy]

No one can take me tonight; I've asked. I just took a video of a squeaky nose he's making now but I can't send it and idk about the YouTube stuff. He needed to be fed an hour ago.