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Thread: No idea

  1. #1
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    Default No idea

    Hello.
    One of my 4 month old female Indian Palm Squirrels has the following symptoms:

    Sneezing about 10-15 times a day(3-4 continuous sneezes at a time)

    I didn't see a lot of white tears, but I've seen something white dried up in the eye(where the tear duct is for humans) quite a few times now.

    Not very sharp teeth, but not overgrown either.

    Very dull fur.

    She has a very wet nose(unlike her siblings) for more than 1 month now.

    Not as active as the other squirrels of the same litter(If it's the right word). She's active for some time. Then lays down somewhere like for most part of her day.

    Diet: Milk+Cream+Greek Yogurt+Ragi :This mixture twice a day.
    Hasn't been eating any veggies for 1 week now.
    (She used to love carrots and lettuce. Not anymore apparently. She takes a piece of carrot in her hands, places her teeth on it, then drops it and runs away).
    Eats tiny bits of apple that we give her sometimes.

    Could you please diagnose what is wrong with her.
    All of the squirrels have the same exact diet. But the siblings are doing great with none of the above symptoms and a great shiny coat and are active throughout the day. She's different. I'd like to know what is wrong.

  2. #2
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    Default Re: No idea

    Squirrels often scour their environment looking for food, they want to be independent and they are instinctively driven to find all food sources in their environment.

    Is it possible that she has eaten something that she shouldn't have that is disagreeing with her? (If so, what?) She may be constipated. How is her poop compared to the others? Any change in volume?

    Has she completed the course of antibiotics that you started? What antibiotics was she given? Is it possible that she aspirated some in the course of being given the antibiotics. (Just trying to explore various possibilities.) Did you see any change in her condition, either positive or negative, in response to the administration of this course of antibiotics?

    Did she or does she inhale her food (eat rapidly) or at a more measured pace? Sibling rivalry can lead them to eat quickly.

  3. #3
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Monkey View Post
    Squirrels often scour their environment looking for food, they want to be independent and they are instinctively driven to find all food sources in their environment.

    Is it possible that she has eaten something that she shouldn't have that is disagreeing with her? (If so, what?) She may be constipated. How is her poop compared to the others? Any change in volume?

    Has she completed the course of antibiotics that you started? What antibiotics was she given? Is it possible that she aspirated some in the course of being given the antibiotics. (Just trying to explore various possibilities.) Did you see any change in her condition, either positive or negative, in response to the administration of this course of antibiotics?

    Did she or does she inhale her food (eat rapidly) or at a more measured pace? Sibling rivalry can lead them to eat quickly.
    Hello.
    Not a possibility of eating something disagreeable. All surroundings are strictly monitored.
    Peeing and Pooping fine.
    3rd day of Augmentin.
    I do feel like she perked up a bit after the antibiotics. But only a tiny bit cause she still finds some comfortable spot and lays down frequently.
    None of them eat rapidly. They used to a long time ago. But they don't do so now for about a month. No gobbling. So I don't think she would have inhaled her food.

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    Default Re: No idea

    Am I understanding that she is on her 3rd day of antibiotics? And the antibiotic is Augmentin? If so, continue with the antibiotics for at least 7 days maybe 10. If you don’t start seeing a change in her sneezing soon then another antibiotic might need to be added. Do you have access to Baytril (animal) or Ciproflaxin (human) antibiotic? When you hold her up to your ear like a phone do you hear any rattling in her lungs?

    Lack of appetite can be associated with antibiotic use. Offer her the formula mixture as often as she’ll take it. Dull fur can be a sign of dehydration. Try giving her sweetened water with a syringe....slowly.

    It does sound as though she’s not feeling well. Do you have access to avocados? Squirrels love them and they provide a lot of fat to their diet. They shouldn’t get the skin or pit, though.

    Keep us updated.

  5. #5
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    Default Re: No idea

    How does her weight compare to her siblings?

    Has it been going up or down?

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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Rock Monkey View Post
    How does her weight compare to her siblings?

    Has it been going up or down?
    Hello Rocky. She's been going up in weight. Fat rolls in her neck cause she isn't moving about as much. Quite lethargic now.

    Gosh, proper diagnosis of this thing is getting me stressed out. How I wish there were vets here experienced with squirrels. Do any of you guys happen to know a vet experienced with squirrels in Chennai, India?

  7. #7
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Mel1959 View Post
    Am I understanding that she is on her 3rd day of antibiotics? And the antibiotic is Augmentin? If so, continue with the antibiotics for at least 7 days maybe 10. If you don’t start seeing a change in her sneezing soon then another antibiotic might need to be added. Do you have access to Baytril (animal) or Ciproflaxin (human) antibiotic? When you hold her up to your ear like a phone do you hear any rattling in her lungs?

    Lack of appetite can be associated with antibiotic use. Offer her the formula mixture as often as she’ll take it. Dull fur can be a sign of dehydration. Try giving her sweetened water with a syringe....slowly.

    It does sound as though she’s not feeling well. Do you have access to avocados? Squirrels love them and they provide a lot of fat to their diet. They shouldn’t get the skin or pit, though.

    Keep us updated.
    Hello Mel. Okay I'll continue with augmentin. I don't seem to see a change in her sneezing though.

    I have Cipro with me. Do you suggest giving both Cipro and Augmentin?

    No. I don't hear any sound when I hold her up to my ears.

    She has 2 water bottles in the cage and she does drink a lot of water and pee a lot(on me frequently). So.... Could the dull fur still be a sign of dehydration?

    Yes. I do give her pieces of avocado very rarely. But she is quite fat now with rolls in her neck because she is a bit lethargic now. So I've stopped the avocado. Do you think I should continue with it?

    Also, she repeatedly goes and lies down flat on the heating pad. She drinks her formula and goes to the pad. Again comes down and nuzzles about. Again to the heating pad. Most of her time during the day is spent on the heating pad. Does this info help with the diagnosis.

    She's not eating any veggies now. Only taking formula. What do I do?
    Her teeth aren't very sharp. I don't bleed when she bites me( very occasionally when my hands is near her tail. Probably thinks I'm going to steal it). When her siblings bite, my finger bleeds and I can feel their sharp teeth. So what do I do?

  8. #8
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    Default Re: No idea

    Clare, I responded to your PM but just had a crazy thought: could she be pregnant?
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by island rehabber View Post
    Clare, I responded to your PM but just had a crazy thought: could she be pregnant?
    Isn't that funny? I responded to Clare's PM last night too, and just woke up and the first thought in my mind was "Could she be pregnant?"

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    Default Re: No idea

    Thank you so much CritterMom and IslandRehabber for your assistance with my squirrel.
    She is about 4 months old. Do you think it is possible for a 4 month old to get pregnant? Also, I've never left them free outside. I've placed their cage a few times outside in the garden and they have one male visitor regularly. He climbs and moves around on their cage on the outside. If it is possible for a four month old to get pregnant, do you think they will mate through the half inch wide bars? Her nipples aren't swollen uptil now either.

  11. #11
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    Default Re: No idea

    Are all of her siblings girls?

  12. #12
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by CritterMom View Post
    Are all of her siblings girls?
    Yes 2 others. All three are females.

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    Default Re: No idea

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    Her on the tube light where it is warm and acts like a semi heating pad:
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    Lounging:
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  14. #14
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    Default Re: No idea

    Have you checked her teeth? I'm just wondering since you said she picked up food but when she tried to bite into it she put it down and moved away.
    Just a thought 🤔
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  15. #15
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Charley Chuckles View Post
    Have you checked her teeth? I'm just wondering since you said she picked up food but when she tried to bite into it she put it down and moved away.
    Just a thought 🤔
    Yes I have checked her teeth. All 4 incisors are not too long, are well aligned and she grinds both jaws together frequently (to grind down the teeth I'm guessing)

  16. #16
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    Default Re: No idea

    Also, another thing I noticed twice during her feedings today. I gave her formula in a very flat plate. Filled it to about 1 millimetre height. I was watching her drink at a distance of 6 inches from her face. Her nose was far from the surface of the formula. It did not touch the formula. She was drinking at a normal pace. None of her siblings were close by. This is what I observed:

    She lapped up the formula for some time. Then it off nowhere, she sneezed a bit of formula from her nose. Then she kept drinking some more. Then sneezed again sending formula from her nose. Also a reminder: Her nose did not touch the formula. I was watching in close range.

    So could it be any of the following:

    1. She is not able to breathe when eating and doesn't know how to respond to the lack of breath after some time and panics sneezes the formula out.(Cause she has been a lot more jittery than her sisters from a baby. She still suddenly bites me whereas her siblings don't. Panics a lot. Whenever I place them outside, she goes in and hides inside and doesn't come out for a few hours while her siblings hide for about 20-30 minutes and come out again to look at the new surroundings).

    2. She has a hole or something in her upper palate through which formula or even water(when she drinks from the water bottle) escapes and enters her nose.

    Is this a sensible interpretation. Please place your opinions.

  17. #17
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Clare View Post
    She lapped up the formula for some time. Then it off nowhere, she sneezed a bit of formula from her nose. Then she kept drinking some more. Then sneezed again sending formula from her nose. Also a reminder: Her nose did not touch the formula. I was watching in close range.
    You have found the source of the problem.

    So, she is aspirating herself. That is a serious problem, regardless of the reason why.

    I have two suggestions, first stop giving her her liquid formula on a plate. Second, either feed her the formula with a 1 cc syringe by hand or make the formula thicker. One way to do that is to change the ratios of the ingredients or just switch to a plain, whole Greek yogurt that has heavy cream added like Cabot's, though that probably isn't found in India.

    Another way to thicken the formula is to a 'water thickner'. A friend of mine is a dog breeder and she had a dog that would aspirate itself while drinking water, even as an adult. So, thickner was added to its water and the problem was solved.

    If you decide to use the Greek Yogurt mentioned above as a formula substitute or thickened formula I would suggest first drawing the appropriate amount up into a syringe, no needle, obviously. I would place the syringe briefly, for 30 sec. to one minute, in a container of warm water. Then dispense a handful of drops of yogurt around the perimeter of the plate. Let her lap those up. If she shows any signs of struggling to swallow, stop dispensing drops of yogurt onto the plate. This way you control the pace and quantity she is able to consume and you always observed this aspect of her eating.

  18. Serious fuzzy thank you's to Rock Monkey from:

    Clare (11-08-2020)

  19. #18
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    Default Re: No idea

    Quote Originally Posted by Clare View Post
    2. She has a hole or something in her upper palate through which formula or even water(when she drinks from the water bottle) escapes and enters her nose.
    This could be plausible...
    A cleft palate often includes a split in the upper lip but can occur without affecting the lip.
    When a baby is born with a cleft in the roof of the mouth, this leaves a hole between the
    nose and the mouth.
    A veterinarian could determine if this is what this is and could close/cover the opening.
    Without the aide of a veterinarian it is not something that will close/heal on it's own.
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  21. #19
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    Default Re: No idea

    Clare, do you actually know if there is a hole in her palate? You can examine her mouth by wrapping her up in a blanket like a burrito. Use a wooden tongue depressor to gently pry her teeth open and use the tongue depressor to keep her teeth open while you examine the roof of her mouth. You can wrap the tongue depressor with surgical tape to make the edges softer.

    Let us know what you find out.

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