whats wrong with my squirrel

[ROGER]

There is a squirrel who comes to my backyard every day or so and he always seems to tilt his head to one side. Also when I feed him it seems like he is having trouble swallowing. He also seems to wobble back and forth and is hard for him to stand still or sit straight. The way he tilts his head to one side makes me think maybe he can only see with one eye. But he does wobble back and forth a lot when he is eating so I am not sure it is something else. I dont know if there is much more I can do for him besides give him peanuts and walnuts and make sure there is water for him when he comes around. I also see birds or other squirrels try to push him around when he is eating so I try to keep them away from him too. But I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what is wrong with him and if there is anything I can do for him to help him? Thanks.

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

He can have a head tilt, and inner ear infection, or something wrong with his teeth. Either way if its not taken care of he will eventually die. You need to get a trap lure him in catch him and get him to a rehabber. Depending on where in Pa you are there are plenty of people who will be able to help including myself.
Can you get a trap?

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Roger where in Pa are you? Just give me the county for now?

[ROGER]

He seems to be able to run and move about. Essentially he is having the most trouble it looks like keeping his balance and standing straight. He doesnt sit still and just kind of wobbles back and forth when he is trying to sit and eat. Between his head tilting to one side when he is trying to look at something and his wobbling back and forth, it just makes me worry about him as it looks like there is something wrong. As for eating I cant tell if he is having trouble chewing or swallowing or both. I see him chew his peanuts a while before he can swallow and he definitely takes longer to eat a peanut than some of the other squirrels.

And no I dont have a trap. I have never had to trap a squirrel as I give them free run around my backyard. They get all the peanuts and corn and seeds they can eat (and fresh water too). I am in Monroe County.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Thanks for trying to help this squirrel, and you've received good input. It could be an ear problem or malocclusion, which will eventually kill the squirrel. So, you'll need to get the help of a rehabber to trap and assist this guy.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Roger is this center close to you?
Of course this is assuming you can get a trap and trap her.

http://poconowildlife.com/

Is there any chance you can take a picture of her?

[Peaches]

I had a 2 yr old yard squirrel named Trixie with exactly the same thing. She showed up one morning after a big wind storm the night before all lopsided. She would point her head straight up when she ate and wobble back and forth. I figured she must have gotten hit in the head or blown out of a tree during the storm. I tried to catch her but she was too smart for that, I settled for spiking her watermellon with Dex for 4 days for inflamation. She didnt get any better or worse and lived another 3 yrs until I found her dead in my garden this July. She also seemed to eat alot slower than she did before the head tilt.
If you can hand feed her you can check her teeth easily. When you hand her the nut sit on the ground and hold it high above her head so she has to sit up to grab it, when she opens her mouth wide to take the nut you can see if her teeth are too long. Trixies were ok so I assume it was a head trauma.

[squirrelfriend]

I have had several squirrels with this condition. I have never seen it get better. Well, a little bit but never a full recovery. They can live for years after they have become this way. They are more vulnerable outdoors so I take them in when I do come across them. There are many possibilities on what can cause this condition: knock to the head, toxins, ear infections and parasites. I am leaning towards the first two in most cases. If it is an ear infection it should get better once treated. Any of the ther causes I have found it to be permanent in the cases that I have dealt with. They can live happily like this. They may need to taken in though for their own safety.

[ROGER]

Hi all Thanks for all the replies. I will check out the website for the rehabiliator. Trouble is I dont have a trap and probably wouldnt be able to trap him as he is a very nervous fellow and very jumpy. As for the Dex, maybe I should try something like that too? Somehow get him some thru the nuts or water I leave out for him??? I know you said it didnt make a difference as it is probably a head injury :( but maybe it wouldnt hurt trying? Also eating something toxic was mentioned as a possible cause. What is considered toxic to a squirrel? I see the squirrels running around all day chewing on all sorts of stuff. Is there anything I should look out for and keep away from them. Again thanks for all the replies.

[atlantasquirrelgirl]

Some rehabbers will assist you with trapping, or loan you a trap. If not, you can get a Havaheart trap at Lowe's, Home Depot, and most home improvement types of stores. They love unsalted sunflower seed, so you can leave a trail leading from the outside of the trap to the inside and on the trigger table.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

Just wondering how long has this squirrel been coming to your yard? Is it a new squirrel you just noticed, or has it been coming since spring?
The reason I ask is because if it is malocclusion I believe it would have shown up before this? Their teeth grow rather quickly and you would or should see visable teeth if this was a spring kid.

If you can trap him/her I would gladly meet you somewhere to take them.

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

I agree with Rippie however Millie is almost 2 years old and was just found with the mallo. Not sure how she got by before they spotted her but her head tilted and when she ate it tilted and she would wobble a bit. Not saying this is what it is but even if older its possible.
If that rehab won't take the squirrel in and you catch it I will come out and meet you somewhere and take it in just so you know he/she has somewhere to go. I'll pm you my # just in case.

[ROGER]

Thanks for the offers to help out if I can catch her. (Trapping sounds so mean to me but I will believe it is for the best). I will check out Home Depot and my local hardware stores for a good safe trap. As far as how often I would say he has been coming by for, I would say a good guess would be a couple of weeks now. Sometimes he wont be around for a bit and just recently started coming by again for the past week. I think I would say I first noticed him in the beginning of Sept. Then like I said he was gone for a while and just recently started coming to my door every day. Thanks again everyone. You are all so nice people.

[digiandchipper]

Don't worry, 'trapping' is not as inhumane as it sounds. It wouldn't be a painful animal trap, it is just a way to contain him for his own safety :) Yes, it will upset him at first, but it is really the only way to get him help, so please don't feel badly!!! If you can get him in the trap the folks here will be able to help you get him diagnosed and helped a LOT easier :thumbsup

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

When we say trap, it dosent hurt the squirrel at all just contains it to a small see through cage that it can only be left in a very short time so if you caught it you would have to move quickly once you have the squirrel in your possesion. Get a plan in place first.

[Al's mom]

a local animal shelter may have traps they will let you use, call one nearby

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

and surely donot call the Game Commission!