Advice needed asap please

[mikeyuk1]

Hi there, I live in Omaha NE and I have lots of squirrels come into my yard that I feed and water daily. One in particular, a femal, has been coming around now for 18 months. She is so tame and regularly just hangs around with me all day. Anyway last year she developed a huge lump, like an abcess on her face. It really got huge, she could barely eat. I called my local wildlife center and they said it would probably burst and to give her apple and 7 grain bread. I did this and she did improve. It burst, it was a mess. After a few weeks, she'd cleaned herself up and seemed back to normal, in the spring this year it happened again. She was skinny and weak and there appeared to be blood in her unrine. I did the same thing again with the apple, water and bread. She still struggled over from the park to my yard every day bless her. She got better again. I call her sick girl because she always seemed to be suffering with something. She built herself a drey in a tree in my yard, moved in with us so to speak. Then at the end of June we had a huge storm and her drey was obliterated. She didn't move far though, back across to the park and still comes every day.
In July I was surprised to see her with nipples, like she was having or had alrady had babies. I couldn't tell for sure, sometimes she looked pregnant, other times she didn't. So she is my little loyal faithful friend.
I didn't see her at all on Monday or Tuesday this week. She came around finally yesterday and I could not believe it. I was so upset. She can barely walk and she was real skinny.
She came and ate her nuts and bread and drank her water then went to sit in the sun, then she left.
I hadn't seen her all day today, then about an hour ago, when it was going dusk, kind of late for her, she came around. She is still really struggling to walk. Looking at her my wife thinks that her hips are dislocated. She thinks only one of them, I think both of them. It's almost 8pm here and I will call the wildlife center tomorrow I just wondered if anyone on here can offer me any advice. You all seem so knowlegeable and careing for squirrels. Please help me to help my little 'sick girl'.
Thanks, Mike.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Oh my goodness this sounds so sad I am going to see if someone can move this to the Emergency thread. DOnt go away we will be giving lots of advice.

[foxsquirrels]

:Welcome :Welcome Hi, welcome to The Squirrel Board! So nice to meet you and glad you joined us!:wave123 :wave123 Can you tell if maybe the reason she looks so skinny is that she has babies? Is she tame enough that you can touch her?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I know this is a long shot but do you have a picture of her or could you get one?
What do you feed her on a normal basis?
I mean besides the apple and bread?
I would get her some good quality nuts.. wallnuts, almonds.
Maybe some pumkin seeds or even just pumpkin she could nibble on?
Is she limping or dragging her legs? Does it look like an injury or something internal thats aflickting her?
Feeding a bunch of babies will make her look thin that is why I suggest upping her food. However I am wondering if she wasnt injured somehow?
I wouldnt suggest that anyone remove her for now she could still be nursing babies possibly? Yes?
WHat does her coat look like is it in good condition? Is there a bowl that she usually drinks from, I would suggest putting some calcium in the drinking water?
Is there anyway that you can handle her or trap her for a closer look, without making her stress out?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Thank you Gammas.

[Frickster]

PLEASE be careful about involving a wildlife center as they often will euthanize before TRULY trying and if there ARE babies...that's a whole bunch of little lives at risk as well as this sweet girl's. If the rehabbers and squirrel "assistants" on here think you need to involve the wildlife center they ABSOLUTELY will tell you to. But if they say wait....PLEASE PLEASE WAIT!

[Sciurus1]

From the condition you describe she is in, she must be suffering. As Frickster has noted about wildlife centers, that many do euthanize if they think the animal if the prognosis is a bad one, and the animal is obviously suffering, rather than treating it. The law says if they cannot be released because then they would die a horrible death in their present condition, and would have to be treated regularly, which is not allowed by some States. Some though are fortunate enough to be used as educational animals in the care of licenced personal. In cases where issues from teeth, where squirrels grow their bottom teeth so fast they end up embedded in the upper palate, where that causes an infection, and even absesses, and cannot eat. This squirrel fits this scenario, but again, without an exam one cannot tell for sure. This can be treated though, but the animal then would not be releasable, and again that may be an issue with this wildlife center, so do check first. If they euthanize for reason of malaclusion, then check with us here to see if one of our rehabbers is near by that can help you with this squirrel, that can trim it's teeth and maybe find it a home for the rest of it's life to deal with an ongoing tooth issue. If it is another problem likely they can address that as well, if she is not too far gone. Get back to us to let us know if you can what this wildlife center standards are, and don't be surprised if they say that they euthanize if it is malaclusion. IF though they are willing to give it back to you even if this is the problem, if your would take it to a rehabber to care for then that might be ok, but most done, so be aware of that.

[Frickster]

again though...if you think there are babies involved, they need to be considered as well. would it be possible for you to figure out where her nest is?

[Sciurus1]

Actually from your description of her having visable nipples showing in July, the babies are likely weaned by now. And since this is also a life threatening condition she cannot help them in the present condition she is in anyway. I would though keep an eye out for young juveniles as they may search for their mother. Perhaps offering them a feeder with good foods like acorns, or greens, on the good foods for squirrels lists we have, might be a good thing to do.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Do you see any evidence of teeth protruding through her mouth, are there visible teeth when you look at her?

[mikeyuk1]

Hi, thank you all for your advice. I haven't been able to get back online since I posted that until today. Well since that night I haven't seen little 'sick girl' at all. I even went walking around the park to see if I could see her, dead or alive. I had to accept that she was probably dead. I never did call the wildlife people because I was going to try and catch her first and she never came back! I have just had the best surprise ever this morning, she turned up in my yard!!! She looks much better, she's moving better, she can sit up now while she eats whereas before she was lay down. I am soooo happy. I swear she is bionic!
I will keep a close eye on her and keep you all posted of her progress.
I do have another question for you though. I haven't really seen any babies running around, I felt once she'd had them she would bring them with her, or is that not how it works? Wasn't July late in the year for her to be pregnant? I can't seem to find any information about when the nipples show, while still pregnant or when they've given birth? Does the amount of nipples equal the amount of babies? (she has six).
I would like to know more.
I'll get a picture of her put on here later.
Thank you all again so much for your help.

[Sciurus1]

Tree Squirrels are not like pigs with assigned nursing spots; and they don't have a set number of babies either, but average 3 to 7 young, depending on the Species. Once they have had babies, their nipples will remain dark, but not always swollen, unless during or around the time they were lactating.

[foxsquirrels]

Some squirrels have 2 litters a year, and that is usually older squirrels. Younger squirrels may only have one litter a year. The first litter usually arrives around March and the second in September. It varies a little in different parts of the country. She may have a fall litter that are not old enough to venture away from the nest with her just yet. Keep watching. So glad to hear that she is looking better!