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View Full Version : Help! My squirrels have mange.



Minkie
03-10-2009, 09:35 AM
A few weeks ago I noticed that one of the squirrels in my yard had a bald spot. I have since noticed that about 4 of them are losing fur, some of them very significantly. One has a sore on it's bald spot. Based on info from this site and pictures I have come to the conclusion that it is mange. There are still squirrels that are unaffected as well.

What can I do to help my little friends? I have feeders out for the squirrels and birds. Can I continue to feed them?

I have been reading about Ivermectin and Revolution. Which is the best option? How can I give it to them?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. My heart breaks for the ailing ones.

Thank you very much in advance.

island rehabber
03-10-2009, 11:03 AM
hi Minkie -- thank you for caring about these poor squirrels. As Gammas said above, ivermectin is the 'tried and true' method for treating mange. However, IF you can get your hands on Revolution in a cat dosage, the latest news in wildlife medicine is that Revolution is better to use than ivermectin, which is very strong and easy to overdose. Let us know which med is available to you, and we'll try to help either way. :thumbsup

Minkie
03-10-2009, 12:00 PM
Thank you both so very much - I will be in touch the minute I get my hands on either medication.

In the meantime, is it OK to continue to put out the feeders? I'm not sure if that is a way to transmit mange to other squirrels.

Thank you again!!! :thankyou

TinyPaws
03-10-2009, 12:32 PM
Hi.....Are you sure they all have mange? The squirrels are molting their longer winter coat...the summer coat is much shorter and will make a squirrel look patchy.....Also the one with the red skin spot could be a mating trophy...I'm not saying they don't have mange just throwing out other possibilities........Do you see them scratching insessivly? If there is any way you post pictures of your squirrels, It would really help to determine what's going on.......Thank you for caring for these babies.....

Pointy Tale
03-10-2009, 02:14 PM
I have been experiencing the same kind of problem, I am worried, very worried. I had a hard time getting ivermectin where I live, but I have ordered it and await it's arrival to post new squirrel photos, pictures of the ivermectin and await good loving instructions for the very wonderful people on TSB. Please post pictures if you can. My thread on this is http://thesquirrelboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=16075

island rehabber
03-10-2009, 04:43 PM
Pointy Tale and Minkie, Gammas just pointed out something to me and I need to correct my post above. Revolution can only be administered topically, drop between the shoulder blades the way you would use Frontline, for example. It cannot be given orally. So....the feasibility of giving Revolution to wild squirrels is not good. Unless you can get close enough to put that little capsule drop between their shoulders without losing a finger, Revolution is not what you need. For a wild populace, stick with the ivermectin and the math wizards here at TSB (NOT me!) will help you correctly dose individual treats to give to your yard buddies.

Minkie
03-10-2009, 04:52 PM
Aha - a very good point indeed! I have been calling around this afternoon and found an animal supply nearby that has Ivermectin. I'm hoping to make it there today, but might not get there till tomorrow. I will post all the info on what I purchase as soon as I have it so we can figure out dosage.

I've been trying to get pictures this afternoon of some of the afflicted little buddies but it seems that only the healthy ones have been at the feeders lately. I will keep trying though.

I really appreciate everyone's help!!! :)

gs1
03-10-2009, 06:19 PM
hi: please don't panic.

i've had the same problem over the past few weeks and it was not mange!! just shedding.

i'll post pictures later.

i know that it wasn't mange because my squirrel comes up very close to me and her fur is growing back nicely.

Experienced squirrel people couldn't be sure that she had mange and i'm glad i didn't dose her because 1. she's getting better BUT 2. she's pregnant.

Mange doesn't kill them overnight but overdosing with medication might.

i'm just trying to tell you both to relax and to tell you that you have time - there's no need to panic even if they do have mange.

The one thing that i'm starting to think about mange is the crustiness - the skin is sore and crusty not smooth. (at least for normal mange and not something else which could be balding disease)

As for transmitting to other squirrels - ? one biologist thought that maybe they all have some but their immune system fights it.

anyway, her name is dana kremples and here is the link ... you've probably already seen it.

all the best.

gs1
03-10-2009, 06:21 PM
you can do a search on Tiny Paws threads and mine ... i've got some photos from a few weeks back on mine.

just trying to say that tinypaws and me have been worrying about this for the past couple of weeks and so some questions that you have, might have been answered on one of our threads...

all the best.

ajaris
04-14-2011, 03:17 PM
does my little friend has mange? it seems like he is growing the hair back but still looks weird. here is a pic:
http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/1381/31509050.jpg

CritterMom
04-14-2011, 03:46 PM
That isn't mange - it is a scruffy molt. Mange will show up as crusty looking red sores in the areas where the fur is thin.

ajaris
04-14-2011, 03:54 PM
Thanks for your answer, have a lot of squierrels and he is the only one with that, Glad it is not mange since he is most friendly of them all.