Need some help with our 4 year old Fox Squirrel.

[Undertheradar]

Hi everyone. Lucy is an Eastern Fox squirrel that we rescued when she was 5 weeks old. She is now 4 and other than one very minor upper respiratory infection a few years ago, she’s always been extremely healthy and happy. Her diet has always been the same, with the suggested mix of Henry’s blocks, fresh greens/veggies, fruit etc. She’s a beloved member of our family and has sn ama img personality.

Last night/this morning, she was sitting in her enclosure (outside of her regular bed) with her head and nose dropping on the floor. I picked her up and brought her out to use the bathroom (she’s towel trained) and see if she needed something to eat. She felt very limp and lethargic. Usually she’ll grab into my hands and snuggle against me, but this time she definitely isn’t herself.

I don’t see any obvious signs of injury or sickness. A tiny bit of drool, and she had peed and pooped a little. I got her to drink a few spoonfuls of water, but mostly she just lays on her side (not her usual position) or will come out from the blanket I have her wrapped in and stumble a little bit before laying out prone. Every little while she’ll make some whimpering noises as she breathes. Her breathing seems slightly labored as well.

We have a local exotic vet (and family friend) that has seen her for her little cold 2 years ago, but she recovered quickly with a little antibiotics. Unfortunately he’s away on vacation till next week and the other exotic in the office won’t be in till tomorrow.

I’d like to know if you guys have any suggestions. I’m keeping her warm and snuggled up in a quiet bedroom for now.

Thank you.

[CritterMom]

Aw, she looks like she doesn't feel well. I can only think of a couple things off the bat - do you police her cage well so there is no chance of her stashing food and possibly eating something old that has made her ill? Could she have fallen and landed on something hard and hurt herself that way? Has she been going to the bathroom at all?

Do continue with the water, and if she is refusing food, periodically add a pinch of sugar or syrup to the water. No food can result in hypoglycemic issues relatively quickly in small animals like this. Not a ton of sugar, but you want to make sure her blood sugar doesn't drop precipitously.

[Undertheradar]

Yeah, we check her areas on a regular basis, and know she hadn’t had any falls. She’s very much a creature of habit and has the same routines every day, and nothing has changed that we know of. She’s really gasping for breath now and making lots of squeaking noise. Also when she does try to walk around her right side is less responsive than her left.
She’s also trying to stand up to things and kind of lay in that position.

[redwuff]

Prayers to you and your girl. Does she get anything from outside, like nuts or pine cones. Something to consider is an aflatoxin if so. She sounds like she is in bad shape. Has she bitten into an electrical cord.

Offer her fluids. Don’t know what else to offer…

[Mel1959]

I hope you can get her seen by a vet. She definitely sounds “off”. Squirrels can suffer from all the same ailments as people, including strokes.

Please keep us posted.

[CritterMom]

I so hope you were able to get your baby to the vet today and get some answers and hopefully, some help...

[Undertheradar]

Thanks for all the concerns everyone. Unfortunately we had to make the tough decision to put her to sleep. We were able to get her to an emergency small animal/exotic vet yesterday afternoon, but by that time she had gotten much worse and was gasping with every breath. The vet said she was at the point where there wasn’t much she could do other than make her comfortable. I consulted with the rest of my family and made the toughest decisions of my life. She made a huge impact on our lives and this all came way too soon. I’m grateful that I was able to hold her close to my chest and hum some songs (one of her favorite things ever since she was a baby) as she drifted off. She was peaceful and not in pain so I take solace in that.
I know it was the right thing to do, but man is it a punch in the gut.

The vet said it was likely some sort of respiratory infection that came on very quickly, but could have been a number of other things as well. She was extremely kind and sympathetic which made the experience a little bit better.

For my Sourhern California friends, it was Westminster Veterinary Group.

Thanks everyone.

[Mel1959]

I am so sorry you had to go through that with your precious baby. It’s never an easy decision.

[Charley Chuckles]

I'm so very sorry 😞
She will forever be your angel on your shoulder ❤

[CritterMom]

Oh, I am so very sorry. I wonder how she contracted it? She was such a pretty girl and I know you must be reeling. Thank you also for the vet info - I have it tucked away and as you know, info on safe vets is like gold to us here. Thank you for being so thoughtful at this awful time. That one action WILL help other squirrels, I can all but guarantee it. It may not make this feel any better now, but hopefully once it isn't so raw you will be able to appreciate how impactful your actions were...

[TubeDriver]

Godspeed gentle Lucy.