Paralyzed squirrel

[mastercolleen]

Hi!
About two days ago my sister found a adult male squirrel in her backyard. It was dragging it's back legs along so she called me. I caught it and brought it home. After examination it appears that both rear legs are paralyzed and Mr. Sque-Earl has no feeling in either leg or tail. I would love to take him for an X-ray however, if the vet determines he is truely paralyzed he will be euthanized. I live in CA and we can't keep wildlife unless it can be rehabed and released. I called the local wildlife rehab center and was told that I must take Mr. Sque-Earl to the vet to be euthanized right away (they wouldn't even take a look at him). He does not appear to be in pain and is fully alert. He has a few scratches which are healing just fine. (a car, or a tumble out of a tree). I am under the belief that if he was ment to die it would have happened. He might recover and walk again but if not I don't see why he should be put to sleep....we don't do that to humans. I am writing to anyone to see if you have advice on how to care for him. (I have him in a 2.5 X2.5 X 4 foot cage so he does injury himself from running about., he has food and water and blankets etc.) Additionally, I would like to know if there is anyone who might be interested in taking Mr. Sque-Earl. I do not have another squirrel to give him company and if he remains paralyzed he will have to become a pet since he couldn't survive in the wild. I really want him to have a great home. I would keep him for sure if a.) it wasn't illegal and b.) I had more time to entertain him since he will be an only squirrel child. Thank you so much!:thumbsup

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I remember a person on the board who had a squirrel that couldnt walk?
Dont know the name.
Maybe someone else remembers.

[Suro]

Damn i wish you lived near me, I would get him x-rayed for free for you! :)

Don't listen if they tell you to put him to sleep, unless the xrays show a fractured spine, if so then there is nothing that can be done for him sadly.

If, however, it was spinal trauma, there is a chance, all be it a small chance, that he only has nerve damage and that might come back. That can take many weeks to come back fully, in one dog I knew it was 10 weeks following spinal surgery he got the use of his limbs back.

The way we test animals for this at work is to first of all pinch their toes and see if there is a reflex. Also (on dogs) we stimulate their reflex, by tapping the knee, much like hitting our own knee gently and it causes an involuntary reflex responce....though I imagine this is very difficult in squirrels :(

Also, and most importantly, does he have bladder and bowel control? This sadly may proove to be the deciding factor here in keeping him going and giving him a try?

If he does have bladder and bowel function, i see no reason at all to not give him some time, maybe the vet could give him some steroids to help any inflamation. Just make sure he doesn't get sores on his legs from dragging them through the bedding.

Please let us know how he gets on! :)
I will be thinking of him :)

[mastercolleen]

Thanks for the info! Luckly he has normal bowel and bladder control. He is eating and drinking. I too wish I lived closer to you! Thank you for the offer. He is napping right now, but when he wakes up again I will try the toe pinch.

[Suro]

If he has bowel and bladder control then the outlook isn't as bleak for him!!!

That is great news!!! :D

For dogs and cats in that situation the first step would be a pelvic and spine xray, if its his pelvis then (in cats not sure about squirrels) then time and cage rest is a healer and they usually do just fine with no surgery.
If his spine is injured, then nothing will probably show on the xrays and steroids are for sure worth a try! :D

[mastercolleen]

Do you know how I might go about getting steroids for him since I can't take him to the vet out here. (Dr. F & S mail order?) If so, is there a specific steroid you recommend..and in what dose. Thanks again! I am so glad to hear that he might walk again.:thankyou

[Suro]

Well we just use dexamethasone - but I am unsure of the dose rate as I am off work this week...but I can call them tomorrow and post it asap if that helps?

Hmm not sure how you'd get hold of some, in this country some wildlife rehabbers have some they use under vet supervision, maybe one close to you might have some?

In this country Dex is POM (prescription only medicine) so its kinda difficult to get unless you know a doctor or nice vet who might help :(

It still might be a slipped disc though, and if so I suppose only surgery would help, and I doubt you'd find anyone willing to try in a patient that small. But if he is happy and eating and has his bladder and bowel working then time is easy to give him and we'll all wish him well and hope for the best for him :)

I was also just thinking, for the time he is not using his legs, try a little physio on them so his muscles don't waste away - do "cycling" motion with his legs and flex and extend them and masage his tiny muscles a few times a day, if he does regain use of them then having stronger muscles will help him get back on his feet :)

[mastercolleen]

:bowdown Thanks again! If you get a chance it would be great to know the dosage just in case I should go that route. I will see if I can get my hands on some. I will also give the rehab a try. That is a great idea! Too bad I don't have squirrel sized physio-bands... ha ha!!!

[island rehabber]

GREAT advice, Suro....word for word what I was taught in the last trauma class I took for wildlife rescues. I think this little squirrel has a chance of recovery....prayers are starting now. (Can't hurt. :)) :peace

"Dex" is a great drug. One of my squirrels pulled a Houdini last spring and let himself out the terrace door. I live on the 3rd floor! He must have fallen at that point and came crawling back, not using one hind leg. The vet X-rayed him, found no fracture, and gave him a shot of Dex. Within 4 days he was almost back to normal, and was released as a perfect squirrel.

[Timber]

Well, without seeing the squirrel I am just offering a possability but I have found several adult squirrels like that over the past 4 years and when i took them to the vet she simply gave them an injection of calcium and with in 24 hours they were almost 100% better. By the second day I rereleased them. Yes they even get calcium deficiencies in the wild.

[mastercolleen]

I have sad news. After I posted last I was watching Sque-Earl sift around his food dish munching away and exploring his surroundings so I fiqured I would wait a bit on the rehab exercises. I decided to work a bit in the yard and about 20 minutes later I checked in on him. I couldn't believe it, he had passed away. Other than a heart attack I don't know what would cause him to go from alert, eating and drag racing around his cage to nothing. His airway was open, so he didn't choke. Upon examining him I discovered that his spine was totally broken from his lower torso down. Apparently the sensory nerves were not firing since he seemed to be pain free and in good spirts. I just spent the last or so hour crying. I wish there was something more I could have done for him. At least he spent his last moments enjoying food instead of being eaten by a wild animal. Thank you so much everyone who responded to my post. Both myself and Sque-Earl appreciated it. Hopefully your tips can be used by others who find themselves in the same situation. Thank you again!

[Suro]

Oh nooooo! :(

I am so so sorry to hear that, terrible news, I was so hopeful for him too :(

My thoughts are with you, and one blessing is that he was pain free and happy the last day of his life.

I wonder how he had bladder and bowel function though, thats very rare to retain that after a fracture that severe, I wonder if it was leaking rather than concious control. Very sad though, but by the sounds of things he didn't suffer and passed away happily pain free and eating, as I'm sure every squirrel would want to go. :(

My deepest sympathies mastercolleen. :(

[mastercolleen]

Thanks for making me feel better. I am an extreme animal lover so this is so sad for me. I have had so many animals and rescued so many that you think it would get easier, but it doesn't.
Oddly enough he actually peed puddles. I am just assuming that he had bladder control because the nerves that innervate the bladder were higher then the break. I am not sure where the nerves branch for a squirrel so I can't say for sure.
Thank you again.

[Apple Corps]

Sorry for the outcome - they really do touch our hearts quickly. You made the last days as pleasant as possible.

Keep the faith.

[island rehabber]

Yes,my sympathies to you, too....it is so awful to go thru something like this, especially when the squirrel appears to be rallying. Know that you assisted him very well in crossing the Bridge, and that's one of our most important jobs even though we hate it. Bless you for caring for him.

[rippie-n-lilgirlsmom]

I am so sorry! :grouphug

[GhosTS]

So sorry to hear about the loss.But he didnt suffer much.He was happy till the last moment.:grouphug

[mastercolleen]

Thank you everyone!

[Somebody's Mother]

god bless you.

[kellymm]

Im sorry to hear of your loss. If anything ever happened to Miss Mowmow or one of my beloved rat dogs, their the wiener type, I don't know what I would do

[Bravo]

So sad... and yet how fortunate that he was able to have you find and comfort him in the last days he had. May that little soul scamper happily away.