Swallowed a Bead!

[EarlsMom]

My 5mo old squirrel just swallowed a bead! I'm afraid it is going to create a blockage. How can I make her vomit it up?

[TubeDriver]

I dont think you can make a squirrel vomit. That bead is small, it might just pass through him? You could add a small amount of mineral oil to his food to help smooth things out and help pass the bead? Also, I would keep him well hydrated and give only soft foods (yogurt, cream) because we want things to flow and not get blocked up?

Do you have vet access?

[EarlsMom]

>>Do you have vet access?

My SIL is a vet. Unfortunately she is limited in what she can do outside of private support. Certainly surgery is not an option.

[CritterMom]

Are you ABSOLUTELY certain? They normally don't gulp large items like that in one swallow - they daintily hold them like a nut and chew little pieces off. I have watched many a shirt button/wooden furniture plug/remote control button disappear down my squirrel (until I can wrestle it away) but NEVER in one piece. They WILL hide it in their mouth so you can't see or get to it but normally when you stop harassing them they spit it out and go back to nibbling it...

[SammysMom]

I would almost bet that the little bugger held it in her mouth and looked as though it was totally gone. Then off she went to hide it somewhere. That is a very large object for a little one to actually swallow. It seems like in comparison, it would be like a person swallowing something larger than a cherry whole.

[EarlsMom]

Sadly, I'm positive she swallowed it. Once I got her cornered in her cube, she looked right at me as I went to reach for her AND GULPED!! I checked her cube to be sure after I pried her mouth open!

The bead is about 6mm (or about 1/4" ) hex-shaped with a thread hole in it.

I don't have mineral oil on hand. Will olive oil, canola oil or coconut oil do? (I'm in the eye of a lake effect snow storm at the moment so I can't get out to the store.) and is formula still okay to feed her?

[Fuzz24butt]

I would almost bet that the little bugger held it in her mouth and looked as though it was totally gone. Then off she went to hide it somewhere. That is a very large object for a little one to actually swallow. It seems like in comparison, it would be like a person swallowing something larger than a cherry whole.

Roscoe would hide thumb tacks it scared me to death he's fine keep a eye om him