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StringTheory
09-02-2008, 01:33 AM
I need to keep track of a squirrel with malocclusion, so her
teeth can be trimmed periodically. She is from a small park
where she can be captured if I can spot her easily.

Any ideas for tagging her?

Sciurus1
09-02-2008, 02:03 AM
Mammal tags are often attached to the external ear, but with a squirrel that could catch on something and tear, so that is not a good idea. Consider also that if a tag or other ID allows you to spot the squirrel easier, it very likely allows predators to do so as well. All I can think of that would be safe to use, is the fleshy part of a black walnut, which produces a liquid dye, which could be used to dye the top of the forepaw dark, which is far less obvious to a predator than white for example. It would also not be hard to get the walnut green cover near the squirrel, for it is a natural food for them.

squirrelfriend
09-02-2008, 06:31 AM
Maloclusions need to be trimmed every 6 weeksish. If you can catch her I would suggest finding someone on here from your area and that has experience with this sort of thing to take her in. Maloclusions can be a very terrible slow painfull death. I found a squirrel skull at the park a couple of months ago. I kep meaning to photograph it to post on here. The squirrel obviously died of maloclussions. The upper tooth had curved so far back that it was now touching the skull where the roof of the mouth would have been. I sure wish I had found that guy sooner.

StringTheory
09-02-2008, 03:10 PM
Maloclusions need to be trimmed every 6 weeksish. If you can catch her I would suggest finding someone on here from your area and that has experience with this sort of thing to take her in. Maloclusions can be a very terrible slow painfull death. I found a squirrel skull at the park a couple of months ago. I kep meaning to photograph it to post on here. The squirrel obviously died of maloclussions. The upper tooth had curved so far back that it was now touching the skull where the roof of the mouth would have been. I sure wish I had found that guy sooner.

Hi SF,

Any way to post that photo? People ask me about that often, and
it would be nice to have a picture to illustrate.

I've dealt with this before, including a squirrel that was well along
into the condition that you describe above. The upper teeth had
curved and were embedded in upper palate. Had to pull them out
after they were clipped, and administer antibiotics.

This particular squirrel is not doing well in captivity, even after
just a couple days. Though it would be nice to find a permanent
home, I can't count on that. I have to make a decision soon.

We saw her consistently (almost every day) at one location in a
small enclosed park, so it is not as risky as a rural area. Also, her
teeth were evidently not growing fast, and the upper teeth had
not curved.

Anyway, I am trying to find a way to have her maintained. But
release (with visible tag) seems like the only viable fallback.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
09-02-2008, 03:15 PM
I have to trim my squirrel every 2-3 weeks any longer and other problems arise. The more calcium a squirrel has the quicker the teeth will need to be trimmed.
I know the stress taking a wild squirrel into captivity is also life threatenig. Someone else on here has done it.
This is a very slow painful death if its left untreated, and squirrels do change their homes (nests) so you may not always have acsess to her.

rippie-n-lilgirlsmom
09-02-2008, 03:25 PM
Here it is Thanks to Smokenbunny & their wild Parker
http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10246&highlight=Parker

ShesASquirrelyGirl
09-02-2008, 04:07 PM
If you need a perm home I can see if she can be kept at the center in the outdoor facility if not we can keep her here. I am in North East Jersey.

Another way to mark her would be to use "Blu-Kote" on her tail tip and wipe off, which will stain it purple for up to a month. It will not harm her.
Feel free to pm me if you like.

smoknbunny
09-03-2008, 12:20 PM
Hi - R & LG's mom told me about this thread. How's it going? As posted below I have a squirrel with a very bad malocclusion. She is going to be taken in very soon to have the rest of her teeth pulled. The first one didn't go to well, possibly because of trauma a week or two before where she got stuck and yanked her teeth pretty badly. Extraction is a scary option but necessary, I think, with Parker since she is VERY hyper and I can't cut her teeth myself. Plus they are Really Crooked.
I'm positive she would have died without interference so if your squirrel has a malocclusion, I'm consider capture ASAP since if it gets as bad as Parker they can get very malnourished and weak even before the teeth get long enough to do damage.

ShesASquirrelyGirl
09-03-2008, 03:41 PM
Just FEI,
We have talked and the squirrel will be coming here. She will be caged inside for now and then have her own roofed outdoor large cage/house.
Her teeth will be trimmed as much as needed and if stops working over time , other options will be looked into as long as it does not out weigh her quality of life. I am not sure I would go as far as removing the teeth. Perhaps if our vet agreed and said she could still be happy, eat what she liked etc then we would do it.
As long as she is happy, healthy, pain and struggle free then she will get what she wants.

smoknbunny
09-03-2008, 04:20 PM
Just FEI,
We have talked and the squirrel will be coming here. She will be caged inside for now and then have her own roofed outdoor large cage/house.
Her teeth will be trimmed as much as needed and if stops working over time , other options will be looked into as long as it does not out weigh her quality of life. I am not sure I would go as far as removing the teeth. Perhaps if our vet agreed and said she could still be happy, eat what she liked etc then we would do it.
As long as she is happy, healthy, pain and struggle free then she will get what she wants.
Great News!!:thumbsup And I agree about saving extraction for last option. If you can trim them manually that's fantastic. I'm so glad to hear the squirrel will have a safe permanent home. Some people look at me like I'm a nutjob when I tell them I caught a wild squirrel and she gets more dental care than I do. (Hey, sure I'm nuts but that's not the reason!:D ). We watched Parker grow up from being a newbie baby, chasing her brother in the cedar tree in our yard, to seeing her chunk up for the winter and then go radically downhill when her teeth went out of alignment. I couldn't just leave her to her fate "nature's way" or whatever. She was part of our family. IS part of our family.:) She is now a fun and sweet addition to our NR family, even if she will never be cuddled, she plays with her toys and pitches "tempre tantrums" when she feels she is ignored or slighted. She does pace some though.
Good luck and hooray. I can't wait to hear how it goes and does he/she have a name?? or a picture?:D
Parker is Parker because she would "park" on or in the feeder to eat becase it took her soooo much longer to eat than the others because of her teeth. And if you read her thread you'll also notice we thought she was a he - until her SECOND vet trip. Doh! Donna made me wear a paper bag for that one. All I can say is I wasn't concentrating on "that" end:dono

ShesASquirrelyGirl
09-03-2008, 05:06 PM
I have a quick question,
After you remove the teeth how will she be able to eat... Are you going to be giving baby foods? Mash rodent block?
Just curious...
I am not sure if she has a name.. If she doesn't we'll think of one after she gets here =)

smoknbunny
09-03-2008, 05:14 PM
Loopy squirrel has a recipe I may try that she PM'd me awhile ago. I'm making plans on mashing her food. Right now she manages nuts and fruits and veggies with her 3 teeth. She pushes them past the front teeth and chews with the molars. She's a little on the thin side so I have to start figuring something out.

ShesASquirrelyGirl
09-03-2008, 05:18 PM
I would soak rodent blocks, mash , mix with apple and blueberry,maybe with some stat for extra calories, and then veggie wise go with baby foods.

You are removing the last 3 teeth though I believe you said right?

smoknbunny
09-03-2008, 05:32 PM
Yes - soon. Pretty nervous about it but it seems the only way. Her teeth grow at such an angle that they caught on the cage and she has to be taken to the vet if she needs a trim, which is about every 5 weeks.