Outside Squirrel seems disoriented and falls over

[GJ34]

I have a trio of squirrels that live on the trees outside my house. My family and I bring them food everyday (carrots, apple slices, pecans, celery, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, etc.) Yesterday, my mom noticed one of the squirrels was falling over and leaning to one side while he was eating/walking. He seems disoriented. My mom called Animal Control yesterday and left a message which we are still waiting for a response. Could this be due to it being cold outside? The weather in NJ has been pretty extreme the past few days going down to the low 20's. Another possibility is we think the neighbors behind our house are trying to poison the squirrels. There's a huge fence set up between our houses; we never even see each other. However, my Dad talked to them once about a year ago and told me they were having a problem with the squirrels eating the vegetables in their garden and that the sick fu** actually grinded up glass and was putting it in various food items that squirrels would eat. We've been trying to keep the squirrels comfortable so they stay in our yard with squirrel houses and food. If in fact my neighbors are poisoning the squirrels, what can i do to put an end to it? My mom left on the message that she thinks the squirrels might be being poisoned by them and that it's not only a hazard to the squirrels, but our cat goes outside, the neighbor across from us has a small dog that goes outside as well as a small child.

I'll take a video of the squirrel and post it up here tomorrow.

Thanks,
Gill

[island rehabber]

GJ34 there are a few things I can think of that would cause a squirrel to be disoriented and off-balance:
* it may have fallen and gotten a head injury
* it may have been poisoned from an outside source
* it may have an internal infection (I had a squirrel like this necropsied and it
turned out to have an enormous abcess inside the ear which eventually killed it)
* It may have racoon roundworm (baylisascaris procyonis) if you have racoons in your part of NJ...

There are many other things that could cause this but I'm not a vet. The problem with your neighbor is that I don't think it's illegal to kill squirrels on your own property in New Jersey :shakehead. However if the person is using poison they MUST follow certain guidelines or they can be fined....check into the rules in your state and town about putting down rat poison, etc. You are not allowed to do it indiscriminantly....you have to put up signs, etc. I think. If you can get the local authorities to harass your neighbor enough maybe he'll stop his $#@&ing horrible activity! :soapbox

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

Please do not call animal control. Most will just pick it up and kill it.
Where in NJ are you? If you want I can come pick him up tomorrow or even tonight if you can meet somewhere.

[Sciurus1]

Please do not call animal control. Most will just pick it up and kill it.Where in NJ are you? If you want I can come pick him up tomorrow or even tonight if you can meet somewhere.

:goodpost

[Peaches]

NO not animal control. Thats like calling an exterminator. But they wont come out for a loose squirrel anyway.

[Peaches]

I dont know what the laws are in NJ for feeding wildlife but a friend of mine recently got fined $1500. for feeding the squirrels in her yard because a neighbor complained. No warning or anything. She got a lawyer and went to court to fight it but the judge upheld the fine and she had to pay. Do not tell anyone that your are feeding them.

[GJ34]

Here's a video I took this morning of the squirrel. I put out carrots and celery yesterday (which was all over the place this morning, lol so that's what the orange is in the grass in the video) and a large organic apple this morning. I noticed the sick squirrel grabs a piece of apple and climbs up a tree and hangs from his back feet while he uses his hands to eat instead of eating on the ground or on a branch.




View My Video (http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2l9le8o&s=4)

If this URL didn't work, here's the link:

http://tinypic.com/player.php?v=2l9le8o&s=4

[SkwerlGirl]

Any news yet????

[Frickster]

PLEASE try to trap it so that somebody can help it....but NOT animal control! There was a squirrel like this on a youtube video that people thought was funny....but instead of helping the squirrel they watched him and laughed. The squirrel was later hit by a car....

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

Just so everyone knows I am talking with him in emails and trying to help him figure out a way to trap him. From the video he doesn't look like he would let anyone get close enough to net or blanket him. All we might be able to do is try the have a heart...

[jhsteele58]

I've got the same thing happening to a squirrel in my backyard in Burnsville, MN, suburb of twin cities. It falls over on its side when standing or rolls when sitting on all fours. It has difficulty maintaining balance in trees. Reading these posts, I suspect it may be suffering from poisoning. I think I have a neighbor who tries to control chipmunks with rat poison. But I don't know if that is what the problem is.

In any case, I searched and found this site to see if I could figure out the problem.

[jhsteele58]

Thanks for the welcome and response. What would I do with him if I trap him? Yes I could probably trap him. I have a live trap.

[jhsteele58]

I am not sure that is such a good idea. I have two cats - indoor only - and a cockatiel and a chinchilla. Bringing a squirrel into the house would likely result in further head trauma... to me at the hands of my wife.

[Frickster]

if you could trap him i'm sure the board will take care of the rest.....the squirrely folks on here are FAST in finding places for needy little furballs!

[island rehabber]

jhsteele, I will private message you with names of rehabbers in your area. Call them and see who will take the squirrel once you've trapped him....and good luck!

[island rehabber]

ok, check your PM's -- I found a bunch :thumbsup

[dmgualtieri]

Another thing to consider is raccoon roundworm. We see a lot of that around here too. The coonies eat seeds and nuts too, then poop it out. I find their scat in the woods and there are whole seeds in it. If something else comes along (like our squirrel friends!) they think they hit the buffet bonanza and eat the nuts right out of the scat. They then get a major dose of the roundworm eggs. As the larva migrate (usually through the brain and eye tissue) they begin to act like your little friend there. Sometimes if it is affecting the eyes, there is a white gooey substance coming from them. Had people bring a grey, chippie and bunny to me all get diagnosed with it this year. Something else to consider....next to head trauma & poison.

[4skwerlz]

In most states it is illegal to get rid of squirrels using poison. Check your New Jersey wildlife website. Look for "nuisance wildlife" or a similar heading, and they should state the rules of how you can control squirrels, rats, raccoons, etc., in your yard. If it IS illegal, then call the wildlife dept. and tell them; they may refer you to animal control; they will want the person's name and address. Then they will handle it. Get the name of the person you talk to. Then do a follow-up phone call a day later to see what the result was. Keep bugging them and they will eventually do something about it.

[loveallanimals]

OMG I have been feeding squirrels since this past summer and I have like 5 coming up to me but now that it's so cold here they pretty much don't come out that much. I just throw then unsalted nuts for now. Question is my favorite squirrel I call burley lol is doing this too. I am so sad he was fine before the cold came now he doesn't even want to come near me really. He falls over when he tries to eat the nuts out of the shells unless he has gotten real stable sitting. It is sad to see him like this and there is no way I could catch him right now. I figure if I can at least feed him around his tree he will make it until the spring where maybe I can get close to him again. :( Is there anything I can do with his food to make him better?? This forum is great! I have browsed quite a bit alot of nice people here. :)

[whopoopwrasse]

I saw this last week too and someone mentioned fermenting fruit and that they get drunk eating it, for me it makes sense because there are apple trees in every yard and lots with rotten apples at the base of the tree.
Just my 2 cents!:thumbsup

[dustinn91]

I went to Minnesota Last winter and I saw that some of the Robins there would get WASTED! lol my grandma said it was from berries it kinda looks like hes drunk to me. Im not an expert but maybe he ate some berries that were no good heres a link I found about birds who would get drunk from ferment berries

http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/berries.htm

Would they also get a squirrel drunk?

[loveallanimals]

Thanks for all the info. :) I hope he is just drunk on berries and not worse than that. I fed them today and he is still falling over.

[whopoopwrasse]

http://www.birdwatchersgeneralstore.com/berries.htm


:jump
Now that was funny!
I'm sure the Robins wouldn't appreciate that we're getting a chuckle at thier expense
(and I hope none of them get hurt at thier frat parties)
but it I can almost see this going on in my mind!
Especially the tiny cups of coffee! :jump

And by the way I saw another little drunk this morning and it's not the same one I saw last time. There must be a pile of rotting apples somewhere.......................

[ShesASquirrelyGirl]

If there is an issue or a squirrel acting funny please start a new thread so it gets attention. This thread is pretty old and many aren't going to look at it as something new.
A squirrel falling over should is not good and it should not be assumed they are drunk from fruit!
It could be anything from a head tilt, inner ear infection slowly killing them , or tooth problems. Again start a new thread to get help. Many here will have you trap it and take it in to help it.

[Sciurus1]

This problem has been discussed here on the board before. It is not so important at this point to determine if the squirrel is drunk on overripe fruit or not, but rather just to afford it a safe place, till the cause of the disability can be determined. Then you can see if it is getting better, and if not, you are all set to be able to take it to a wildlife rehabber, or other animal heathcare professionals for evaluation and treatment.

[whopoopwrasse]

I have seen 2 of these guys this year..........

Catching them is not that easy where I am. I'd have to have the cage set-up 24/7 with a stick and string. Then I have to hope the right one goes in. Considering the amount of squirrels coming into this yard everyday, this would be hard.....

The day we caught Amelia was a miracle, she wasn't alone in the yard and the other little buggers were always tangled in the string, we were sure one of them would accidentally trip the mecanism before we got Amelia. :rotfl

[Sciurus1]

I had one recently with a hurt leg, and we put out the trap but it refused to go in it, even so many others did to our chagrin! Well, we got out the larger trap, the raccoon size, and set it with a string, and put it right where this squirrel came out the day before to get a nut, bated it with cracked nuts, covered the cage with foliage and around the side to make it appear inviting, yet not as to interfere with the closing mechanism. The next morning we waited to see if the squirrel would come near it, and sure enough, down it came, and walked up to it, got a piece of nut, and went right in, being the first and only one to do so! We did have to divert the healthy squirrel at the last moment from interfering and chasing this poor injured one off, and with that, we had the squirrel. The prognosis by the way is good, even so the leg was broken the Vet pinned it, and it should be released back to the wild soon after the pin is removed.

[momonthego]

Poor thing. I can tell you I had a bird that kept falling to one side and was disoriented. eventually, it would tumble backwards, would look straight up and flip backwards constantly. I found out this was called "stargazing"...which is a neurological thing. I was able to keep him alive for 4 years, but it sounds like its either something like this, or poisoning, poor little thing. I hope it is not the latter.

[whopoopwrasse]

I'm not saying that every squirrel wobbling around looking drunk has to do with rotting fruit because I'm sure there are many with other problems, but....
The one I mention last has been here several times since his wobbly day and he's perfectly normal, I know this because he has a very small thin tail and is easy to recognize. He was here this morning also and no sign of anything wrong so................
Is there anything besides alcohol poisoning that could cause a squirrel to be messed up one day and fine the next?

[gutermuth]

I live in northern IL and one of the many squirrels we feed is also disoriented and falling over. He otherwise looks healthy and has an appetite. Trapping him would be very difficult since we have 10-15 squirrels in our yard any given morning. Would it be safe for me to put a small amount of clavamox (my cat is on clavamox for chronic upper respiratory infections) on the peanuts that I throw to him (just in case he has an infection)?
Thanks!:thankyou

[gutermuth]

I forgot to mention that we have alot of raccoons that actually eat the leftover corn from the squirrels at night. What can I give him in case it is the raccoon roundworm?

[Sciurus1]

Though I have no idea about this drug, please do not medicate any wildlife for unverified conditions, but leave that to those that are expert in doing so. As for raccoon worm issue, 'Giardia', cleaning up the feeders before nightfall is the best way to deal with that, 'Prevention is worth a pound of cure'.

[joec]

I know this is an old thread but it seems to be one of the few that describes what I am seeing and I don't know where to get help.

I woke up this morning and noticed one of the squirrels in my backyard exhibiting the same behavior described in the beginning of the thread (wobbly walking, falling over, etc.).
He seems to be of good weight but is not able to stand up or eat normally.
With the extreme cold we've had, I thought he may be dying and tried to catch him this morning, maybe just to warm him up. Nope... he ran away and up a tree.

I did some research and realize he may have raccoon roundworm, a head injury or may have been poisoned.
I'd like to try and get him some help, if even to have him humanely euthanized.
I have about 6 squirrels that feed in my backyard and have no idea how i could trap just this one.
Furthermore, I don't know what to do for him if I trap him.

Is there anyone in Jackson, NJ or the surrounding area that can help with this squirrel?

It pains me to see him slowly dying in my backyard.

Thank you!

[island rehabber]

I know this is an old thread but it seems to be one of the few that describes what I am seeing and I don't know where to get help.

I woke up this morning and noticed one of the squirrels in my backyard exhibiting the same behavior described in the beginning of the thread (wobbly walking, falling over, etc.).
He seems to be of good weight but is not able to stand up or eat normally.
With the extreme cold we've had, I thought he may be dying and tried to catch him this morning, maybe just to warm him up. Nope... he ran away and up a tree.

I did some research and realize he may have raccoon roundworm, a head injury or may have been poisoned.
I'd like to try and get him some help, if even to have him humanely euthanized.
I have about 6 squirrels that feed in my backyard and have no idea how i could trap just this one.
Furthermore, I don't know what to do for him if I trap him.

Is there anyone in Jackson, NJ or the surrounding area that can help with this squirrel?

It pains me to see him slowly dying in my backyard.

Thank you!

How far are you from Howell, NJ? Jean Parker, who runs Garden State Wildlife, is extremely knowledgeable with squirrels -- she may be able to help. www.gardenstatewildlifecenter.org

[joec]

How far are you from Howell, NJ? Jean Parker, who runs Garden State Wildlife, is extremely knowledgeable with squirrels -- she may be able to help. www.gardenstatewildlifecenter.org
Hi,
Thanks for your reply. I called them immediately after leaving my post.
I haven't heard back from her yet, though.

Thanks again.
joe