Urgent: Found 2 swollen lumps on my squirrel armpits on each side!

[booboo]

Hi,

I rescued a baby squirrel 5 years ago and today i realized that he has 2 large lumps under his armpits, one on each side!

He seems to be eating normally and active.

Pressed those 2 lumps and he doesn't feel any pain (i supposed)..

There are no bite marks, or blood or any discharge.

Could someone please kindly advise what is it?

We are really worried and our local vets can't help as we are not allowed to keep squirrels as pets here in our country.

Thank you!!

[SammysMom]

Can you post pics??

[Milo's Mom]

Pictures of the lumps you are talking about would be very helpful.

[booboo]

Had to rush off to work this morning.

Will try to get my mom to take some photos!

In the meantime, could you probably guess what is going on?

Bot flies are definitely out of the question as we do not have it here.

Is it possible that its due to overgrown tooth that caused it to swell to the armpits?

[SammysMom]

Does he have overgrown teeth?

[booboo]

Does he have overgrown teeth?

I don't think so...

We have been giving him hard nuts like brazil nuts, hazel nuts, almond nuts (with shells) and lots of wood to chew and he has been chewing it daily.

Also if this helps, my squirrel is a Plantain squirrel.

Thank you!

[SammysMom]

Well until you can get pics, tell us about what he eats daily. Specifics are important so try to be detailed if possible. Are the lumps the same on both sides?

[booboo]

Well until you can get pics, tell us about what he eats daily. Specifics are important so try to be detailed if possible. Are the lumps the same on both sides?

Yes. Both lumps same on both sides. Hope its not cancer or anything like that as i'm thinking of swollen lymph nodes since its under the armpits

Diet:

- Puppy Formula Powdered Milk (twice or thrice a day) He still loves it so we continue to feed him

- Random small pieces of fruits (apple, banana, pear, blueberries)

- Nuts with shells (Brazil nut, almond, walnut, hazelnut) Given only 2 nuts/day

- Water is provided in the cage

[SammysMom]

What kind of puppy formula and how much each feeding? How much does he weigh?

[booboo]

What kind of puppy formula and how much each feeding? How much does he weigh?

We are feeding it with PetLac (http://www.petag.com/product/cat-mil...cers/petlac-2/)

Not sure how much he weighs, i supposed around 500 grams to 800 grams?

We will feed him 2 tablespoons of milk 3 times a day, and he will just stop drinking it when he is full.

We will also supplement his diet with vegetables such as broccoli and tomatoes

[Jackie in Tampa]

my guess would be lymph nodes and or cancer of..
I would try prednisone first and a low grade antibiotic.

[SammysMom]

Good morning! Any changes to your little one? Were you able to take pictures? If you are having trouble posting pics please fee free to email them to me at loseandgainhealth at sbcglobal.net an I will post them for you.
The formula you are using is not a good one for squirrels, but I do realize this is not a baby. Diet is very important to the health of these little guys though. Are you giving any kind of rodent blocks? Not a mineral block, actual food such as what I have pictured below:

[booboo]

Good morning! Any changes to your little one? Were you able to take pictures? If you are having trouble posting pics please fee free to email them to me at loseandgainhealth at sbcglobal.net an I will post them for you.
The formula you are using is not a good one for squirrels, but I do realize this is not a baby. Diet is very important to the health of these little guys though. Are you giving any kind of rodent blocks? Not a mineral block, actual food such as what I have pictured below:

Hi SammysMom,

Thank you for offering to help upload the pictures! I managed to get them up at image shack and hope they are working fine.







As you can see from the photos above, its so swollen till there's a "cleavage"!

And i realized he is missing one toe nail at the back foot, and hope its nothing serious. No swelling etc.

The petshops here do not carry rodent blocks, instead its usually a mixture of dried vegetables, sunflower seeds, etc.

The closest i can find is :

VITAKRAFT PRO PREBIOTIC HAMSTER
Emotion Professional is a complete food for hamsters breed specific. The food contains compressed Vita-Cops with daphnia, nettles, flax seed and grain quality. Emotion Professional is developed by veterinarians and rodent specialists.

Nutrition: 10 to 15 g per animal per day. Ingredients: cereals (49%), vegetable products, fruit, nettle leaves (5%), vegetable protein extract, crude fiber (6%), inulin (2%), minerals, molluscs and crabs (2% water fleas), seeds (2% linseed) oils and fats, yeast (150mg/kg beta-glucans).

Is this food good enough?

[SammysMom]

No to the hamster food. Where are you located?

[SammysMom]

He is beautiful!!! What kind of squirrel is he? We will have to wait for the experts to have a look at the pics.
For anyone who is looking click on the pics and they open larger.

[booboo]

He is beautiful!!! What kind of squirrel is he? We will have to wait for the experts to have a look at the pics.
For anyone who is looking click on the pics and they open larger.

He is a Plantain Squirrel!

[CritterMom]

What country do you live in?

[pappy1264]

Is it a female? Wondering if this has anything to do with perhaps being in heat or maturing (something to do with mammory glands?) Are the lumps hard or soft and squishy? The fact that they are perfectly symetrical leads me to believe it is a hormonal thing (they look to be the same size, same location). Although they could be lymph nodes, kind of odd they are exactly the same size. Can you feel any lumps in the groin area or neck?

Just went back and reread first post, 5 yrs old. You say 'he' but from pics, looks like a female to me. Don't know anything about this type of squirrel but the area the lumps are is making me think something to do with mammory glands.

[Jackie in Tampa]

from here they look like fatty tumors..just guessing..
a vet would be able to aspirate them and have a better idea.. generally these tumors are benign, and often, even if removed, they come back.

I would try the steroid treatment first, unless you do have a vet willing to try, of course that is the best advise, in a perfect world.

Here is a very brief basic article that will help you understand the nature of them and why I would think this.
I also had surgery on my dog to remove two and my 10 y/o sq also has them under his chin on his neck. He s too old to treat, but so far he is fine. Generally these tumors are slow to grow.
Oral Prednisone dosed at 2mg/kg SID is what I would do.
good luck... yes he is gorgeous. How much does he weigh?
__________________

lipomas (fatty tumors).
These tumors are nonpainful, round, moveable masses that have a soft, doughy feel. They are generally slow-growing, usually benign and found in subcutaneous tissue (just below the skin and above the muscle). They can, however, be found in deeper tissues, such as the dividing walls of muscles, abdominal organs, in the mouth, inner ear and more.

Solitary lipomas are more common in women, while multiple lipomas are more common in men.

These tumors generally do not have a known cause, but for some (mostly in men), they are caused by a genetic condition called hereditary multiple lipomatosis. It is characterized by widespread, symmetric lipomas usually appearing over the arms, legs, chest and abdomen. This condition can be associated with Gardner’s syndrome, which also includes intestinal polyposis (many tumors or polyps within the intestine), cysts and osteomas (bone tumors).

Treatment is relatively simple. For small (under 1-inch-diameter) lipomas, some physicians use injectable steroids. The steroids cause the lipoma to shrink and sometimes to disappear.

Enucleation can also be used for small lesions. It is done by making a small incision, removing the tumor from the surrounding tissues and then pulling it (whole and intact) through the small incision. Stitches are rarely needed.

Finally, for small and large lipomas, some doctors perform liposuction. This is most effective for areas where large scars should be avoided. One drawback to this procedure is that complete elimination of the tumor is very difficult.

The most effective way to remove lipomas is through surgical excision. Tumors near the surface of the skin can often be removed in the office with a local anesthetic. However, removal of large, deep tissue or multiple lipomas should be done in a hospital setting under general anesthesia.

Lipomas generally do not interfere with normal body function. However, if they become painful, large, are fast growing, impede movement or become noticeable under clothing, removal is recommended. Most general surgeons are willing to remove them, and some even recommend removal of all lipomas because some cancerous tumors can mimic the benign lipomas.

Removal of the lipomas is generally safe, if you are having difficulty as a result of the size, number and location of your lipomas, you should have them removed.

[Nancy in New York]

Made them a little larger.