AMOX or something for infection for Notch the squirrel

[Laurenteel]

I have a backyard adult female squirrel named Notch who has a deep wound or infection on her stomach and over the past two weeks has deepened and seems to have spread. There is missing flesh and its deeper and wider. I have one AMOXIK CLAV 125 pill that was leftover from 2020. She has come back to eat a few nuts and seeds and she drinks fresh water from a bowl but I am seeing her less and less now and she was gone for four days until today. She usually comes everyday and hangs out with me in the garden very close by. I can see she has infection and I am worried it will eventually take over and she will not be able to get up into her nest or down to drink and eat. She clearly is not healing on her own. Does anyone know if I can grind some AMOX into something for her or anything I can give her to fight infection? Here are some pics of her wound. Thank you for any info you can provide.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Hi Laurenteel, Welcome to The Squirrel Board.

Sorry about your friend Notch. Just curious, do you have any other antibiotics? Human or veterinary antibiotics are good. Maybe you could ask friends or family? We could definitely use the Amox/Clavulanic acid but unfortunately the mg of the one pill you have is too small. It would take several of those to treat Notch effectively. I know your squirrels in Texas are pretty big so even calculating the dose on the low side, it wouldn’t be enough.
The amoxicillin you have isn’t very effective for wounds. The coverage is just too narrow. BUT, when nothing else is available I would certainly use it.

The best antibiotics for this would be SMZ/TMP (Septra) or Clindamycin. Based on the location on the abdomen you could even use Baytril or Ciprofloxacin but I would NOT use these alone. Either of these with Clindamycin would offer full spectrum coverage. Wounds on the abdomen or lower body are often contaminated with fecal organisms. These organisms respond well to Baytril or Ciprofloxacin.

See if you can get any other antibiotic. I would be happy to dose it for you. Is Notch tame or would you need to do crude dosing for a wild squirrel?

[Laurenteel]

Hi and thank you for getting back to me. I would like to get her whatever you think she needs. I can hand feed her but she has never let me hold her. I can sit next to her and feed her either by hand or in a bowl. She is very special and was best friends with my cat Meeps whom I just lost last month so I just can't bare to loose Notch too and I don't want her to be in pain. Can you recommend where I can get the correct antibiotics you recommend? I am not sure what her weight is but she has lost some in the past few days. She is a smaller adult and would be just bigger than a juvenile.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Will she eat avocado? Most squirrels love it.

[Laurenteel]

I have never tried avocado but I have given her strawberries in the past and tried cantaloupe this morning and all she wanted was sunflower seeds and corn kernels. I bought more pecans today which are her favorite. I do have avocados right now too.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Based on your description, I would say that she is a ‘trusting’ wild squirrel. I doubt precise dosing is possible. You might put your hands on her ONE time for a single dose but after that she would avoid you and might even not return. It would be best to treat her with antibiotics on something she really loves to eat. I have successfully treated wilds with antibiotics on avocado.

Notch is a Fox squirrel right?

I’m going to send you a Private Message with ideas regarding dosing.

[Laurenteel]

Thank you so much!!! I adore her.

[HRT4SQRLS]

Private Message sent.