Adult squirrel sneezing

[Sqirlmom]

Hi… my adult male squirrel is sneezing. He
Also has a runny nose and a little discharge coming out of one of his eyes. he’s eating and drinking OK. He might be a little more lethargic than normal. It’s hard to tell with him sometimes because he is a neuro squirrel and has unpredictable activity patterns.

Any recommendations on antibiotics. Any holistic type Remedies recommended. I heard a humidifier might help.

I do have Keflex/ Cephalosporin.. and maybe some others I will have to look around…. I do have tobramyacin ophthalmic solution for his eyes. I know amoxicillin clauvanate was recommended on squirrel board, but I don’t have that one…

I’m not a licensed rehabber, just a human that loves her squirrel,💕. I was concerned that he could possibly be taken away from ME if I took him to an exotic vet. And my thought about that IS. ”Over my dead body”. The local vets that I do use for my other animals might be willing to fill an antibiotic script? But they’re definitely not as flexible they use to be.😟. Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Kim

[Spanky]

First thing to do is ensure his teeth are okay, not too long and are wearing down appropriately.

My next concern would be Metabolic Bone Disease (MBD)... which pops up a lot here because, well, that is the number one disease / illness that adult squirrels under human care become inflicted. The runny nose could be a respiratory infection, but the lethargy, discharge from the eye suggest other potential problems should be ruled out. In order help rule out MBD< we'd need to have a better understanding of his entire diet... what he eats regularly, including if and what specific type rodent block he eats. MBD is life threatening but if caught early enough MBD can be reversed without permanent issues.

Then perhaps odontoma, which are tumors that develop at the base of the incisors (which actually originate in the back of the jaw). This one wwould require an x-ray and a skilled vet to perform the surgery if needed that would be lifesaving.

If teeth and diet check out, then a round of keflex can be tried to see if he improves, but we'd need to know the weight of the squirrel and the strength of the keflex. And you are correct, keflex is not a great antibiotic choice for treating respiratory infections in squirrels so ask family, friends and neighbors if they might have any Augmentin, Baytril, Cipro, Septra.

[Charley Chuckles]

I've been looking for a safe vet, I've found one but it's a distance from you. I've known people to use them with their squirrels and even without a permit all is fine. That said I have no idea if rules can change but if you really need a vet it's a good choice IMHO

ARBOR VIEW ANIMAL HOSPITAL
VALPARAISO IN
219-762-7267

Please keep us posted 🙏