Squirrel with swelling in back leg. (again)

[squirrelmama17]

Near Rochester.

[Mel1959]

I have reached out to an admin who is in the NY area.

It appears whatever antibiotic you have used in the past has not completely cleared up the infection. Please let us know what drugs you’ve used. Have you given more than one antibiotic at a time? Sometimes it requires stacking antibiotics and giving them for an extended period of time to completely rid the infection.

What antibiotics and strengths do you currently have? Do you have metacam? What strength of Gabapentin do you have? What does your squirrel weigh?

Please continue to check back for any responses.

[squirrelmama17]

I have only done 2 rounds of Enroflox injectable 22.7mg solution. I have liquid clindamycin 25mg. I have some expired gabapentin 100mg capsules but I can try and see if I have any that is not expired. I dont have metacam but I can try and get some. Antibiotics i also have is ciprofloxacin 250mg tabs and the 500mg tabs. Plus minocycline hydrochloride capsules 100mg. She weighed 0.58kg this morning. She is only about 8 to 9 months old. I gave her 0.1ml of the clindamycin by mouth this afternoon.

[Mel1959]

I am still working on getting you some advice about meds.

I guess you don’t have a vet that will see your squirrel?

[squirrelmama17]

I do have a vet that has been seeing her but she is more dogs and cats and doesn't know much about rodents/squirrels.

[squirrelmama17]

I also d have Meloxicam 7.5mg tablets or i can buy the liquid.

[squirrelmama17]

I also found trimethprim/sulfadiazine 960mg.

[CritterMom]

I also found trimethprim/sulfadiazine 960mg.

Let's start with this. Need a current weight on your squirrel. We may be adding the clindamycin in as well - I want to check on that since she has been on it for a while.

This will address the infection only - it sounds as though you already have the metacam to help the pain. I don't have direct info on gabapentin personally but I know it is used to prevent mutilation of wound areas so you will want to watch and perhaps add that in as well.

[squirrelmama17]

Let's start with this. Need a current weight on your squirrel. We may be adding the clindamycin in as well - I want to check on that since she has been on it for a while.

This will address the infection only - it sounds as though you already have the metacam to help the pain. I don't have direct info on gabapentin personally but I know it is used to prevent mutilation of wound areas so you will want to watch and perhaps add that in as well.

Her weight is 0.58kg. She has only had 2 doses of clindamycin. One last night and 1 this morning. The skin on the top of her foot is now starting to peel off. And it is even more swollen today. I'm really starting to worry more. She has barely ate that i have seen today.

[stepnstone]

Her weight is 0.58kg. She has only had 2 doses of clindamycin. One last night and 1 this morning. The skin on the top of her foot is now starting to peel off. And it is even more swollen today. I'm really starting to worry more. She has barely ate that i have seen today.

How are you dosing the Clindamycin?
I would be inclined to stack ab's for better coverage.
I'm going to *private message you dosing for the Gabapentin, I would still use it.

*We do not dose on open board, my pm's are used for dosing information only.
Triage illnesses should be kept to the board.

[Mel1959]

Her weight is 0.58kg. She has only had 2 doses of clindamycin. One last night and 1 this morning. The skin on the top of her foot is now starting to peel off. And it is even more swollen today. I'm really starting to worry more. She has barely ate that i have seen today.

Hopefully getting the pain managed will make her more inclined to eat. Offer her her favorites. Avocado is especially good because it has lots of fat. If she’ll take formula or yogurt these are good choices, too.

[CritterMom]

Working on antibiotic info for you.

Did you say you had meloxicam and dosing for your squirrel for it? If so, start using it.

You mentioned on your other thread that you were using dilute betadyne. Are you still? If not, 25 drops per 1/4 cup water and use it to swab down any areas showing issues. Just get them wet and let them air dry. Twice a day at least, if you can squeeze in 3, go for it.

Make sure your baby stays hydrated. If you need to, add a little sugar or honey to some water and heat it to formula temp and offer with a syringe.

[squirrelmama17]

I messaged you back. I'm sorry I respond so late. I am really hopeful the pain will get under control soon. I feel so bad for her. I am grateful for all of your help!!

[squirrelmama17]

Working on antibiotic info for you.

Did you say you had meloxicam and dosing for your squirrel for it? If so, start using it.

You mentioned on your other thread that you were using dilute betadyne. Are you still? If not, 25 drops per 1/4 cup water and use it to swab down any areas showing issues. Just get them wet and let them air dry. Twice a day at least, if you can squeeze in 3, go for it.

Make sure your baby stays hydrated. If you need to, add a little sugar or honey to some water and heat it to formula temp and offer with a syringe.

I do have meloxicam 7.5mg tabs but I do not have a dosage. I just gave a dose of gabapentin. I just started doing the dilute betadine again yesterday. Thank you!

[squirrelmama17]

These are what it looks like today, just now

[Mel1959]

Have you gotten out a magnifying glass and confirmed there isn’t a very fine filament line or thread wrapped around the leg anywhere?

I can see an indentation that looks like at one time something was wrapped tightly around the leg.

[stepnstone]

Sending pm dosing instructions for meloxicam...

[squirrelmama17]

Yes, I have looked. In the past, the scab that wrapped around her leg was cutting the circulation off so I had cut that and ever since that has been there.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Wow, this is really bad. I see you’ve been working with this a while. The Clindamycin is a definite YES! The Enrofloxacin is a definite NO. The problem with the Clindamycin is that it is too narrow for this infection. At this point, the infection is probably polymicrobic. That means it’s caused by more than one organism so you need broad spectrum coverage. The Clindamycin would only cover Gram positive organism and anaerobic bacteria. To get complete coverage you need to stack another antibiotic. Based on the antibiotics that you have, I would stack SMZ-TMP (Septra) with the Clindamycin. The SMZ-TMP has broader coverage and is even the drug of choice for MRSA in wound infections.

I will send dosing in a Private Message for a 580g squirrel. The Clindamycin really hasn’t had time to work with just two doses but this is so urgent you need to start hitting it with everything you have.

Just curious, you mentioned she shut down after Clavamox. I wondered what that meant.

One last question, is the liquid Clindamycin expired? We use expired tablets but liquids do lose their potency after expiration. This is too serious to gamble on an expired med.

[CritterMom]

Wow, this is really bad. I see you’ve been working with this a while. The Clindamycin is a definite YES! The Enrofloxacin is a definite NO. The problem with the Clindamycin is that it is too narrow for this infection. At this point, the infection is probably polymicrobic. That means it’s caused by more than one organism so you need broad spectrum coverage. The Clindamycin would only cover Gram positive organism and anaerobic bacteria. To get complete coverage you need to stack another antibiotic. Based on the antibiotics that you have, I would stack SMZ-TMP (Septra) with the Clindamycin. The SMZ-TMP has broader coverage and is even the drug of choice for MRSA in wound infections.

I will send dosing in a Private Message for a 580g squirrel. The Clindamycin really hasn’t had time to work with just two doses but this is so urgent you need to start hitting it with everything you have.

Just curious, you mentioned she shut down after Clavamox. I wondered what that meant.

One last question, is the liquid Clindamycin expired? We use expired tablets but liquids do lose their potency after expiration. This is too serious to gamble on an expired med.

YAY!!

Listen to and do exactly what this poster suggests for meds.