SICK GROUND SQUIRREL

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

My squirrel is sick, she’s around 7\8 and out of nowhere has started making noises that sound like gasps/catching her breath/coughs then she’ll gargle a little. Just consistently opening her mouth and it sounds like she is crying What do I do??

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Hello Lafayettegroundsquirrel
I must leave for work and noticed your thread. Other will be here to help you!
There are a few things I would like to suggest that you post which will be important to consider for the recommendations to follow:

What is the species of your Squirrel and what is her name?

Do you have a Vet available to see your Squirrel. This would be best!

Please obtain an accurate and current weight of your Squirrel as dosing of medication is based upon weight. Preferably this would be with digital scales reading in Grams but get what you can!

Does your Squirrel have any known medical problems?

Is your Squirrel eating and drinking normally and is she active?

Are there any other abnormal behaviors or signs of illness such as diarrhea (just as an example)?

Was there any incident such as choking on food or water that you may have noticed that immediately preceded this change in status?

Is your Squirrel kept in a cage or allowed to roam around the house or even go outdoors?

Is there any chance that your Squirrel may have found something around the house that could be poisonous such as certain plants or pest poisons?

Do you have any antibiotics or can you get some from others? Most likely an antibiotic will be a good option to include in the treatment plan. Please specify what antibiotics you have available and their strength (as an example only 100 mg per tablet)?

Thanks and I wish the very best for your Squirrel's rapid recovery!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

Hello Lafayettegroundsquirrel
I must leave for work and noticed your thread. Other will be here to help you!
There are a few things I would like to suggest that you post which will be important to consider for the recommendations to follow:

What is the species of your Squirrel and what is her name?

Do you have a Vet available to see your Squirrel. This would be best!

Please obtain an accurate and current weight of your Squirrel as dosing of medication is based upon weight. Preferably this would be with digital scales reading in Grams but get what you can!

Does your Squirrel have any known medical problems?

Is your Squirrel eating and drinking normally and is she active?

Are there any other abnormal behaviors or signs of illness such as diarrhea (just as an example)?

Was there any incident such as choking on food or water that you may have noticed that immediately preceded this change in status?

Is your Squirrel kept in a cage or allowed to roam around the house or even go outdoors?

Is there any chance that your Squirrel may have found something around the house that could be poisonous such as certain plants or pest poisons?

Do you have any antibiotics or can you get some from others? Most likely an antibiotic will be a good option to include in the treatment plan. Please specify what antibiotics you have available and their strength (as an example only 100 mg per tablet)?

Thanks and I wish the very best for your Squirrel's rapid recovery!

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

Lafayette is a her name and she is a ground squirrel, we are in Cedar City, Utah.

She has a cage but we let her roam during the day and she sleeps in her cage at night.

We are calling around on the vets but we're not sure if they will see a squirrel. There are a few pet stores here and a Cal Ranch, would I be able to get antibiotics there?

She's making a lot of noises, and she has a really runny nose that seems really sensitive. Lots of opening and closing her mouth. No known medical problems. Happened very suddenly. She could have choked on something but we didn't see anything. No plants or poisons.

[Mel1959]

I’m sorry I don’t know of any vets or rehabbers in Utah. I suggest calling vets that may treat birds or exotics. They sometimes have someone that will treat squirrels. I’m not sure what the wildlife laws are in Utah so proceed carefully about giving out too much private info.

Another suggestion would be to contact some licensed wildlife rehabbers in Utah and see if they can help with resources. Here’s a link to them. https://greatbasinwildlife.net/Living/living_lists.html

[Mel1959]

If you can post any type of human antibiotics you can locate someone on here can help with dosing. A weight of the squirrel and the strength of the meds is necessary.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Lafayette is a her name and she is a ground squirrel, we are in Cedar City, Utah.

She has a cage but we let her roam during the day and she sleeps in her cage at night.

We are calling around on the vets but we're not sure if they will see a squirrel. There are a few pet stores here and a Cal Ranch, would I be able to get antibiotics there?

She's making a lot of noises, and she has a really runny nose that seems really sensitive. Lots of opening and closing her mouth. No known medical problems. Happened very suddenly. She could have choked on something but we didn't see anything. No plants or poisons.

Hello again and hello Lafayette!
As fars pet shops; this would ordinarily NOT be an option to consider. Als, any Vet MUST be vetted! It is most important to determine before Lafayette goes there that the Vet will NOT confiscate or euthanize your Squirrel and also that the Vet preferably has Squirrel experience or at least experience with pet rats or rodent and feels comfortable seeing Squirrels.

I am not familiar with the other facility you mentioned and i am going to be unavailabke for several hours at work. Hopefully someone is familiar with this facility. I will look on internet when i have time again available.

Any antibiotics available?

Lafayette may have an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection but the problem may actually from a dental issue such as an odontoma which is common with Squirrels. There much information about this condition on TSB. I'll check back as soon as I am able.
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

If you can post any type of human antibiotics you can locate someone on here can help with dosing. A weight of the squirrel and the strength of the meds is necessary.

I have amoxicillin 250 mill tablets? I will see if I can weigh her.

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

She weighs 29 ounces, or 1.8 pounds. I have 250 amoxocillin. Can someone help dose her? She's getting worse.

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

My squirrel is super sick and we can't find a vet around here that will help. I have human amoxicilliin 250 MG tablets. Lafayette is 1.8 pounds. Can someone please tell me what dosage to use?? She's making the saddest noises and is very lethargic and hot.

[Spanky]

Give me a minute to write this up and I will PM instructions.

Dosing sent via PM...

[Spanky]

My squirrel is sick, she’s around 7\8 and out of nowhere has started making noises that sound like gasps/catching her breath/coughs then she’ll gargle a little. Just consistently opening her mouth and it sounds like she is crying What do I do??

While I went ahead and sent dosing for the Amoxicillin, if this were a sudden on-set I would not be so sure that this in an infection requiring antibiotics; infections do not come on that quickly. I suggest you check her teeth and to the extent possible check her airway (throat) for obstructions... I'd be concerned she swallowed something that may be lodge in her throat making it difficult to breath. If she has any broken off teeth I would be concerned the piece of tooth may have lodged in her throat.

Does she have toys with "bean" type filling?

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

While I went ahead and sent dosing for the Amoxicillin, if this were a sudden on-set I would not be so sure that this in an infection requiring antibiotics; infections do not come on that quickly. I suggest you check her teeth and to the extent possible check her airway (throat) for obstructions... I'd be concerned she swallowed something that may be lodge in her throat making it difficult to breath. If she has any broken off teeth I would be concerned the piece of tooth may have lodged in her throat.

Does she have toys with "bean" type filling?

She doesn't but she stores things in her cheeks a lot that she gets ahold of. She keeps opening her mouth like she could have swallowed something but she has a lot of mucas and snot coming from her nose and seems to be sensitive there when we try and clear it.

[Mel1959]

Please continue to call around to friends and family to see if u can locate any other type of antibiotic. Amoxicillin is better than nothing but there are other meds that work better for upper respiratory infections if that’s what it is.

[Diggie's Friend]

Ground squirrels, like tree squirrels in the wild, pull up grasses to access the soil that surrounds the roots that contain good bacterial forms that are needed to support health by countering the bad forms that also reside in their gut. This ingestion, known as (geophagy), is common to many mammal species including squirrels. With over 70 percent of the whole body's immune system residing in the form of good bacterial forms in the gut; without providing a replacement source (without the worms and other bad bacterial forms that soils can also contain), a key source of immune support will be missing from the diet. These organisms are also key to optimum digestion of foods that supports greater availability of the nutrients from the foods in their diets to their body.

When AB are needed, it is all the more critical to maintain the greater level of good bacteria vs. the bad forms, that reside in the gut; otherwise, AB otherwise will decimate most of the good bacterial forms along with the bad forms. Research has found that when sugar based prebiotics are the form included with probiotics, that following treatment, not only does the good bacteria grow, but the bad forms do as well, as such (FOS) in this regard is non selective when it comes to bacterial growth. And though the lactobacillus (dairy derived forms) are optimum to support nursing young, they are not the forms squirrels rely upon in the wild after weaning into and throughout adulthood.

https://vitalityscience.com/product/dog-probiotics/

As the article above also relates, the prebiotic form included with this soil based probiotic source, provides the additional support of binding viruses, that counters their strength in the body. According to rat, viruses in rodents are one of the key promoters cancers in rodents. I presently know of no other source like this that has been used in tree squirrels that I could confidently recommend to supporting ground squirrels, for according to the manufacturer of this product, it is non species specific, having no additives to the large array of probiotics with the noted soil-based prebiotic

https://www.amazon.com/Vitality-Scie.../dp/B005PJN2HO

[lafayettegroundsquirrel]

We found a vet that would take a look at her. He said it didn't look good. We had to leave her there and now we are just sitting at home crying wondering if we should go back and get her. I have some videos of her breathing if anyone has time to take a look at them.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Hi Lafayettegroundsquirrel:
I have read what has transpired since my last post. Also, the nasal drainage, lethargy, feeling warm (fever?!?), truly does suggest an infection. While an infection of any part of the respiratory tract outside of the chest is technically an Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URI), there are many variables such as the location of the infection, where the infection may have originated, the bacteria or viruses causing the infection and condition and/or mechanism that led to the infection developing. I truly suspect a dental condition as the primary cause of what is going on and in particular, I suspect an infection of the root area of one or both of the upper incisors or possibly of one or more of the upper teeth that has now spread to the sinuses and is causing drainage and difficulty breathing for Lafayette through her nasal passages. Squirrel, like human infants are obligate nose breathers. This means that they normally breath through their noses and cannot easily transition to mouth breathing. That is why any mouth breathing by a Squirrel should be considered abnormal even if this is done without any apparent distress. .A dental related infection can result for decay or damage to a tooth or teeth and can also result from an odontoma penetrating into the sinuses or nasal passages. An odontoma is a disorganized area of dental tissue that is not cancer but does have the ability to grow into surrounding regions of the skull.

Amoxicillin can be effective against a number of conditions but there are far more effective antibiotics for dental related infections which I again feel is what is going on with Lafayette! The antibiotic that I would prefer above others that can be dosed orally is Amoxicillin plus Clavulanate (this is a combination drug and while it contains amoxicillin, it is quite different from plain amoxicillin!). A brand name for human use is Augmentin. A brand for Veterinary use is Clavamox. Please try to find even one Augmentation tablet but more would be good to have in reserve in the event of inadvertent loss or contamination of the original tablet and also just in case more is needed or there is a further need later on! If this is caused bu an odontoma, the antibiotics will not cure an odontoma and surgery is usually what is required BUT an antibiotic may still be effective against the bacteria causing the infection and may even cure it or help "tone it down" so Lafayette can become more comfortable.

Neither CAL Ranch or pet shops are able to sell antibiotics and any source of Amoxicillin plus Clavulanate (or any antibiotics) requires a prescription for purchase. That is why we were asking about any antibiotics that you might have already in your possession or able to obtain from a friend or relative! Please try!

Have you been able to examine Lafayette's teeth for damage or malocclusion (not lining up properly or normally)? Also, under ideal circumstances, a Skull X-ray Study should be performed (or a CT) as this will usually show evidence of an odontoma if it exists.I know that is far easier for me to suggest than for you get done!

Please try locating other antibiotics and if possible, obtain Amoxicillin plus Clavulanate (Augmentin is the brand).

How is Lafayette doing now?

Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

We found a vet that would take a look at her. He said it didn't look good. We had to leave her there and now we are just sitting at home crying wondering if we should go back and get her. I have some videos of her breathing if anyone has time to take a look at them.

I noticed this post after I made my post. I would certain like to see the videos but I am concerned about this Vet keeping Lafayette and you having to leave her. Did the Vet actually examine her and offer a treatment plan or did he just want you to leave her? I'm very worried about this! I know that y'all are desperate and just want Lafayette to be better. I can certainly understand why you did this and that is because it probably your only option for professional evaluation and treatment for you beloved Squirrel! I hope beyond measure that this is legitimate and the Vet is knowledgeable about Squirrels and intends to treat her! If so, maybe this vet would be willing to obtain skull x-rays and get Lafayette started on an optimal antibiotic! Please call and see what the Vet has done and what his treatment plan is. Hopefully, if you don't agree with what he intends to do, they will let you return and take Lafayette home!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[Tashahaven]

When you say “you left her at the vet”, what was the reason indicated?

I know often if a vet doesn’t have available appointments and it’s a potential emergency, they will ask you to leave the animal so the vet can examine them in between appointments.

Did they give an explanation? (Further testing, fluids, observation etc?)

Thoughts & Prayers are with you and Lafayette! Upper respiratory infections CAN be a bit hard on a compromised animal, one weak from another ailment. But if she was in good health, it seems unlikely.

Whatever it is, I hope the vet can provide some answers and treatment options. ❤️

[Mel1959]

How’s Lafayette doing this morning?

[Charley]

My squirrel is sick, she’s around 7\8 and out of nowhere has started making noises that sound like gasps/catching her breath/coughs then she’ll gargle a little. Just consistently opening her mouth and it sounds like she is crying What do I do??

Hi my name is LIZ I was reading your post and I was wondering how your ground squirrel is doing I hope to God that she got better. I just recently lost my baby Bella ground squirrel on June 12. She was about 10 weeks old and I was devastated so your post caught my attention. I hope your squirrel got better.