Sick Baby Need Help

[tklg2469]

I have seen a small gray in my yard twice (last sat and sun) and he cannot move his back legs - he is dragging - needless to say I have two large dogs and when the poor thing attempted to climb a tree my lab got a hold of her. I screamed and she dropped him and the baby pulled itself away into my neighbors yard. I looked for it last night but it was rainy and he was no where to be found. I have a friend who has trap and I have sooo many squirrels in my yard that if I try to catch him I will probably end up with not the right one. I don't know what to do! I don't want my dog to have him a play toy! I think he is okay after my dog grabbed him - she just wanted to play to eat the poor thing! Please help me figure out the best way to get him and help him. Thank you!

[Jackie in Tampa]

:grouphug hang in there..some members have had situations similar to this,
help is on it's way!:grouphug good luck!

[Buddy'sMom]

:Welcome and thank you for wanting to help this poor little squirrel. Sometimes, though, it's hard to actually help the wild ones. :shakehead

If you can get permission to put the humane trap in your neighbor's yard where the sq. was last seen, that might work. But it needs to be watched or at least checked very frequently. Yes, you might catch many others that need to be released quickly. The injured one may or may not come out of hiding and visit the trap.

Injured squirrels very frequently hide in a safe place for several days to recover. It is possible that this one was just stunned or something sprained and it will recover on its own. They have amazing abilities to heal from rather dramatic injuries. However, this one is definitely in the dramatic category and rehabber or vet treatment and assistance would be helpful --- if you can trap the squirrel. They can hide for several days without coming out for food or water, if they need to. But it might make an appearance again soon.

If you do succeed in trapping it, place the trap in a quiet dark area, and put a sheet or very light blanket over most of it -- this should be calming. You should have rehabber or vet assistance lined up in advance -- do you need help with finding someone?

In the mean time .... or instead, if trapping proves impossible ... it would be good to make sure that food and water are easily available so s/he doen't have to roam very far for the basics. If you are putting a trap out, you will only want food in the trap. But if you cannot put it out, put food and water near the base of the last trees the sq. was seen in. And replenish it if the other wilds come to chow down. :D

If it is very incapacitated, catching it without a trap might be possible ---- but this is best done by a rehabber with experience (and heavy gloves). A wild squirrel's claws and teeth are exceedingly sharp and s/he will not know that you are there to help.

Wishing the best for you and the hurt squirrel
:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[tklg2469]

Thank you all sooo much - I think the little one has been like this for awhile as my neighbor was feeding it earlier this spring. I am not sure if it is injured or has the calcium deficiency I read about.

I do need help locating a local rehaber here in Raleigh, NC. I will keep you posted and will be bringing some food and water out this afternoon when I get home out of harms way of my dogs (underground dog fence) where I last saw the baby. I just cannot stop thinking about the poor thing. I will keep you posted and again THANK you all for this wonderful site! :thankyou

[Buddy'sMom]

..... I do need help locating a local rehaber here in Raleigh, NC. ...
I do think we have rehabbers in your area ... but I don't recall who :shakehead ... hopefully they will identify themselves or send you a PM. :)

If it's possible to take a picture when s/he comes out, that would help us determine the age. Does it look like a youngster? (e.g, half to 2/3 the size of the adults in the area)?

Wilds do not usually develop calcium deficiency (MBD) which is usually due to poor diet in captives. HOWEVER, if it was a spring baby and something happened to Mom, if it was old enough to (sort of) fend for itself but deprived of mom's milk at too early an age, it could have a calcium deficiency. Alternatively, it could have been injured by a fall, or a cat or a dog or a hawk. Poor little thing. :Love_Icon

Glad someone's looking out for it.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug

[Jackie in Tampa]

:bowdown :bowdown thank you for caring!

[SkwerlGirl]

If I can help, please let me know! I'm in NC, and not a rehabber, but familiar with two GOOD ones over here on my side of the state. I'll be in Raleigh next week--the 23rd...! If I can help EMAIL me at mcj0801@ecu.edu I don't get to log onto TSB after 5:00 since I don't have the net at home yet :shakehead

[tklg2469]

Thank you so much! I emailed you and hopefull I get my hands on the little baby and keep him up and well until the 23rd and I would love your help - keep your fingers crossed that he is still okay.

I do have a question - are squirrels creatures that stay within a pack (their family)? I have often been curious about this as I have so many in my yard. Can it possibly have an injury that it received as a baby that can be mended? I am up for doing whatever I need to! I have called my fiance and told him to get ready this evening to start the plan of action!

:jump

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I am trying to get a hold of a rehabber on the board who may be close to you I will get back to you a.s.a.p.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Sissy will come and get him this afternoon, provided you can catch him...could you pm me your phone number so that she can get in touch with you?

[SkwerlGirl]

:jump Yay!!! Sissy to the rescue!!!!:jump

[Sciurus1]

Hi, We have a rehabber her on our board in N.C. I will try to get a hold of her to PM you.

In the meantime, if this squirrel is paralysed, and you find him, have a towel folded over, to place over him, and then gently but firmly, scrutch it around his sides, and then his underside, and pick him up and place him a cage ready with soft T shirts, or a sweatshirt. As BM mentioned, cover it up with a light throw, or towel to keep him quiet and calm, and put him in a quiet dark place away from kids and pets, then call the rehabber. If you should get him, do not feed him, but contact the board after you call the rehabber for further instructions.

[Sciurus1]

Yay!!! Sissy to the rescue!!!!

Good news!!

[tklg2469]

Good Morning - no luck seeing the baby last afternoon/evening. We put out peanut butter bread and had plenty of other babies come eat, but not my sick one. I have noticed a random cat in the neighbors yard very near where I last spotted it Sunday and I am prayer the cat did not get it. I should have a cage tonight and will go get some peanuts and sunflower seeds and see what we can come up with. I will let everyone know what happens - keep your fingers crossed that we can find the poor thing! Thank you all so much - you are a wonderful group of folks!mjs

[skye]

aww the poor little sweetheart. I pray you have luck to catch him. Bless you for trying to help this little guy. Good Luck:grouphug

[tklg2469]

Still no site of the little one - I will keep on looking - have plenty of food out away from harms way (my dogs) and I keep seeing tons of healthy ones, but not the one we need to find. I will continue to keep everyone posted. :dono

[SkwerlGirl]

:grouphug Aw, I pray that you find him!!! :grouphug

[tklg2469]

Still nothing! It is the weekend so I will be able to really keep an eye out for him! Thanks!

[tklg2469]

My neighbor found the baby who did not make it - it appears that the stray cat got him. I am very upset and thank all of you for all your help and support.

[Jackie in Tampa]

:grouphug oh so sorry,thank you for doing all you could. Thank your neighbor also:bowdown :bowdown .
:sad R.I.P. little one.:Love_Icon

[Buddy'sMom]

I'm so very sorry. RIP little one. :Love_Icon

You did everything that you could to help. It's so hard with injured wilds -- their very strongest instinct is to hide if they aren't well. If we could only communicate that we want to help them. So sad that this one was able to hide from help but not from the cat.

:grouphug :Love_Icon :grouphug