Need help w/ wild adult

[pat robinson]

Long story... Last Dec. I started feeding an adult female who had been in a
fight. She had a huge abcess on her face and had a difficult time eating
anything that wasn't bite size. I continued to feed her throughout the spring,
but in June she stopped coming around. Last week she showed up again in
horrible condition. She was extremely thin, with a huge wound on her leg that
had healed, but she was still favoring the leg. She had a small nick on her
shoulder, and looked utterly pathetic. I started feeding her again, but she was getting bullied at the feeder and almost had a disastrous ending with a cat. So, now I have her isolated in an unused dog run . She has taken well to her new digs, and is sleeping in her nesting box. My concern is what to feed her. She needs to put on a lot of weight and I am afraid if I give her fresh fruits and veggies it may hurt her tummy. What can I give her to safely and nutritionally fatten her up? How do I get her calcium?
She still can't chew well. I need some direction.
My ultimate goal with her is to let her have free reign of the backyard and to
have her think of the run as her safe place. Other squirrels won't come into
the back yard because of the dog. Don't worry, he is a Great Pyr. and has
already accepted her as his charge. Is this whole scheme foolish? I don't
think she would do well with a rehabber since she would just get bullied somewhere else. Any thoughts???

[Feeze]

Are you saying that her recent wounds are because of an attack by a cat? I think right now that should be your primary concern as a bite from a cat can prove fatal to a squirrel.

Have you got a vet in your area that will treat squirrels?

[pat robinson]

Her wound is old (a few scabs, but without hair) and was not caused by the cat. However, she continues to favor the leg, which was how the sneaky feline even got close. The cat halted mid pursuit, without contact, because a crazy lady was yelling and screaming. It seems to me the squirrel is just weak and tired and in need of a safe, quiet place to fully heal. Because she can't chew well and is thin, I think her nutrition is my main concern. I will try to get a picture, but she stays in her nesting box mostly. Even though she is adapting well, she is still wild, and I'm not high on her happy list.
Oh, and I don't think the leg is broken- Thanks for all the help!

[pat robinson]

I can try to get a pic of her teeth too. I'm not sure she'll "Open Wide" for
the camera, but I'll give it a shot. What do you do with teeth that are
too long?
I think the infected facial abcess in Dec. was so large that it caused her to change her bite to accomodate the swelling and discomfort. Perhaps
the bite never returned to normal?

[Sciurus1]

It may be though her teeth have grown up inside her upper palate. Best to trap and take her to a Vet for evaluation and treatment, and then watch her for awhile in captivity. I say this because in her condition she is likley not to survive much longer if you don't.

[pat robinson]

I will make an appt. tomorrow morning to see the vet. Just out of curiosity, how do you trim a wild squirrels teeth? Sounds like a no win situation for the trimmer, and a tough experience for the trimee.

[squirrelfriend]

My guess was an abcess from maloclussions (teeth too long) too or a possiblebot fly. Posting a pic of her injuries and the front of her snout (if you can't get a pic of her teeth will help us a lot in finding out what is wrong with her. Sheck through out specific ailments section to see if any of this matches up. There is also a section in there on how to trim them. I will find the links for you.

[squirrelfriend]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3201

[squirrelfriend]

http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=159

[pat robinson]

Thanks for all the help.

[Sciurus1]

To trim the front teeth can be done without anesthesia, but is stressful just the same. The back teeth can only be viewed and trimmed under anesthesia. With a wild squirrel I would put them under anesthesia, for it is a short procedure, and likely there would be no problem, and allot less stress as well. If the Vet has Sevoflourine all the better, puts them under fast, and they also come out of it fast as well, unlike Isoflourine where the effects linger on for a time.

[pat robinson]

I was finally able to look inside her mouth. Sciurus1 and Gamma were "spot on" with the
teeth growing inside her palate. Her upper left incisor has curled around and
is growing all whackado. I don't see any lower teeth. Unfortunately, I cannot
find a vet to see the little girl so it looks like I'm the surgeon. I need lots of
help and more than a few nerves to tackle this, so any info and support will
be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[squirrelfairy]

Wow, good luck with this girl, its so wonderful you are around to help out!

I only had one other thought, and not sure if it was mentioned or recommended..........

If you can get some baby squirrel formula, Esbilac or Fox Valley, and make a soft meal for her since she might have trouble chewing till you get that problem solved....its a nice source of healthy calories, I was thinking putting it in some low fat grain cereal in a dish, or oatmeal.Mabe add some soft fresh fruit.

Just a thought!:peace

Carrie

[pat robinson]

Great news. I was able to find a wonderful vet who trimmed her teeth
this evening, free of charge! He even showed me how. For a wild squirrel she was very easy to handle. Although, she was covered with fleas and now I have flea bites all over me. How can I get rid of her fleas? Is there a remedy that is squirrel friendly, or are fleas just a fact of life? Thanks for all
the help!

[squirrelfriend]

Bath her in Blue Dawn dish liquid. It is safe and kills them instantly. Be sure to rinse her off well afterwards. Change her bedding after bath and before putting her back in it.

That is so awesome that you were able to find someone that was able to help her. Thank you for caring about her. Being that she has maloclusions though she may need to be a permanent pet. If her teeth are misalligned they will just grow back the same way again. My suggestion is to at least keep her for about 3 months to see how they grow back. If they stay normal then she can be released. If not you've got a life long friend.:Love_Icon

[Sciurus1]

Great news. I was able to find a wonderful vet who trimmed her teeth this evening, free of charge! He even showed me how. For a wild squirrel she was very easy to handle.

:thumbsup Wonderful news! Best wishes for you and your squirrel!mjs

[Frickster]

how is this little furry friend doing?