HELP NEEDED ASAP-Eastern Grey Squirrel decompensating fast

[NuggieLove]

HELP NEEDED ASAP

I have a 13 yr old Eastern grey squirrel. On Thursday she stopped eating some of her food (her veggies and henry's). On Friday she stopped eating completely and became lethargic, hunched posture, urinating on herself, warm to the touch, wobbly along with white mucous ocular discharge.. I started syringe feeding her whole Milk Vanilla yogurt ( and she takes 12mls on her own) I started Oxbow Critical Care for herbivore, she doesn't love it but tolerates it.

This is the medication she is currently on
LRS sc fluids 10mls twice a day- i may consider three times a day as she absorbs the fluids within minutes.
Clavamox 45mg/kg twice a day
Buprenex 0.05-0.1ml twice a day
I syringe feed her every 4 hours
She received a vitamin b12 injection SC yesterday at 6pm

I had bloodwork on her yesterday. I compared her values to her Nov 2022 bloodwork when she was healthy. What could be going in with my baby? Is there anything else I could be doing???


Bloodwork from November of 2022 and Sept 23, 2023

Nov 2022. Sept 2023
Platelets 975 k/uL 211k/uL
Reticulocytes 74k/uL 150 k/uL
Glucose 122mg/dL 139mg/dL
Idexx SDMA 9ug/dL 8 ug/dL
Creatnine 0.7mg/dL 0.6mg/dL
BUN 14mg/dL 30mg/dL
Phosphorus 4.8 3.0mg/dL
Calcium 10.6 9.2mg/dL
Sodium 152 158mmol/L
Potassium 4.3mmol/L 3.6mmol/L
Total Protein 6g/dL 5.7 g/dL
Albumin 2.6 g/dL 2.3g/dL
Globulin 3.4G/dL 3.4g/dL
Albunin: Globulin ratio 0.8 0.7
ALT <1 U/L <1U/L
AST 11 12U/L
ALP 234U/L 254U/L
GGT 3U/L 1U/L
Cholesterol 173mg/dl 224mg/dl

My thoughts:
- Platelets seemed to have dropped significantly, anemic? how to counteract that?
- I am a vet tech and I know we dont worry so much about the BUN aslong as the creatnine is normal, does this apply to squirrels aswell?
- could it be potassium related?- she is having good bowelmovents, no diarrhea
- could it be cholesestrol?
- or her liver value ALP?

ANY HELP WOULD BE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE.

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

HELP NEEDED ASAP

I have a 13 yr old Eastern grey squirrel. On Thursday she stopped eating some of her food (her veggies and henry's). On Friday she stopped eating completely and became lethargic, hunched posture, urinating on herself, warm to the touch, wobbly along with white mucous ocular discharge.. I started syringe feeding her whole Milk Vanilla yogurt ( and she takes 12mls on her own) I started Oxbow Critical Care for herbivore, she doesn't love it but tolerates it.

This is the medication she is currently on
LRS sc fluids 10mls twice a day- i may consider three times a day as she absorbs the fluids within minutes.
Clavamox 45mg/kg twice a day
Buprenex 0.05-0.1ml twice a day
I syringe feed her every 4 hours
She received a vitamin b12 injection SC yesterday at 6pm

I had bloodwork on her yesterday. I compared her values to her Nov 2022 bloodwork when she was healthy. What could be going in with my baby? Is there anything else I could be doing???


Bloodwork from November of 2022 and Sept 23, 2023

Nov 2022. Sept 2023
Platelets 975 k/uL 211k/uL
Reticulocytes 74k/uL 150 k/uL
Glucose 122mg/dL 139mg/dL
Idexx SDMA 9ug/dL 8 ug/dL
Creatnine 0.7mg/dL 0.6mg/dL
BUN 14mg/dL 30mg/dL
Phosphorus 4.8 3.0mg/dL
Calcium 10.6 9.2mg/dL
Sodium 152 158mmol/L
Potassium 4.3mmol/L 3.6mmol/L
Total Protein 6g/dL 5.7 g/dL
Albumin 2.6 g/dL 2.3g/dL
Globulin 3.4G/dL 3.4g/dL
Albunin: Globulin ratio 0.8 0.7
ALT <1 U/L <1U/L
AST 11 12U/L
ALP 234U/L 254U/L
GGT 3U/L 1U/L
Cholesterol 173mg/dl 224mg/dl

My thoughts:
- Platelets seemed to have dropped significantly, anemic? how to counteract that?
- I am a vet tech and I know we dont worry so much about the BUN aslong as the creatnine is normal, does this apply to squirrels aswell?
- could it be potassium related?- she is having good bowelmovents, no diarrhea
- could it be cholesestrol?
- or her liver value ALP?

ANY HELP WOULD BE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE.

Hi NuggieLove and thanks for finding The Squirrel Board! What is your Squirrels name? I must lead-off with the disclaimer that I am NOT a Veterinarian and my comments are my opinions only! Evaluation by a Vetrinarian would is strongly recommended (more of this below)!

1) You mentioned that your Squirrel's symptoms began on "Thursday." Is that this past Thursday, just 3 days ago?

2) I am conscientiously saying this and I don't mean to imply that there are no other possibilities to explanation your Squirrel's recent change in status BUT your Little One is 13 y/o. She is getting to be a "senior" Squirrel and what is going on now may be how your Squirrel is packing for her eventual scamper across the Rainbow Bridge! If that proves to be the case, my recommendation is to provide only compassionate and loving comfort care and strive for ensuring as best you can; that your Squirrel transitions in Peace!

3) Would you please provide a detailed summary of what has been your Squirrel's diet for at least the past 6 months? Whenever there is a report of a Squirrel having decreased activity and appetite, one of the first things that must be considered is Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD). This may be difficult to rule in or rule out, especially without supporting x-ray films. The normal serum Calcium does not rule out MBD and Squirrels can have a high, low or normal serum calcium and still have MBD. The vast majority of an animal's Total Calcium is contained in the bones. The Calcium present in the blood is only a very tiny fraction of your Squirrel's total Calcium! My suggestion would be to simply start the Emergency MBD Protocol from Henry's Website immediately! If this is not MBD, the treatment for it will be harmless! If it is MBD, the treatment can literally be life-saving! Here is a link:
https://henryspets.com/emergency-treatment-for-mbd/

4) Has your Squirrel been seen by a Veterinarian. If not, and being seen expeditiously by a Squirrel friendly and experienced Veterinarian is a possibility for you, I would strongly recommend that this be accomplished immediately!

5) your Squirrel is on a fair number of medications! Did use of all of the listed medications begin with the appearance of your Squirrels initial symptoms this past Thursday or has your Squirrel been on these medications for some time preceding the onset of her recent symptoms? Why is she on Buprenex which in itself can cause lethargy, and result in depression of the Central Nervous System, the Respiratory System, and the Gastrointestinal System and more!

Why the antibiotics?
Why the Sub-q fluids if your Squirrel is drinking fluids?
Why the B-12 injection?

I am NOT implying that any or all of the se medications have been given inappropriately! I am just asking for the time frame each was begun and the reason for having started them!

6) Just my comments regarding some of your labwork questions, but I really don't see anything in the lab report that would in itself explain your Squirrel's status change; a) Platelets have nothing to do with anemia as anemia is a decrease in the number of Red Blood Cells, not platelets and a change in the number of platelets in themselves as noted in your lab reports would in itself be difficult or really impossible to be considered a cause for your Squirrels changes in status! A major function of Platelets is being a part of the clotting mechanism, b) the BUN and the Creatinine are used together to get some idea as to kidney function and where the problems may originate (with the kidneys themselves, after the the kidneys such as a with a urinary obstruction and probably the most common; before the kidneys and would suggest a degree of dehydration. When we see a normal creatinine, it is always encouraging but the BUN itself is also used and an somewhat elevated BUN and a relatively normal creatinine may suggest some degree of dehydration can be a number of other explanations for an increased BUB/creatinine ratio with a relatively normal creatinine such as GI Bleeding!

I would certainly continue fluid supplementation as you are doing but if your Squirrel is taking in adequate fluids orally, it may really not be necessary to give fluids through a needle. Minimizing or preventing pain and fear should be always be considered of primary importance and invasive means to accomplish what can be accomplished otherwise certainly has its place but should be done only if needed!

Please keep us updated on how you Squirrel is doing!
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

When we see a normal creatinine, it is always encouraging but the BUN itself is also used and an somewhat elevated BUN and a relatively normal creatinine may suggest some degree of dehydration can be a number of other explanations for an increased BUB/creatinine ratio with a relatively normal creatinine such as GI Bleeding!

Hello again, Nugielove:
I tried to edit my post and there was a problem with doing so but I wanted to clarify what I wrote about the BUN/creatinine ratio. I am not suggesting that this very minimal elevation of the BUN is suggestive of GI bleeding in your Squirrel! I tried to simply get rid of that reference and could not so please do NOT think that I suspect that as the cause for your Squirrel's changes in behavior. It certainly may be that there is some degree of dehydration but you are already "on top of this!"
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel

[SamtheSquirrel2018]

Hi NuggieLove;
How is your little Squirrel doing?
Regards,
SamtheSquirrel