Not Sure how to help

[Berta366]

Hello I am new to this web site, I have a few squirrels that live in my yard I feed them peanuts they seem to be having a skin problem. One of them is young is losing his fur and he is very red and itching constantly and seem miserable the others seem to have the same thing but not as bad. I have no idea how to help him, also I have a dog and now I am worried that whatever he/they have the dog can catch.
He is wild, so treating him will have to be done form a distance.
Can anyone help?
Thanks
Roberta Atkins
Boynton Beach Fl

[TexanSquirrel]

:Welcome I'm sure a rehabber will be able to help you soon!

[PBluejay2]

It could possibly be mange mites. A picture would help, but if his skin looks red and splotchy, particularly around the eyes and ears, mange would be my guess. I have treated some wilds with Ivermectin before with good results.

[JLM27]

Getting some ivermectin and carefully putting the CORRECT dosage on a walnut half and then repeating this exercise 14 days later cured my furry friends of mange mites. CORRECT DOSAGE is very important, though, because it can be fatal if they are seriously overdosed. I think there are some good pictures of the condition that you can find on this site by searching on "mange". Maybe that will tell you if this is their problem, and this is where it tells you how to order the ivermectin.

If they have mange and you live in a cold area (seem to be a lot of those this winter), you should try to cure them because mange can be very uncomfortable but even fatal if they can't stay warm.

[Elizabeth]

I'm not a rehabber, but you're my "neighbor"! :) If you need help with anything, including trying to get some pictures to post for our rehabbers to check out the squirrel's problem, please don't hesitate to contact me either in this thread or via Private Message.

:Welcome to TSB, and :thankyou for helping our local squirrels! :grouphug

[Berta366]

I looked at the pictures under mange like mentioned and the redness around the eyes in the picture looks like what they have only the rash they have is on the cheeks close to the ears, just behind the front shoulder blades and right in-front of their thigh bone.

I did try and take pictures but I can not get a good zoom (crappy camera) and they do not let me get that close.

Question if this is mange can my little dog get it? And how can I ensure she does not get it?
The one little boy squirrel is worse than the others and he is breaking my heart poor lil thing.

Roberta Atkins
Boynton Beach

[Caglemedic]

As long as your dog has been heartworm tested you can give him the ivermec' at the dosage for his weight. We have to deworm all the animals with having a potbelly pig. We buy it in the horse bottle since it can be expensive and it saves us some money.

[4skwerlz]

Your dog won't get mange from your wild squirrels.

I've treated my wild squirrels for mange many times and it's not hard. If you have access to a friendly vet or rehabber, they can give (or sell) you some Ivermectin made to the proper strength and help you with figuring out the dosage. If not, you can buy Ivermectin for horses at any feed store. If you go this route, once you buy the Ivermectin, you can post what the strength in percentage is, and a rehabber can help you with the dosage.

The technique is simple: you put a tiny smear on a nut, and toss it to the squirrel. Try to repeat this about 10 days later and that should take care of the problem.

[Berta366]

Is anyone out there a rehabber?
My vet is holistic and she will have a problem with giving medication for any reason.

I willing to buy the medication I am just unsure of the dosage amount and I'm trying to help them and the last thing I want to do is kill them by and over dose. This is my first time doing such a thing. Once I learn then I would feel more confident.
If anyone is local to me and a rehabber please e mail me directly.
:thankyou

Roberta Atkins
Boynton Beach

[Jackie in Tampa]

:Welcome
I am not a rehabber, but one should be here soon.
Your dog is safe.
I personally...JMO... have learned from past experience that to try and treat a wild population is a very hard thing to do! 24 hours in a day...and an army aren't enough!LOL!
IMO, the best you can do is offer fresh water and suppliment their food supply with seed and nuts!
In general, sqs will not die from mange unless there are underlying issues in the individual.
It is hard to just let it take its course, but in the long run, the sq will survive.
Others will say that a sq without hair in the winter will die. but they are resilent and can adapt to the elements. Besides we are in Florida!
My common sense says that it is too cold for flea populations to be thriving up north in severe weather, and therefore the nothern sqs are free of parasites during the winter. But Fl is moist and tropical. That is why we here, see so many more extreme cases of extreme and challanging sq issues! BUGS!
If you choose to try and medicate, please be careful. Ivermectin can and does kill sqs. It is a very strong and powerful drug. If it is not diluted by a knowledgable mind, it can be fatal. Overdose is serious and deadly!
JMO! BE CAREFUL.
Sorry if I come across strong, but TSB has seen some tragic endings. Good Luck:grouphug

[JLM27]

Actually, I had to treat Squeaky today for mange. I put one drop the size of a hole in punched paper on a walnut half and made sure he got it and ate it. In the winter when they hole up in the old tree and under the porches all day, they seem to get mange. In the summer when they are running the trees and sleeping in dreys, they seem to be ok. I am here in the Boston area and these guys have been enduring weather in the teens and twenties. We are expecting single digits this coming week too.

Here is Squeaky today. When he moves his arm forward you can see the pink rashy skin underneath
68564
68565

[4skwerlz]

Is anyone out there a rehabber?
My vet is holistic and she will have a problem with giving medication for any reason.

I willing to buy the medication I am just unsure of the dosage amount and I'm trying to help them and the last thing I want to do is kill them by and over dose. This is my first time doing such a thing. Once I learn then I would feel more confident.
If anyone is local to me and a rehabber please e mail me directly.
:thankyou

Roberta Atkins
Boynton Beach

If you buy the Ivermectin, just post on here what the strength is and one of our TSB rehabbers can help you with the dosage.