Need help - post odontoma surgery trouble breathing!!

[FurBabyMom80]

My squirrel just had odontoma surgery and is only a couple days post-surgery. She just started sneezing and wheezing and appears to be having issues breathing, possible clogged stent. Vet is closed, we need help. What should we do?

[FurBabyMom80]

Anyone have Dr. Emerson's number/emergency number? That's our vet

[CritterMom]

I have NEVER had to deal with odontoma surgery, but in your shoes, I would run to the drug store and buy an infant nasal aspirator: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Safety-1s...iABEgJ1o_D_BwE

Doesn't she have you putting drops in the holes? I would put some drops in, let them sit for a few minutes, and then VERY GENTLY - you barely need to depress the bulb - (practice by putting it against the inside of your lip to practice so you don't suck too hard) suck the nose out. I would do that several times - hopefully the stuff they give you to irrigate it will wet and soften the gunk so yo can remove at least some of it. Be very careful.

[FurBabyMom80]

Thank you critter Mom... Do you think we should try sucking out the stent, or her nostril?

[CritterMom]

If the difficulty is her nostrils, suction them. I must have misunderstood - I thought the difficulty was around the stent. Nostrils are better. You still need to be super gentle but they work quite well for this sort of thing. If you can get her in a steamy room or sitting by a humidifier it will help loosen that stuff so that you can suck it out.

Be real calm and try not to show how scared you are (yeah, I know - easy to say). It is difficult for them to breathe through their mouths; they are designed differently from us, and having to breathe through their mouth is hard and I would imagine scary for them.

[CritterMom]

In the nostrils, use steam to loosen the gunk up, not what you are putting in the stent hole - I am not sure what that is.

[FurBabyMom80]

Thank you so much! On my way to the store to get the snot sucker, she was finally able to suck the clot down thank God! And I sent a Facebook message to Ravenwood (the clinic where Dr. Emerson is) and I got a call from Nicole there who was going to take the stent out Tuesday! She saw the message and gave me her personal cell phone which was so nice! She actually mentioned the snot sucker and the steam room just like you suggested! Good call Critter Mom

[Charley Chuckles]

🙏 just seeing this

[FurBabyMom80]

We ran a hot shower and steamed up the bathroom and sat in there with her for awhile, and then my husband was able to slowly and carefully clear the stent of any gunk in it. She sounds much better now and hopefully that continues. If it happens again at least we'll know what to do and have some tools!

She's been sleeping in a small recovery cage next to us at night. We have a heating pad on top of it and towels covering it so it stays toasty in there for her, which she really seems to like. I remember from her last odontoma surgery how cold she was and how much she appreciated a good snuggle and the heating pad radiating heat in there for her. Every time she sneezes my husband rolls over and checks on her, I feel like we have a newborn LOL

I just hate seeing her like this, it breaks my heart! But thankfully this should be her last odontoma removal (she had them on both top incisors). All prayers, jingles, good vibes, whatever your thing is...are very much appreciated <3

[Coralreefer]

Emerson has done surgeries to the tooth and nasal areas with two of our non releases.
To help breathing issues the answer from Emerson has always been cleaning hardened fluids from Stent and Neo Synephrine nose spray.
Put nose spray in a dropper and one drop in stint as well as nostrils.
It is not uncommon for them to have inflammation in both airways after the surgery.

[FurBabyMom80]

Emerson has done surgeries to the tooth and nasal areas with two of our non releases.
To help breathing issues the answer from Emerson has always been cleaning hardened fluids from Stent and Neo Synephrine nose spray.
Put nose spray in a dropper and one drop in stint as well as nostrils.
It is not uncommon for them to have inflammation in both airways after the surgery.

Thank you so much! I'll go get some of that spray today!

[Coralreefer]

Thank you so much! I'll go get some of that spray today!

is she doing better?

[FurBabyMom80]

Yes, thanks for asking! When we went back Tuesday to get the stent out, the tech said she definitely had some clots in there so she cleaned them out as well as she could and reminded us about the spray and also said in an emergency we could even put our lips over her nose and lightly blow to try to dislodge it. Thankfully we haven't had to do that yet. Little Tina has been sleeping in a little travel cage next to our bed every night so we can listen for any breathing issues. So far so good!

And she has decided that all she wants to eat is waffles LOL

[Coralreefer]

Yay! Such a cutie.

[FurBabyMom80]

And today she got her favorite - blueberry pancakes!

[FurBabyMom80]

She's making quite a few sneezy noises this morning but she's breathing fine. Should we use some of the neo synephrine spray, or is that more for emergencies when they are in distress?

[CritterMom]

First, since I don't have direct experience with odontoma surgery and so many others here DO, I don't want to weigh in, though I suspect it would be fine to use it. Why don't you PM Coralreefer who has been helping you so well here and is the one who mentioned Neo Synephrine in the first place.

Second, WTH is it with breakfast foods and odontoma squirrels? We had a person going through this last month and all her squirrel was willing to accept were blueberry waffles!

[FurBabyMom80]

LOL I don't know, there's got to be something about them that makes them palatable when their mouth is sore! We tried baby food with ours and she wanted nothing to do with it, even though it was blueberries and banana! But she will eat fresh blueberries and banana! Maybe it's a texture thing?

[FurBabyMom80]

Just thought I would pop in here with an update and I am happy to say that our little Tina has completely healed and is back to her normal self!

She still has some hair to grow back on her head and she's has had to learn how to eat differently without any top incisors but it's pretty cool to see how she has adapted...she will take a piece of food and pop it all the way into her mouth, bite a piece off with her molars, then spit the big piece right back out into her little hands while she chews up the piece she bit off! She's gotten so good at it and it only takes her a little longer now to eat than it used to. But her weight is back to normal and her sweet and playful personality is back!

She just turned 5 years old and we love her so much! I am so thankful to Dr. Emerson and her staff for doing such a wonderful job with her 2 surgeries! And I am also SO very thankful to you all for helping me through it!

[Spanky]

This is great news.. and I want to thank you for providing an update. All too often we do not hear how things turned out and we especially love great news like this!