New baby tonight, labored breathing and won’t eat

[Snicker Bar]

After closer exam during nap, I noted the clicking when this new one is breathing ; also much faster respiratory rate . He’s 59 g, and I dosed him according to direction from a bite wound baby ( last Th arrival) with Baytril, and just a drop of Meloxicam. He took a tiny bit of formula when he first arrived 3 hours ago; but now won’t take anything. He’s skin and bones, and has a smell of decay . No obvious wounds, but some pus around his genital area. What else can I do? I’m putting him in his own tub with heating pad (under half)

[HRT4SQRLS]

All you can do is comfort him. Poor little baby.
You could stack antibiotics. (Add Clavamox to broaden the spectrum.)

[Snicker Bar]

Ok thank you, he’s warm and tucked in . I only have one heating pad that will stay on continuously, so gave it to him. I’ll put the tub with the other four next to my bed in hopes I’ll either wake every 2 hrs to reset it, or that the three peach fuzz babies plus older female ( with hair) can snuggle and stay warm if I’m delayed waking wee hours ? A tad fatigued here ,

[Snicker Bar]

Little guy lived through the night but still breathing very rapidly. The audible clicking seems gone though. He seems to prefer to be away from the warmth ( side of tub without heat pad underneath). He took 3 ml of warm formula , and I’ll continue to offer it every three hours . So maybe just stick with the once daily baytril (+/- Meloxicam) ? I have Clavamox here, if it’s a better choice? I know in some pets it causes diarrhea, loss of appetite. But whatever works best for a squirrel I’ll try it , he’s a fighter !

[redwuff]

Sounds like he is a pretty sick little guy. For AP, I love Baytril. I know it has brought babies back from the rink of death for me. As Patti said: clavamox would broaden the spectrum. It's a gamble, do you take a chance on GI issues when she is so depleted already. I am very concerned for the smell of decay and pus coming from the genital area. Any chance of maggots? Did you check for fly strike?

Being away from the warmth is not good. Don't let him get off heat. Sometimes when they are this bad, you want to carry them around to keep them stimulated.

[stepnstone]

Sounds like he is a pretty sick little guy. For AP, I love Baytril. I know it has brought babies back from the rink of death for me. As Patti said: clavamox would broaden the spectrum. It's a gamble, do you take a chance on GI issues when she is so depleted already. I am very concerned for the smell of decay and pus coming from the genital area. Any chance of maggots? Did you check for fly strike?

Being away from the warmth is not good. Don't let him get off heat. Sometimes when they are this bad, you want to carry them around to keep them stimulated.

" He’s 59 g, and I dosed him according to direction from a bite wound baby ( last Th arrival) with Baytril,"
Since meds are dosed by individual weight and weights vary can you tell us how much you are dosing this baby
and how is the Baytril you are using mixed and the strength of it?

[Snicker Bar]

Yes, he’s 59 g and took a 22.7 mg tab, dissolved in 2.0 ml water and gave 0.05 ml once. Just found out the person who turned him in had about a week. He wouldn’t eat well so when”force fed” him before turning in to the rehabber. I placed him in a small tub and I’ll jeep him moved over to the warm side.

And now she ( rehabber) is on way with another one, that she thinks has pneumonia... good grief ! I don’t have my digital scale here but perhaps we could dose based on comparison to this one whose exact weight we have?

[TubeDriver]

That dose is about right (.047ml is exactly what the WMB recommends). I would give a single dose of Capstar if you have it, just in case of maggots.

Yes, he’s 59 g and took a 22.7 mg tab, dissolved in 2.0 ml water and gave 0.05 ml once. Just found out the person who turned him in had about a week. He wouldn’t eat well so when”force fed” him before turning in to the rehabber. I placed him in a small tub and I’ll jeep him moved over to the warm side.

And now she ( rehabber) is on way with another one, that she thinks has pneumonia... good grief ! I don’t have my digital scale here but perhaps we could dose based on comparison to this one whose exact weight we have?

[Nancy in New York]

Yes, he’s 59 g and took a 22.7 mg tab, dissolved in 2.0 ml water and gave 0.05 ml once.

The 22.7 Baytril mg tab should have been dissolved with 1 ml of water, and not 2,
to get the strength of 22.7 mg/ml
Do you have more antibiotics?
If you don't have anymore pills, we can work with what you already made, but just double the dose.

IF YOU HAVE A NEW TABLET DOSE THIS WAY BELOW.

For a 59 gram squirrel, the loading dose will be 0.02
All other doses are cut in half and dosed at 0.01, 12 hours apart.

IF you don't have anymore Baytril, you can take the mixture you already
made, and dose him at 0.02 TWICE daily. (You already gave a loading dose, so we'll skip that part.)

Now that I write this, it may be better to continue as you are, giving him more volume, 0.01 can be difficult to measure out.

[Snicker Bar]

I do, he’s steadily gaining strength but the other still hasn’t arrived , hope it’s not too late getting here. No maggots, and the exudate and foul odor I discovered was diarrhea ( very light color like pus?) . But will do a cap star in case, thank you!

[Snicker Bar]

The new ( skeleton female) respiratory baby is now here ; she weighs 100g . She has to lie starnally to breath. Crackles and makes a loud wheeze with every breath. The little male can at least curl up to sleep. He’s taking formula slowly but consistently. I thought the clicking was gone but I hear it now. But this other ; she sounds like a person with asthma
I’m just verifying, do I dissolve with 1.0 or 2.0 ml water? I presently have the 1 tab/2 ml solution ,
How much would her dose be? Is a Meloxicam of any benefit? I’m going to attempt to feed her now, since warming her up.
I’m running out of heating pads; do the two laboring babies need to be separated ?

[SammysMom]

I think because she is so critical I would keep separate for now.
I would dissolve 22.7mg tablet in 1cc water and dose .04 (point zero four) loading dose and then .02 twice per day.
What strength meloxicam do you have?

[Snicker Bar]

It’s the 1.5 mg/ ml solution; I was going by previous post when Snickers last had a seizure and scraped her head . It was a range I think of 0.1 up to 1 mg/kg if I remember correctly,
I used the lowest ( 0.1 mg/kg) which for the 59 g baby last night ( thougt may help if airways/sinuses swollen ?) was just a micro spec added to the baytril already drawn up.
This little drop off , after looking closer and unclogging her nostrils, had see/sawed lower incisors- one displaced forwards, and the tip poking her upper lip, and the lower pointing back towards her throat. I figured I should at least nip the tip of the one (?) poking her upper lip.. but when I touched the other, it literally bent back , and fell out of her mouth. I don’t know her story yet, but sounds like fell on her face??
I’m getting a bit overwhelmed.... but still better than crying

[SammysMom]

You can sure give a conservative dose of .02 meloxicam.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Snicker, I just wanted to throw out something regarding the Ciprofloxacin dosing. I use the formula... weight (kg) x dose (mg/kg) divided by the concentration (mg/ml). Many times I will further dilute an antibiotic so that the amount given is a measurable amount. I prefer to dose in the 0.03-0.06 ml range. I do that by adjusting the concentration of the antibiotic.

I don't want the volume SO large that it's impossible to get in them.
I also don't want the dose SO small that I need a calibrated pipet to measure the dose. I try to keep in mind what we have to work with which in most cases is a 1cc syringe. I just wanted you to know that both methods are correct. It's just a different way of getting to the same dose.

[TubeDriver]

Thanks HRT! My post was correct as was Nancies! You can dilute a solution to different strengths and adjust the dosage accordingly.

Your original solution of adding 2ml and giving a daily dose of 0.05ml (0.047ml if you are not rounding off) was correct as was Nancies suggestion to add 1ml of water and and give 0.02 (0.023ml if you are not rounding off).

Cirpo is super bitter so the smaller, more concentrated solution is better in terms of getting them to take it. But if you do not have a nice, small container (like a 2ml Nunc tube) then sometimes a small amount like 1ml can be lost in a larger container because it sticks to the sides of the container etc., in that case you might dilute some so that there is more liquid which might make it easier to draw out of the container.

What is important is the getting the correct amount in daily. You can give once per day or cut the amounts listed above in half and give twice per day. Twice per day should result in a more even, theraputic level of the drug in the squirrels system but sometimes adminsitsering might be such a difficulty that you decide to go the once per day route.

I did not add all this in my original post because I assumed you knew this and was just looking for general comfirmation that your dose amount was correct? I know that I will sometimes send my calculations to Nancy for example by PM, just to get a second set of eyes on it and make sure I did not make a silly mistake (like moving a decimal place over etc etc).

[Snicker Bar]

Thank you and yes , just general confirmation. Adding all this to my squirrel notebook. The babies wax and wane; the one from last Th (drop off at my hair appt ) that had a dragging rear leg and strangely long teeth (?) is 200 % better . But these two look like on the brink of death:

Here’s the little male that was dropped off Tues night; the clicking, emaciated labored breathing little male,

And this is the one dropped off last night; open mouth breathing, cracked , shattered teeth ( one lower tooth just fell out when I touched it), rotten degloved tail tip, and nowntodayba consistent head tilt

Her tail,

This little gaggle is doing great. One a bit larger but I hate to separate her , nobody else her age that’s well

Random picture of ICU Nurse ; my Hunny Bun is still doing well! Many thanks to all ( including another wonderful Canadian bunny expert Milo’s Mom connected me to) who helped him back in spring. He had his TV segment on gut stasis, it aired a few weeks ago

[Snicker Bar]

Thank yo