HELP! Baby squirrel is bleeding from nose, opening mouth as if gasping for air.

[ericnunez]

Hello guys, new here. I recently found a baby squirrel near my home, didn't move at all, and had eyes closed. We gave her puppy milk and she got up and running within two days. Today we went somewhere for a couple hours and when we came back home she was bleeding from her nose and opening her mouth as if she's in pain or gasping for air. She just ate too. She's not doing the "milk seizure thing" where she's constantly opening her mouth and closing it, she mostly has it closed, but once in a while she'll open it a little and do this weird gasping noise. She ate and had an appetite, and she walked enough to cuddle herself with the warm water bottle she has in her crate. She's sleeping in there now and breathing steadily, both of her lungs are moving on her back too. She hasn't fallen, her crate is on the floor, and there's nothing for her to climb near her. Also, there are no other pets near her at all. What do I do guys, she was acting super alive and healthy in the morning and now she looks like she's about to die in a few more minutes/hours.

[CritterMom]

I am so sorry. Could she have hit something if she got frightened and suddenly darted? They bleed from the mouth when teething but nothing like what you are describing. What type of squirrel and approximately how old?

[ericnunez]

I am so sorry. Could she have hit something if she got frightened and suddenly darted? They bleed from the mouth when teething but nothing like what you are describing. What type of squirrel and approximately how old?

Hello thanks for replying so late, its a Grey tree squirrel and she's about 6 weeks old. I don't know if she hit something, the bleeding appears to be coming from inside her nose, as one of her nostrils was virtually clogged with blood. We cleaned it gently and she's breathing fine out of both but I am still so scared and hoping she doesn't die. I don't understand why she's opening her mouth like that. A few minutes ago she took I guess what was a deep breath and it did a whistling sound, kind of like when one of us humans tries to breathe with a stuffy nose and you get that whistle sound.

[CritterMom]

She may have dried blood in her nasal passages that hasn't worked it's way out yet. It is not natural for many animals to breathe through their mouths like we do, so that may account for her gasping. Is she eating?

Out of an abundance of caution, see what sort of antibiotics you can round up from your medicine cabinet and that of friends and family. Make a list of what you can locate. Cipro would be my first choice but others will work. I am a little concerned about aspiration pneumonia. Normally it comes from accidentally inhaling formula while eating too enthusiastically, but inhaling any substance that doesn't belong in the lungs can cause it, too. In order to help you, we would need her weight and the size of the pill in milligrams. YOU would need a 1ml syringe, which is what you should be feeding her with.

[ericnunez]

She may have dried blood in her nasal passages that hasn't worked it's way out yet. It is not natural for many animals to breathe through their mouths like we do, so that may account for her gasping. Is she eating?

Out of an abundance of caution, see what sort of antibiotics you can round up from your medicine cabinet and that of friends and family. Make a list of what you can locate. Cipro would be my first choice but others will work. I am a little concerned about aspiration pneumonia. Normally it comes from accidentally inhaling formula while eating too enthusiastically, but inhaling any substance that doesn't belong in the lungs can cause it, too. In order to help you, we would need her weight and the size of the pill in milligrams. YOU would need a 1ml syringe, which is what you should be feeding her with.

Yes, I am aware of aspiration pneumonia which I assumed it was at first, but does that explain the bleeding? Where would she be bleeding from internally? I do not have any antibiotics that I could use here or with close by friends or family. I actually read on this forum was that there is something else called colloidal silver? Could I use that if she does have aspiration? I also don't have a scale to weigh her.

[CritterMom]

Yes, I am aware of aspiration pneumonia which I assumed it was at first, but does that explain the bleeding? Where would she be bleeding from internally? I do not have any antibiotics that I could use here or with close by friends or family. I actually read on this forum was that there is something else called colloidal silver? Could I use that if she does have aspiration? I also don't have a scale to weigh her.

This could be two totally different things - A/P and she also hit her nose on her enclosure. A/P is a bacterial infection in the lungs - you need antibiotics for it. Digital scales that weigh in ounces/pounds AND grams/kilobrams can be purchased at Walmart or similar for around $20. Look in the kitchen stuff - dieters use them to weigh their food.

Is she eating?

[stepnstone]

If aspiration pneumonia is involved, administering an antibiotic is the only thing that can treat it.

Having a scale is essential for raising a baby squirrel. One must know it's weight in order to know
how much to feed within 5-7% of body weight. Providing a weight is also needed if medications
are involved as all medications are administered by individual body weight.

What brand "puppy milk" have you been feeding, liquid or powder?

What was the circumstances under which this baby was found, could it have fallen from tree/nest?
Deposited after being cat/animal caught?

Bleeding from nose could be a result from having a seizure due to a fall causing head trauma or other internal injury.
These type injuries often do not expose themselves right away but can surface later.
As suggested, breathing from mouth could be due to clogged nostrils/ sinus or possibly internal injury.

If you are unprepared to treat and care for this baby, are you willing to seek an experienced rehabilatator?