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Thread: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

  1. #21
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    Sometimes they will squeak with pain or even bite but not always. Squirrels are prey animals and they hide pain and illness until it is bad. Signs of weakness make them vulnerable to predators so they hide it until they can’t. White tears in the eyes are a sign of pain.

    I asked another member to dose the pred for you. She can also dose the gabapentin. She said she will check in the thread. We need a weight of your boy to accurately dose.

    I wasn’t sure if you had a vet for your rescue dogs. Sometimes a vet that you have a relationship will do you a favor and do an X-ray but others rarely will help.

    Try to post the weight so she can dose it when she comes on.

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  3. #22
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    Quote Originally Posted by Jilla08 View Post
    Yes, your summary is pretty accurate. How do squirrels express pain? In other words, if there was a broken pelvis or another fracture of some sort, would he squeak and be vocal when I picked him up? He does not do that and I used the tip of my nail this time with the pinch test as I think I did it too softly before (was very cautious about how hard I could get away with pinching a little squirrel foot). That was more uncomfortable and he jerked his leg away on both sides. So that was a good sign.

    I think doing both Pred and calcium sounds like a good plan. I have various strengths on hand but the smallest is 10mg I believe and yes, I also have gabapentin. 300mg is likely the smallest dose I have of that.

    I am going to ask our local wildlife rehab org if they have a vet that sees squirrels. I suspect not or I would likely already know of this vet but going to check.

    Ground squirrels climb more than they jump. They will jump but cautiously and not from a very high place unless they feel pressured or threatened and have to move fast. Generally they will climb down the wood cabinet in our bathroom. the ledge of my tub is about 18 inches off the ground and they will jump from that high but not much higher. I know that a spinal compression can happen though from even a low jump if the animal lands wrong (we have a paralyzed dog who compressed her spine playing and landing wrong). So, I think that a spinal injury remains a possibility.

    We will need a weight in grams of your little one to dose correctly.
    I will keep checking back on the board to help with the dosing.

    Edit: Sorry just saw HRT4SQRLS post.
    I didn't mean to repeat.

  4. #23
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    He is 230 grams. Thank you!


    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy in New York View Post
    We will need a weight in grams of your little one to dose correctly.
    I will keep checking back on the board to help with the dosing.

    Edit: Sorry just saw HRT4SQRLS post.
    I didn't mean to repeat.

  5. #24
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    We do have a vet for our dogs, horses and pigs. I'll ask if they would do it. I suppose they would need to sedate. Any risk factor there? I know with our sows sedation is very risky (not comparing a pig to a squirrel but I have no experience with this so want to be sure that I have as much info up front as possible).

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    Sometimes they will squeak with pain or even bite but not always. Squirrels are prey animals and they hide pain and illness until it is bad. Signs of weakness make them vulnerable to predators so they hide it until they can’t. White tears in the eyes are a sign of pain.

    I asked another member to dose the pred for you. She can also dose the gabapentin. She said she will check in the thread. We need a weight of your boy to accurately dose.

    I wasn’t sure if you had a vet for your rescue dogs. Sometimes a vet that you have a relationship will do you a favor and do an X-ray but others rarely will help.

    Try to post the weight so she can dose it when she comes on.

  6. #25
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    They use isoflurane gas for squirrels but it’s risky if they don’t know about rodents. I don’t know anything about it myself but I do know they use the least amount possible. Light sedation. I would guess that a vet would have knowledge about it.

  7. #26
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    Quote Originally Posted by Jilla08 View Post
    He is 230 grams. Thank you!
    I will dose this and send to you in a pm.
    This will take me a couple of minutes.
    Your little one weighs 230 grams and you have
    10 mg of Prednisone and 300 mg of Gabapentin, correct?

    Edit: Dosing sent.
    Last edited by Nancy in New York; 06-22-2019 at 08:51 PM.

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  9. #27
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    That is correct and thank you!


    Quote Originally Posted by Nancy in New York View Post
    I will dose this and send to you in a pm.
    This will take me a couple of minutes.
    Your little one weighs 230 grams and you have
    10 mg of Prednisone and 300 mg of Gabapentin, correct?

  10. #28
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    I hope I am not just seeing what I want to see but it looked like he moved his back legs in a crawling motion (as opposed to just dragging them just now and when he turned to sit he "righted" one of the legs (so that it was under him the way it would be if a squirrel were sitting. Not sure if that makes sense but I hope that is a sign of improvement.

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  12. #29
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    That most definitely is a sign of improvement.

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  14. #30
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    Hi all, just a quick update on our little guy (his name is Bruno btw). Improvement continues and I am cautiously optimistic. At this point he is still getting supplemental calcium, the MBD diet and is back on formula. He is also on pred and gabapentin. Today at his noon feeding he was sitting with both legs under him in the normal position (vs out behind him froggy style), was very eager for his formula and upon finishing it scurried quickly back under his towel fort and used his back legs a little. He now looks like a fast moving squirrel with a weak hind end. I am hopeful that things will continue to improve and will update again. Feeling relieved and hopeful. I can't thank you all enough for your quick and sage guidance. If he walks normal again it will be because of you folks. Thanks a million.

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  16. #31
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    This is the best news I've heard today. Go, Bruno!
    Island Rehabber
    NY State Licensed
    Wildlife Rehabilitator


    "Ancora Imparo" (I am still learning)
    Michelangelo


    *
    If you can't afford the vet,
    You can't afford a pet.
    NEGLECT IS ABUSE.

    "Better one day in the trees, than a lifetime in a cage."

    '...and the greatest of these, is Love. '

  17. #32
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    What great news! Pulling those legs up and sitting on them are wonderful signs.

    One thing will make me feel better. Could you change out the towel fort with a fleece or T-shirt fort? Towels are risky due to the loops. If they get a nail hooked in a loop they can mangle a leg. I would hate for something like that to cause a set back. Thanks!

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  19. #33
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    Default Re: 10 week old suddenly cannot use back legs

    Absolutely! I have tons of old sheets as well which would be a nice smooth flat surface that their nails can't catch on. Speaking of sheets, Arnie (the squirrel who is doing just fine) figured out that if he stands on the top of the cage he can nose open my linen cabinet. I found him asleep in a nice cozy nest of my folded pillow cases.

    Quote Originally Posted by HRT4SQRLS View Post
    What great news! Pulling those legs up and sitting on them are wonderful signs.

    One thing will make me feel better. Could you change out the towel fort with a fleece or T-shirt fort? Towels are risky due to the loops. If they get a nail hooked in a loop they can mangle a leg. I would hate for something like that to cause a set back. Thanks!

  20. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Jilla08 from:

    island rehabber (06-24-2019)

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