11 year old in some type discomfort/pain, with noises

[sammalamm]

Good afternoon everyone! I don’t know much about this whole website, but it has been very informational over the years & quite helpful. I mention that because I don’t know if anyone goes back to read other threads I may have posted when I bring up a new issue. Since my last thread, Twiggy has been doing great! Idk if it was the calcium or if she just overcame whatever she was going through. She’s been lively & otherwise way healthier.

However, starting about 48 hours ago she’s been making noises as if she’s in pain. It seems as if she’s possibly having pain while urinating? She’s not bloated or anything and I’ve seen her poop twice, so I don’t think it’s constipation. She’s been eating her Henry’s blocks on top of her fruits & veggies, but I will admit I miss some days here and there with the blocks. She lets me pick her up, hold her, pet her, etc. but she doesn’t seem to be able to go much time without making the noises of pain. She’s been eating & aye quite a bit yesterday. Today I’ve only put watermelon in her cage hoping yo help hydrate, but she hadn’t touched it. She’s been in her nest most of the time, unless she’s out sitting there squeaking. Her vagina doesn’t really seem swollen, but could be a tad?? But it is throbbing while she makes the noise and she does rock a little bit almost like a whole body throb. Is she in heat? Or is something actually wrong like a UTI? I took a short 1.5 min video I’d her, but idk how to upload it.

[Chirps]

Hi! If you can put the video on YouTube and then post the link here people will be able to see it.

[CritterMom]

You need to upload the video to another host like Youtube and post the link.

Pain while urinating IS one of the symptoms of a UTI. Do you have access to any antibiotics? Human meds are fine. Best choice would be Cipro - it is very commonly used for human females who tend to get more UTIs than men do, so female friends would be a good place to start asking. List anything you can find and we will see if anything you have access to will work. We will need the size in milligrams of the meds and the weight of your squirrel, YOU will need a 1cc or smaller syringe to dilute the pill and then to dose it (we will give you directions to do this).

[Mel1959]

Good afternoon everyone! I don’t know much about this whole website, but it has been very informational over the years & quite helpful. I mention that because I don’t know if anyone goes back to read other threads I may have posted when I bring up a new issue. Since my last thread, Twiggy has been doing great! Idk if it was the calcium or if she just overcame whatever she was going through. She’s been lively & otherwise way healthier.

However, starting about 48 hours ago she’s been making noises as if she’s in pain. It seems as if she’s possibly having pain while urinating? She’s not bloated or anything and I’ve seen her poop twice, so I don’t think it’s constipation. She’s been eating her Henry’s blocks on top of her fruits & veggies, but I will admit I miss some days here and there with the blocks. She lets me pick her up, hold her, pet her, etc. but she doesn’t seem to be able to go much time without making the noises of pain. She’s been eating & aye quite a bit yesterday. Today I’ve only put watermelon in her cage hoping yo help hydrate, but she hadn’t touched it. She’s been in her nest most of the time, unless she’s out sitting there squeaking. Her vagina doesn’t really seem swollen, but could be a tad?? But it is throbbing while she makes the noise and she does rock a little bit almost like a whole body throb. Is she in heat? Or is something actually wrong like a UTI? I took a short 1.5 min video I’d her, but idk how to upload it.

If you need meds and can’t find any I am about an hour east of you, south of Cocoa Beach. There is another member in Orlando I can also reach out to and see if she has meds, if you need me to.

[sammalamm]

Ok! So in the video I got, she really only made the noise once at the beginning. It seems like hanging helps her be more comfortable, but of course I’m not completely sure... it could have been timing. I’ve caught her set up in the corner of her cage where she’d usually urinate just sitting and making that noise every minute or so until she climbs back to bed.

https://vimeo.com/424421999?ref=em-share

[Mel1959]

That is an unusual noise. I’ve never heard it made before. She doesn’t look like she’s getting around very well, either. If you want a through exam by a vet of your little girl, you have a couple of options. There is a good vet in Orlando that sees squirrels. Dr. Diaz at Exotic Animal Hospital of Orlando, 407-286-3484. He’s a little pricey but closer to you. The other option is Dr. Alicia Emerson at Ravenwood Vet Clinic in Port Orange 386-788-1550. She’s an outstanding squirrel vet and not too far from Orlando. Very easy to get to from I-4 east.

Based on her age, I think an exam would be a good idea.

[Diggie's Friend]

Since traveling and being at the vet are stressful, yet advised, giving her a couple of drops of maple syrup just behind her incisors using your pinkie to put it into her mouth can help to keep her blood sugar up. If you don't have Maple syrup, light or dark (not blackstrap) molasses will do. Applesauce with calcium powder sprinkled into it is also a good choice, as is a small piece of avocado sprinkled with calcium powder (with no skin, or margin of this fruit touching the skin).

[sammalamm]

Today is day 4, I think. She doesn’t make the noises of I’m holding her & petting her. No matter how long. But she when she gets away, even to just crawl on my head... she starts doing the strange pushes and grunting as if in pain.

I now believe it’s a butt issue. She is popping some here and there, but the grunts happens as if she’s pushing or having severe stomach cramps. I also noticed that’s she’s having issues sitting straight up which I can now kind of notice in the video I provided a few days ago. During the video I thought it was just because she was in pain. She just isn’t moving that slow all the time, but she’s definitely not as fast Or mobile as she would normally be. Today I stuck a shelled almond by her to see if she’d be interested in it after turning up her nose to a “Henry’s healthy pets hazelnut stick”. She was super excited for the almond but kept losing balance while trying to hold it & sit up to eat it.

Yesterday I found that her poop was bright red. I had noticed it the night before But it wasn’t as bright, but I thought it was possible colored from the watermelon she ate. Yesterday didn’t seem right & almost seemed bloody. I’m attaching a photo. Does this look like blood to y’all?

I feel so bad knowing she’s in discomfort.

[sammalamm]

Could any of this be MBD symptoms? 😔 I have been slacking on the calcium during COVID.

[sammalamm]

Okay, so after taking the watermelon away & throwing the rest out in fear of it being the culprit (also threw out the celery, both new purchases enjoyed at the same time) her poop is no longer bloody looking. I removed all food from her cage in case it was a constipation issue. But I’m back to my original thought of it being urinary... read on.

I have not taken her to the vet, but I’m trying to self treat with all the tips I’ve received over the years. I just really don’t have the funds for a vet visit... and honestly, bring 11 years old I assume this will be the first of a few health issues I run into these next few years. She’s starting to develop a cataract in her left eye... Idr if I mentioned that before. She’s def getting old!

For starters, I moved her water bottle to the entrance of her nest so now all she has to do is climb out & drink. It’s seems to encourage a higher water intake this past 36 hours.

I tried whipping up a calcium citrate & water paste... Even added maybe 1/8 teaspoon of peanut oil from my natural peanut butter (seriously just a drizzle) to make it more appealing. She attacked it at first, until she realized it was calcium and now she turns away if I even close to her with it. She would not take to the molasses either. I went out & bought some Stonyfield Yobaby & a different unflavored full-fat Yogurt to try. I started with some strawberry yobaby. She wanted nothing to do with it and retreated to her nest. So I cut up her favorite, avocado & covered it in calcium (which I usually do). She grabbed one, but didn’t eat it... just dropped it and walked away to “grunt & push”. Also set a few blueberries & some bok choy in Her cage to see if she’d nibble on either of those.

I put some Pedialyte in a dish hoping she may drink from it. I’ve never done pedialyte before- do I just add it to her water bottle?

So the reason I think it’s a urinary problem like I originally suspected: I’ve been observing her bowels multiple times a day. Now that we’re 5 days from the original symptoms, it is clear that her vagina WAS swollen in the video I posted. The swelling has reduced. She seems to be popping fine afterall... it was just the color that concerned me. There is a yellowish-jelly substance sometimes when she poops. I’ve seen it before but always assumed it from from a vegetable she may have eaten, like tomato. Today I ran her private area under some warm water to help her clean up. There was a somewhat hard gooey matter stuck between her genitals. It came off with water. I believe it may have been ruins build up that was drying. I had her flipped on her back while I gently pushed on her anus to see if there was a hard mass, as in constipation. As I stroke downward towards her tail, essentially stretching her privates, she peed all over me! It legit squirted out on my face (gross!), shirt, bathroom sink, and floor. It was like a bladder release. I made the stroking movement a few more times, each time she released urine. It was slightly cloudy and pale yellow.

Any ideas? Anything else I should try?

What else can I try?

[sammalamm]

That is an unusual noise. I’ve never heard it made before. She doesn’t look like she’s getting around very well, either. If you want a through exam by a vet of your little girl, you have a couple of options. There is a good vet in Orlando that sees squirrels. Dr. Diaz at Exotic Animal Hospital of Orlando, 407-286-3484. He’s a little pricey but closer to you. The other option is Dr. Alicia Emerson at Ravenwood Vet Clinic in Port Orange 386-788-1550. She’s an outstanding squirrel vet and not too far from Orlando. Very easy to get to from I-4 east.

Based on her age, I think an exam would be a good idea.

Mel: I tried sending you a message but your inbox has reached capacity. I’m trying see if providing a squirrel with anesthesia is normal routine for vet visits. I called Ravenwood this morning as symptoms have not improved, but the squirrel vet will not be in until tomorrow. However, the receptionist let me know I would need to sign the anesthesia form.

I’m really hesitant to go to the vet here knowing the other is the better option... but also because the main reason I put it off was money related & I don’t know how pricy, pricy is. I had hoped & prayed it would clear up, but it hasn’t and it’s not fair to her to be in pain. Plus, she’s not eaten for over 72 hours now... not even nuts. She is drinking her pedialyte on her own.

[Mel1959]

I think if you explain your situation to Dr. Emerson she will work with you on the price and payment. She uses as little anesthesia as possible. This is not only best for the squirrel but keeps the cost to a minimum. I’d definitely try to get in to see her. She’s the best.

I’m not sure what pricey is for Dr. Diaz. I’ve never been to him, but have heard this from multiple people.

I do know of two other vets in Orlando that work with a rehab facility in Orlando. I know nothing about them other than they treat all types of wildlife for the facility. I don’t even know the names of their clinics or if they have a private practice. Maybe you can research it if your interested. Their names are: Dr. Jourdenais and Dr. Jane Fishman Leon.

[sammalamm]

I think if you explain your situation to Dr. Emerson she will work with you on the price and payment. She uses as little anesthesia as possible. This is not only best for the squirrel but keeps the cost to a minimum. I’d definitely try to get in to see her. She’s the best.

I’m not sure what pricey is for Dr. Diaz. I’ve never been to him, but have heard this from multiple people.

I do know of two other vets in Orlando that work with a rehab facility in Orlando. I know nothing about them other than they treat all types of wildlife for the facility. I don’t even know the names of their clinics or if they have a private practice. Maybe you can research it if your interested. Their names are: Dr. Jourdenais and Dr. Jane Fishman Leon.

I ended up at St. Charles Veterinary in Haines City as suggested by Exotic Animal Hospital of Orlando (they were already working on an emergency they said). The nurse here believes there is nothing to be done for Twiggy since she hasn’t been eating. She said her bladder is enlarged with a white substance that seems to be coating her bladder wall. The Dr. advised euthanation for quality of life. 😢😭😭😭

[CritterMom]

Oh I am so sorry. Having these things happen so suddenly is just so terribly painful, especially after such a long relationship. It is your last act of love for her after all these years - the hardest one to have to give.

[Mel1959]

Do you think you want to get a second opinion before you do anything?

[sammalamm]

Do you think you want to get a second opinion before you do anything?

I definitely thought that. I was trying to google stuff about things they were saying. But it’s done. 😭 They really threw around the quality of life aspect. She hasn’t eaten in 4 days & while I know that’s concerning... she just kept saying that she didn’t think antibiotics would help what she saw. She wrote up a plan to further investigate with xrays & stuff but it was almost $1000 and wasn’t even guaranteed to find anything so I couldn’t. I wanted to get antibiotics and just give it a go, but she went into this whole thing how I would have to sign a paper releasing her from death once I left, etc. It was just really overwhelming with no one to call and talk about it all. I’m trying to just be well with how things went down today, but the “what if’s” are tearing me up. Part of me wishes I would have just left and went to the port orange vet when she got in tomorrow. But... it will be okay. She’s in heaven now.

[Mel1959]

I’m really, really sorry you had to go through that. I know exactly what you’re saying about the whole experience being overwhelming. Sometimes you just have to trust their knowledge. It would have been easier to do if you had a relationship with this vet and the vet with your girl. You did the best for her.

Eleven years old is a very long life for a squirrel. I will say that when squirrels age there are a multitude of things that can go wrong.....many of the same ailments that humans get. We see it frequently on this board.

I’m sorry I didn’t offer to go with you to the vet....just to be there for you. I would have gladly done that.