Baby squirrels are fragile creatures, a mild illness, a short fall or even a change in the temperature of their environment can be dangerous for them.
If your squirrel is suffering from pneumonia, treatment is needed, or else the baby may die. This article looks at baby squirrel pneumonia treatments
Table of Contents
Baby squirrel pneumonia treatment
Pneumonia affects humans and squirrels in the same way, this infection affects the lungs and or air sacs and causes respiratory issues.
Because it is an infection, it is treated with antibiotics in both humans and squirrels, a vet will be able to prescribe antibiotics and other supportive medications for your pet.
Here are medications that your vet may prescribe for your squirrel
Baytril, Bactrim (also called sulfatrim or Septra):
Your vet will likely treat your pet’s pneumonia using these antibiotics, they are broad-spectrum and are safe for use on squirrels.
Baytril is especially helpful because it is fast-acting, it is considered as the gold standard medication against fighting pneumonia in squirrels.
Baytril is also beneficial because it has anti-inflammatory properties. This helps relax the squirrel’s lungs and gives the medication the opportunity to clear out the mucus and infection in the animal’s lungs.
Clavamox or amoxicillin:
These are penicillin-based antibiotics, depending on your vet’s opinion on penicillin-based antibiotics for squirrels, your vet may or may not prescribe them.
There have been debates on whether penicillin-based antibiotics are good for squirrels, some avoid this type of antibiotic and others will prescribe it.
Unfortunately, Amoxicillin does not have the anti-inflammatory properties that Baytril does.
Probios, benebac or lactobacillus:
Your baby squirrel will likely start to suffer from diarrhea once the antibiotics start to kick in, this is normal.
Diarrhea happens because the antibiotics will not only kill off the bad bacteria in your baby squirrel’s body, they will also kill off the good bacteria in your baby’s body as well, which will cause diarrhea.
Your vet will prescribe probios, benebac, or lactobacillus to help with this. These medications can be added to your squirrel’s food and should not be given at the same time that your squirrel gets its antibiotics
Supportive treatment:
Supportive treatment is what you’d need to do at home after taking your pet to the vet to get medication.
Supportive treatment includes keeping the squirrel well hydrated as it recovers, keeping it in a clean, dust-free, and smoke-free, environment, keeping the squirrel in a quiet environment, and keeping it quiet.
You can help clean the air that your squirrel breathes by using a vaporizer in the room that your squirrel is in, adding eucalyptus oil to the vaporizer will also be helpful.
What to do in the future:
Baby squirrels mostly suffer from aspiration pneumonia, this can happen when the baby squirrel doesn’t feed correctly.
If too much fluid pours into the baby’s mouth as it feeds, and gets into the baby’s lungs, the fluids will eventually develop into an infection, and thus pneumonia.
Feeding the baby squirrel correctly will keep the baby squirrel from aspirating and will keep aspiration pneumonia from developing.
Make sure to feed the baby from the bottom up and check that the baby is not taking too much fluid in as it feeds.
Other causes of pneumonia in squirrels can include being exposed to cold air, wet conditions, or water.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, if your pet squirrel is suffering from pneumonia then your vet will be able to prescribe antibiotics to treat the ailment.
You’d also need to give the animal supportive care when you get home.
Feeding the baby correctly, and keeping it away from cold air, wet conditions, and water will also be helpful in preventing aspiration pneumonia in these animals
If you enjoyed this article then you may also be interested in other squirrel related articles. Here are some articles that you may be interested in: Baby Squirrel Has Diarrhea, Baby Squirrel Breathing Through Its Mouth, Dead Squirrel With A Bloody Mouth, Why Does My Baby Squirrel Have Diarrhea?
