My 9wk old squirrel is sick- please advise

[Tmeunier05]

Hello,
I have a 9wk old baby squirrel that is very sick. Samson is very lethargic and cold. We are keeping him covered as best we can, but he keeps moving out of his bed and goes to a corner of the cage and just lays there..we are giving him antibiotics(amoxicillin), pedialyte and water in a bottle. If we try moving him he clings to his cage and will bite which is not like him. Please advise as soon as possible. Thank you.

[TomahawkFlyers]

Hi. What are you feeding the little guy?

Jamie

[TomahawkFlyers]

Also, what dosage of Amoxycillin are you administering? Is there regular fresh water available?

[Tmeunier05]

We give him and his sibling squirrel blocks and an assortment of fresh veggies and fruits. They have fresh water available to them that we mix with a little pedialyte. We crushed up a sliver and mixed it with water and pedialyte..

[TomahawkFlyers]

The amount of Amoxycillin given to a baby squirrel must be precisely measured. Please, find a digital scale, weigh your squirrel, and tell us the strength the tablet you are using. This is critical information, and depending on how much antibiotic was administered, your little guy might be in serious trouble. Please do not wait until tomorrow. Do these things now. We will help you. And stop the Pedialyte until we get this squared away.

Jamie

Also, please listen to the breathing - is there any wheezing or clicking?

[Tmeunier05]

I don't have a scale, I looked everywhere for something I could use. There is clicking sound. We have stopped pedialyte for now

[Tmeunier05]

Just wanted to add that I just checked on him.. he crawled out of his blankets again.. ill take that as a good sign bc he's moving around.. always the little explorer.. I dont hear the clicking anymore

[TomahawkFlyers]

Your guy most likely has aspiration pneumonia. Even if the clicking has stopped (for now) accurate dosage of Amoxycillin must be administered. He is quite sick, and you might very well lose him. Squirrels usually don't crawl around. They run and jump. Please, if you'll get us the requested information, we will help you! A cheap scale can be had at Walmart for less than $15.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Mainstays...2&from=/search

We need weight in grams, the exact name of the antibiotic you have, and the strength of the tablet/capsule.

Your boy is in trouble. He needs your help. Time is important. We are here for you.

Jamie

[Icemouse]

My wee boy had severe breathing problems as he was only a few weeks old as he was found.
It's major important that you find scales. To get the antibiotic dosage right and working effectively. DON'T waste any time. I do not want to scare you but time is crucial for the survival of your wee friend.
I have severe asthma and get pneunomnia at least 3 to 4 times a year. If it's anything for a squirrel like it is for humans I can explain how it feels. Every breath one takes hurts badly. It's like a knife... it's major painful.
One will feel freezing cold for a wee while and then hot as hell.
Your boy will crawl out when he feels hot but he will start freezing pretty quick again. Can you carry him in a sling or so on your body? It would have a good effect on you and him. You can comfort him and make sure he's covered when he feels cold. When he gets hot again you can give him some air. Your baby would feel you breathing which will comfort him. And you can feel first hand how he's doing?
I hope your wee boy is on the mend soon. Best wishes

[CritterMom]

Stop putting pedialyte in the water - they need just plain, clean water, or, to encourage more water consumption you can add a pinch of sugar to it, but the sodium in pedialyte is way more than they need.

9 weeks... You didn't mention formula and 9 week old babies should just be starting to think about slowly weaning. Are they getting formula and if so, what kind?